These Double Chocolate M&M Cookies are the fudgiest, chocolatiest cookies yet! Super soft and full of kid-friendly colorful chocolate candies.
I’m on my own again this week in the kitchen. My newly-turned teenager is at cross-country camp, running her heart out. This was a new adventure for her. Maddie’s running with a school this year and doesn’t know any of the kids. She’s one that likes to understand a situation completely before she encounters it, so for her to venture out to a camp that she’s never been to before with kids she’s never met is so stretching her. It’s teaching her lessons in faith and trust.
It’s not only teaching her lessons…it’s teaching this mama lessons in faith and trust also. My little girl, just entering into the teenager phase.
Yikes.
How did that happen? Seems like just yesterday she was curled close in my lap reading Sandra Boynton’s The Going to Bed Book. I can still recite that book word for word.
Note: This post was originally written in July 2014, and updated in March 2020. Maddie is now in college! 🙂
Why We Love This Chocolate M&M Cookie Recipe.
These simple Double Chocolate M&M Cookies take me back to those simpler days. M&M’s always made my kids smile and M&M cookies continue to be a favorite find in our cookie jar. Here’s what you’ll love about them:
- super soft…and they stay soft!
- fudgy.
- 15 minutes to whip up.
- no refrigeration needed. Meaning you can satisfy that chocolate craving quickly.
Can you use regular M&Ms for baking?
If you’ve ever noticed, in the baking aisle of the grocery store you’ll find a bag of M&Ms that say “baking bits”. These are mini M&Ms that are the same as the mini M&Ms that you find in the candy aisle. So yes, you can use regular M&Ms for baking. As you can see in the pictures, the tops may have little cracks in them from the oven heat, but I don’t think anyone will mind that.
Hints for Making M&M Cookies
There are 5 key tips you can do to make sure your cookies turn out deliciously every time.
- Use real butter at room temperature. Unsalted butter or salted butter will work. We typically use salted butter since that’s what we have on hand. And make sure the butter is at room temperature. Very lightly soft to the touch, but not melted.
- Use a stand mixer. In order to get ingredients mixed perfectly, use a stand mixer with a beater blade. Make sure you beat the butter and sugars together really well until it is smooth. Butter chunks are good in homemade biscuits, flaky pie crusts and buttery scones, but not in cookies.
- Scrape the sides of the bowl many times during mixing to make sure all ingredients are getting mixed in.
- Add M&Ms…or chocolate chips. We often use one cup of mini M&Ms (or mini chocolate chips) and one cup of regular M&Ms. This helps the candy be more evenly distributed so you get candy in every bite!
- Add a few M&Ms on the top of the cookies before baking. This is purely for looks, but no one will be able to deny those colorful candies calling out to them!
Helpful Resources:
- Our best Cookie Making Tools that every baker should have.
- Tips on how to freeze cookies.
- Do your cookies turn out flat? Find out why here.
Double Chocolate M&M Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter (room temperature)
- 3/4 cup white sugar
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups M&M chocolate candies
Instructions
- Using a stand mixer, beat together the butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla until the mixture is light and fluffy.
- Add in the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Stir the mixture until it is well blended.
- Add in the M&M's and mix until combined. Note: We often use one cup of mini M&Ms and one cup of regular M&Ms. This helps the candy be more evenly distributed so you get candy in every bite!
- Drop the batter by rounded teaspoons onto baking sheets lined with a non-stick baking mat. These cookies will not spread much, but if you want them to be extra thick, refrigerate the dough about an hour. This is not necessary though!
- Bake the cookies in a 350 degree oven for 8-10 minutes. If you want the cookies to stay soft and chewy, do not overbake. We bake ours for about 9 minutes.
- Allow the cookies to cool for 5 minutes on the pan, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 days or freeze for up to 2 months.
Notes
Nutrition
Can I refrigerate the cookie dough?
There are times that you might want to make cookies in advance and refrigerate the cookie dough. We get it! It’s comforting to have cookies straight from the oven.
If you choose to refrigerate the dough, know that the cookies will bake up much thicker with refrigerated dough, whether that is 1 hour of refrigeration or overnight. We like to scoop out the cookies onto baking sheets before refrigerating simply because the dough is easier to handle when it is softer. It also takes less time to bring them to refrigerator temperature.
If you are short on fridge space and don’t have room for trays, just refrigerate the big bowl of dough for about an hour and your cookies will turn out just as thick as ever. This is what they’ll look like if you refrigerate the dough:
As you can see they are thicker than the pictures above where the dough was not refrigerated.
Enjoy your kids today. They grow up fast. Spend some time in the kitchen with them whipping up a batch of these colorful cookies. Then sit down with a glass of milk, freshly baked cookie and watch them smile.
Charlotte Moore says
My husband would love these. He is a chocolate person for sure. I might make these and use whole wheat soft wheat ( I grind my own wheat) and sucanat for the sugar. I also might do them as they are for a bake sale coming up soon.
Lizzy T says
I’ve seen sucanat in the store but have never bought it. I looked it up and saw that it has a molasses flavor. Sounds so good! I hope your husband loves these cookies!
Kim of Mo'Betta says
I hear ya! My kids are growing up much too fast…I can’t believe mine are 13, 11 and 6. I wish I could freeze time sometimes! Or fast forward to have these cookies already made and in my mouth 🙂
Lizzy T says
Your kids’ ages are so close to mine! I have 13, 11 and almost 9. Freeze time on the good days, fast forward the bad days! 🙂
Deb @ Cooking on the Front Burner says
These do look really fudgey Julie! Wait until you get to be a Nana! Seems like I was just reading Good Night Moon to my daughter 🙂
Linda says
These look so tasty! Thanks for sharing at What’d Tou Do This Weekend.
Linda
Thalia @ butter and brioche says
another delicious recipe.. my chocolate cravings have definitely kicked in right now!
Cindy Eikenberg says
Double & chocolate had me right away! These look so delicious!!! Pinning and sharing – have a wonderful Tuesday!
[email protected] says
These look awesome! M&M Cookies are my favorite….I’m loving the chocolate base on these bad boys!!
Lisa @ Cooking with Curls says
I cannot get over how gooey and delicious these cookies look!! I cannot wait to try them. 🙂
Jamie @ Love Bakes Good Cakes says
Thick soft cookies are the BEST!! Double chocolate has me sold!
Alexis AKA MOM says
I love how they have a pop of color! YUM
Danielle says
These look delish! Pinning them! Don’t forget to link this up to my Feature Friday Link Palooza! I know my readers would love this!
http://www.blissfulanddomestic.com/2014/07/feature-friday-link-palooza-lets-get.html
Danielle @ Blissful & Domestic
Creating Beautiful on Less
www.blissfulanddomestic.com
Roxana | Roxana's Home Baking says
The Going To Bed Book was my daughter’s favorite book when she was a baby as well. We read it so many time, even now, we still read it!
These cookies look amazing! The kids and not only go crazy over colorful M&M’s and those fudgy cookies are sure grabbing my attention!
Thanks for bringing them to this year’s #chocolateparty
Lizzy T says
Thanks so much for hosting your chocolate party, Roxana!
Christopher says
I was looking for a double chocolate m&m cookie that didn’t require baker’s chocolate, just cocoa, and I made your recipe. It turned out great. Everything I used was organic, including palm sugar for the brown sugar, which probably ahs more molasses. I would have added a touch less flour and wished I had added it gradually, just because they dough became difficult to work with, and I’d like them just a touch flatter, but that’s a minor tweak and they look just like your photo. I had to experiment with the time a bit, and each batch differed by a minute or two, but they were each great in their own way, even the crisper ones. I would’ve put a touch less sugar too but I should probably do that with every cookie recipe, they always seem too sweet. But indeed very soft and rich as advertised.
Julie Clark says
Great! I’m glad you liked this recipe. It’s so adaptable to whatever your liking! Thanks!
Christopher says
You might find it entertaining that I made them because I thought it was sol cold in here last night ta the only answer was to make some mulled cider and bake cookies!:)
Haley says
Thanks for sharing this recipe! Exactly what I needed! I’m planning to use christmas m&ms to make xmas cookies! 🙂
Julie Clark says
So festive! These are some of our favorites!
Kelley Starbird says
Hello!
I made these cookies tonight was a celebration for good grades. They were awesome! I added a box of instant chocolate pudding to the mix and didn’t refrigerate them and they were amazing! I add pudding to all my cookie mixes because it keeps them soft and prevents them from going flat.
Thank you so much for the recipe!
Julie Clark says
I’m definitely going to try adding pudding mix to my next cookies. Thanks, Kelley!
Kathy says
A small box of instant pudding?
Nichole says
Do you just use the powder of the pudding?
Ang says
I made these cookies and did everything exact and they came out salty, what am I doing wrong??! I made 3 batches and both salty!????
Julie Clark says
That’s strange since it only calls for 1/4 teaspoon salt. Did you use sea salt? Or salted butter?
Taz says
Light cookies. Very tasty. They took 17 minutes to bake though.
Melissa says
I made these and didnt use real butter, which may be why they were so flat?
Julie Clark says
Yes. Margarine in cookies will cause them to be flat.
Gitika says
Hi
Can we replace eggs in this recipe by something else?
Julie Clark says
I’ve not tried it, but you could maybe try greek yogurt or flax seed.
SHARALYN says
I see someone said these were salty and then the question was asked if that person used salted butter. I plan to make these Sunday night for VBS on Monday. Are you supposed to used salted or unsalted butter? (I keep both on hand, but unless unsalted is stated, I use salted.
Julie Clark says
I normally use salted with no issues!
Joe says
Three words: Holiday Mint M&Ms. They are thicker than the plain ones, but the cookies are so good. The cookie itself gets a subtle, but not overwhelming, mint taste mixed with the chocolate.
Julie Clark says
Great idea!