Soft & Chewy M&M Cookies made with butter, sugars, instant pudding mix, and colorful M&Ms. The dough bakes up with lightly crisp edges, a tender center, and plenty of candy for a fun, bakery-style treat.
Homemade M&M cookies are a chocolate-packed favorite with colorful candy in every bite. After testing many versions, this recipe delivers the best balance: lightly crisp edges, a soft, chewy center, and just the right amount of chocolatey sweetness without becoming greasy or flat.
Recipe Highlights
- Perfect texture combo – Crisp edges and a soft, chewy center that stays tender for days thanks to the instant pudding mix.
- Chocolate in every bite – Mini chocolate chips plus mini M&Ms ensure no plain bites; each cookie has melty chocolate and candy crunch.
- Bakery-style finish at home – Pressing extra M&Ms onto the dough before baking creates a colorful, picture-perfect top.
Ingredients for M&M Chocolate Chip Cookies
Butter (½ cup) & Shortening (½ cup): These fats combine to create a rich base with structure—crisp edges and a tender center.
Granulated Sugar (¾–1 cup) & Brown Sugar (¾–1 cup): Granulated sugar helps with structure and crispness; brown sugar adds moisture and a caramel-like depth.
Eggs (2 large): Eggs bind the dough and help produce a cohesive, soft texture.
Milk (2 tbsp): A small amount of milk loosens the dough slightly for an ideal scoopable consistency and a softer finished cookie.
Vanilla Extract (1–2 tsp): Vanilla enhances the cookie’s warmth and complements the chocolate.
All-Purpose Flour (2 ½–3 cups), Baking Soda (1 tsp), Salt (½–1 tsp), & Instant Vanilla Pudding Mix (3.4 oz): Flour provides structure, baking soda gives the right rise and spread, salt enhances flavor, and instant pudding mix keeps cookies extra soft and chewy.
Mini Chocolate Chips (1–1½ cups) & Mini M&Ms (about 10 oz, plus extra for topping): Use minis so chocolate and candy distribute evenly without weighing down the dough.
Tips & Tricks for making M&M Cookies
- Use instant pudding mix: This ingredient locks in a soft, bakery-style texture and helps cookies stay chewy for days.
- Choose mini chips and mini M&Ms: Smaller pieces spread through the dough so every bite has chocolate and candy without making the dough hard to scoop.
- Press M&Ms onto the dough balls: Pressing extra candies onto the tops before baking gives a vibrant, bakery-style appearance and prevents them from sinking or cracking too much.
What is the best way to store Chocolate Chip Candy Cookies?
Store cookies at room temperature in an airtight container for 4–5 days to keep them soft. For longer storage, freezing works well:
- Baked cookies: Freeze fully cooled cookies in a sealed container or freezer bag for 2–3 months. Thaw at room temperature or warm briefly to refresh texture.
- Cookie dough: Scoop dough into balls, freeze on a tray until firm, then transfer to a bag for up to 3 months. Bake from frozen and add 1–2 minutes to the bake time.
Freezing dough is especially convenient for fresh cookies on demand.
Soft & Chewy M&M Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter softened
- ½ cup shortening
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup light brown sugar packed
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ cup milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 3.4 oz box instant vanilla pudding mix
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 ½ cup mini chocolate chips
- 10 oz mini M&M’s divided
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350°F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
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Cream butter and shortening with an electric mixer for about 2 minutes until pale. Add sugars and mix until well combined.
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Add eggs, vanilla, and milk; mix until incorporated.
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Whisk together flour, instant pudding mix, baking soda, and salt in a separate bowl. Add to the butter mixture and mix until combined.
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Stir in mini chocolate chips and half the mini M&Ms. Place the remaining M&Ms in a small bowl for topping.
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Scoop level dough with a medium cookie scoop. Press each dough ball into the bowl of mini M&Ms so the candies coat the top. Place dough balls 1.5–2 inches apart on the baking sheet.
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Bake 11–12 minutes, until edges are just beginning to lightly brown and centers still look slightly soft. Let cool on the cookie sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Enjoy!
Notes
Freeze baked cookies or dough for up to 3 months. Thaw before serving or bake dough from frozen with a slight increase in time.
Nutrition
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Carbohydrates: 24 g
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Protein: 2 g
Can I use regular sized M&Ms?
Yes, but mini M&Ms distribute more evenly and help ensure chocolate in every bite without making the dough harder to scoop or overwhelming the cookie.
Do I really need the pudding mix?
Yes. Instant pudding mix is the key to an extra-soft, bakery-style texture and helps cookies stay chewy and fresh longer than a conventional dough.
How do I know when my M&M cookies are finished baking?
They are done when the edges are lightly browned and the tops still look slightly soft. Let them rest on the baking sheet for 10 minutes so they finish cooking and set up before moving them to a rack.
Can I skip the shortening and use all butter?
You can, but the texture will change: expect a more buttery flavor, slightly less chew in the center, and a thinner spread.
Why press M&Ms on top instead of just mixing them in?
Pressing M&Ms onto each dough ball before baking creates a colorful, bakery-style presentation and helps prevent the candies from sinking or cracking into the surface too much.
Try more of our favorite chocolate cookie recipes:
- Cake Mix Rolo Cookies – soft, chewy cookies with a melty caramel-chocolate surprise inside each bite.
- Classic Nestlé Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookies – an upgraded version with improved flavor and texture.
- Chocolate Chip Cookie Pizza – a crowd-pleasing dessert with a warm, chewy cookie crust topped with frosting and fresh berries.
- Copycat Chewy Chips Ahoy Cookies – homemade, perfectly textured cookies using simple pantry ingredients.
- Heath Bar Cookies – crunchy toffee bits combined with a buttery cookie for an irresistible sweet-and-salty bite.
- Eggless Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies – comfort cookies with great texture, made without eggs.
Soft & Chewy M&M Cookies are loaded with buttery dough, warm vanilla flavor, and pops of colorful candy in every bite. The instant pudding mix is the secret to their ultra-soft texture, while the M&Ms give a fun, bakery-style finish that’s hard to resist.