This M&M Cookies recipe is going to quickly become your new favorite cookie recipe! You have a thick, perfectly soft cookie loaded with M&Ms with buttery, crisp edges.
Make sure to try my M&M Cookie Bars too!
These M&M’s Cookies are soon to be your new favorite cookie recipe! Of course these cookies are colorful, loaded with mini M&Ms and melt in you mouth texture, but they can also be used as the perfect base recipe for just about any type of M&M…or candy for that matter!
You know I love M&M’s and have lots of fun recipes including everyone’s favorite chocolate candy! I make my M&M’s frosting all the time, and it’s easily turned into a fan favorite recipe. But these cookies are easily the most requested from my kids!
The one thing I always have noticed about M&M Cookies that I have purchased in the past is that they are kind of boring. They’re always sort of a boring, bland cookie with a few M&M’s pressed into the top. So I wanted to change all that and make a cookie that is good enough to stand on it’s own without the M&M’s, meaning you could use this base recipe for a simple chocolate chip cookie recipe too!
- A package of dry pudding mix adds flavor and soft texture to the cookie!
- Using all light brown sugar and no granulated sugar imparts a very soft texture.
- Mini M&Ms in this recipe add the perfect chocolate bite throughout the cookie!
My Secret Ingredient…
These soft and chewy M&M cookies includes a packet of dry Instant Vanilla Pudding right into the dough! The pudding helps the cookies stay thick and soft and also gives them an extra layer of vanilla flavor beyond the vanilla extract that always seems to be lacking in M&M’s Cookies. I love pudding cookie recipes so much, and it’s such an easy ingredient to add that really makes a huge difference.
What Kind Of M&Ms Should You Use For Cookies?
I used MINI M&Ms in this M&M Cookie recipe. This is KEY. Since these cookies are so soft, the mini M&Ms are best because you don’t get big hard bites of chocolate inside the soft cookie. The minis really match the texture of the cookie recipe. AND with Mini M&Ms you get more bites of M&Ms throughout the cookie!
But with that said, you can ABSOLUTELY use any type of M&M’s that you love. They have come out with some really creative and delicious flavors recently, and I know there are some that I would love in this recipe like:
- Caramel M&M’s
- Peanut M&M’s
- Pretzel M&M’s
- Dark Chocolate M&M’s
Ingredients:
- Room temperature butter
- Light brown sugar
- Large egg
- Vanilla extract
- Instant Vanilla Pudding Mix
- Baking soda
- Kosher salt
- All purpose flour
- Mini M&Ms
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- In the bowl of stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment combine butter and brown sugar, beating until combined. (yes you can use a hand mixer too)
- Add in egg, egg yolk, and vanilla and continue mixing until smooth, scraping sides as necessary. Mix in vanilla pudding, baking soda and salt.
- Finally add in the flour and beat until just combined.
- Stir in M&Ms.
- Using a large cookie scoop, scoop dough onto lined baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake for 9-11 minutes until edges begin to golden.
- Allow to cool on baking sheet for 3-4 minutes and then transfer to wire rack to finish cooling
This is one of the most commonly asked questions I get when it comes to cookies. Freezing cookies is easy and you can freeze the dough OR the baked cookies. Check out my full resource on How To Freeze Cookie Dough, or read below on a few tips and tricks!
How To Freeze Cookie Dough
Freezing cookie dough is a great way to save time if you want to bake cookies at a different time, or just like to have cookie dough on hand so you can have warm cookies whenever you get a craving! I always have frozen cookie dough in my freezer, so if I want to bake up a few cookies I can! Here’s what you do:
- Make the cookie dough according to the recipe directions.
- Using a cookie scoop, portion out the dough, and place scoops of dough on a baking sheet. Place the entire baking sheet in the freezer and freeze the dough until solid, at least 30 minutes.
- Once the dough scoops are frozen, remove the baking sheet from the freezer and place the dough balls into a large zip-top bag fro up to 30 days. This is an easy way to store the cookie dough and save space.
- When you’re ready to bake the cookie, no need to thaw out the dough. Just place the dough balls onto a parchment lined baking sheet and bake according to the recipe, adding about 2 minutes to the bake time, since they are frozen. That’s it!
How To Freeze Baked Cookies
If you baked the entire batch of cookies and realize you have too many, you can easily freeze the baked cookies!
- Make sure the cookies are cooled completely.
- Place the cookies into a freezer safe, airtight container. Place the cookies into the container and place a piece of parchment paper in between layers of cookies to separate them.
- You can also freeze the in a zip-top bag. Just be careful how you place them in the freezer so they don’t break.
- Freeze the cookies for up to 30 days.
- To thaw, place cookies on the counter and allow them to come up to room temperature. If you would like to serve them warm, just place the thawed cookies in a preheated 350°F oven for 2-3 minutes. You could also heat them up in the microwave for 10 – 12 seconds each.
I like to add a few M&M’s on top of the cookie as soon as they come out of the oven. It just makes them pretty! I do this with almost all of my cookie recipes with chocolate chips, or any type of garnish!
Pro Tip: I used my large (3- tablespoon) cookie scoop for these M&M cookies. You could make them smaller, if you prefer. Note that they don’t spread a lot and stay fairly thick. You’ll only want to bake them until the edges just begin to get golden. The inside will be an undercooked. That’s what you want, it’s what makes them the best M&M cookies!
They are just one of the best cookie recipes you will ever try.
Looking For More Pudding Cookie Recipes?
Print
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 24 cookies 1x
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Dessert
Description
The Best M&M Cookies recipe ever! Thick pudding cookies, loaded with M&M candies. They’re soft on the inside and buttery and crispy at the edges!
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup butter, room temperature
- 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1 egg, plus 1 egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 (3.4 oz) box Instant Vanilla Pudding Mix
- 3/4 tsp baking soda
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cup Mini M&Ms, plus 1/4 cup more for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- In the the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment combine butter and brown sugar, beating until combined.
- Add in egg, egg yolk, and vanilla and continue mixing until smooth, scraping sides as necessary. Mix in vanilla pudding, baking soda and salt.
- Finally add in the flour and beat until just combined.
- Stir in M&Ms.
- Using a large cookie scoop, scoop dough onto lined baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake for 9-11 minutes until edges begin to golden.
- Allow to cool on baking sheet for 3-4 minutes and then transfer to wire rack to finish cooling
Notes
store airtight for up to 3 days
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 206
- Sugar: 19.1 g
- Sodium: 211.5 mg
- Fat: 9.6 g
- Carbohydrates: 28 g
- Protein: 2.1 g
- Cholesterol: 25.3 mg
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I saw this recipe on Pinterest and it’s been haunting me ever since, demanding to be made. Decided to make them this afternoon since it was cool outside. Only instead of M&Ms I used chopped Andes mints (I own a frozen yogurt bar and we just got those in for our toppings bar, so I wanted to experiment with adding them to something). I haven’t had a chance to taste them yet, but they turned out to be a *really* pretty cookie! And they smell amazing! Thanks for sharing the recipe 🙂
I actually just bought my first ever bag of MEGA M&Ms and I might need to add them to these cookies!
I like the idea of m&ms in cookies but don’t usually love them but these look like the kind of m&m cookies that I will absolutely love!! Especially with the pudding mix in them to make them super soft! Looks delicious!
I prefer M&M’s in cookies rather than on their own. I also think that pudding mix in cookies and under baking them made them super soft and delicious. You are right, I HAVE to try these! Thanks so much for the recipe.
Can a sugar free pudding mix be used?
Sure!
m&m cookies are my favorite thing ever! these really do look perfect!!
I am M&M obsessed. I love that these are thick and chewy. So happy for your little accident.
I’ve never used pudding mix in cookies but these look super delish! I love M&M, especially these mini. 🙂
did u know there is a sentence that says:
“Enjoy Creamy & Indulgent Carbonara Sauce” at the end of INGREDIENTS? 🙂
*won’t stop me from making these cookies though 🙂
* it only shows up on the PRINT THIS RECIPE page.
ha! yes 🙁 it’s an annoying ad that I can’t figure out how to get rid of!! Need to talk to my ad company about that!
M&M cookies usually don’t thrill me, either. M&Ms: yes. Cookies: always. Together: not so much. You are not a freak. Or rather, you are not alone in your freakdom.