Gourmet M&M Cookies

These are not your average M&M cookies. They are SO much better! These are hefty cookies, similar to those that you would find in some gourmet bakery in New York. They are slightly crispy on the edges but chewy and exploding with candy pieces on the inside. These cookies are big enough to share (if you feel so inclined). They really are the best M&M cookies and I can’t wait for you to try them!

Basic M&M Cookies

If you want a more basic M&M cookie recipe that makes smaller cookies we recommend using our classic chocolate chip cookies recipe as a base recipe, then adding (or substituting) M&Ms. These types of cookies are better for birthday parties or crowds because you will get more quantity. The cookies are smaller and will better fill in a serving tray. 

Key Ingredients:

For these cookies, the ingredients are pretty standard to most cookie recipes, however, there are a few key ingredients I want to highlight and write a few notes on…

Flour: The mixture of cake flour and all-purpose flour give the cookie dough a nice, light texture but if all-purpose is all you have on hand, you are fine just using 3 cups of the all-purpose flour.Butter: We used salted butter in this recipe. If you prefer to use unsalted butter, simply add an extra ½ teaspoon of salt to balance out the sweetness of the cookies. Also, keep the butter COLD, don’t allow it to get to room temperature before mixing it in. Dark brown sugar: This adds extra richness. If all you have is light brown sugar, that is fine too. Vanilla: We used our homemade Tahitian vanilla in this recipe. The flavor is outstanding! We highly recommend using a pure vanilla extract for these cookies.

What Kind of M&Ms are Best?

Regular, plain M&M candies are my favorite to use. I like getting the big “Family Size” or “Party Size” bag and I just keep it with all my baking ingredients. Mini M&Ms work great too, you can use Peanut M&Ms or peanut butter M&Ms, but because of their size you may find that they make the cookies fall apart more easily. 

Tips for Making M&M Cookies

Use a stand mixer – This will just make your life easier. If you don’t have a stand mixer, you can use a large mixing bowl and a hand mixer. Use an ice cream scoop – This will make your cookies LARGE and evenly sized for better baking and presentation. A regular cookie scoop will be too small. Decorate with M&Ms – Add a few M&Ms to the cookie dough balls before baking. That way you will be able to see the pretty M&Ms on the outside of the cookies after they bake. Chill the cookies – Allowing the cookies to chill in the refrigerator solidifies the butter before baking. This makes it so they don’t spread out and flatten while baking. The longer you chill, the better they will be. They can also be chilled before or after being made into balls. Normally I like to chill the dough in one giant mass of cookie dough but for this recipe I like to chill in balls so I can stick the M&Ms on the outside more easily. If I scoop after chilling the M&Ms don’t stay on as well. Chill up to 72 hours before baking. 

More Additions and Variations

Take these M&M cookies to the next level by adding any of these fun additions or substitutions:

Chocolate chips (or mini chocolate chips)Reese’s piecesChopped pretzelsChopped candy barOatmeal cookies – swap out 1 cup of flour for 1 cup quick oatsChocolate M&M Cookies – swap out ¼ cup flour for ⅓ cup cocoa powder

How to Freeze M&M Cookies 

You can either freeze the cookies after baking or freeze the dough. Keep in mind, if you freeze the dough ice crystals may form on the cookies and cause the color from the candy coating to bleed. If you want crisp, clean colors, it is probably best to freeze AFTER baking. 

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