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These small batch M&M cookies are soft, chewy, and packed with colorful, chocolate-filled M&Ms. Made with a buttery cookie dough base, this easy recipe is the perfect way to enjoy a sweet treat anytime.
Looking for more small batch cookie recipes? Try our classic Chocolate Chip Cookies, chewy Oatmeal Cookies, or rich Butter Cookies. Each recipe makes just enough to satisfy your craving without leaving extras.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Easy to Make: This M&M cookie recipe uses simple, everyday ingredients and is easy to prepare.
- Perfectly Sized: Made as a small batch, it’s great when you want just a few cookies without leftovers. If you need more, the recipe can be doubled.
- Delicious Flavor and Texture: These cookies are soft, chewy, and perfectly sweet, with colorful M&Ms adding a chocolatey touch.
M&M cookies became popular shortly after M&M candies were introduced in the 1940s, as home bakers began adding these colorful chocolates to their cookie recipes. Over time, M&M cookies have become a classic American treat, loved for their bright colors, chocolatey sweetness, and soft texture. This small batch recipe is perfect for those cooking for one or two, offering just the right amount of cookies without the worry of leftovers. It’s a wonderful way to enjoy a homemade treat without overcommitting to a large batch.
Ingredients
See the recipe box below for ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions. 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 substitute with a 1:1 gluten-free baking mix for a gluten-free option.
- Butter: I use salted butter for its ability to balance the sweetness of the sugar and chocolate candies while enhancing flavor. You can use unsalted butter if preferred—just add a pinch of salt to the dough. For best results, use softened butter that’s cool to the touch but leaves an indentation when pressed. Softened butter is key for creaming with sugar, which creates light and airy cookies.
- Sugars: This recipe uses both brown sugar and granulated sugar to build the cookie’s flavor and texture. Creaming butter with the sugars creates the base of the dough. If you’re out of brown sugar, you can quickly make your own with our small batch brown sugar recipe.
- Egg Yolk: You’ll need just one egg yolk for this small batch recipe. Save the egg white for other egg white recipes, like our mini Flourless Chocolate Cake or a single serving White Cake.
- Vanilla Extract: Use pure vanilla extract to enhance the flavor of the cookies.
- Baking Soda: This ingredient gives the cookies a slight lift, helping them bake evenly.
- Cornstarch: Cornstarch combined with flour helps create soft and chewy cookies by tenderizing the flour’s proteins. It’s the same ingredient that makes the crust in our mini pies, like Dutch Apple Pie and Blueberry Pie perfectly tender.
- M&M Candies: These colorful candies add a sweet crunch to the cookies. Use your favorite variety—classic milk chocolate, dark chocolate, or even specialty flavors. M&M’s were first introduced in 1941 with a hard candy shell to keep the chocolate from melting and remain a popular treat worldwide.
How To Make M&M Cookies
These step-by-step photos and instructions help you visualize how to make this small batch M&M cookie recipe. See the recipe box below for ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C).
- In a medium bowl, use an electric hand mixer to cream the softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar on medium speed for about 1 minute until fully combined.
- Add the egg yolk and vanilla extract, and mix until smooth.
- In a separate small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cornstarch, and salt.
- Gradually mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients on low speed until a dough forms.
- Gently fold in the M&Ms with a spatula.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Scoop the dough into 2-3 tablespoon portions, roll them into balls, and place them about 2 inches apart on the baking sheet.
- Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden.
- Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Expert Tips
- Measure Flour Correctly: Spoon flour into a dry measuring cup until slightly overfilled, then level it off with the back of a knife. Avoid scooping flour directly from the container, as it packs the flour too tightly and can result in using more than needed.
- Softening Butter: For perfectly softened butter, leave it out on the counter for about 30 minutes before you start baking.
- Line the Baking Sheet: Always line your baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper. Avoid using butter or cooking spray, as it can make the cookies spread too much by creating a greasy surface.
- Make Picture-Perfect Cookies: To give your cookies a bakery-style look, press a few M&Ms onto the tops of the dough balls just before baking. It’s an easy way to make them extra colorful, especially when sharing with friends or neighbors!
Frequently Asked Questions
Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days, or refrigerate them for up to a week.
Absolutely! These cookies freeze well. Just make sure they’re completely cooled before you put them in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months.
This can happen if the butter was too soft or if the baking sheet wasn’t lined properly. Make sure the butter is softened but not melted, and always use parchment paper or a silicone mat.
You can substitute M&Ms with chocolate chips, chopped chocolate bars, or other candies like Reese’s Pieces or mini peanut butter cups.
Yes, you can double the ingredients to make a larger batch of cookies.
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 Ideas For Leftover M&Ms
If you have extra M&Ms after making this small batch M&M cookie recipe, don’t let them go to waste! Here are some fun ways to use them in other small batch recipes:
- Trail Mix: Combine M&Ms 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.
- Breakfast Mix-ins: Stir M&Ms into pancake or waffle batter for a sweet twist on breakfast.
- Baking Add-ins: Use M&Ms in brownies, cakes, or muffins to add bursts of color and flavor.
- Granola: Toss M&Ms into homemade granola for a fun, sweet element.
- Cupcake and Cake Decorations: Decorate cakes or cupcakes with M&Ms for a vibrant and crunchy topping.
- Chocolate Bark: Spread melted chocolate thinly, sprinkle M&Ms on top, and let it harden for a simple homemade treat.
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:
If you’ve tried this small batch M&M cookies recipe or any recipe on One Dish Kitchen please let me know how you liked it by rating the recipe and telling me about it in the comment section below.
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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, use an electric hand mixer to cream the softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar on medium speed for about 1 minute until fully combined.
- Add the egg yolk and vanilla extract, and mix until smooth.
- In a separate small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cornstarch, and salt.
- Gradually mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients on low speed until a dough forms.
- Gently fold in the M&Ms with a spatula.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Scoop the dough into 2-3 tablespoon portions, roll them into balls, and place them about 2 inches apart on the baking sheet.
- Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden.
- Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Measure Flour Correctly: Spoon flour into a dry measuring cup until slightly overfilled, then level it off with the back of a knife. Avoid scooping flour directly from the container, as it packs the flour too tightly and can result in using more than needed.
- Softening Butter: For perfectly softened butter, leave it out on the counter for about 30 minutes before you start baking.
- Line the Baking Sheet: Always line your baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper. Avoid using butter or cooking spray, as it can make the cookies spread too much by creating a greasy surface.
- Make Picture-Perfect Cookies: To give your cookies a bakery-style look, press a few M&Ms onto the tops of the dough balls just before baking. It’s an easy way to make them extra colorful, especially when sharing with friends or neighbors!
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!