Who doesn't love a cookie that looks like a party? These Chocolate M&M Cookies are thick, chewy, and packed with double the chocolate! Cocoa powder and chocolate chips, plus a rainbow of M&Ms that make every bite a mix of crunch, melt, and sweetness. Ready in under an hour!
Recipe Essentials
- 🍫 Flavor: Double chocolate deliciousness from cocoa powder + chocolate chips + M&Ms with a chewy, fudgy bite.
- 🧈 Texture: Soft and thick with slightly crisp edges.
- 🕒 Time: Ready in under 1 hour, no chilling needed.
- 🎉 Fun Factor: Bursting with colorful M&Ms makes them a hit with kids and grown-ups.
- 🧊 Freezer-Friendly: Freeze dough balls or baked cookies for up to 3 months.
Summarize and Save This Content On
They're M&M chocolate cookies are simple enough for a weekday craving, but festive enough for a bake sale, potluck, or holiday cookie tray. And let's be honest - any cookie that makes adults feel like kids again deserves a permanent spot in your baking rotation.
If you love colorful, candy-filled cookies as much as we do, you'll also want to try my Fruity Pebbles cookies, for a fun cereal twist, and these peanut butter M&M cookies for a salty-sweet flavor combo that's absolutely irresistible.
From Our Kitchen to Yours
Around here, cookies are practically a food group. Just take a look through all our easy cookie recipes to discover what I'm talking about! These chocolate M&M beauties are right at the top behind our rhubarb cookies in the spring, and my pumpkin oatmeal cookies in the fall.
They're easy, colorful, and guaranteed to make you smile. Just don't blink… these tend to vanish as soon as they cool!
Jump to:
Ingredients
- Butter: Adds rich flavor and chewiness.
- Brown & Granulated Sugar: Brown sugar keeps cookies moist and chewy, while granulated sugar gives the cookies light crisp edges, just like in my chocolate chip cookie cake.
- Large Egg: Binds the dough and adds structure. One is all you need for thickness and richness.
- Vanilla Extract: Rounds out the chocolate flavor and gives that classic cookie taste.
- All-Purpose Flour: Provides structure. Be sure to measure correctly so cookies don't turn out dry or flat.
- Cocoa Powder: Adds deep chocolate flavor. Use unsweetened or Dutch-process for a darker color.
- Baking Soda: Helps the cookies rise slightly and stay soft in the center.
- M&Ms & Chocolate Chips: The fun part! M&Ms add crunch and color while the chocolate chips melt into gooey bites. Try my M&M brownies next!
See the recipe card below for the full ingredient list and exact quantities of each ingredient.
Variations
- Add Nuts: Stir in ½ cup chopped pecans, walnuts, or peanuts for a little crunch and a nutty twist.
- White Chocolate M&M Cookies: Swap the chocolate chips for white chocolate chips and use white or pastel M&Ms for a sweet, creamy spin. For more cookies with white chocolate, try my white chocolate chunk fudge cookies.
- Holiday or Seasonal Colors: Change up the M&M colors for any occasion. Use red and green for Christmas, pastels for Easter, or school colors for a bake-sale hit.
- Extra Chocolatey: Use dark chocolate chips or drizzle melted chocolate over cooled cookies for a bakery-style finish.
- Use Different Flavors of M&M's: Try peanut butter and crispy M&Ms for a fun flavor and texture twist.
How to Make M&M Chocolate Cookies
To get started, gather all your ingredients, preheat your oven to 350°F, and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
Step 1: Cream the butter and sugar. Beat the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer with a flat beater attachment until pale and creamy.
Step 2: Add. Add the egg and vanilla extract to the butter mixture, and beat again.
Step 3: Add dry ingredients. Add the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt to the bowl. Mix on a low speed until just combined and a dough has formed.
Step 4: Add M&M's. Add the chocolate chips and M&M's. Use your hands to mix them into the cookie dough.
Step 5: Scoop. Use a cookie scoop to scoop the dough onto the baking sheets.
Step 6: Bake. Place the cookies in the oven and bake for 9-10 minutes, or until just set on the outside but still very soft. Allow the cookies to cool completely on the baking sheets before enjoying. Pair with a Kahlua hot chocolate for a decadent treat!
Recipe Tips
- Underbake Slightly: Pull the cookies out when the centers still look a little soft. They'll finish setting as they cool for that perfect chewy middle.
- Allow Time to Cool: The cookies are very soft while still warm. It's best to allow them to cool completely before moving from the cookie sheets.
- Chill for Thickness: Want bakery-style, extra-thick cookies? Chill the dough for about 30 minutes before baking to reduce the spread.
- Scoop Evenly: Use a cookie scoop for same-size cookies that bake evenly and look picture-perfect.
- Top with Extra M&Ms: Press a few extra candies into each dough ball before baking for colorful, bakery-style tops that make these cookies irresistible.
- Storing Cookies: Store chocolate cookies with M&M's in an airtight container at room temperature up to 5 days. You can also freeze baked cookies for up to 3 months.
Serving Suggestions
- Serve these beauties with a tall glass of milk, a Dalgona coffee, or tea for an afternoon or after-dinner treat.
- Crumble some chocolate cookies with M&M's over a dish of chocolate strawberry ice cream.
- Make some ice cream sandwiches with a scoop of vanilla or dark chocolate ice cream between two cookies!
Recipe FAQs
Flat cookies usually mean the butter was too warm or the dough was overmixed. Try chilling the dough for 30 minutes before baking next time.
Absolutely. Store the dough covered in the fridge for up to 48 hours or freeze pre-scooped dough balls for up to 3 months. You can bake them straight from the freezer and just add 2-3 minutes to the cooking time.
Store your cookies in an airtight container with a slice of bread. The bread helps maintain moisture and keeps your cookies soft for days.
More Best Chocolate Cookie Recipes
If you try this recipe and love it please leave a star rating in the recipe card below or even better, drop a review in the comment section. I always appreciate your feedback. Be sure to follow along with me on Facebook, Pinterest, and YouTube for more easy recipes!
Chocolate M&M Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter melted
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- ½ cup cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup M&Ms
- ¼ cup chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°c. Line 2 x baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- Add the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat on a high speed with a flat beater attachment until pale and creamy.
- Add the egg and vanilla extract to the butter mixture. Beat on a medium speed until combined, scraping the sides of the bowl with a silicone spatula as necessary.
- Add the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt, and mix on a low speed until just combined and a dough has formed. Use your hands or spatula to gently mix through the chocolate chips and M&Ms.
- Use a cookie scoop to scoop the dough onto the baking sheets.
- Bake for 9-10 minutes, or until just set on the outside but still very soft. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes before allowing to finish cooling on rack.
Nutrition
Sue says
I love these cookies and I would love to make them for Christmas can babies put in the freezer after you bake
Karin and Ken says
Of course they are better fresh but I have frozen them and they turned out great. The pretzels if you are using them weren’t the same after freezing though. I feel you should know that. Otherwise I can’t get enough of these cookies. Glad I am not the only one! Take care and enjoy the rest of your day. Karin
merry dean says
how many cookies does this recipe make
Karin and Ken says
First I have to apologize for the delay in my response. We had a health scare with my husband, luckily he is ok, but I kind of forgot I had a website. Again I am truly sorry. That being said. This recipe makes about 28-30 cookies if they go in the oven at about 1 1/2 inches in diameter each. I hope that helps! Take care and all the best. Karin