M&M Chocolate Chip Cookies
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If you love M&M candies, then you’re going to love these all M&M chocolate chip cookies that are quick to mix up! The cookie dough is made with melted butter so you just need a whisk and a spatula to mix up the dough! No mixer needed!
Soft, perfect, chewy cookies loaded with M&M candies and chocolate chips. Is there anything better? Boy oh boy are those delicious. Crisp edges. Gooey, soft centers. A little chewy. Just the way I like them.
Normally I’m all for just stirring in chocolate chips and making a classic chocolate chip cookie, but this time I wanted some M&M chocolate chip cookies. Because M&M candies definitely improve a chocolate chip cookie, don’t you think? I adapted the recipe from this cookbook, playing around a bit with a few ingredients and the baking time. And by gosh, this M&M version is just scrumptious.
The cookie dough mixes up in minutes but for best results I recommend chilling the cookie dough overnight. Chilling the cookie dough makes for a softer, chewier cookie that spreads less. Definitely worth the wait. All you need now is a glass of milk!
Table of contents
What Makes These Cookies Awesome
- Cookie dough mixes together in minutes. The best part about these chocolate chip m&m cookies is that it only takes about 10 minutes to mix up!
- Easy, Pantry Staple Ingredients – You don’t need any extra, fancy ingredients for these cookies.
- No electric mixer needed! The cookie dough is made with melted butter so there’s no need to bust out your stand mixer!
Recipe Ingredients
- All purpose flour
- Cornstarch
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Unsalted butter – You can also use salted butter but reduce the salt.
- Light brown sugar – If you ran out, try making your own homemade brown sugar. You could also use dark brown sugar, your cookies will just be extra chewy.
- Granulated sugar
- Eggs – Make sure your eggs are at room temperature. You need room temperature eggs so it doesn’t seize up the butter. Read my tutorial on how to get room temperature eggs fast. You will need one egg and one extra egg yolk. Here is my tutorial on how to separate eggs.
- Vanilla extract
- Chocolate chips – I love using semi-sweet chocolate chips, but bittersweet or dark chocolate also works. You can also use milk chocolate chips. Or try chopping up a bar of baking chocolate.
- M&M candies – I used regular m&m candies but mini m&m candies also work.
How To Make The Best M&M Chocolate Chip Cookies
Combine dry ingredients. Whisk together flour, corn starch, baking soda, and salt in small bowl.
Combine butter and sugars. In a large bowl whisk butter, white sugar, and brown sugar until combined.
Add vanilla and eggs. Add the whole egg and egg yolk, one at a time whisking to combine.
Add vanilla and mix just until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Add dry ingredients. Gradually stir in flour mixture so they wouldn’t spoon or spatula.
Stir in chocolate chips and m&m candies. Cover and chill cookie dough at least 2 hours, ideally overnight for best texture.
Preheat and prepare cookie sheets. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F (180oC). Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper (or a silicone baking mat). Take cookie dough out of the fridge and let soften for several minutes to allow for easier scooping.
Scoop the cookies. Using a 1-inch cookie scoop or a tablespoon, scoop the cookies into 1 ½ inch balls onto prepared cookie sheets about 2 inches apart.
Bake and cool cookies. Bake the cookie sheet on the middle rack for 9-11 minutes, until golden brown on the sides. The centers will still look soft. Remove from the oven and let cool on a baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
For a pretty presentation, I like to press a couple of additional m&m candies right on the tops of the cookies when they come out of the oven.
Recipe Tips
- Watch the bake time. For that signature soft, chewy center with slightly crispy edges, you can’t bake the cookies too long. The center of the cookies should still look slightly soft and puffy when you take them out of the oven. They will continue cooking slightly on the cookie sheet.
- Measure your flour correctly! Too much flour will result in a tough cakey cookie. I recommend using a kitchen scale. If you only have measuring cups, be sure to spoon your flour into the cup and level off.
- For thick cookies, chill the dough. In order for the cookies to have the best texture, taste, and less spreading you need to chill the dough overnight. You can either cover the whole bowl of cookie dough or scoop the dough then cover the cookie dough balls. Just make sure it’s well covered!
- Bake on a cool baking sheet. Do not bake on a hot cookie sheet or the cookies will spread too much.
Storage Instructions
Store cookies stay fresh covered at room temperature for up to 1 week in an airtight container.
You can never have too many cookies on hand in the freezer. 😉
To freeze unbaked: Make and scoop the dough onto the prepared baking sheet. Freeze the cookies on the sheet until solid, then store in an air-tight ziploc bag or container. Bake straight from frozen, just add 1-3 minutes of extra baking time.
To freeze baked: Cool baked cookies thoroughly, then freeze until solid. Store in an air-tight freezer bag or container. Thaw at room temperature or microwave for a few seconds to re-warm.
For a complete tutorial, be sure to read my post How To Freeze Cookie Dough.
Recipe Variations
- Try white chocolate. Instead of regular chocolate chips, try using white chocolate chips instead!
- Stir in peanut butter chips. If you love peanut butter and chocolate, then try stirring in peanut butter chips into the dough.
- Add nuts. Stir in 1/2 cup of toasted nuts like toasted pecans or toasted walnuts into the cookie dough for a little crunch.
- Make these festive. Instead of regular M&M candies, try using a red and pink colored ones for a festive treat around Valentine’s Day! Or get the red, white and blue ones and make them for the 4th of July! Or use the red and green M&M’s for Christmas!
Recipe FAQs
If your cookies spread or got very flat, it is likely due to one of these 8 reasons. Try reading through the list to pinpoint the problem. For this recipe in particular, it is important to start with room temperature butter (not too soft! See the notes in the recipe) and to measure the flour correctly to prevent flat cookies. If they are spreading too much, try chilling the dough for at least 1 hour, up to overnight.
This probably means you overbaked the cookies. For soft cookies, you want to take the cookies out when they just barely look done. The edges should be set, but the middles will be puffy but set (not wet). The cookies will continue to bake as they cool.
If your cookies don’t spread at all and stay compact and not spread this means you’ve added too much flour! Remember stir your flour first then spoon into your measuring cup. And level it off. Do not scoop directly from the bag and do not pack down. For best results, weigh your flour using a kitchen scale.
More Recipes To Try
If you’re looking for more Christmas cookies to make, try my Russian Tea cakes! They are an easy one bowl cookie recipe I grew up on and so delicious! Or try my soft, chewy pumpkin chocolate chip cookies. Lots of pumpkin flavor and not cakey!
I also love mixing up a batch of my coconut macaroons! I dip them in chocolate for a decadent treat.
M&M Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ cups (280 g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup (1 ½ sticks, 170 g) unsalted butter melted and slightly cooled
- ¾ cup (150 g) packed light brown sugar
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg + 1 egg yolk at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup (170 g) semi sweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup m and m candies
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, cornstarch, and salt together. Set aside. 2 ¼ cups (280 g) all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 2 teaspoons cornstarch ½ teaspoon salt
- In a medium bowl, whisk the melted butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together until evenly combined. ¾ cup (1 ½ sticks, 170 g) unsalted butter ¾ cup (150 g) packed light brown sugar ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- Whisk in the egg and egg yolk until evenly mixed in. Whisk in the vanilla extract until evenly incorporated. 1 large egg + 1 egg yolk 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- With a spatula or wooden spoon, stir in the dry ingredients and mix together. The dough will be soft and thick. Fold in the chocolate chips and the m and m candies. It can be difficult to stir in the chips and M&m’s so do the best you can! 1 cup (170 g) semi sweet chocolate chips 1 cup m and m candies
- Cover the dough tightly and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, up to overnight for less spreading.
- When ready to bake, take the dough out of the refrigerator and allow it to slightly soften at room temperature for 10 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Line large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.
- Using a small cookie scoop or use a measuring spoon and scoop dough into 2 heaping tablespoons portions (about 50 g). You can also bake these into smaller cookies (about 2 Tablespoons – about 30-35 g).
- Bake the cookies for 11-13 minutes (12 minutes was perfect for me!) or until the edges are very lightly browned. If you are baking smaller cookies, then bake for 9-11 minutes. The centers will look very soft but the edges set and golden brown. The cookies will continue to set as they cool. When they come out of the oven I like to press a few extra chocolate chips and M&M’s on top for appearance. Cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes. Then transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Storage: Cookies stay fresh covered at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
- Freezing: Freeze baked cookies for up to 3 months in an airtight container. You can thaw overnight in the fridge or at room temperature (if you need them thawed quicker – they will thaw quickly!). You can also freeze unbaked cookies for up to 3 months. When ready to bake, bake as directed (no need to thaw) and add an additional 2-3 minutes of baking time.
- Chocolate chips – I love using semi-sweet chocolate chips, but bittersweet or dark chocolate also works. You can also use milk chocolate chips. Or try chopping up a bar of baking chocolate.
- M&M candies – I used regular m&m candies but mini m&m candies also work.
- Recipe adapted from Sally’s Cookie Addiction Cookbook
