If you’re looking for cute spring cookies to make these M&M sugar cookies are perfect! They are a bright and colorful version of the M&M cookies original recipe you know and love…plus, these are easier to make than traditional frosted cookies.
Why We Love These M&M Sugar Cookies
During spring break, one of our favorite activities is making sugar cookies for Easter. Usually, we would make frosted sugar cookies, but I began to dread the mess that came with the tinted frosting.
Then, M&M’s came out in pastel, spring colors and we started making the cookie recipe from the bag.
One of the things to love about this simple cookie recipe is that it’s perfect for making with kids. They get to participate in a creative, hands-on learning experience without a dozen complicated steps.
Older kiddos learn about fractions and counting when measuring the ingredients. And, and it helps develop fine motor skills in smaller children when they place the spring M&M candies on the cookies.
Not to mention you can forget about messy frosting and instead have fun making cookies. Since this sugar cookie recipe has an easy, simple clean-up, everyone enjoys helping out because there’s a great treat afterward.
You simply form a basic cookie dough, shape, and bake, then add these M&M candies for a sweet finishing touch. From start to finish, they only take 30 minutes to make!
This Easter cookie idea is based on my original M&M cookie recipe but swaps traditional M and M candies with bright and colorful pastel-colored sweets. The whole family will love celebrating the season with these tasty treats!
Need More Dessert Recipes? You’ll love these! For a fruit twisty, make our White Chocolate Raspberry Cookies, or traditional Better than Costco Chocolate Chip Cookies, Oatmeal Cookies Like Your Mom Made, or this Spritz Cookie Recipe.
Ingredients for Spring Cookies
There are needs to make tender, slightly crispy, and lightly chewy M & M cookies from scratch. Many are even pantry staples you probably have on hand right now!
- All-purpose flour
- sea salt
- baking soda
- butter
- sugar
- eggs
- vanilla extract
- M&M’s
Recipe Steps
This homemade M&M sugar cookies recipe couldn’t be any easier. Here are the 6 steps for making a delicious batch of fresh, tasty, perfectly sweet spring cookies:
- Preheat your oven. This recipe bakes the cookies at 375º F.
- Mix the dry ingredients together in a bowl.
- Cream the softened butter and sugars together until light and fluffy, then add the eggs and vanilla. Do not over-mix otherwise, your sugar cookies will be dense and flat.
- Slowly add your dry ingredients to the wet until combined, then gently fold in half of the pastel M&Ms to the dough. Overmixing the dough will result in flat, dense cookies.
- Drop scoops or spoonfuls of dough and bake for 10-12 minutes, until the cookies are set and slightly browned on the outside and no longer raw in the middle.
- Let cookies rest for 5 minutes on the baking sheet before moving them to the wire cooling rack to add the other half of the M&Ms by gently pressing them into the tops of the cookies.
Serve and enjoy!
Storing and Freezing Leftovers
Stored in an airtight container at room temperature, these cookies will stay fresh for up to 3 days.
These cookies freeze well! Wrap individual cookies in plastic wrap for the freshest taste. Then store all of the cookies together in an airtight bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
Common Questions
The M&Ms will melt and crack when baked, which makes for great crunchy and melty sugar cookies. But have the prettiest spring cookies, it’s best to add the other half of the candies to the tops immediately after baking. That way the cookies are still soft enough so that the candy sticks, but they stay whole and lovely looking.
Feel free to swap colorful pastel candies with traditional M & Ms, or any colors you like! You can also change the recipe to use 1/2 M&M candies and 1/2 of another preferred treat… Like chocolate chips or white chocolate chips, nuts, or other fun goodies like peanut butter chips..
M&M Sugar Cookies
Equipment
- Baking Sheet or cookie sheet
Ingredients
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 1 ½ cups granulated cane sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 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 sugar 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 cookie sheets. Bake cookies in the middle rack of the oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until the cookies are golden brown around the edges, and just set in the center.
- Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes before transferring the cookies to a wire rack. Gently press in remaining cup of M&Ms into cookies before cooling *see notes*.
Notes
M and M cookies are great to freeze, too! To keep the freshest I recommend you first wrap the cookies individually with plastic wrap, and then store together in an airtight freezer bag for up to 3 months.
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Sandra says
I love your ideas for turning these yummy cookies into an enrichment activity for the kids! Plus, the Caramel M&M…genius!
Renae says
Thank you, Sandra. Cooking with kids can be so much fun!