Soft and Chewy M&M Cookies Recipe (2024)

Tessa’s Recipe Rundown

Taste: Loaded with sweet butterscotch flavor, combined with that classic M&M flavor that brings you back to being a kid. I had to add some chocolate chips in there too for more chocolate goodness!
Texture: Ridiculously soft and chewy with the perfect crunch from the M&Ms. It’s kind of a texture paradox but it is oh-so-good.
Ease: Very easy. The hardest part is practicing patience to chill the dough – which is optional, but will make your cookies even better than they already are.
Pros: Classic cookies everyone will love – especially the kiddos.
Cons: None!
Would I make this again? Yes! I’ve always got some balls of dough stashed in the freezer for whenever the craving hits.

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These Soft and Chewy M&M Cookies are utterly fantastic. If you follow Handle the Heat at all, then you likely know I really love cookies. Chocolate chip cookies. Peanut butter cookies. M&M cookies. I love them ALL.

I mean, I did writeThe Ultimate Cookie Handbook, so I think “cookie obsessed” may be a better description.

Because of that obsession, I thought I’d revamp my M&M cookie recipe that was originally published in 2015 with all the tips, techniques, and improvements I’ve learned and made since then.

My goal for this recipe was to truly let the M&M candies shine. I find this is best done with a perfectly balanced cookie dough that I ever so slightly underbake so it’s still super soft in the center. Just the thought of the contrast between that soft center and the crunchy M&Ms is enough to make my mouth water.

These cookies also feel pretty nostalgic to me. From elementary school through high school growing up, the cafeteria always sold M&M cookies for $.25 each. Eating one of those cookies was always a highlight of my day. But I have to say… they’re even better when made from scratch!

Sprinkle of Science

How to Make Soft & Chewy M&M Cookies

How to Make Soft, Chewy Cookies & Avoid Hard, Dry Cookies

Weigh your flour: I highly recommend using a digital scale to measure your flour, to avoid hard, dry cookies that don’t spread. If you don’t have a scale, learn how to use the spoon and level method here.
Cornstarch: Don’t skip the cornstarch! It’s a tenderizing ingredient that helps create an ultra soft, chewy cookie.
Don’t overbake: Whatever you do, don’t overbake these cookies. They should still look ever so slightly ‘wet’ in the center when you pull them from the oven. The residual heat of the oven and pan will continue to cook the cookies to soft and slightly gooey-in-the-middle perfection.

Why Are My Cookies Flat?

Butter temperature is KEY! If your butter gets too warm at any stage before baking your cookies, you’ll likely end up with flat sad cookies. Start with butter at a cool room temperature, about 67°F. Then keep the dough around that temperature until it hits the oven.

In the image below, both cookies came from the same batch of dough, baked (separately) in the same oven at the same temperature for the same amount of time. The only difference? The cookie on the right came from the last bit of dough that had sat on the counter near a sunny window for about half an hour before baking. In that time, the dough warmed up considerably and the resulting cookies look melted and flattened.

What a difference, right?! If you’re baking multiple batches of cookies over a period of time, pop the remaining dough in the fridge while they wait to enter the oven.

How Long to Cream Butter and Sugar for M&M Cookies

There are lots of factors that influence the speed at which your butter and sugar will become properly creamed. Temperature, mixer power, paddle size and shape, the amount of butter you’re creaming, etc. Generally, two to three minutes at whatever your hand or stand mixer’s version of medium-high speed is perfect in my kitchen for cookies. Check out more instructions and tricks on this in my

What Type of M&Ms Should I Use?

I used regular-size M&Ms for the perfect crunch in this recipe, but you could also use mini or even peanut M&Ms if you prefer. Of course, feel free to switch out for Christmas M&Ms, Easter M&Ms, 4th of July, Halloween – whatever the season, these cookies will look so cute with seasonal M&Ms mixed in!

Why You Should Chill Your Cookie Dough!

Another thing that makes your cookies that much thicker and chewier is chilling your dough! It might be a little annoying to see that I call for chilling the dough for a minimum of 24 hours in this recipe. But believe me, it makes a big difference here. Both the taste and texture improve during this time. Think of it as a marinating time where everything just gets better and better!! This added chill time will make for the best M&M cookies ever, promise. Check out my full article explaining the magic of chilling your cookie dough HERE.

If you can’t wait, bake off a few cookies to satisfy your craving now, then save the rest for baking after the dough has marinated.

Why Use a Cookie Scoop?

One of the KEYS to beautiful, uniform, evenly-shaped cookies.
Saves you *so much time* in forming the balls of dough.
Ensures each ball is evenly sized so the cookies bake evenly.
No small overbaked cookies or large underbaked cookies.
I love using a 3-Tablepsoon size cookie scoop for this sugar cookie recipe.
Learn more about Cookie Scoops and how to use them here!

How to Store M&M Cookies

Soft and Chewy M&M Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature and will stay soft for up to 3 days. Store cookies with a tortilla to keep them soft for longer. Check out the freezing instructions just below if you need to prep your cookies further in advance.

How to Freeze Cookie Dough

Make the cookie dough as the recipe directs. Use a large (3-Tablespoon) spring-loaded cookie scoop to portion out balls of dough onto a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet.
BONUS TIP: If the recipe calls for chilling or ‘marinating’ the cookie dough (which does WONDERS for your cookies as described above), be sure to allow the dough to marinate before shaping and freezing.
Place the tray of cookie dough balls in the freezer. Freeze until firm and solid.
Remove the balls of cookie dough to a labeled and dated airtight container or ziptop bag.
Cookie dough can be stored in the freezer for up to 6 weeks.
Find out how to bake frozen cookie dough in this article HERE.

More Delicious Cookie Recipes You’ll Love:

Bakery Style Chocolate Chip Cookies
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
Soft and Chewy Sugar Cookies
Browned Butter Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookies
S’mores Cookies

How to Make

Soft & Chewy M&M Cookies

By: Tessa Arias

Ingredients

▢ 3 cups (380 grams) all-purpose flour
▢ 1 teaspoon cornstarch
▢ 1 teaspoon baking soda
▢ 1 1/4 teaspoons fine sea salt
▢ 2 sticks (227 grams) unsalted butter, at cool room temperature
▢ 1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
▢ 1 1/4 cups (247 grams) lightly packed light brown sugar
▢ 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
▢ 2 large eggs, at room temperature
▢ 1 egg yolk, at room temperature
▢ 1 (12 oz or 340 gram) bag M&M® candies
▢ 1/2 cup (85 grams) semisweet chocolate chips

Instructions

If baking the cookie dough immediately, preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt.
In a large mixing bowl, use an electric stand or hand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment to beat the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl before adding in the vanilla, eggs, and egg yolk, beating well after each addition, and scraping down the bowl as needed. Slowly beat in the flour mixture. Stir in the M&M candies and chocolate chips with a rubber spatula, reserving about 1/4 cup M&Ms to garnish each cookie dough ball.
For best results if time permits, wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 24 hours but no more than 72 hours. This will improve both the flavor and texture of the cookies. Let dough sit at room temperature just until it is soft enough to scoop.
Using a large spring-loaded cookie scoop, divide the dough into 3-tablespoon-sized balls and drop onto prepared baking sheets. Press a few extra M&M candies into the top of each ball of dough.
Bake at 350°F for about 11 to 13 minutes, or until golden brown but still ever so slightly wet looking on top. Cool for 5 minutes before removing to a cooling rack to cool completely. Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Show us!If you make this recipe, be sure to snap a picture and share it on Instagram with #handletheheat so we can all see!

This post was originally published in 2015 and has been updated with recipe improvements and new photos. Photos by Joanie Simon.