These soft-baked M&M cookies are playful, chewy, and packed with both M&M’s and semi-sweet chocolate chips. Designed to recall bakery-style cookies from childhood, this recipe requires no chilling and yields a quick, reliable treat that’s great for families and gatherings.
When I think of M&M cookies, I always remember getting a soft, warm cookie from the grocery bakery as a kid. It was chewy, not overly sweet, and generously studded with colorful candies. That nostalgic feeling is exactly what this recipe aims to recreate: a bakery-style, soft-baked M&M cookie that’s simple to make and fun to eat.
The combination of bright M&M colors and semi-sweet chocolate chips gives these cookies a rich chocolate flavor and a cheerful look. They’re an easy recipe for bakers of any level, and children love helping to mix the dough and press candies on top before baking.
Ingredients
- ½ cup salted butter, room temperature (if using unsalted butter, add an extra ¼ tsp kosher salt)
- ⅓ cup white sugar (cane or pure white)
- ⅓ cup brown sugar, packed
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 1 egg
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp cornstarch (helps with chewiness)
- ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ½ cup M&M’s
How To Make M&M Cookies
Follow these steps for reliably soft, chewy cookies that mimic bakery favorites.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; this prevents sticking and can help control spreading.
- In a stand mixer or with a hand mixer, cream together the room-temperature butter, white sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy, about 2–3 minutes. Properly creamed butter traps air and helps create a tender crumb.
- Mix in the vanilla extract and the egg until fully incorporated. The mixture should be smooth with no streaks of egg.
- In a separate bowl, sift or whisk together the all-purpose flour, kosher salt, baking soda, baking powder, and cornstarch. Adding cornstarch contributes to the cookie’s soft, chewy texture.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir just until combined. Overmixing can make cookies tough, so stop once the flour is incorporated.
- Fold in the semi-sweet chocolate chips and M&M’s, distributing them evenly through the dough.
- Use a 1½ tablespoon cookie scoop to portion even balls of dough (adjust size and baking time if you prefer larger or smaller cookies). Roll the dough lightly into smooth balls and arrange them on the prepared baking sheet, leaving room for spreading.
- For an extra colorful presentation, press a few additional M&M’s into the top of each dough ball before baking.
- Bake at 350°F for about 10 minutes. The centers should look set but still soft—cookies will continue to firm up as they cool.
- Remove the baking sheet from the oven and let the cookies rest on the sheet for 2 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Baking Tips
- Room-temperature butter: Use butter that is soft but not greasy. If it’s too warm, cookies can spread too much.
- Cookie size: I used a 1½ tbsp scoop for consistent cookies. If you change the scoop size, adjust baking time accordingly.
- Chewy texture: The cornstarch and the balance of sugars help maintain chewiness. Slightly underbaking by 30–60 seconds can make them even softer.
- Presentation: Press additional M&M’s on top of each cookie right after scooping to ensure bright candy pieces show after baking.
Nutrition & Yield
Yield: 22 cookies. Serving size: 1 cookie.
Approximate nutrition per cookie (estimates): 132 calories, 7g total fat (4g saturated), 17g carbohydrates, 11g sugar, 1g protein, 95mg sodium, 20mg cholesterol.
More Cookie Recipes
- Chocolate Cookies
- Iced Oatmeal Cookies
- Oreo Funfetti Cookies
- S’mores Cookie Bars
- Pecan Sandies
M&M Cookies
Soft-baked, chewy, and filled with M&M’s and chocolate chips—this is a straightforward recipe for a nostalgic, bakery-style cookie without the need to chill the dough.
Ingredients
- ½ c salted butter, room temp
- ⅓ c white sugar
- ⅓ c brown sugar
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 1 egg
- 1 ¼ c all purpose flour
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp cornstarch
- ½ c semi sweet chocolate chips
- ½ c M&M’s
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Cream butter and sugars until fluffy, then stir in vanilla and egg.
- Sift or whisk the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and cornstarch; add to wet ingredients and combine.
- Fold in M&M’s and chocolate chips. Scoop 1½ tbsp portions, roll into balls, and place on parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Bake for 10 minutes, let rest on the sheet for 2 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool.
Notes
I used a 1½ tbsp cookie scoop—adjust baking time if your scoop size differs. For extra color, press a few additional M&M’s onto the tops before baking.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 22
Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 132
Total Fat: 7g
Saturated Fat: 4g
Trans Fat: 0g
Unsaturated Fat: 2g
Cholesterol: 20mg
Sodium: 95mg
Carbohydrates: 17g
Fiber: 1g
Sugar: 11g
Protein: 1g
Nutrition figures are estimates from online calculators and should be used as a guideline.