Soft M&M Sugar Cookies

These Soft M&M Sugar Cookies are a cinch to throw together any night of the week. With a chewy, simple sugar cookie dough and crunchy, chocolately candy mixed in, these have quickly become a favorite cookie!

Perfect for birthday parties, your holiday cookie tray, or on the couch binging your favorite TV show, these really are the best M&M cookies for any occasion.

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Why You'll Love This Recipe

You'll need less than 10 ingredients to whip up this soft sugar cookie recipe, and there's no special equipment required.
Once you know how to make this M&M sugar cookie recipe, you can make endless varieties by adding in your favorite candy, nuts, dried fruit, chocolate chips, or crushed cookies. If you like Mini Eggs, you'll enjoy my Mini Egg Blondies as well!
The total time required to make this sweet treat is under 30 minutes, so you can satisfy your cookie cravings whenever they hit!
They're soft and melt in your mouth like my Almond Sugar Cookies, but with an extra chocolate flavor instead of almond!

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Why You'll Love This Recipe
Ingredients
Substitutions & Variations
Equipment
Step by Step Instructions
Expert Tips
Recipe FAQs
Storage
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Ingredients

Unsalted butter
Light brown sugar
Granulated sugar
Egg
Vanilla extract
All purpose flour
Baking soda
Salt
M&M candies

See recipe card below for quantities.

Substitutions & Variations

For a funfetti take on this M&M sugar cookie recipe, add ¼ teaspoon almond extract and swap out the M&Ms for rainbow sprinkles.
Next time, try using other M&M flavors such as pretzel, caramel, peanut butter, or mini M&M varieties!
Make these your go-to holiday dessert by using holiday-themed M&Ms, like the red and green ones for Christmas!
Turn these into Cadbury Mini Egg Cookies by swapping out the M&Ms for mini eggs!

This recipe has not been tested with other substitutions or variations. If you replace or add any ingredients, please let us know how it turned out in the comments below!

Soft sugar cookies with red and green Christmas M&Ms.

Equipment

This simple M&M cookie recipe does not require any specialty equipment or tools.

Stand mixer or electric hand mixer
Mixing bowls
Large, 3-4 tablespoon cookie scoop
Cookie sheet (lined with parchment paper for easier cleanup)

Step by Step Instructions

Butter, sugars, egg and vanilla extract mixed together in a bowl.

Step 1: In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the room temperature butter and granulated and brown sugars until light and fluffy. Then mix in the egg and vanilla extract.

Whisking flour, baking soda and salt in a bowl.

Step 2: In a medium bowl, mix together the dry ingredients - flour, baking soda, and salt.

Mixing M&Ms into sugar cookie dough with a spatula.

Step 3: Combine flour mixture with the wet ingredients and mix on low speed until combined. Then add the M&Ms, gently stirring with a rubber spatula until evenly distributed.

A USA Pan baking sheet with M&M cookie dough balls on it.

Step 4: Using a big cookie scoop, divide the M&M cookie dough into 10 balls and place 2 inches apart onto prepared baking sheet. Bake at 350°F for 10-12 minutes, until the tops of the cookies are set and there are slightly tan, crisp edges. Allow to cool on the pan for about 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack.

Expert Tips

Don't use your electric mixer to add in the M&Ms because the candy may break into pieces. Using a spatula or spoon to gently mix in the candy is the best way to add in the M&Ms to ensure they won't break up.
To get the accurate amount of brown sugar called for in the recipe, it's important to measure in grams with a scale or pack the brown sugar into a measuring cup.
Top the cookie dough balls with extra regular or mini M&M candies before baking them!

Recipe FAQs

What makes these sugar cookies chewy?

The amount of moisture in the dough from the egg, butter, and brown sugar help make these cookies extra chewy. Be sure not to over-bake them or they'll lose their soft, chewiness!

Can I use melted butter instead of softened butter?

Using melted butter will change the texture of the cookie and is not recommended. Using softened butter helps incorporate air into the dough when whipped with the sugar, helping create the perfect, chewy sugar cookies.

Why are my cookies puffy and dry?

This could be from over-measuring the flour and baking the cookies for too long. I highly recommend using a scale to weigh the flour in grams (see metric tab in recipe card below).

Two M&M sugar cookies with bites taken out of them.

Storage

Room Temperature: Store leftover M&M sugar cookies at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 1 week. Keep a slice of bread in the container with them to help them stay softer for a longer period of time!

Refrigerator: These cookies with M&Ms are best stored at room temperature or in the freezer so that they don't dry out quickly.

Freezer: Store cookie dough balls in a freezer bag for up to 1 month. When ready to bake, place on a sheet pan while the oven preheats, then bake according to the normal instructions. You can also store baked, cooled cookies in an airtight container for up to 2 months.