Best Yet M&Ms Cookies is one of my oldest and favorite cookie recipes. I posted the recipe after searching for a version that was a little different from typical chocolate chip. I wanted thin, really chewy cookies with brown edges and lots of wrinkles on top. These cookies came through, and I've been using the recipe for years.
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M&Ms Cookies with Shortening
To get the right texture, shortening is required. If you swap it out for butter the cookies won’t be the same. Believe me, I’ve tried. You can use Crisco or one of the newer shoretnings like Spectrum or Nutiva. The shortening gives these cookies the crispy edges you remember from childhood. Well, depending on how old you are. I know some of you are still kids. I'm getting old and starting think everything from childhood tasted better. It's real. Anyhow...
Peanut Butter Version Without Shortening
If you don't want to use shortening, another option is this peanut butter version. They're completely different in that they have peanut butter, but they are shortening-free and have a good texture. The peanut butter version is a little crunchier. I recommend trying the regular version before trying the peanut butter.
2024 Update and M&Ms Cookies Tips
This recipe is still a homerun every time I test it. I feel like there's probably room for things to go wrong given given the ingredients, but if you follow the directions carefully these should bake up with light and crispy edges.
- The recipe says to chill the dough. If you are in a rush, you can skip it, though the cookies might not bake up as round.
- Definitely use shortening. Because of the high ratio of sugar and fat, the cookies need the shortening for support. I've been using Spectrum this holiday season and it's worked quite well. Always measure shortening by weight. I use 96 grams for every half cup.
- Use a stand mixer with a paddle attachment so you can really cream the butter, shortening and sugar.
- For the flour, I get great results when I use bleached flour that weighs 125 grams per cup for a total of 210 grams. Unbleached flour should work too.
- Bake on a parchment lined light colored baking sheet and definitely do not grease it or the cookies will slide all over.
- After shaping the cookie dough balls, stick a few more M&Ms on the outside.
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Recipe
Best Yet M&M Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter (114 grams)
- ½ cup shortening (96 grams)
- ¾ cup granulated sugar (150 grams)
- ½ cup packed light brown sugar (100 grams)
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- 1 ¾ cups all purpose flour (210 grams) -- I use the gram amount
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ cups plain M&Ms
- ⅓ cup semisweet chocolate chips optional
Instructions
- Dough requires chilling, so don’t preheat oven yet.
- Combine the cool butter and shortening in mixer. Beat until creamy. Add both sugars and continue beating on high for at last two minutes, scraping bowl. Beat in the vanilla and egg. Continue beating for another minute or until fluffy.
- Stir together the flour, salt and baking soda. Add this mixture to the sugar mixture and stir until mixed. Stir in the M&Ms and chocolate chips. Chill batter for about an hour.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Drop batter by rounded teaspoonfuls (better yet, use a medium size cookie scoop) onto ungreased cookie sheets, spacing 3 inches apart and bake for 12-14 minutes. Let cool on cookie sheets for about 2 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool.
Anna says
Brandi, thanks for the review! These are my favorite as well. In fact, I think I'm going to make a big batch for an upcoming bake sale.
Brandi says
We have made these Cookies a number of times (always doubling the recipe) and they are a FAVORITE at our house! Thanks!
Robert says
I made them last night without the nuts (didn't see your response until this am). They were a big hit at home and at work! The cookies are surprisingly light highlighting the flavor of the chocolate.
Next time I'll try it with the toasted nuts. Thanks for such a great recipe.
Anna says
Hi Robert, toasted walnuts or toasted pecans are always a good bet. I actually love adding nuts (always toasted, of course) because they kind of balance out the sweetness.
Robert says
Anna,
A lot of my friends like nuts in their cookies; is there a particular nut you would recommend to add to this and how much or do you think it would change the flavor too much?
Robert
Katherine says
FYI... these are terrific with Reese's pieces too!!
Anna says
Cute! Don't you love how colored M&Ms can fit any theme? Glad you like the weights. I should include them more often.
Katherine says
I made these with the Valentine M&M's that are now available. They turned out super cute. I used all M&M's (no chocolate chips). I served them in goodie bags for my daughters birthday party, and all enjoyed. I also wanted to say - love when your recipes are in weights! Makes them very quick to whip up.
Billie says
Thank you! Can't wait to bake these along with other Christmas cookies, they look and sound so yummy!
Yvonne says
Hi Anna,
I just made these up and they are wonderful. My husband, who isn't a big cookie fan, really liked them. He kept going back to the cookie jar!
At church we all take turns making a dinner for a fellow parishioner who has terminal breast cancer and small children--so I made them up for her and her kids. I'll let you know what they think!
Thanks for sharing a fun cookie recipe!
-=^..^=-
Chris Mower says
Ahoy there! I made these last night and they're pretty darn good. I actually brought some of the dough into work today and I'm going to bake some in the toaster oven they have there so I can have some fresh cookies after lunch. Mmm mmm.
Robbie says
I'm going to bake for Mom's Night Out on Friday! Would it be OK to double this recipe? And would it work to chill the dough overnight before using it instead of just one hour? Thanks!
Robbie
Steph says
I made these last night and they were great! I couldn't stop eating them and I don't even like sweets. I think they are the perfect M&M cookie. Thanks for the recipe!
Stacie says
Since I had a half a bag of M&M's left over, I thought I would try your cookies. They were super easy and definately yummy. I used unsalted butter and butter-flavored crisco sticks and my cookies looked identical to yours. The kids were super excited to see these on a plate when they came home from school today! So, I think I scored some Mom Points! Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Anna says
Pam, these would be great with red and green M&Ms and maybe some of those little silver balls (if you can find them).
Dolce, margarine would probably make them kind of soft.
Sandie, thanks for the tip! I'm going to check Inn Cuisine right now.
Joan, I might buy butter flavored shortening just for these cookies. I do think the artificial butter flavor would complement the blue dye in the M&M's ;).
Stephanie, I didn't notice the baking soda flavor, but I'm more sensitive to the taste of baking powder than baking soda. You might want to experiment by making a half batch, but instead of using 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda, try 3/8.
Stephanie says
Just finished baking a triple batch of these. Delish!
thanks for sharing the recipe -- they have a slight and only noticible by me taste of baking soda -- like of too much soda. Do you have a rule of thumb when you double or triple recipes? Wondering if you ever not triple the soda, but leave everything else.
joan says
I made these cookies today using butter-flavored shortening, because that is what I had on hand. I thought they came out great-tasting, although it seems that my cookies always come out spreading more than those in the photo (probably because I use cold butter and shortening: no patience to wait for it to warm up a bit). I used the Halloween colored m&ms : Lime green, orange, and purple. Beautiful! I, too, have an aversion to the blue m&ms.
Sandie (Inn Cuisine) says
I'm a sucker for any baked (or otherwise) food featuring M&M's. In fact, there's a Snack Bar recipe I just put up that features M&M's as well (and no baking required). I know it's not a cookie, but I think you'd like it!
P.S. M&M cookies are my kids' favorites---I'll definitely give your recipe a whirl 🙂
Dolce says
Have you tried these with margarine? Do you think they would work??
pam shank says
Anna, I will make these during the holidays. my kids & grandkids love m& m cookies and I am just guilty of replacing m&m's for the choc chips. they do look the way I like my cookies to look. thanks
Louise says
Michele -- Shortening is 100% fat; no water or minerals. It provides good aeration in batters as it is soft and has the ability to surround air bubbles well. And, it's flavorless so it combines well with butter. Tish Boyle flat out states "Avoid artificial butter-flavored shortening."
AJ says
M&M cookies are my all-time favorite. Those and white chocolate macadamia nut. I'll have to stroll your recipes to find a good one for the WC/MN. Thanks for the tips on making the wrinkly tops. Amazing how much that matters to how "appetizing" a cookie can be.
Anna says
Michele,
When I try to describe that ingredient, "butter flavored shortening", to professional chefs, bakers and foodie friends, I get funny looks. They don't seem to appreciate the idea of shortening with artificial butter flavor mixed in. So for that reason, I've become self conscious about using it in anything and I don't -- a least not very often and not when it's a recipe where butter flavor is supposed to stand out. Who wants to showcase artificial butter flavor? But to be honest, I think it would actually work well in this recipe where it's combined with actual butter. The shortening would give the cookies the texture they need and the artificial butter flavor might complement the real butter. Plus, when people said "Mmmmm. I taste butter" I will at least know they're tasting butter and not just butter flavoring.
I probably have a skewed perspective on things, but that's my honest answer.
Christina @ Boyish Charm says
Can't wait to try this recipe!
Michele says
These look great! One wuick question in regards to the shortening...do you prefer butter flavored or regular shortening. I tend to use the shortening sticks and they come in both varieties. Thanks!
Trish says
See...now I know this will be a hit! For absolute sure!!!!!!!!
Anna says
Micelle, I just saw your chocolate version. Thanks for sharing! I'll be trying them soon.
Chaya, definitely try this recipe next time. If you use the shortening and beat the batter thoroughly before adding the flour, you should get the crinkly look.
Leslie, cool butter is about 61 degrees F.. You can also use butter right out of the refrigerator, so long as you have a hand mixer or stand mixer that's powerful enough to beat it into cream. Using cool butter helps give the cookie rounded edges.
Jennifer, thanks for trying the recipe so quickly. I like the name Rainbow cookies.
Hopefully I answered all the question. For everyone else, I'm glad you all liked M&Ms as much as I do. I start obsessing about what I can use them in every year when they roll out the Halloween themed M&Ms.
Lauren says
Wow, this pic made my mouth water! These look delicious and I wish I could just reach my hand into the screen and grab one! Mmm!
Jennifer says
Made them tonight with my 3yr old...she loves "rainbow" cookies. They were very yummy.
Kerstin says
I've have to make these for my mom - she is a huge M&Ms fan!
Sara says
Mmm, these look great. I love chewy cookies.
C L says
Oooh, I MUST make these for my niece and her roommate, although i will have to wait for the Susan Komen pink M&Ms to arrive in the store. My niece is crazy about pink so I always buy about 20 bags (no joke) and send them to her throughout the year. She is going to LOVE these! 🙂 These sound like my kind of M&M cookie, too, because I don't see any oatmeal in this recipe. It is one of my food quirks...no chocolate touching my raisins (or vice versa) and no oatmeal touching my M&Ms. 😉
Leslie says
I can't wait to try these... I've been looking for a good recipe for M&M cookies forever. One question - what is "cool" butter? Is it the same as what might be listed as softened butter in recipes or is it somewhere in between straight out of the refrigerator and softened?
Anna says
I added the chocolate chips because I like a mix of semi-sweet chocolate and milk. But your cookies would be just as good with M&Ms and no chips.
Sue says
Good point! Best 'yet'. But you never know! They could be the best ever!!
I logged back on to ask a question that I forgot to ask. Why did you decide to add the chocolate chips, or make them optional? I'm just curious. I'm always curious about baking decisions and results!!
Anna says
I called them best "yet" thereby leaving a door open should a better cookie come along.
Sue says
I'm with Katrina here! Any color of m&m's is fine by me! 🙂
I remember searching for a really great m&m cookie recipe when my kids were younger. My son especially loved m&m cookies. I'll have to look through and see which were our favorite, although I don't recall loving any of them.
These hold a lot of promise. Whenever you've called something the best, and I've made it I've never been disappointed.
Thanks for your dedication to the cause! 🙂
Katrina says
Yay, you found a recipe for these that you like! I'm not picky, I don't care what color my M&M's are--then put them in a cookie--bingo! 😉
Chaya says
I make these for my class but they don't look half as good as yours do. I have to try your recipe, next time, I make them. I have no doubts they are great, just by looking at them.
Michelle says
Though I'm actually not a big fan of m&ms {gasp}, my kiddos are. I made these and they got devoured by mine, plus all the preschoolers at my daughter's school last spring.
http://oneordinaryday.wordpress.com/2009/05/18/mm-cookies-to-celebrate-the-end-of-preschool/
Stephanie says
yum -- these look just perfect for lunch boxes.
VeggieGirl says
Holy goodness nostalgia!! Love M&M cookies.
Louise says
The blue hurts my eyes. As I've said before, I was a daily M&M imbiber until they added blue. Now I only eat the special holiday ones. 😉
Karen says
Would it be wrong to make these using leftover m&ms from LAST Halloween. Somehow I never got around to using them all up!
Therese B. says
The best ever?? Sorry, are they the best ever?? Just kidding, I was just remembering the
movie Elf. If you have never seen it, there is a part in the movie when he
saw a sign on the city cafe that read...The Best Coffee Ever. He (Elf) took it
literally to heart and ran into the restaurant and said, CONGRATULATIONS
ON HAVING THE BEST COFFEE EVER!!
Okay, you have to see the movie...!
These cookies will be tried out by me. I believe you when you say their
the best!! Yummy!!! I believe..I do!