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M&M Cookies filled with colorful, candy-coated chocolate and melty chocolate chips are the kind of treat everyone loves. They’re fun for kids to make and impossible for adults to resist.
The ultimate Christmas M&M Cookies to leave out with a glass of milk (or hot cocoa) for Santa, these buttery bites are soft, chewy, and loaded with holiday cheer. Every cookie melts in your mouth with a perfectly tender center, making this the best M&M cookies recipe to bake all season long.
What Makes This Recipe So Good
There’s something special about a batch of warm M&M Cookies straight from the oven. Each one is soft and buttery, with just the right balance of chewy edges and melty chocolate inside. The colorful M&M’s don’t just add a festive touch—they bring a satisfying crunch and extra sweetness in every bite.
This M&M cookies recipe is foolproof, making it perfect for both beginners and experienced bakers. Whether you’re baking a batch for a holiday party or whipping up Christmas M&M Cookies with the kids, these will easily become your go-to treat for the season.
What Goes Into M&M Cookies
These M&M Cookies come together with simple pantry staples that create the perfect balance of buttery, chewy, and chocolatey goodness. Here are the key ingredients that make them so irresistible:
- Butter: Melted butter gives these cookies a rich flavor and creates that soft, chewy texture everyone loves. Just be sure it’s melted, not spreadable.
- Brown Sugar: Adds depth and a subtle caramel note that pairs beautifully with the M&M’s and chocolate chips.
- Golden Syrup: A secret ingredient that makes the cookies extra soft and chewy. You can substitute it with honey, maple syrup, or agave if you prefer.
- M&M’s: The stars of the show! Red and green M&M’s bring a festive look and a pop of crunch in every bite.
Note: Please see recipe card at the bottom for a full list of ingredients with measurements.
How To Make M&M Cookies
- Preheat The Oven: Set your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper so it’s ready to go.
- Melt The Butter: Microwave butter for 30 seconds, just until it’s half melted and half soft to create the perfect chewy cookie texture.
- Cream Butter And Sugars: Beat the butter with both sugars until creamy, pale, and smooth, making sure sugar has mostly dissolved.
- Add The Wet Ingredients: Mix in the syrup, vanilla extract, and egg, and beat lightly until everything is just combined.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: Add flour, baking soda, and salt, then mix until a dough forms. If needed, add a bit of flour at a time until dough is firm enough to roll.
- Fold In The Chocolate And M&M’s: Gently fold in half of the chocolate chips and M&M’s, using your hands to evenly distribute them throughout the dough.
- Shape The Cookies: Scoop out 18 to 20 cookie balls and place them on your prepared baking sheet. Press the remaining M&M’s and chocolate chips on top of each ball for that picture-perfect look.
- Bake And Cool: Bake for 10 to 11 minutes, until the cookies are lightly golden around the edges but still soft in the center. Let them cool on the baking sheet for 30 minutes to set perfectly.
If you’re baking a batch of these M&M Cookies, don’t stop there—make it a full holiday treat spread! These soft, buttery cookies pair beautifully with comforting sips and cozy sweets that keep the festive spirit going.
Try them with a steaming mug of Nutella Hot Chocolate for the ultimate chocolate-on-chocolate moment, or pair them with a slice of Pumpkin Pie for that warm, spiced holiday flavor that complements the cookies perfectly. For something a little extra indulgent, add a side of Saltine Cracker Toffee and let that salty-sweet crunch bring your dessert plate to life.
Tips For Making M&M Cookies
- Chill the dough if it’s too soft. If your dough feels a little sticky, pop it in the fridge for 15–20 minutes. It’ll make shaping easier and keep the cookies from spreading too much in the oven.
- Use room temperature ingredients. Bringing your egg and butter closer to room temp helps everything mix smoothly and evenly, giving you that perfect soft texture.
- Don’t overbake. The cookies should look pale and slightly underdone in the center when you pull them out. They’ll continue to cook on the tray as they cool, staying chewy instead of turning hard.
- Add extra M&M’s on top. Press a few candies onto each dough ball before baking for that classic, colorful bakery look.
Recipe FAQ’s
Yes! You can use any variety you love—peanut, crispy, caramel, or minis. Just keep in mind that larger M&M’s might make the cookies slightly chunkier and more textured.
Store them in an airtight container with a slice of bread or a small piece of tortilla. The cookies will absorb the moisture and stay soft for days.
Flat cookies usually mean your butter was too warm or you skipped chilling the dough. Try refrigerating the dough next time and double-check your baking soda isn’t expired.
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M&M Cookies (Soft Santa Cookies)
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup stick butter melted, not spreadable
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar packed
- 1/4 cup granulated white sugar or a granulated sweetener that measures 1:1 with sugar
- 2 tablespoons golden syrup or coconut syrup, agave, rice malt syrup, maple syrup or honey may be substituted
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 egg
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose or plain flour, scooped and levelled – add more as needed – only up to 1/4 cup extra
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/3 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup M&M's red and green, divided
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips dark or milk chocolates can be used
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Microwave the butter for about 30 seconds to just barely melt it (half soft and half melted).
- Beat the butter with the brown and white sugar/s until creamy and pale in colour and sugar has dissolved. Pour in the syrup, vanilla and the egg, and lightly beat until just mixed through.
- Add the flour, baking soda, and salt, mixing until combined. If needed, add in one tablespoon of the ‘extra’ flour at a time until the dough is still soft but easy to handle and firm enough to form one large ball (the dough should not be dry. I only needed 3 tablespoons of the extra flour).
- Fold in half of the chocolate chips and m&m’s with your hands.
- Scoop out 18-20 balls* and arrange them on a lined baking sheet with parchment paper. Press the remaining candies onto the tops of each cookie.
- Bake for about 10-11 minutes. The cookies will look pale and puffed up, but should be golden around the edges. DO NOT OVER BAKE or your cookies will become hard once they have cooled.
- Allow to cool on the baking sheet for about 30 minutes.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Turned out great! Enjoyed making these with my son for Santa:). Def saving this recipe and thanks!
What is golden syrup? And where do you find it?
Hi Jeanie! Golden syrup is found in Australia and the UK. You can normally find it at international stores in the US. But you don’t have to use it, you can use Maple syrup, coconut syrup, rice malt syrup, honey, or corn syrup.
So good! We are in the midst of a snowstorm here on the west coast of Canada, and I was looking for a fun cookie recipe to make with my 2 and 4 year old. This was the one! I subbed mini candy Reese’s pieces for the M&M’s and added 1/2 tsp of cinnamon. My husband said these were the best cookies I’ve made in a long time. Thanks, girl!
Hi, I think the recipe is missing the amount of chocolate chips?
These are def getting made for Christmas!
Thank you Mary! I’ve just updated it! I hope you love them!