These big soft M&M cookies are just that: BIG AND SOFT. A quick and easy pick me up for any day. One of my favorite cookie recipes!
Big Soft M&M Cookies
Featured comment
These were excellent. My toddler loved pushing the extra M&Ms on at the end. I made the recipe exactly as described and I wouldn’t change a thing next time. Very soft and chewy.
Megan
These Easy M&M Cookies Are Foolproof
Friday. Weekly reflections. COOKIES. More specifically, big soft M&M cookies.
It’s been a long time since I posted cookies on the blog. Welcome back, old friends. My coworker Lori shared this recipe with me after I tasted one of her cookies and begged her repeatedly for the recipe. I do that to people, so if you ever give me food, watch out. I will hunt you down.
These cookies are big, soft, buttery, and hefty. They’re easy to make and also an excellent cookie to make with kids (because what kid doesn’t love little candies in their cookies?). You can even adjust them to what event or holiday you’re bringing them to – orange and black for Halloween, red and green for the holidays, pink and red for Valentine’s Day, or the original rainbow for any party you’re off to.
I love a classic chocolate chip cookie, but there’s just something special about these M&M cookies, speckled in color and feeling like they’re straight from the bakery.
Have another cookie, friend. You deserve it.
How To Make M&M Cookies
My favorite part of these cookies is that they are zero percent complicated. Here’s what you’ll do:
1. Mix Sugars and Wet Ingredients.
Brown sugar, white sugar, eggs, vanilla, and shortening. I recommend using an electric mixer for this!
2. Add Dry Ingredients.
Add your dry ingredients and mix by hand. The dough should feel thick and almost dry to the touch! Then it’s the fun part – add in those M&Ms!
3. Roll Into Dough Balls.
Roll your dough into balls – depending on size, you should end up with 18-24 cookies.
4. Bake and Enjoy!
Bake your cookies on a cookie sheet or baking sheet, let them cook for a minute, and serve and enjoy!
Freezing and Storage
These cookies freeze well before or after baking. Here’s how to do it!
- To Freeze Before Baking: Roll your dough into dough balls and freeze on a tray to prevent sticking. Once they’re mostly or fully frozen, you can put them in an airtight bag or container. When you’re ready to bake, you can put them right on the baking sheet and bake – just add 3-5 minutes to account for them being frozen. These are best baked within 3 months!
- To Freeze After Baking: Follow the recipe as-stated and let the cookies cool completely, then pop them in the freezer on the sheet pan for a few minutes to freeze a bit. You can then add them to an airtight bag or container – I’d recommend making layers using parchment paper. These are best eaten within 3 months!
Variations and Ideas To Try For These Cookies
M&Ms are so FUN because you have some options for colors and other fun things to do. Here are some options!
- Peanut Butter: Use peanut butter M&Ms.
- Caramel: Use caramel M&Ms.
- Christmas/Holiday Cookies: Use red and green M&Ms.
- Halloween Cookies: Use orange and brown M&Ms.
- Valentine’s Day Cookies: Use pink and red M&Ms.
- Easter/Spring Cookies: Use pastel-colored M&Ms.
- Super Bowl Cookies: Use your favorite team’s colors for the M&Ms!
Frequently Asked Questions About These M&M Cookies
Can you use butter instead of shortening?
Typically butter and shortening work pretty interchangeably, so it should work with butter as well. However, the cookies won’t be quite as soft and fluffy, and will be a little more dense and flat.
Here’s more information on the difference between the two!
Can you use a stand mixer?
Yes, you can use a stand mixer for the sugars and wet ingredients, but I still recommend mixing by hand when adding the dry ingredients.
My cookies are flat. What can I do to make them thicker?
When my cookies are flat, that usually means that it needs a little more flour. I’d add flour tablespoon by tablespoon until the dough feels kind of dry and crumbly. You could also bake a “test cookie” before baking the rest of the batch to see if it’s the thickness you’d like.
Does this recipe work with chocolate chips?
Sure would! But in that case, I’d probably opt for this classic chocolate chip cookie recipe or this browned butter cookie recipe. Both are fabulous as well!
Big Soft M&M Cookies
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 18–24 cookies, depending on size 1x
Description
These big soft M&M cookies are just that: BIG AND SOFT. A quick and easy pick me up for any day. One of my favorite cookie recipes!
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1 cup shortening
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 2 1/2 cups flour (+ 2-3 tablespoons)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups M&M’s
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, mix the brown sugar, white sugar, shortening, eggs, and vanilla with electric mixers on low speed until well mixed.
- Add the 2 1/2 cups flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix until just combined; I found it easiest to finish this by hand. Add the extra tablespoons of flour until the dough feels thick and almost dry to the touch. Stir the M&M’s into the dough.
- Roll into large balls (unless you want small cookies, and who are you anyways?) and press extra M&M’s into the tops. Flatten slightly with your palm or the back of a wooden spoon. Bake for 8-10 minutes (they will be slightly underbaked). Remove from cookie sheet right away and place on cooling rack. Let stand for 5-10 minutes to help the cookies hold their shape.
Notes
I always put a little extra flour in my cookies so they don’t get flat. But if you find that you get too much flour and they aren’t flattening at all (I may or may not have made this mistake) just press them down with the palm of your hand or the back of a wooden spoon so they are normal-cookie-shaped before you even bake them.
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 10 mins
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: m&m cookie, cookie recipe, m&ms, soft cookie
More Favorite Cookie Recipes
February 28, 2014
Nice to meet you!
I’m Lindsay and I ♡ FOOD. I used to be a teacher, and now making food and writing about it online is my full-time job. I love talking with people about food, and I'm so glad you're here.
Did you make a recipe? Tag @pinchofyum on Instagram so we can find you!
Reverse-filling in the calendar = best! It always makes me feel so much more productive!
These cookies. I need them. For breakfast. Is that ok?
Big, soft, and m and m’s?!
It’s Friday, so I think so.
Pinned!
Cookies, welcome back dear cookies! And these are some gems! They look fabulous. Pinned!
I absolutely love cookies! I’ll take them any day over a piece of cake, especially when they have M&Ms (my favorite candy ever!) in them!
I’ll take a dozen giant M&M cookies for breakfast as I reverse fill my calendar with the sushi dinner date I had last night. Cookies go well with the green juice I’m drinking, right?
These remind me of the cookies of my youth. I can’t wait to try them! That oatmeal with blackberries looks fab! I love oatmeal for breakfast too.
Can I subsitute the shortening for something else? I’ve been looking to make some cookies with my son this weekend, and these are the best ones for him coz he loves cookies but he LOVES m&ms. I’m very excited to try these and see his face when they come out of the oven!
I didn’t know I was backfilling my to-do list (not my calendar) until you just asked. Its so good to see a bunch of things crossed off!
Spectrum has a palm shortening that would be a better alternative to vegetable oil shortening. You could try butter, but it will change the cookie texture.
These cookies look super scrumptious! And I’m a reverse calendar filler too! I admit that I have a problem, and I’m okay with said problem. Like you said, we’re just getting things done 😉
Would love to bring these cookies out for Easter.
Haha – that’s exactly what I do. Hunt people down for a recipe as soon as I have evaluated it (after taking my first bite :). Can’t wait to sink my teeth into this cookie perfection!!
Squeal!!!!! Oh my word these brought back memories! My sister and I used to DEVOUR a store bought version of these. My dad always made sure he had these in stock when we came to visit. Making these for a trip down epicurean memory lane. Thanks Lindsay!
I loved the instagram shots! Sending a warm hug from snowy WI and thanks for the cookies too 🙂
Love, love, love, Soft M&M Cookies! I can’t wait to give these a try. I live where it doesn’t snow, and always sigh when I see beautiful pictures of it. Thanks for sharing yours.
Teaching and blogging are all consuming…I get it. 🙂
I agree. Many hate on winter, but I love it. Chicago winters are just as gorgeous. Despite the -40 Polar Vortex or whatever.
I’d love to hear more about your teaching life!
Nic
Love these cookies Lindsay! They look incredible. So excited for your ecookbook!
Nom nom nom, can’t wait to try these cookies although shortening kinda gives me the heebie jeebies! Can’t wait for your ecookbook – will i be able to print it out? I’m not one of e-copies – esp for recipes.
On another note, love that you reverse fill in planners. Planners are always great to keep – I keep mine for years. It helps when I am scrap booking something from one/two years ago and can’t remember the order of events in a given season! xo
You can use butter in place of shortening if you don’t like it and you will have the same result
Two things immediately happened while reading this post. “Oh yeah, I haven’t reverse-filled my to-do list yet.” I do it with calendars AND to-do lists, because I like to feel accomplished.
Second thing: I ate a chocolate chip cookie after seeing your picture. It’s not even 9am here (in CA), and I just ate breakfast. This is a problem.
P.S. Release date for this much-anticipated ecookbook?
Ooh, hard to say, but it’s down to weeks. 2 more weeks, maybe?
We just made these the other day and ohhhh my gosh can not stop eating them =) looking forward to your ecookbook coming out =)
SAME – it’s a big delicious problem.
I don’t need this kind of temptation in my life and why do I have all of the ingredients to make these right now. Looks so freaking good!
I have been searching for a chewy M&M sugar cookie for years! My husband is obsessed and super picky, but I think these are going to be IT!
And I reverse fill in my to-do list too, btw. Or pad it. Yup. Love crossing things off. Love it.
The best part of a to-do list (or calendar) is crossing off stuff, so I definitely add things just for that purpose.
I got calendars for my boys when they were born to keep track of milestones & things. I definitely just filled out the whole thing after they turned one. Thank goodness for posting annoying mommy things on Facebook!
And now I know what I’m going to do this weekend! Sleep, and make then eat tons of these cookies!
these cookies look amazing! you can see how soft they are – yum! have a good weekend sleeping and snuggling, sounds lovely 🙂
Two of my favorite things: cookies and M&Ms. Well, my day is made!
I do backward calendaring too. Makes me feel productive! I would love some of these cookies right now!
I just love M&M cookies. These look great!
Soft cookies are the best! I love the M&M’s in them, I could eat about 5 of those right now!