Learn the secrets for making the best version of that original M&M cookie recipe from the bag that we grew up with. It is perfect for baking a batch of crispy, chewy, wonderfully sweet, and crunchy homemade cookies that the whole family will enjoy. Keep reading for the easy (and kid-friendly!) steps to make the classic M&M cookie original recipe.
Why We Love This Original M&M Cookies Recipe
These kid-friendly M&M candies cookies are a classic favorite, straight from your childhood. If that’s not enough, here are our three top reasons to make this recipe.
- They’re soft, slightly chewy on the inside, and crisp on the outside cookies, and loaded with crunchy, chocolatey M and Ms. Every bite is a treat within a treat!
- This is the original M&M cookie recipe from the bag, nothing fancy, and totally tasty. It includes just a handful of simple ingredients and few key steps for making perfect cookies every time.
- The little ones will have a blast baking these treats with you, and you’ll love feeling like a kid again as you enjoy fresh, homemade M&M cookies together.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- All-purpose flour – If you like an extra chewy consistency, you can use a combination of all purpose and bread flour. The extra protein strands of gluten in bread flour makes the cookies chewier.
- Baking soda – there’s no substitution for this and don’t confuse it with baking powder!
- Unsalted butter – let it soften on the counter for at least an hour before starting the recipe.
- Brown sugar – if you’re out of brown sugar, consider making our chocolate chip cookies without brown sugar recipe instead.
- Sugar – I prefer cane sugar. You can substitute the sugar with Splenda baking blend or 1/2 granulated sugar substitute and 1/2 sugar.
- Eggs – let them come to room temperature for the lightest, fluffy cookies!
- M&Ms candies – you can substitute these with peanut butter M&Ms, semi-sweet chocolate chips, or white chocolate chips.
Recipe variations
Use Peanut Butter M & Ms to make Peanut M&M cookies. Make mint cookies for Christmas by using mint flavored M&Ms. Swap M&Ms for semi-sweet chocolate chips or white chocolate chips for chocolate chip cookies. You can also use mini M&M for smaller cookies.
How to make the Best M&M Cookies
To make the best M&M cookies original recipe follow these 5 simple steps:
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- First, preheat the oven to 375ºF.
- Stir together the flour, salt, and baking soda. Then beat together the sugars and softened butter with an electric mixer. Add the eggs and vanilla and continue to beat until creamy. Add the flour mixture to the batter. Don’t want to overwork the batter or your cookies can wind up flat.
- Fold in half of the M&M candies. Use a tablespoon or cookie scoop to drop scoopfuls of batter onto the prepared baking sheets.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes until no longer raw and are slightly brown around the edges.
- Remove from the oven, and let rest for about 5 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to a cooling rack. Immediately (gently) press the remaining half of the MM candies into the tops of the baked cookies before they begin to cool and are still soft.
🎯 TFN Pro Tip
Use room temperature butter and eggs for light, tall cookies! If you’re in a hurry, add the eggs to a glass of warm water for 5 minutes and soften the butter in the microwave for 15 seconds.
Recipe FAQs
When baking with M&Ms, the candy shell will crack and melt a bit. So, to make sure your cookies have a nice presentation with whole candies, we recommend adding a few extras to the top of the cookie dough balls before baking.
Most freshly baked cookies will keep well for up to 3 days at room temperature. if stored in an airtight container.
Yes! To prevent freezer burn, we recommend wrapping them individually with plastic wrap first. Then, package them together in an airtight freezer bag, and they should keep for up to 3 months in the freezer.
1. Melted butter (or overly warm dough) can cause cookies to spread too much during cooking . 2. Expired baking soda and/or baking powder) can cause flat cookies. 3. Check your oven temperature to see if it’s calibrated properly.
Store your cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3-5 days. They will stay fresher for longer if they are in a cool and dry place. Or store them in a freezer-safe, sealed container in the freezer for up to 3 months.
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Best M&M Cookie Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup brown sugar, packed
- ½ cup granulated cane sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups M&Ms reserve 1 cup for decorating
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375º F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper, a Silpat baking sheet, or spray baking sheets with cooking spray.
- In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the flour, salt, and baking soda. Set bowl aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugars together with an electric or stand mixer until light and fluffy. Scraping down the sides of the bowl with a silicone spatula. Beat in the eggs and vanilla until creamy.
- Turn the speed of the mixer to low and add flour mixture just until blended. Gently stir in 1 cups of M&Ms by hand with a spoon *see notes*.
- Drop dough by rounded tablespoons (or with a small scoop) onto prepared baking sheets. Place in the middle rack of the oven and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown around the edges, and just set in the center.
- Remove cookies from the oven and let rest on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. Gently press in remaining cup of M&Ms into cookies before cooling *see notes*.
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Nancy H says
Excellent recipe! Baked about 10 1/2 minutes in my oven, came out great!
Olivia Houston says
I am hoping this is truly the original recipe. I used to make them all the time when I was a teenager but I lost the recipe.
I honestly don’t recall the instructions saying to add m&m’s AFTER the cookies have baked. I recall placing them before baking.
Regina Soroka says
Using a small cookie scoop, this recipe makes 5 dozen, not 2 dozen. The cookies were about 2 inches in diameter and not at all flat.