Chocolate Chip and M&M Cookies are packed with chocolate chips and colorful candies for a cookie that delivers on flavor and texture. I've tested and perfected this recipe to ensure soft and chewy cookies every time, making it a foolproof choice when you want bakery-quality results at home.
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This post was originally posted on 6/26/2020 and updated on 04/24/2025.
Why We Love These Chocolate Chip M&M Cookies
- Reliable and Foolproof: The recipe is tested and perfected for consistent, bakery-quality cookies every time.
- Soft and Chewy Texture: No dry or crumbly cookies here, every bite is soft and satisfyingly chewy with perfect crisp edges.
- Double the Chocolate: Loaded with both mini chocolate chips and candy coated chocolate candies, offering rich chocolate flavor in every bite.
- Fun and Colorful: The candies add a bright, playful touch, making the cookies perfect for parties, holidays, or everyday treats.
- Easy to Make: Simple ingredients, straightforward steps and no special equipment needed to make these easy drop cookies.
- Kid-Approved and Family-Friendly: Loved by kids and adults make them great for lunchboxes, bake sales, and family gatherings.
- Freezer-Friendly: The dough or baked cookies freeze beautifully, making it convenient for make-ahead treats.
- Better Than Store-Bought: Homemade flavor and texture that you just can't replicate with packaged cookies.
Ingredients For Candy Cookies
- Salted Butter
- Light Brown Sugar
- White Sugar
- Pure Vanilla Extract
- Large Eggs
- Baking Soda
- Baking Powder
- Salt
- Unbleached All Purpose Flour
- Mini Chocolate Chips
- Candy Coated Chocolate Candies or M&Ms
Substitute Suggestions
- Salted Butter: I always use salted butter but you can use unsalted butter. If you do I suggest adding an additional ½ teaspoon salt to the cookie dough.
- Pure Vanilla Extract: I always recommend using pure extracts. Imitation extracts can leave an unwanted aftertaste in your cookies and other baked goods.
- All Purpose Flour: White whole wheat flour or whole wheat flour can be used. The cookies will be a little bit more dense but still just as good. You can even use a blend of half all purpose flour and whole wheat flour.
- Mini Chocolate Chips: Semi-sweet chocolate chips can be used as well as dark chocolate chips or milk chocolate chips. I like to use the mini chips because it lets the candies be the star of the cookies.
- Candy Coated Chocolate Pieces: I like to use Trader Joe's candy coated milk chocolate candies because they are dye-free. Unreal has a dye-free candy too. You can also use M&Ms if you don't need to eat dye-free.
How to Make Chocolate Chip M&M Cookies
- First heat oven to 350°F and line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- Next, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment cream together the softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. This takes about 2-3 minutes.
- Next, add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each egg.
- Then beat in the vanilla extract.
- Now add the dry ingredients: baking soda, baking powder, salt and all purpose flour. Mix on low until it is just combined.
- Fold in the mini chocolate chips and candies.
- Using a medium size scoop or 2 rounded tablespoons place cookie dough scoops 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. If desired, you can place a few more candies on top of the cookie dough for a pretty presentation.
- Bake the cookies in preheated oven on center rack for 10-12 minutes just until the edges are starting to brown. The centers might look a little underdone, but trust me they are not!
- Let cookies cool on pan for 5 minutes and remove to wire rack to cool completely.
Pro Tip: Once the cookies come out of the oven use a biscuit cutter, circle cookie cutter or a glass and gently go around the cookie to create perfect round cookies.
Do you love chocolate chip cookies? Try one or all of these other delicious chocolate chip cookie recipes!
Storing Candy Cookies
Storing: Place completely cooled cookies in an airtight container. Keep them in a cool dry place and they'll last at least a week. If you notice the leftover cookies starting to get a little dry, add a piece of bread or a flour tortilla to the container with the cookies. It will add moisture back into the cookies.
Freezing: These cookies freeze well! Place the baked cookies in a freezer safe airtight container in single layers, between pieces of wax paper or in a freezer bag. Label, date and freeze. Cookies will last 3-4 months in the freezer.
Thawing: To thaw the frozen cookies, simply let them sit at room temperature for a few hours.
Freezing Cookie Dough
To freeze the cookie dough, place portioned cookie dough balls on a parchment lined sheet pan and place in freezer. Once the dough is frozen, place the dough in a freezer safe container or freezer bag. Don't forget to label and date! Freeze for up to 4 months.
To bake the frozen cookie dough, bake as directed in the instructions and add 2-3 minutes to the baking time.
Heather's Favorite Tools for this Recipe
- My MOST favorite tool in my kitchen is my KitchenAid Stand Mixer. It's the best ever for making cookies, frostings and so many other things.
- Long ago, I used to be a Pampered Chef consultant and I still prefer their baking tools and pans to any others. Their cookie sheets are the only ones I use for cookies. Find yourself a consultant, host a party and treat yourself to a set. These aluminum sheet pans from Nordic Ware are a great option too.
- A medium sized cookie scoop that holds about 2 tablespoons is great for these cookies. Again I use the pampered chef one but this medium scoop from OXO on Amazon is a great one.
- Pre-cut parchment paper is a life saver and so easy. No cutting my fingers!
- Or this silicone baking mat is great for baking too!
- You can package these cookies up for family and friends in these Self Sealing Cellophane Bags. They are the best!
Tips for Chocolate Chip and M&M Cookies
- Gather all the ingredients before you start. It is so much easier to bake when all the ingredients are ready. There is also less room for error, like forgetting an essential ingredient. I'm not saying I've done this, however, I am speaking from experience!
- Read the recipe from start to finish before you start. Again, I am speaking from experience.
- Use room temperature ingredients. It helps the dough come together better, and also helps with even baking.
- Always fluff your flour and then spoon and level it to measure. Doing this will prevent too much flour being added and ultimately making the cookies too dry and crumbly. To fluff your flour, just scoop it and dump it a few times and then measure it out, or give it a fluff using a whisk.
- Use a cookie scoop to get the same size cookies, that way they will all bake evenly. I like to use the Pampered Chef medium scoop which is equal to about 2 tablespoons.
- If using cookie sheets more than once during baking, make sure the cookie sheet is completely cooled before adding scoops of cookie dough on it.
- For best results don't over bake the cookies. Over baking will cause the cookies to be dry and crumbly.
More Recipes for Drop Cookies:
- Chocolate Chunk Cookies
- Cookies and Cream Cookies
- Maple Cookies
- Hot Cocoa Cookies
- Churro Cookies
- Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
- Chocolate Chunk Coconut Cookies
- Double Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Ultimate Peanut Butter Cookies
- Cowboy Cookies
- Coconut Oatmeal Cookies
- Chocolate Chip Butterscotch Peanut Butter Cookies
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Chocolate Chip and M&M Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup salted butter, softened
- 1¼ cups light brown sugar, packed
- ¾ cup sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 cups unbleached all purpose flour
- 1 cup semi-sweet mini chocolate chips
- 1 cup candy coated chocolate pieces, or M&M's
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream together the softened butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. This will take 2-3 minutes.
- Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each egg.
- Beat in vanilla extract.
- Add the baking soda, baking powder, salt and flour. Mix on low just until its all combined.
- Stir in the mini chocolate chips and candies.
- Using a medium scoop or 2 rounded tablespoons, place cookie dough scoops 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, just until the edges are starting to brown.
- Let cookies cool on pan for 5 minutes and then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
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