Take ‘Em To The Bar M&M Cookies
Did you ever hear about the time a couple of my friends used my M&M cookies to meet people at a bar? These were those cookies. The names will remain anonymous to protect the innocent, but needless to say they were the most popular kids in the place that night!
These used to be my go-to M&M cookies (when you have a husband who loves M&Ms you have to have a go-to M&M cookie recipe) until we started making these. He prefers them because they’re a bit more substantial, but I still love these! They result in a thinner M&M cookie, but they can still be chewy (or, if you like crispy cookies, just cook them a bit longer) and they’re melt-in-you-mouth buttery, which I think is just the best. To be honest, I’ve made these cookies so many times over the years I don’t even need to refer to the recipe anymore - it’s like an old friend :).
A word of warning, these go stale more quickly than others. Keeping them in the refrigerator will extend their life by a few days. Or just eat them all on Day 1. It’s the holidays, after all!
Step 1: Gather Your Ingredients
M&M cookies are really just glorified chocolate chip cookies - and chocolate chip cookies are pretty simple to make.
One thing that makes these especially good is the use of dark brown sugar. 99% of the time when a recipe calls for light brown sugar I swap it out for dark. Light vs. dark in brown sugar is just a matter of how much molasses is added to granulated sugar to make the brown sugar. However, more molasses makes for a richer tasting cookie. When in doubt, choose dark.
Step 2: Combine Wet Ingredients
In a stand mixer or using a hand mixer, blend sugars until combined. Add softened butter and mix until fully combined and smooth. Add vanilla and eggs, beating again until it’s all fully incorporated, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary.
First, combine sugars - just the sugars.
When adding softened butter, this looks combined, but it’s not done yet - it looks too grainy. Mix more.
Fully combined butter + sugars. Nice and smooth :)
Step 2: Add Dry Ingredients
In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Add SLOWLY, 1/4 to 1/3 at a time, to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined.
Add M&Ms (2 cups!) and mix just a bit to get them incorporated into the dough. If you’d prefer, you can use 1 c. of M&Ms and 1 c. of chocolate chips instead. Either works.
Mixing in the flour. Use a spatula to lift the flour on the bottom to the top and then mix again. Mix until ALL of the flour is just incorporated into the wet ingredients.
With the M&Ms. They are the real stars of these cookies, of course.
Step 3: Bake Your Cookies
Like cookie sheets with parchment paper and preheat oven to 300 degrees.
Using a cookie scoop or two spoons, drop cookies onto cookie sheet, about 2” apart. You can really make these as big or small as you’d like - mine are typically little to control portions for my tiny humans, but feel free to make yourself some big as* M&M cookies :)
Bake for 10 minutes or until you just barely see a hint of browning at the base. Or, if you’re going for a crispy cookie, leave them in for longer. Just be aware they will firm up after they come out of the oven.
Allow cookies to cool for a minute or two on the cookie sheet before transfering to a wire rack to cool the rest of the way. Even if they still seem a little undercooked as you’re transferring them they’re likely just fine - but, if you really want to, throw them back in the oven for a few more minutes. I like mine extra chewy :)
Scoop that dough!
Ready for the oven.
I even over cooked these a bit for my liking. I typically try to take them out JUST before they begin to brown. But they’re still tasty!
So, now you have two delicious M&M cookie recipes to choose from - you’re welcome :) M&M cookies aren’t just for the holidays - we make them throughout the year. No matter the color of the M&Ms, they’re always a hit!
Happy baking, friends!