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These chewy M&M cookies are loaded with crunchy M&M’s for a childhood classic! Make these with all-purpose flour or follow the alternative directions for a gluten-free version.
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There are some treats that are essential to childhood.
Classic rice krispie treats. No-bake cookies. Funfetti cupcakes. My favorite chocolate chip cookies.
And M&M cookies, of course.
With everyone getting into their fall routines and Halloween coming up next month, it seemed like the perfect time to remind you about this recipe from my friend Erin from Texanerin Baking.
Whether you’re making these as an after-school treat, a surprise for some hard-working teachers, or as a way to use up leftover Halloween candy, these chewy cookies are always a hit.
Not to mention that you can easily make them gluten-free by following the alternative directions! So they really are perfect for everybody.
PERFECT M&M COOKIES
M&M cookies were a favorite of mine growing up. My mother never made them or bought them, so whenever other parents brought them to school parties, I made a beeline for the cookie tray!
Since the days of elementary school class parties, I’ve made my fair share of M&M cookies. I always just mixed the M&M’s into the dough and baked them up.
One thing that nagged at me is that they never looked as pretty as the cookies from my childhood.
So this time, I experimented with the best way of incorporating the M&M’s. I made them every way imaginable and finally found the best method.
My not-so-secret method
So here’s what you do:
Add the M&M’s to the dough like you normally do. Roll the dough into balls and don’t worry about having a lot of M&M’s peeking out.
After baking, add more M&M’s on top!
I like my M&M cookies to be loaded with M&M’s and so my recipe calls for a lot more M&M’s than other recipes I’ve seen.
These cookies are actually 1/3 M&M’s by weight! And that’s before you press more on top of the cookies after baking.
You can absolutely use fewer M&M’s or toss in some other add-ins like chocolate chips or walnuts.
HOW TO MAKE THESE M&M COOKIES
The best thing about this recipe is that you can make it with all-purpose flour or you can make these cookies gluten-free by following a super easy alternative option.
Gluten-free option
If you choose to make gluten-free M&M cookies, you will want to replace the 3 ¼ cups of all-purpose flour with a mixture of:
I know that the mixture above only yields 3 cups of flour, but it works perfectly to replace the all-purpose flour!
If you’re making these gluten-free, make sure you check that all of your other ingredients are certified gluten-free as well. Original M&M’s in the US are gluten-free, but some of the other varieties are not.
Making this recipe
These cookies come together much like most of the cookie recipes you’re probably familiar with, such as paleo double chocolate chip cookies or cornflake cookies.
Start by creaming together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add in the eggs and vanilla and mix to combine.
Gradually add the all-purpose flour or the gluten-free flour mix combined with the leavening and salt. Add in the M&M’s.
If you’re making these with all-purpose flour:
- Roll the dough into balls and place on a baking sheet.
- Place the baking sheet into the freeze for 2 hours, or until the dough balls are firm.
If you’re making the gluten-free version:
- Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
- Roll the dough into balls and place on lined baking sheets.
Once the dough has chilled, bake the cookies for 16-20 minutes. If you’re baking in batches, make sure you keep the dough you haven’t baked in the freezer or refrigerator until it’s ready to go in the oven.
When the cookies are done, press some extra M&M’s into the tops if you like. Let cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet before moving to a wire rack to finish cooling.
STORAGE
Store these M&M cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
If you’d like to freeze them, store them in an airtight container or a zip-top freezer bag in the freezer for up to a month.
You can also freeze the dough so that you can enjoy these cookies warm from the oven any time! Follow my instructions for how to freeze cookie dough to do that.
M&M Cookies
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 ¼ cups all-purpose flour or the gluten-free baking mix listed below*
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ¾ cup + 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 ½ cups M&Ms
- additional M&Ms to press on top optional
*For the gluten-free baking mix:
- 2 cups rice flour
- ⅔ cup potato starch
- ⅓ cup tapioca flour
- 1 teaspoon xanthan gum
Instructions
- In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar and salt. Set the bowl aside.
- In a large mixing bowl using a stand mixer or electric hand mixer, beat the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar at medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs and vanilla at low speed until well combined.
- On low, gradually add the flour mixture and beat just until combined. Beat in the M&Ms on low.
- If making the all-purpose flour version, roll into 1 1/2″ balls (about 65 grams) – pushing any M&Ms that stick out back in. If your dough is too soft to roll into proper balls, refrigerate for about 30 minutes or until firm. Freeze dough balls on a lined baking sheet for 2 hours, or until firm.
- If making the gluten-free version, freezing is not necessary. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least two hours. Then roll into balls.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F for the all-purpose flour version or 375° F for the gluten-free version.
- Line a baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper. Place the dough balls 4″ apart on the prepared baking sheet. Bake the cookies for 16-20 minutes or until lightly and evenly browned. Keep unused dough frozen or refrigerated until ready to bake if baking in batches.
- Remove from the oven and immediately press more M&Ms on top of each cookie, if desired. Let the cookies cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Thank you for this wonderful recipe! I needed to make cookies with pink and teal chocolate pieces, and this recipe was perfect for the task!! Turned out beautiful!
So happy to hear you enjoyed the cookies, Kimberley! I bet they were lovely. Thanks so much for stopping by and leaving your feedback!
-Jamie
Would I be able to just substitute an all purpose gluten-free flour for the regular flour?
Thanks!
Hello! I haven’t attempted this recipe with this substitution, so I am not sure of the result. If you happen to give it a try, I’d love to know how they turned out. Thanks so much for stopping by.
-Jamie
Made these today. I used all butter and added a bit of lemon extract with the vanilla. Rolling them and freezing the balls worked great! I only baked them for 12 minutes though. I’ll make these again!
Yay! So happy to hear you enjoyed the cookies! Thanks so much for stopping by and leaving your feedback. Happy Baking!
-Jamie
These were perfect for red and green M&M cookies for Christmas!! Thanks so much for the recipe and tips!
Just want to say these cookies were great! I made them last week (made half, kept half frozen). Yesterday we baked the second dozen and they are almost gone. My kids love them – even my daughter that doesn’t even usually like cookies! Thanks for a great recipe
I’m happy that your daughter could enjoy the cookies, too! That’s great. :) And good idea on freezing half! Thanks for your comment.
Really awful. I halved the recipe but no other substitutions. I tested three dough balls only thank God so I picked out all my m&ms so I can use them in a different recipe. Awful dry and just awful.
I’m sorry you thought they were awful! I’ve made these several times and they’ve never been dry so I have to wonder if something went wrong. Did you make any subs or any changes at all to the recipe? I’m guessing you might have used too much flour. Did you scoop your measuring cup into the flour or spoon it into the cup? (you can read more about how to measure flour here.)
Thanks so much, Erin! They’re delicious
You’re so welcome, Faye!
Question…do you refrigerate and then freeze? Both steps are listed in the directions. Please let me know. Thank u
Hi there! If the dough is too soft to roll into balls, then refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes or until firm enough to roll into balls. Then roll into balls and freeze. I hope you’ll enjoy the cookies!
TOO GOOD! I mean it…they are the BEST, BESTIEST ever and i used baking powder and 3and1/4 ucp APF
Awesome! I’m so happy to hear that you enjoyed them! Thanks a bunch for your comment. :)
Hi there! I just finished making a batch of these and they came out really hard. Any thoughts on what I might have messed up? I skipped freezing bc I didn’t have time and after the first round came out of the oven hard, I cut the cooking time 10 min and still hard. The flavor is great tho!
Hello! They definitely shouldn’t be hard. I freeze the dough because it helps them bake up properly. If you don’t do that, they spread more quickly, spread out flatter, and cook more quickly. So that could have been the issue. And I’m guessing you might have used too much flour. Did you scoop your measuring cup into the flour or spoon it into the cup? (you can read more about how to measure flour here). Next time, I’d measure out 406 grams flour and freeze the dough. I hope they’re still enjoyable! Merry Christmas. :)