M&M Chocolate Chip Cookies are super easy, quick and are sure to satisfy your sweet tooth. The M&Ms take classic chocolate chip cookies even more fun and adds color that you can customize to match the occasion.
I love cookies that have a candy twist. Two more favorites are my gooey, Smores Cookies Recipe and my Chocolate Mint Andes Cookies.
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Why This M&M Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe is a Keeper
These easy, m&m chocolate chip cookies are as delicious as they are simple to make. They’re loaded with semi-sweet chocolate chips, candy and the cookie is just like regular chocolate chip cookie dough.
- Loaded Cookies: Chocolate chips and colorful M&Ms in every bite.
- Soft & Chewy Texture: Perfectly tender centers with lightly crisp edges.
- Easy to Make: Simple ingredients and straightforward steps for these giant m&m cookies.
- Great for Holidays: Change the candy colors for the m&m cookie dough to match any occasion. I have made this recipe for so many holidays.
- Serve With: Serve this easy recipe with a Copycat Starbucks Matcha Latte or Instant Pot Milk Tea Boba.
Do M&Ms Melt When You Bake The Cookies?
Not really. The candy coating of M&Ms help keep them intact, but the chocolate chips still give you that gooey cookie, we all love.
Pro Tip to Love This Recipe
Press a few extra M&Ms into the tops of the cookie dough balls before baking. This makes the finished cookies look colorful and bakery style.
Ingredient Notes for Soft and Chewy Cookies
You only need a few pantry staples to make your kid’s new favorite cookie. These are the best chocolate chip cookies for bake sales.
This is an overview of key ingredients. Get the full printable recipe with specific measurements and directions in the recipe card below.
- M&Ms & Chocolate Chips: Chocolate chips and m&ms are the stars of these perfect cookies.
- Butter: I like to use unsalted butter, but just make sure it’s room temperature.
- Instant Pudding Mix: Grab a box of instant vanilla pudding to make chocolate chip m&m cookies.
Recipe Variations and Substitutions
My M&m cookie recipes is super customizable. I have followed the recipe exactly and have made it several different ways. Take this one to the next level by customizing it to the holiday or adding different mix-ins.
➡️ Use Holiday M&Ms: Swap in seasonal candy colors for holidays.
➡️ Add Nuts: Stir in chopped walnuts or pecans.
➡️ Mini M&Ms: Use mini chocolate chips and mini M&Ms for more chocolate in every bite.
➡️ Chocolate Chips: Mix in white chocolate chips, dark chocolate chips or milk chocolate chips.
Special Equipment Needed to Bake Cookies
The best m&m cookies don’t require anything fancy, but a couple things can make them even better.
- Cookie Scoop: Use a 2 or 3 tablespoon cookie scoop to evenly scoop the cookie dough. Even sized cookies bake evenly.
- Silicone Baking Mat Or Parchment Paper: Use a silicone baking mat or 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.. Prepared baking sheets prevent sticking and helps cookies bake evenly.
- Wire Rack: This allows the cookies to cool and set up completely.
How to Make M&M Candy Cookies
Make the m&m’s and chocolate chips cookies in just 3 quick and easy steps. Chewy m&m chocolate chip cookies are so good, it’s a great recipe to have for holidays.
These are just highlights. Get the full printable recipe with specific measurements and directions in the recipe card below.
- Mix the Dough: Beat together the sugar, brown sugar, egg, vanilla and butter until smooth and creamy. Then mix in the flour, pudding mix, baking soda and salt. Gently fold in the M&Ms and chocolate chips.
- Roll & Chill Dough: Scoop the dough with a cookie scoop, then roll it into 12 even balls. Place on a baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap and let chill for 3 hours.
- Bake and Cool: Preheat the oven and line baking sheets with parchment paper. Roll the dough balls and place on the prepared baking sheets and bake until the edges are firm, and the tops are set. Press more candies into the top and let them cool on the pan. Transfer to a rack to finish cooling.
Prep Ahead and Short Cut Tips for the Cookie Recipe
To streamline your baking process, there are a couple ways you can go about making these cookies. Line the cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mat.
➡️ Chill the Cookie Dough: Make the cookies, then refrigerate dough for 30–60 minutes extra for thicker cookies.
➡️ Freeze Dough Balls: Scoop the cookie dough with a large cookie scoop onto a sheet and freeze. Place cookie dough balls into an airtight container and bake later.
➡️ Prep the Dry Ingredients: Mix together the dry ingredients and store them in an airtight container until you’re ready to add them to the dough.
Alternate Cooking Methods for M&M Cookies
Alternatively, you can make chewy chocolate chip cookies into cookie bars. I like my cookies many different ways to change it up.
- Cookie Bars: Press the dough into a lined 9×13 inch baking pan and bake as cookie bars.
- Mini: Make mini m&m cookies for party trays. You can even use mini m&m’s when you make them.
Why Did My Cookies Spread Too Much?
If the cookies came out super flat or they spread a lot, it may be due to not chilling long enough. Make sure you let them chill for at least 3 hours to prevent cookies from spreading.
Store, Reheat and Use Leftover Homemade M&M Cookies
- Storing: Keep the best m&m cookie recipe in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
- Reheating: Warm a cookie in the microwave for 10 seconds for a fresh-baked texture. Don’t heat for too long or else you’ll melt the chocolate chips and m&m’s.
- Using Leftovers: Crumble cookies over ice cream for a quick dessert topping.
Expert Tips for Making Chocolate Chip and M&M Cookies
You will love these cookies as they are but here are a few tips to make the cookies a little extra special.
➡️ Room Temperature Butter: Soft butter mixes better with the sugars than cold butter.
➡️ Do Not Overbake: You want a soft chocolate chip cookie. Easy M&M cookies should look slightly underdone when removed.
➡️ Add Extra Chocolate: Press a few candies on top of each cookie before baking.
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M&M Chocolate Chip Cookies
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Ingredients
- ½ cup Unsalted butter, softened (1 stick)
- 1 large Egg
- ½ cup Brown sugar, packed
- ¼ cup Granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons Vanilla extract
- 1 ¼ cups All-purpose flour
- ¼ cup Instant vanilla pudding mix, unprepared
- ½ teaspoon Baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon Salt, or to taste
- ¾ cup M&Ms, plus additional for adding to tops
- ½ cup Semi-sweet chocolate chips, plus additional for adding to tops
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl combine the butter, sugar, brown sugar, egg, vanilla, and beat on medium until creamed. This should take 3-4 minutes. If using a stand mixer use paddle attachment on medium-high speed.
- Add the flour, pudding mix, baking soda, salt, and beat on low speed until just combined. (This should take about 1 minute)
- Gently fold in the M&Ms and chocolate chips once the dough is mixed.
- Using a larger cookie scoop or your hands, form 12 equal-sized mounds of dough, roll into balls, and flatten slightly.
- Place balls of uncooked dough on a large tray then cover with plastic wrap.
- Chill dough in fridge for 3 hours. Do not skip this step. Unchilled dough will fall flat in the oven.
- Preheat oven to 350℉ when there's about 10 minutes left for the dough to chill. and line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- Place dough in balls on baking sheet, spaced at least 2 inches apart. Bake for about 10 to 11 minutes.
- Edges should be firm and tops should be just set.
- Press more chocolate into the soft tops, if you'd like.
- Even if cookies appear slightly undercooked in the center remove them from the oven. The cookies firm up as they cool. Allow cookies to completely cool on cookie sheet.
Christina’s Notes
- Add Nuts: Try using a tsp or two of pecans, walnuts or almonds in these soft and chewy cookies.
- Tip: After you have rolled the dough into balls go back with a few extra M&Ms and Chocolate chips and place them around the outside, Then when the cookies settle in the oven they will remain visible. This gives your cookies almost bakery style look.
- Baking: Even if cookies appear slightly undercooked in the center remove them from the oven. The cookies firm up as they cool.
- Different M&M’s: Try crispy, peanut butter, or caramel or other great flavors. Use different colors for different holidays such as pink and white for valentine’s day or pastels for Easter.
- Scale the recipe: Simply adjust the serving size in the recipe card and the ingredients will update automatically.
- Make your own All Purpose Seasoning: When a recipe calls for All Purpose Seasoning, you can use my homemade All Purpose Seasoning recipe or substitute salt and pepper to taste.
- Meat doneness: I always use a meat thermometer to test for doneness when cooking meat.
- Use unsalted butter: I use unsalted butter so I can control the salt level in the recipe.
- Preheat the oven: Unless otherwise noted, always preheat your oven before baking.
For more helpful information about this recipe, such as variations, substitutions and other pro-tips, check out the blog post.
The recipe is fantastic once you get it right. I’m no chef, so I was following along step by step and got to the part where they were going into the oven and realized that nowhere in the INSTRUCTION section does the recipe mention… oh, say “M&M’s” or “chocolate chips. Had to put my dough back into a big ball and redo the cookies. They turned out great once all the ingredients were accounted for.
Sounds so good
Eileen these cookies didn’t last long after these pictures were taken. We love to eat them with a big glass of milk but they’re great with hot chocolate too!
Merry Christmas,
Susanne