The best M&M Cookies that are bakery quality, without a lot of effort! Get the secrets that make these M and M Cookies better than the rest!
Ani has been talking for weeks about her “special day.” It’s the day that she was assigned to celebrate her birthday at Parent’s Day Out. She was so excited to bring treats to share with her friends. Like a lot of kids, she requested M&M cookies! Because I am a cookie-obsessed adult, who am I to argue with her choice? What’s better than a classic?
What Make This The Best M&M Cookie Recipe
I’ve been making M&M cookies for years, but I knew they could be even BETTER. Therefore, I decided to mix it up a little bit and update my M&M cookie recipe to truly take them up a notch. One of my many obsessions is brown butter – it enhances the flavor of any recipe that calls for butter and in cookies with brown sugar, it creates a toffee-like taste while maintaining a soft, chewy texture.
As a result of this additional step, these cookies truly stack up to bakery M and M cookies. We’ve been making them frequently ever since, because our friends and family always request them! They are a rich, chocolatey cookie that is light and fluffy in texture. You’re going to want to follow along and make these for your friends and family, I promise. Just be sure to have a “share plan” in place so you don’t eat every last one.
What Readers Say About This M and M Cookie Recipe
Common Questions About M&M Cookies
- Robert asks on Pinterest: “Can I add peanut butter to these cookies?” Robert, while I agree that this sounds delicious, don’t add it to this particular recipe! It will throw your oil ratio off and therefore it really might not work well. Above all, I promise you’ll love these just as they are!
- Katie asks: “Do you have to put these in the freezer?” Katie, it’s worth the extra step to place them in the freezer or fridge! This is how to make M&M cookies soft and will certainly keep them from spreading too much, especially when you’re making larger cookies.
M&M Cookie Ingredients
- Butter – Salted or unsalted, your choice. I tend to use salted butter in all my baking.
- Sugar – Granulated sugar.
- Brown Sugar – Packed brown sugar adds that beautiful golden color and a hint of molasses flavor.
- Vanilla – Store bought or Homemade Vanilla Extract adds a hint of flavor that’s synonymous with chocolate chip cookies.
- Eggs – Large eggs bind ingredients together and add a little rise.
- Baking Soda and Baking Powder – The leavening agents that add just the right amount of rise to achieve a chewy M&M cookie.
- Salt – A touch of salt enhances the flavors of all the other ingredients in baking. A touch of sea salt from a grinder set on the thickest setting as a garnish takes these cookies over the top.
- Flour – All purpose flour, no need to sift.
- M&M’s
- Chocolate Chips – Completely optional, but highly recommended. They add a little additional body to the cookies.
How to Make M&M Cookies
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Brown your butter. Above all, don’t skip this step, it gives you that ultimate caramelized flavor!
- Combine sugars and vanilla in a large bowl, and gradually add in your browned butter (let it come to room temperature, don’t pour it in while it’s extremely hot).
- Next, add eggs. Careful not to over-mix!
- Fold dry ingredients into wet ingredients, mix until combined.
- Add M&Ms and chocolate chips.
- Place parchment paper on your baking sheets. (Find some of my favorite baking sheets here) Form large dough balls and place in freezer for approximately four hours.
- Add a crack of sea salt a bake 12 minutes.
A Few Tips I Use For Bakery Style M and M Cookies:
- Don’t over bake – a slightly under-baked cookie is the most delicious cookie of all.
- Don’t over mix the egg.
- Refrigerate or freeze dough {freeze for larger cookies like these}.
- Add candy or chocolate chips to the top of your dough balls just before freezing.
- Use a lot of add ins {M&M’s, chocolate chips, nuts}. It gives the cookie a little added height.
More Irresistible Cookie Recipes
- Bakery Sugar Cookies
- Peanut Butter Cookies
- Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Stuffed Peanut Butter Cookies
- Salted Caramel Sugar Cookies
If you love this recipe as much as I do, please write a five star review and help me share on Facebook and Pinterest!
LET’S CONNECT! Be sure to follow me on my social media, so you never miss a post! instagram | facebook | pinterest
SIGN UP TO RECEIVE EACH NEW RECIPE TO YOUR INBOX: FREE EMAIL SUBSCRIPTION
To see how easy these M&M Cookies are, watch the video this post!
Bakery M&M Cookies
The best M&M cookies that are bakery quality, without a lot of effort!
Ingredients
- 1 c butter
- 3/4 c sugar
- 1 c brown sugar
- 1 Tbsp vanilla
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 3 c flour
- 1 c M&M's
- 1/2 c chocolate chips
- sea salt optional
Instructions
- In a saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Swirl it until brown in color & it reaches a nutty aroma. Remove from heat.
- Meanwhile, combine sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla in a mixing bowl. Mix browned butter in.
- Gently blend in eggs, careful not to over mix.
- Sprinkle baking soda, baking powder, salt & flour over mixture & fold in until combined.
- Fold in M&M's & chocolate chips.
- Make large balls & place on parchment paper. Freeze for 4+ hours.
- Preheat oven to 350, crack with sea salt & bake 12 minutes.
Recipe Notes
- Don’t over bake- a slightly under-baked cookie is the most delicious cookie of all.
- Don’t over mix the egg.
- Refrigerate or freeze dough {freeze for larger cookies like these}.
- Add candy or chocolate chips to the top of your dough balls just before freezing.
- Use a lot of add ins {M&M’s, chocolate chips, nuts}. It gives the cookie a little added height.
This recipe was originally posted January 2015.
HI, could you tell me what that means after the m&m’s in the recipe, didn’t quite understand it. Thanks Sharon
I’m sorry, I don’t understand your question.
Thank you for this recipe. It is perfect for the upcoming fall baking season!
Thanks Sherry! Enjoy!
Julie these cookies look all so yummy, can’t wait to make some. Thanks so much for sharing. My family are going to go nuts eating these cookies. Yum!
Have a beautiful weekend! Enjoy!
I might have to make these, they look so yummy. Can you explain a bit what you mean by don’t over mix the eggs? What is considered over mixing? I have the same issue when a recipe says not to overmix after adding flour. What is overmixed? How do I know before I get to that point? Also would the baking time be the same in a convection?
It is, Heidi. Sometimes we can become over-ambitious when making cookies. Just until the egg is incorporated.
I want one right now!!!
Thanks for the recipe. Do the cookie balls need to be covered or wrapped in the freezer?
Julie
Unless I’m freezing for an extended period of time, I don’t. Enjoy!
I froze my cookies in ball form, but they did not spread when cooked. Do you have any recommendations to help them move from ball shape to flatter cookie shape? Thank you.
Just refrigerate them or allow them to slightly thaw. Sorry about that! Did you enjoy them?
Do you have to put it in the freezer
Or refrigerator – it keeps them from spreading. It’s worth it, I promise!
These look great, I was just curious if I could add peanut butter to this recipe? If so how much would I add? I am excited about making them this weekend!!
Thank you
Rebekah
Peanut Butter would completely change the consistency of the dough {additional oil} and would have to be tested to see if adjustments would need to be made. You will LOVE these as is!
I have made these twice this week. They are very tasty and soft but do look quite a bit different from the ones in Julie’s pictures. Mine don’t have the gooey, melted look but were delicious and received many compliments. I love having them in the freezer ready to bake. Thank you Julie for the tip on browning the butter and freezing the dough in balls! This recipe might replace my current go-to for cookies!
Thanks for sharing, Laurie! If you want them slightly gooey, consume them right away {which I’m always guilty of} or decrease bake time. Unfortunately, bake time slightly varies from one oven to another. I think I might whip up a mini batch tonight just for the dough!
This is the recipe I have been searching for. Hope to use them to bless a group of volunteers donating time and energy to my favorite cause. I will have to check out your other recipes when I have time. Thanks for sharing.
They never disappoint! That’s so sweet of you, Carol, I’m sure they’ll enjoy them!
Thank you for this amazing recipe. Made these for my family yesterday and they did not last the night. Making batch two tonight 🙂 the flavor of the dough is really wonderful, the browned butter definitely brings out the rich caramel flavor in the brown sugar without making it super sweet. Will definitely be adding this to my cookie rotation!
This is the same recipe I use for chocolate chip as well, just crack a little sea salt on top and they’re perfection! Thank you for taking to share! I hope you’re enjoying the holidays.
Sincerely,
Julie
Followed all directions and the dough balls didn’t flatten into cookies????
Did you refrigerate the dough or freeze it? I haven’t had that issue and have made them a number of times.
thanks, julie, for such a quick response.
happy baking!
I’d like to use these with a small group of alzheimer patients. plan to put the dough in individual zip baggies and have each patient add m & m’s and “knead” the bag to distribute the m & m’s. thus employing the manual dexterity skills with the fun of baking and tasting these cookies. can i make dough – divide it into individual baggies and refrigerate it for a day or 2 before using? (not freeze it) then bring it out for the patients to add m & m’s to baggie and squish dough/candies around in the bag before forming dough balls and putting on cookie sheets? approx. cooking time with cool but not frozen dough? thanks for your help.
Of course! You don’t need to adjust the baking time as I use chilled dough as well. Great idea!
Omg!!! The browned butter totally changes it! We LOVED them! I used the small Pampered Chef scoop and got 50 med sized cookies. They were perfect, thanks for another great recipe!
Thanks for the feedback, Sue! I’m totally craving them right now. Have a great weekend!
Just made these today to use up leftover Halloween candy. I got 21 balls and was firmly convinced that there was NO way they’d flatten out like a cookie from a frozen state in only 12 minutes. And then a miracle occurred. These are really good!
Glad you enjoyed them as much as we do!
Glad you enjoyed them as much as we do, David!
Julie, when using browned butter, does it need to be chilled so it can be creamed when combining? I’m guessing it gets combined with the sugar and eggs?? Thanks
It does, but I only let it cool slightly (to not scramble your eggs) and gradually incorporate it since I’m always impatient and later refrigerate the dough.
What does “crack with sea salt” mean??
Hi Cynthia! I always use sea salt that comes in a grinder – the thick flakes are full of flavor. It’s my secret to really great cookies! Enjoy!
These look utterly divine! I’ll have to try the browned butter trick!