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Enjoy our small batch M&M cookies, packed with rich, creamy chocolate and colorful M&Ms. These delightful treats combine a classic cookie dough base with crunchy, chocolate-filled morsels, resulting in soft and chewy cookies that satisfy any sweet tooth. Perfect for both kids and adults, these cookies bring together familiar cookie flavors with the playful crunch and color of M&Ms.
Are you on the hunt for more small batch cookie recipes? You’re in for a treat! Be sure to try our classic Chocolate Chip Cookies, hearty Oatmeal Cookies, and rich Butter Cookies. Each recipe is designed for small batches, giving you just the right amount of sweet treats.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Simplicity: This M&M cookie recipe requires basic baking ingredients and is very easy to follow.
- Small batch: Perfect for those who want a homemade treat without an excess of leftovers, this recipe yields just the right amount of cookies for a few sweet treats. If you’d like to make more, just double the ingredient amounts.
- So incredibly delicious: This recipe creates a perfect batch of soft and chewy M&M cookies with just the right balance of sweetness and chocolate.
The Origin Of M&M Cookies
M&M cookies emerged shortly after M&M candies were introduced in the 1940s. Home bakers quickly started adding these colorful candies to their cookie recipes, creating the beloved M&M cookie. This fun and chocolatey treat has since become a classic in American households, known for its vibrant colors and delicious taste.
Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this small batch M&M cookie recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder.
- Flour: Use all-purpose flour or you can use a 1:1 gluten-free baking mix for a gluten-free alternative.
- Butter: I use salted butter in this small batch of M&M cookies because it enhances the flavor by balancing the sweetness of the sugar and chocolate candies. If you prefer, you can use unsalted butter, especially if you’re on a low-sodium diet. Salted butter helps bring out the richness of the chocolate, making the cookies taste even better. Make sure to use softened butter for creaming with the sugar. This process creates air pockets that make the cookies light and airy. Softened butter should be cool to the touch but leave an indentation when pressed with your finger.
- Sugar: Use both brown sugar and white granulated sugar in this cookie recipe. Butter creamed with sugars creates the base of the cookie dough. If you don’t have brown sugar, here’s our quick recipe for making a small batch of brown sugar.
- Egg yolk: 1 large egg yolk is all that is needed in this small batch cookie recipe. Be sure to hang on to the egg white and use it in any of our egg white recipes like mini Flourless Chocolate Cake or a single serving White Cake.
- Vanilla extract: Use pure vanilla extract for a wonderful flavor.
- Baking soda: This ingredient gives the cookies a little lift.
- Cornstarch: Combining cornstarch with all-purpose flour helps soften the proteins in the flour, resulting in light and chewy cookies. It’s the magic ingredient we use in our mini pies like Dutch Apple Pie and Blueberry Pie.
- M&M candies: M&M’s are small, round candies with a colorful shell and a chocolate center. The shell, marked with an “m,” comes in red, yellow, green, blue, brown, and orange. The chocolate inside can be milk, dark, or white chocolate. Mars Incorporated introduced M&M’s in 1941, originally for soldiers in World War II because the hard shell kept the chocolate from melting. Today, M&M’s are a popular treat worldwide and come in many different flavors and colors.
How To Make M&M Cookies
These step-by-step photos and instructions help you visualize how to make a small batch of M&M cookies. See the recipe box below for ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C).
- In a medium bowl, beat the softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar with an electric hand mixer on medium speed for about 1 minute until well combined.
- Add the egg yolk and vanilla, then beat until well mixed.
- In a small bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, cornstarch, and salt.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed until a dough forms.
- Fold in the M&Ms.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Scoop the dough into 2-3 tablespoon portions and place them on the baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Roll the dough into balls.
- Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the edges are lightly browned.
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Expert Tips
- Measure the flour correctly: Use a spoon to scoop flour into a measuring cup made for dry ingredients and slightly overfill it. Then, use the back of a knife or other straight-edged utensil to level the flour across the cup. Do not scoop the flour. When you scoop, the flour gets packed too tightly and you will end up with more than the recipe calls for.
- The best way to soften butter is to put it out on the kitchen counter for a half hour before you want to use it.
- Line the baking sheet: Use a silicone mat or parchment paper to line your baking or cookie sheet. I don’t recommend coating your baking sheet with butter or oil spray because it creates an overly greasy sheet that will make your cookies spread.
- Make photo-worthy cookies: A secret to making beautiful M&M cookies that are loaded with M&M candies is to press a few of the candies into the tops of the balls of cookie dough right before baking. I usually do this when I’m bringing a small batch of these cookies to a friend or neighbor.
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely! These cookies freeze well. Just make sure they’re completely cooled before you put them in a freezer-safe container.
Yes, feel free to substitute the M&Ms with your favorite chocolate candies.
Yes, any M&M candies can be used for baking. Use regular, peanut butter M&Ms, or even mini M&Ms.
If your cookies are flat, chances are that your oven is too hot. When the oven is too hot, the butter melts before the other ingredients have firmed into a cookie structure. Use an inexpensive oven thermometer to check the temperature of your oven if this happens.
Because of the thin candy shell, M&Ms don’t melt in cookies. However, when the cookies are hot, the chocolate inside the candies will be melted.
Creative Ways To Use Leftover M&Ms
Don’t let extra M&Ms go to waste after making our small batch M&M Cookies! Here are some fun and tasty ideas for using them in other small batch recipes:
- Trail Mix: Add M&Ms to a homemade trail mix with nuts, dried fruit, pretzels, and popcorn for a sweet and salty snack.
- Ice Cream Topping: Sprinkle M&Ms over vanilla ice cream for a crunchy, colorful topping.
- Pancake or Waffle Mix-ins: Add M&Ms to your pancake or waffle batter to create a sweet and colorful breakfast treat.
- Baking: Use M&Ms in other baking recipes like brownies, cake, or muffins for added flavor and color.
- Homemade Granola or Energy Bars: Incorporate M&Ms into homemade granola or energy bars for a sweet surprise.
- Decorate Cakes or Cupcakes: Use M&Ms to decorate cakes or cupcakes. They can add a pop of color and a nice crunch.
- Homemade Chocolate Bark: Melt some chocolate, spread it out thinly, and sprinkle M&Ms on top. Once it hardens, you have a quick and easy chocolate treat!
M&Ms are versatile and can be used in many different recipes. Get creative and enjoy!
Ways To Use Leftover Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder or you might like to consider using them in any of these single serving and small batch recipes:
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Small Batch M&M Cookies
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons butter -softened
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 large egg yolk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon cornstarch
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup M&M candies
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C).
- In a medium bowl, beat the softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar with an electric hand mixer on medium speed for about 1 minute until well combined.
- Add the egg yolk and vanilla, then beat until well mixed.
- In a small bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, cornstarch, and salt.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed until a dough forms.
- Fold in the M&Ms.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Scoop the dough into 2-3 tablespoon portions and place them on the baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Roll the dough into balls.
- Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the edges are lightly browned.
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Measure the flour correctly: Use a spoon to scoop flour into a measuring cup made for dry ingredients and slightly overfill it. Then, use the back of a knife or other straight-edged utensil to level the flour across the cup. Do not scoop the flour. When you scoop, the flour gets packed too tightly and you will end up with more than the recipe calls for.
- The best way to soften butter is to put it out on the kitchen counter for a half hour before you want to use it.
- Line the baking sheet: Use a silicone mat or parchment paper to line your baking or cookie sheet. I don’t recommend coating your baking sheet with butter or oil spray because it creates an overly greasy sheet that will make your cookies spread.
- Make photo-worthy cookies: A secret to making beautiful M&M cookies that are loaded with M&M candies is to press a few of the M&Ms into the tops of the balls of cookie dough right before baking. I usually do this when I’m bringing a small batch of these cookies to a friend or neighbor.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
These are really good. I doubled the recipe with no problem. Grandkids loved them.
Loved these
If I double this recipe, should I use one whole egg or two yolks?
We recommend using 2 egg yolks.If you use the entire egg, the cookies are much flatter. When you use 2 egg yolks, the cookies rise better and have more of a cookie texture. I don’t recommend using the entire egg when doubling this recipe, the cookies really need the extra protein that the extra egg yolk provides.
Terrific recipe.
Thank you!