Chocolate Chip M&M Cookies (Soft & Chewy!) - Live Well Bake Often (2024)

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by Danielle on Sep 17, 2018 (updated May 25, 2022) 41 comments »

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4.87 from 15 ratings

Soft and chewy cookies filled with M&M’s and chocolate chips. These M&M Cookies are easy to make and turn out perfect every time!

I put out a poll on Instagram a few weeks ago to see which cookie recipe people wanted to see on the blog next. The winner? These chocolate chip M&M’s cookies! I love that so many of you love the same desserts that I do!

One thing that I love about this cookie dough is that it’s so versatile. You can mix in just about anything you like and it bakes up perfectly every single time. These cookies always turn out super soft and chewy and they stay that way for days.

You can even change the colors of M&M’s for different holidays like Christmas, Valentine’s Day, or 4th of July. However you make them, this is one easy cookie recipe you will want to keep on hand!

Ingredients In This Recipe

These homemade M&M cookies come together with minimal ingredients, making it dangerously easy to whip up a batch when a craving strikes! Here’s what goes into this recipe:

All-purpose flour:When it comes to measuring your flour, make sure to spoon it into your measuring cup and level it off with the back of a knife. Too much flour in your cookies can lead to super thick cakey cookies that don’t spread very well.
Baking soda:Gives the cookies a little lift.
Salt:Balances out the sweetness of the dough and enhances the vanilla flavor.
Unsalted butter:By using unsalted butter, you control the amount of salt in your cookies. If you only have salted butter on hand, reduce the salt to 1/2 teaspoon.
Brown sugar & granulated sugar:I love to use a little more brown sugar than granulated sugar for flavor and it helps to keep the cookies soft.
Eggs:Need to be room temperature before being mixed into the cookie dough.
Vanilla extract:Adds lots of flavor!
Semi-sweet chocolate chips:I like to use semi-sweet chocolate chips in these cookies because they’re not too sweet or bitter, but feel free to use your favorite kind.
M&M’s:I love to buy the sharing size bags of M&M’s that you can find in the candy aisle. You’ll need a little over a cup, but you can use any extra to press on top of the cookies once they come out of the oven.

How to Make Chocolate Chip M&M’s Cookies

These truly are the BEST M&M cookies. To make these cookies, start by whisking together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt.

For the wet ingredients, you’ll mix together the unsalted butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar.Along with the butter and sugars, you’ll mix in a couple of eggs and vanilla extract. Once you combine the wet ingredients, slowly mix in the dry ingredients until they’re just combined.

Then comes the best part, the chocolate chips and M&M’s!Once you’ve mixed in the chocolate chips and M&M’s you will need to let the cookie dough chill for at least 2 hours. I know this part can be a pain sometimes, but the longer you chill the cookie dough the better the flavor of these cookies and the thicker they will be too.

Once the dough is chilled, scoop the cookie dough onto baking sheets and bake the cookies. I love to use a 1.5 tablespoon cookie scoop to get cookies that are uniform in shape.

FAQ’s

Do I Have to Chill the Cookie Dough?

Absolutely! Chilling the cookie dough will prevent the cookies from spreading super flat in the oven. Don’t skip this step!

How to Store M&M’s Cookies

Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to five days.

Can I Freeze These Cookies?

Yes, cookie dough balls may be frozen for up to 3 months. Bake from frozen for an additional 1 to 2 minutes. Baked cookies will also freeze well for up to 3 months, simply thaw to room temperature before serving.

Baking Tips

When measuring your flour, avoid scooping it from the container. Instead, stir the flour around, spoon it into your measuring cup, and level it off with the back of a knife.
This recipe will make close to 4 dozen cookies. If you don’t need that many cookies, you can cut the recipe in half and cut the dough chilling time to 1 hour.
Bake the cookies just until the edges of the cookies are lightly golden brown and the top is set. Remember that the centers will set up further while the cookies cool.

More Easy Cookie Recipes to Try!

Monster Cookies
Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Snickerdoodles
Brownie Cookies
Classic Sugar Cookies
Double Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chocolate Chip M&M's Cookies

4.87 from 15 ratings

Prep Time: 15 minutes mins

Cook Time: 10 minutes mins

Chill Time: 2 hours hrs

Total Time: 2 hours hrs 25 minutes mins

Soft and chewy cookies filled with M&M's and chocolate chips. These M&M's Chocolate Chip Cookies are easy to make and turn out perfect every time!

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Ingredients

Servings: 44 cookies

2 and 3/4 cup (345 grams) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (230 grams) unsalted butter , softened
1 cup (200 grams) light brown sugar , packed
1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
2 large eggs , room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 and 1/2 cups (270 grams) semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup (210 grams) M&M's

Instructions

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large mixing bowl using an electric mixer, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar for 1 to 2 minutes or until well combined. Add the eggs and vanilla extract one at a time and mix until fully combined.
Slowly mix in the dry ingredients and continue mixing until just combined, making sure to stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Mix in the chocolate chips on low speed, then add the M&Ms and gently fold them into the cookie dough.
Cover the cookie dough tightly and transfer to the refrigerator to chill for at least 2 hours.
Once the dough is almost chilled, preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats and set aside.
Remove the cookie dough from the refrigerator, using a 1.5 tablespoon cookie scoop, scoop the cookie dough and drop onto the prepared baking sheets. Make sure to leave a little room between each ball of cookie dough as they will spread a little while they bake.
Bake in separate batches at 350°F for 10 to 12 minutes or until the edges of the cookies are lightly golden brown and the tops are set.
Remove from the oven and cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

Storage Instructions:Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to five days.

Freezing Instructions: Cookie dough balls may be frozen for up to 3 months. Bake from frozen for an additional 1 to 2 minutes. Baked cookies will also freeze well for up to 3 months, thaw to room temperature before serving.

Butter: If you only have salted butter on hand, you may reduce the salt in this recipe to 1/2 teaspoon.

Want to make less cookies? You can cut this recipe in half to make about 2 dozen cookies. If you do cut the recipe in half, you can also reduce the dough chilling time to 1 hour.

Cuisine: American

Course: Dessert

Author: Danielle

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41 comments on “Soft and Chewy M&M Chocolate Chip Cookies”

Hannah —October 28, 2018 @ 6:29 am Reply
I made these on a rainy day when I was craving something sweet. Of course, I didn’t read the recipe thoroughly before beginning and waiting the painful two hours to chill the dough was rough! But I did it and the cookie dough was delicious ? once they baked though, I was disappointed that they flattened. A lot. What did I do wrong? I followed your instructions to the T. Still tasty, but not the soft, thick cookie I was looking for. Thanks!
- Danielle —October 28, 2018 @ 11:52 am Reply
  Sorry to hear that, Hannah! Did you handle the cookie dough too much or was it warm when you put it into the oven?
- Cary —July 9, 2020 @ 6:03 pm Reply
  I made these exactly as described in the recipe, except I halved the recipe. It was perfect and they were soft and chewy in the middle with a little crunch along the edges. I used kosher salt and it seemed like my cookies were subtly under salted.
Everett, 6 & Mom —December 29, 2018 @ 7:39 pm Reply
My six year old and I made these delicious soft and thick cookies tonight. They were perfect! I didn’t have chocolate chips, but found some hershey bars in my stash and chopped those babies up and we threw those in with the M&Ms and yummo! Definitely keeping this recipe near and dear to my heart. xoxo
- Danielle —December 30, 2018 @ 12:42 pm Reply
  How fun! So glad you liked the cookies!
Kelsey Greene —May 1, 2019 @ 2:59 pm Reply
These cookies were the absolute best! Everyone who had one went for a second!! Not your average chocolate chip cookie, in a good way!! You’re the best-thank you for always having reliable recipes!!
- Danielle —May 2, 2019 @ 11:13 pm Reply
  Thank you, Kelsey! So glad you liked the cookies!
- Rebecca —June 13, 2020 @ 12:49 am Reply
  Just found out I have a gluten allergy. Would I be able to make this recipe with gluten free flour?
  - Danielle —June 14, 2020 @ 11:48 am Reply
    I haven’t tested this recipe with gluten-free flour, so I’m not quite sure. If you’ve had success using a certain brand 1:1 in other recipes then it may work in this one.
Tee —May 8, 2019 @ 7:49 am Reply
See Also
Soft-Baked M&M Cookies (Easy Recipe) - Sally's Baking Addiction
I tried to make these cookies last night for my two and a half year old. The dough itself had a great taste, but, even following the recipe exactly, it seems they were very flat once baked. I was a little disappointed with it, but appreciate the recipe all the same.
- Danielle —May 8, 2019 @ 9:58 am Reply
  Sorry to hear that. If you find that your first batch of cookies is turning out flat, you could try chilling the dough longer and that should help. Also, did you double check to make sure your baking soda was fresh?
Evert —June 19, 2019 @ 10:12 pm Reply
Hi Danielle! It is the second time I try this recipe, right in this momment they are in the oven. First, the dough is very sticky, even when I spoon it on the sheets all the dough was in the spoon, I let the dough chill 2 hours. I followed the recipe to the letter. What can I do? Can I es reduce the amout of butter? Add more flour?
- Danielle —June 20, 2019 @ 8:52 am Reply
  I’m not quite sure what would make the dough super sticky, especially if you chilled it. Did you make any adjustments to the recipe? And was the cookie dough cold when you scooped it?
JoAnn Willuhn —August 16, 2019 @ 7:45 pm Reply
These are wonderful cookies, we really enjoyed making them and eating them.
joy —December 6, 2019 @ 5:13 pm Reply
I am not much of a baker but I was able to follow the recipe and these cookies turned out great!
Kristina Yvette Garibay —March 21, 2020 @ 6:48 pm Reply
Would I be able to leave it to chill in the freezer for a less amount of time?
- Danielle —March 22, 2020 @ 12:17 pm Reply
  Yes, that would be fine! Or you can scoop it into balls and let them chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Liz R —March 23, 2020 @ 12:07 pm Reply
I made these cookies after my previous cookie recipe had been deleted.
I was nervous in the beginning, but the cookies turned out amazing: soft, chewy, and not flat at all.
However, I did not chill the dough and put them directly into the oven and found no problems so if you are on a time crunch, these cookies will still work.
Amy —April 10, 2020 @ 7:50 pm Reply
I made those today and they were delicious. The recipe is easy to follow. My kids and husband all went crazy after their first bite.
Jax —April 11, 2020 @ 8:53 pm Reply
I think I figured out why some people may be having issues with them going flat. Make sure you’re using real butter, not margarine or anything that says it’s a “butter spread” etc etc. I had what I -thought- were sticks of butter, turns out they were sticks of basically margarine made with vegetable oil. These make your cookies flatten.
Regardless, they were tasty. I was out of vanilla extract so I used almond instead and it turned out fantastic. I’ll try this again with actual butter next time and they should stay fluffier. Whoops.
Amanda —April 26, 2020 @ 11:17 am Reply
I made these yesterday with my mom for some baking (we cut the recipe in half) and they are AMAZING!! We followed your directions to the letter and even made sure of a couple other things after reading the comments: 1) that we didn’t handle the dough too much and 2) that our baking soda was fresh. We didn’t have a cookie scoop so we estimated the size based on the recipe yield and it worked out great. Just ordered a cookie scoop online for next time because we’re definitely going to be making these cookies again (most likely next weekend)! Thanks for the great recipe!!
- Danielle —April 26, 2020 @ 4:58 pm Reply
  So glad the cookies turned out great for you, Amanda!
Sasha —May 8, 2020 @ 9:13 am Reply
Hi danielle..Your recipe is amazing..It is my first time trying out your recipe..It is highly recommended!!! Looking forward to trying out your other recipes..Thumbs up!!!
Xoxo,
Sasha
(Singapore)
- Danielle —May 8, 2020 @ 1:45 pm Reply
  Thank you, Sasha! I’d love to hear if you try any other recipes!
May —May 22, 2020 @ 4:59 am Reply
Hi can I use self raising flour instead ?
- Danielle —May 22, 2020 @ 11:29 am Reply
  I wouldn’t recommend it for this recipe, self-rising flour has baking powder and salt added to it.
Amy —September 12, 2020 @ 7:11 pm Reply
This recipe is so easy and the end product is amazing. My family devoured these cookies.
Andrea D —October 19, 2020 @ 12:27 pm Reply
This was my first try making cookies from scratch and I was amazed with the results!! I didn’t really think my cookies were going to come out soft and chewy, but following all of your steps, they did! I will save this recipe for the future, best cookies ever…
RASHVINDAR KAUR —March 4, 2021 @ 3:34 am Reply
Hey there can I make this without the eggs, what do I replace it with?
- Danielle —March 4, 2021 @ 9:15 am Reply
  You may be able to use a flax egg, but I haven’t tried it.
Adele —December 16, 2021 @ 2:21 pm Reply
I’ve just made these…they are fabulous.
Great recipe.
I wish I could show you a photo.
Kathleen —December 19, 2021 @ 3:54 pm Reply
Hi! I followed the recipe but my cookies turned out puffy and Camry. Could it be because I over mixed it? Thanks!
- Danielle —December 20, 2021 @ 5:41 pm Reply
  Did you make sure to spoon and level your flour? Or did you scoop it from the container? And did you make sure to use baking soda?
Audrey —February 18, 2022 @ 9:38 pm Reply
I am not usually a baker but my two and half year old has really taken an interest in baking! So, I am learning as we go! My favorite cookies are chocolate chip and my son loves m&ms, so this recipe was a no brainer for us to try! I’m not super patient with baking but this recipe was very easy and my son loved it! Our cookies turned out amazing! I’m adding this to the favorite pile for future use! Thank you!
Diane —May 12, 2022 @ 9:51 pm Reply
I am making the cookies and using an ice cream scooper. Are you supposed to flatten the cookie before you bake them or leave them in a ball?
Thanks
- Danielle —May 17, 2022 @ 9:15 am Reply
  You can leave them in a ball, they will spread some as they bake in the oven.
Marla —July 22, 2022 @ 7:59 pm Reply
The cookies are perfect! They are crunchy on the outside and chewy on the inside. I followed the recipe to the Tee. I made these with our grandkids visiting for the summer.. it was a perfect family fun time. Thank you for post it!
Ellen —October 25, 2022 @ 8:54 am Reply
Can you use mini M&Ms?
- Danielle —October 25, 2022 @ 1:17 pm Reply
  Yes, that would be fine!
Norah —December 19, 2023 @ 6:47 pm Reply
I made these last year for multiple Xmas parties and they were a hit every where I brought them! I am back again to make them this holiday season and I am just curious, how many days could I leave the dough in the fridge? I got in the habit of making the dough the night before I needed them and baking them the next day but I was hoping to make a larger batch and just pull from the fridge as needed!
- Danielle —December 20, 2023 @ 10:48 am Reply
  So glad to hear that, Norah! You can refrigerate the dough for up to 3 days. If you need to store it longer, you can freeze it.