Thick and Chewy M&M Cookie Cake

Name: M&M Cake
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 1 cup unsalted butter (softened); ¾ cups white granulated sugar; 1 cup brown sugar (lightly packed); 1 tablespoon vanilla extract; 2 large eggs; 1 teaspoon baking soda; ½ teaspoon baking powder; ¼ teaspoon salt; 3 cups all purpose flour; 1 cup M&Ms; sea salt (cracked); ½ cup M&Ms

25 minutes

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By: Julie Blanner19 Comments
Posted: 1/6/23

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This M&M cookie cake recipe has the ultimate twist – and is thick, chewy, buttery and undeniably delicious! If you’re looking for a fun crowd pleasing dessert, this M&M cake is the perfect choice.

One bite and you’ll never purchase from the store again – it’s a cookie cake that will take you straight back to your childhood!

Thick and Chewy M&M Cake in a heart shaped dish, topped with Valentine's Day M&Ms. A linen napkin is to the side.

I take birthday cakes seriously, but after years of cake tasting during my event planning career, I rarely make a traditional cake.

Our middle kiddo, Ani, always requests an M&M Birthday Cake…when you take a bite, you’ll be requesting it for your birthday, Mother’s Day, Valentine’s Day or the average Saturday just as an excuse!

This pretty M&M cake is even sweeter in a heart shaped dish, but you can make on any baking sheet with a lip, pizza pan, pie dish or tart pan! It’s your choice.

If you love a cute seasonal dessert, don’t skip this incredible Valentine’s Day Toffee Recipe.

Cookie cake was my top request as a child. In fact, I often prefer it over cookies because of its soft and chewy texture. My mom always made it in a pizza pan for a larger, thinner cake, which is also delicious! The thinner it is, the shorter the baking time.

BUT. This is no ordinary M and M Cake. A secret twist makes it out of this world. I make it with my favorite little baking secret, brown butter. One extra step makes this cake stand above the rest. It takes just a few extra minutes and it puts the cake recipe over the edge.

The next time you think to go to the store for a cookie cake, you may want to reconsider. There’s no comparison!

Table of Contents

Why You’ll Love this M&M Cake

Beautiful
Tastes Amazing
Easy to Make
Foolproof

This cake comes together so quickly with staple ingredients – there’s no need for a cookie mix!

This is not your average sugar cookie dough! Brown butter adds a caramelized flavor to the dough that makes it irresistible. The additional flavor and texture eliminates the need to add frosting on top, though I’ll never judge if you decide to pipe it or smother it in real milk chocolate buttercream!

Ingredients and Substitutions

Butter – Salted or unsalted, your preference.
White Granulated Sugar – Sweetens with a little crunch, also helps aid in the rise when you beat it with butter producing air pockets.
Brown Sugar – Brown sugar sweetens while adding a hint of molasses flavor and adding to the golden brown color.
Vanilla Extract – Adds a little flavor.
Eggs – Bind ingredients.
Baking Soda – One of two leavening agents that gives this cookie cake it’s rise.
Baking Powder – One of two leavening agents that gives this cookie cake it’s rise.
Salt – Reduce or omit if using salted butter.
Flour – All purpose flour is the base for this incredible cookie dough.
M&Ms – The star of the show. Fold into the dough and press on top for a picture perfect presentation. Use your favorite colors or holiday M&M’s.

You can find my full list of baking substitutions here.

Variations

Reese’s Pieces – Calling peanut butter lovers! Fold into the cake and press on top.
Chocolate Chips – If you’re a chocolate chip lover, go ahead and blend in a few milk chocolate chips! For us, the milk chocolate in the candy shell is just the perfect mix.

A variety of gold cake pans, loaf pans and muffin baking pan sizes laid out on a marble surface.

Tools to Use

Mixer (You can also mix by hand)
Measuring Cups + Measuring Spoons
Note: the Le Creuset heart tart pan pictured in this recipe post is no longer available, but measures 11.8 inches at its widest point. Any similarly sized baking dish will work! A few options:
10″ Round Tart Pan
Metal Heart Tart Pan with Removable Bottom
Heart Shaped Aluminum Cake Pan, 10-Inch

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How to Make

Prep – Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease baking dish.
Combine Dry Ingredients – In a medium mixing bowl, combine baking soda, salt and flour.
Brown Butter (Optional) – For added flavor, brown butter. Warm butter caramelizes sugar giving it a rich, amazing flavor. Allow butter to cool for 5 minutes to prevent scrambling the egg.
Combine Sugars – Meanwhile, combine sugar, brown sugar and vanilla in a mixing bowl with an electric mixer.
Beat Butter and Sugars – Blend butter in, followed by eggs.
Combine – Gradually add the flour mixture incorporate into the wet mixture.
Fill – Scoop dough into dish just over halfway careful to compensate for rise. For a smooth appearance, cover with wax paper and smooth your hands or a spatula. Press a few M&M’s on top for added measure. It makes the prettiest M&M Birthday Cake!
Bake – Bake in preheated oven for 15+ minutes (depending on the depth of your pan).

Tips

Don’t over-mix! That’s how you achieve the out of this world texture and thickness!
Allow the brown butter to cool a few minutes to prevent frying the egg.
Adjust bake time as needed based on your baking dish.
For a fully baked cookie cake, avoid pressing dough all the way to edges. Dough will spread. This will ensure a smooth, even rise without leaving the center under baked or edges over baked.

Scaling up, down or substituting? You’ll love this printable Measurement Conversion Chart!

Shortcuts

Use store-bought cookie dough.
Skip browning the butter.

Serving Suggestions

Of course you can add frosting on top of M and M Cake for extra credit, but it’s not needed. It’s simply amazing as is!
Warm, with a scoop of No Churn Vanilla Ice Cream
Drizzled with Chocolate Sauce
Top with Sugar Cookie Buttercream Frosting
If you prefer, divide into two smaller dishes.

How to Store

At Room Temperature – Cover with plastic wrap or store in an airtight container up to 3 days at room temperature. Add a piece of bread to the container to soften, if needed.
Refrigerate – Refrigerate in an airtight container up to 7 days.
Freeze – Freeze in an airtight container and covered in plastic wrap to prevent odors from seeping in, up to 3 months.