Soft and Chewy M&M Sugar Cookies Recipe (2024)

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By: MadelinePosted: 09/10/2021Updated: 01/19/2024

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Make soft and chewy M&M Sugar Cookies with this simple M&M cookie recipe. Use holiday M&Ms to make special cookies for every holiday!

Soft and Chewy M&M Sugar Cookies Recipe (1)

Contents hide

Kitchen Tools

Ingredients

Can I make these cookies gluten free?

Storage and Freezing

Check out these other delicious cookie recipes

Only thing better than sugar cookies are sugar cookies with M&Ms

I love big, soft and chewy sugar cookies. I took my classic sugar cookie recipe up a notch by mixing in LOTS of milk chocolate M&Ms.

These colorful M&M sugar cookies are perfect for birthday parties, holiday parties and everything in between.You can easily alter this M&M cookie recipe by using different types of M&Ms and seasonal M&Ms for holidays!

Soft and Chewy M&M Sugar Cookies Recipe (2)
  • Mixing bowls
  • Measuring spoons and measuring cups
  • Cookie measuring scoop
  • Electric hand mixer or stand mixer
  • Sheet pan or baking pan
  • Cooling rack
  • Spatula
Soft and Chewy M&M Sugar Cookies Recipe (3)

Ingredients

  • Butter
  • Sugar
  • Light brown sugar
  • Egg
  • All purpose flour
  • Corn starch or arrowroot starch
  • Salt
  • Baking soda
  • M&Ms

What type of M&Ms should I use?

I think that milk chocolate M&Ms work best for this M&M sugar cookie recipe, but you can use any type of M&M. You can try dark chocolate or peanut butter for a fun twist on the classic recipe.

Looking for a classic chocolate chip cookie recipe? Try this brown butter chocolate chip cookie recipe! It is rich and chewy with ribbons of dark chocolate running through it.

If you love M&M cookies, try these monster cookies next. They are peanut butter oat cookies with chocolate chips and mini M&Ms.

Can I make these cookies gluten free?

Yes! Just replace the all purpose flour with a 1-to-1 gluten free flour blend. Depending on the flour blend, they make cook faster or slower than the all purpose flour so just keep an eye on the cookies and remove them from the oven when they are golden brown.

Soft and Chewy M&M Sugar Cookies Recipe (4)

How to make m&M Sugar cookies

Step 1: Prepare sugar cookie dough

To begin, preheat oven to 325F. Then, cream softened butter, sugar and brown sugar together with an electric mixer. Mix in the egg.

Pour in the flour, salt, baking soda and corn starch. Mix again and continue mixing until a smooth even dough forms. You may need to use a spatula to help the dough come together.

Step 2: Mix in M&ms and Form Cookies

Pour in three quarters of the M&Ms and fold in with the spatula. Using a cookie scoop, scoop 2 tbsp of dough onto the baking sheet per cookie.

Flatten the dough balls slightly and top them with the rest of the M&Ms.

Step 3: Bake until golden brown

Then, bake the cookies at 325F for 15-18 minutes. Allow the cookies to cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet and then transfer to the cooling rack to cool completely.

Soft and Chewy M&M Sugar Cookies Recipe (5)

Make this M&M Cookie recipe for Any holiday!

The best part about this sugar cookie recipe is that it can be adapted for any holiday! M&M sells varieties for any holiday like red white and blue M&Ms for the Fourth of July so you can make Red White and Blue Sugar cookies by using those!

You can also customize these birthday cake cookie bars for any holiday!

Soft and Chewy M&M Sugar Cookies Recipe (6)

Make a festive Christmas M&M cookie recipe by using the red and green M&Ms. You can even mix in some Christmas sprinkles. Make Valentines Day sugar cookies with the red white and pink M&Ms!

Soft and Chewy M&M Sugar Cookies Recipe (7)

Storage and Freezing

Allow the cookies to cool completely, then, store in an air tight container on the counter for up to 5 days. Or store for up to 10 days in the refrigerator.

Freeze these M&M sugar cookies in an airtight container for up to 3 months.

Check out these other delicious cookie recipes

  • Cherry Chocolate Chip Cookies
  • White Chocolate Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies
  • Chocolate Chip Mocha Cookies
  • Holiday Almond Cookies
  • Sprinkle Cookies
Soft and Chewy M&M Sugar Cookies Recipe (8)

Soft and Chewy M&M Sugar Cookies Recipe (9)

Recipe

M&M Sugar Cookies

5 Stars4 Stars3 Stars2 Stars1 Star4.5 from 11 reviews

Make soft and chewy M&M Sugar Cookies with this simple M&M cookie recipe

Recipe By: Madeline

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Servings: 12 cookies 1x

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup butter (1 stick) softened
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup light brown sugar (packed)
  • 1 egg (room temperature)
  • 2 cups all purpose flour (scoop and level measured)
  • 1 tsp corn starch
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 cup M&Ms (separated into 3/4 cup and 1/4 cup)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 325F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place softened butter in a bowl with sugar and brown sugar. Mix together with an electric hand mixer or stand mixer until it is evenly combined and soft and fluffy. Crack a room temperature egg into the bowl and mix again until soft and fluffy.
  2. Pour all purpose flour, corn starch, salt and baking soda into the bowl and mix with the electric mixer until fully combined. Use a spatula to continue mixing the dough and help the dough come together.
  3. Pour 3/4 cup of M&Ms into the bowl and mix into the dough with the spatula. Using a cookie scoop, measure out 2 tbsp per cookie and scoop onto the parchment lined baking sheet. Continue scooping until you have 12 cookies – you may need to bake in 2 batches.
  4. Press down on the dough balls slightly to flatten and top with the remaining 1/4 cup of M&Ms. Place the baking sheet in the oven to bake at 325F for 15-18 minutes.
  5. Remove from the oven and allow the cookies to cool for at least 10 minutes on the baking sheet.Then, transfer the cookies to a cooling rack to cool completely.

This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.

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About Madeline

Hi, I'm Madeline! I am so excited to share my healthy and approachable recipes with you. Here you will find simple, comforting recipes that the whole family will enjoy. Turn on your favorite playlist or podcast and let's get cooking!

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  1. Kylie+Ann+Stanley says

    i was SO excited to try these cookies and they were unreal! way better than anything you can find in a store, or even some bakeries.

    Reply

    • Madeline says

      Yay thanks so much! So glad you liked them.

      Reply

  2. Kelly Jo says

    Delicious and very easy to make. I didn’t know if they were going to turn out because I thought the dough was too crumbly, but they were perfect! I can’t wait to try different chips, like butterscotch. Yum! Thank you for the recipe! My family loves them too!

    Reply

  3. Nicole says

    This recipe is great! I made them for my partner and I and ended up freezing half to save ourselves from eating all of them immediately.

    Reply

    • Madeline says

      Hah, love it! Thanks!

      Reply

    • Lily says

      Easy, quick and yummy 😋. My toddler helped me to prepare them, was a lovely time together. We make this cookies to share with family and friends.

      Reply

      • Madeline says

        Wonderful! Thanks, Lily!

        Reply

  4. Dawn says

    Very yummy. I doubled the recipe and thought it would produce more, but that is ok- will just triple it next time.

    Reply

  5. Eddie says

    Are you sure it’s cornstarch and not baking powder? I though cornstarch dries ? My dough was really crumbly .

    Reply

    • Madeline says

      did you move forward with baking them? it can seem like a crumbly dough but once baked they come together and are not dry.

      Reply

  6. CathyP says

    I was in a hurry so I pressed the dough into a sheet pan, baked them and cut them as bar cookies. They turned out great – kind of like a delicious shortbread cookie with M&Ms. Thanks for sharing your recipe Madeline!

    Reply

    • Madeline says

      wonderful! thank you!

      Reply

  7. Lisa says

    My colleague made these and they were amazing! Had perfect texture and not flat like a pancake. I was wondering if it would be just as good with chocolate chips instead of MMS?

    Reply

    • Madeline says

      thanks Lisa! and yes, totally! just substitute them normally and they should work.

      Reply

  8. Nora says

    I followed the direction to a T when I mixed the dry too the wet, the dough was not cookie dough, I had to add an extra eggnand more butter( another stick) and then more flour. Got 4 test cookies n the oven now 🙏🏼They turn out

    Reply

    • Madeline says

      I’m sorry the dough turned out weird – I’ve made these several times without issue so I’m not sure what went wrong! I hope the test cookies turned out well!

      Reply

  9. Christine says

    My dough was way too dry and crumbly. I added another egg and 2 more tablespoons of butter in order to get it to a consistency that would hold together. Tasted fine but were very flat. Wouldn’t use this recipe again.

    Reply

    • Madeline says

      hey Christine! the dough does turn out a bit dry before baking but the cookies are really fluffy and moist once baked with the recipe as is. I’m sorry they didn’t turn out great for you!

      Reply

  10. Tonia says

    Cookies taste horrible! Absolutely no flavor! Im so upset I wasted the ingredients and my time!

    Reply

  11. Stu Gotz says

    I was just making these cookies and was worried that the dough was so dry, so I came down to the comments section to see if anyone had the same problem. Lo and behold, the people who had dry dough and continued with the recipe all seemed really happy with the results. The people who wanted to solve their fry dough problem with extra ingredients seem to be the only ones who didn’t have the final product turn out well. After baking, i wish they were slightly thinner, but they taste fantastic. Thanks for the recipe!

    Reply

    • Madeline says

      Great! Thanks, Stu!

      Reply

  12. Lucy says

    There is way to much butter I almost threw up 😕 I recommend doing not a full stick , probably half

    Reply

    • Madeline says

      That amount of butter is very standard for the amount of cookies. 1/2 stick would make them very dry, but thanks for your input.

      Reply

  13. Kirk M. Sutton Sr. says

    These are great!! I doubled the recipe and found that I did not need as much M&M’s as noted in the recipe. I had left over from the dough which was really no problem…yum-yum. As for the rest of the recipe, it worked out fine. I used a 2-tablespoon spoon to form the cookies which gave me a 2 1/2 – 3-inch cookie. For a batch of 24 I ended up with 36 total cookies. They are tall and soft as described. I leaned toward 18 minuets for baking time checking them at 15 minuets for brown edges. All came out good. I had no problem with the dough being dry, the texture is misleading at first, but once you put your hands in it you’ll know!! Thank you for the recipe!

    Reply

    • Madeline says

      You’re welcome! I am glad you are happy with the recipe.

      Reply

  14. Hannah says

    Made the cookies for my work cookie exchange and they were a hit!

    Reply

    • Madeline says

      Awesome!! Thanks, Hannah!

      Reply

  15. Alyssa A. says

    Amazing!

    Reply

    • Madeline says

      Thanks, Alyssa!

      Reply

  16. Adriana Mino says

    These turned out so well! I added sprinkles to make them more festive. I did have to bake longer than the recipe stated but that’s probably due to my oven. Love how simple the ingredients were and how quickly the cookies came together. Definitely saving!

    Reply

    • Madeline says

      Yay! Thank you! And yes baking times may vary oven to oven.

      Reply

  17. Tom says

    Followed the recipe to a T. They baked fine and looked good. However, they completely lacked any flavor. I’m not sure if maybe vanilla would’ve helped, but they were bland.

    Reply

  18. Angie Oliver says

    My 11 year old son and I made these. We doubled the batch and they were amazing! Everyone loved them! This recipe is a keeper!

    Reply

    • Madeline says

      Yay! So glad to hear that. Thanks, Angie!

      Reply

Soft and Chewy M&M Sugar Cookies Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret to making cookies soft and chewy? ›

Cornstarch helps product soft and thick cookies. Using more brown sugar than white sugar results in a moister, softer cookie. An extra egg yolk increases chewiness. Rolling the cookie dough balls to be tall and lumpy instead of wide and smooth gives the cookies a bakery-style textured thickness.

What factors cause a cookie to be crisp soft and chewy? ›

The ingredients you use and how you shape your cookies both play an important role in whether your cookies turn out crispy or chewy. The type of flour and sugar you use, if your cookie dough contains eggs, and whether you use melted or softened butter all factor into the crispy-chewy equation, too.

What makes a cookie extra chewy? ›

Chewy cookies

Sugar dissolved in baking forms a syrup as the dough heats up. Different types of sugars affect the texture because they absorb different amounts of water. Remember moisture is the key! White sugar creates crispier cookies and brown sugar creates chewier cookies.

What makes cookies soft instead of crunchy? ›

Butter contributes milk solids and water to a cookie, both of which soften it. Brown sugar contributes molasses – again, a softener. Using lower-moisture sugar (granulated) and fat (vegetable shortening), plus a longer, slower bake than normal, produces light, crunchy cookies.

What is the secret ingredient to keep cookies soft? ›

Light corn syrup is another ingredient that you can add to cookie dough that will help it stay softer longer. The corn syrup you buy at the grocery store is not the high-fructose corn syrup that soft drinks are made with; it's a sugar that is liquid at room temperature and helps other sugars say liquid at high heat.

What is the trick to keep baked goods like cookies soft? ›

If you bake too many cookies (as if there is such a thing!) and are concerned about them going stale, just add a slice of white bread to the storage container to keep them from hardening.

What does brown sugar do in cookies? ›

Brown sugar, meanwhile, is dense and compacts easily, creating fewer air pockets during creaming—that means that there's less opportunity to entrap gas, creating cookies that rise less and spread more. With less moisture escaping via steam, they also stay moist and chewy.

What makes a cookie more soft? ›

Fat: Fat, such as butter or shortening, helps to create a tender and moist texture in cookies. It also helps to spread the cookies out while baking, making them thinner and softer. Sugar: Sugar also contributes to the texture of cookies by making them softer and more moist.

How to make box cookie mix chewy? ›

Include an extra egg yolk.

If you like a chewier texture in your cookies, toss in an extra egg yolk to your mix. Adding extra egg yolks works wonders to enhance the moisture content in a cookie, making it super soft and gooey.

Should I use baking soda or baking powder in cookies? ›

Baking soda is typically used for chewy cookies, while baking powder is generally used for light and airy cookies. Since baking powder is comprised of a number of ingredients (baking soda, cream of tartar, cornstarch, etc.), using it instead of pure baking soda will affect the taste of your cookies.

What makes cookies chewy butter or shortening? ›

Cookies Made with Butter vs Shortening

Those made with only shortening bake higher and spread less during baking. The butter cookie provides better flavor and a crispier exterior with browning around edges and a chewy interior; the shortening cookie spreads less, holding its shape better while baking.

Should sugar cookies be crunchy or soft? ›

The very best sugar cookies are soft and tender. → Follow this tip: One of the keys to great sugar cookies is mixing the dry ingredients only until they're just incorporated, and not a second longer. Once the dry ingredients are added, less mixing equals more tender cookies.

What ingredient contributes most to the texture of a crisp cookie? ›

Fat is a very important ingredient in cookies – it tenderizes, crisps and browns, adds color and a wonderful flavor that is impossible to duplicate. Butter, our fat of choice, ensures good baking results and adds the most desirable taste, texture and appearance.

What makes cookies soft and fluffy? ›

When added to dough, baking soda releases a carbon dioxide gas which helps leaven the dough, creating a soft, fluffy cookie.

What determines the moistness of a cookie? ›

Egg yolks add moisture to the dough, while egg whites can make cookies drier and crunchier. Add a bit of cornstarch to the dough. Cornstarch helps to absorb moisture and keep cookies soft and tender. Make sure you're using the right type of flour.

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