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Soft and chewy Chocolate Chip Mini M&M Cookies are a timeless classic you’ll absolutely love! This is the best recipe you can count on for super soft cookies brimming with chocolate and cheerful candies, the kind of cookie your kids will beg you to make time after time.

Try these incredible bakery-style chocolate chip cookies next for another runaway hit!

Cooling rack full of chocolate chip M&M cookies with a nearby glass of milk.

I do enjoy elaborate desserts – both making and eating them – but sometimes life calls for simple, straightforward, classics. At those times, there’s not much better than a faithful, crowd-pleasing cookie. And this chocolate chip mini M&M cookie recipe is a runaway hit, every time.

Why You’ll Love Them

  • Soft and chewy throughout. They remind me of the Kiebler Soft Batch cookies I loved so much as a kid, only honestly way better.
  • Versatile. Stud these beauties with chocolate, mini M&Ms, and any other mix-in you like. They are super versatile. You can also change up the color of the M&Ms for a crazy easy yet festive seasonal cookie. Red and green for Christmas, blue and white for Hanukkah, pastels for Easter, team colors for a big game, you get the idea.
  • Easy to make. This is a simple mix, scoop, and bake situation, all done in one bowl. Perfect for baking with kids.
  • Long-lasting. These stay super soft for days, just like my miracle stay soft chocolate chip cookies, so you can make them a few days before you need them without worry.

Ingredients & Common Substitutions

The ingredients you’ll need to make these are very straightforward, with one little mix-in that is the ticket to that super soft staying power.

  • Dry baking basics: All-purpose flour, brown sugar, granulated white sugar, baking soda, and a sprinkle of sea salt. The sea salt may seem unusual, but it does not make your cookies taste salty; it only subtly offsets the sweetness for a more balanced overall taste.
  • Wet ingredients: Butter, eggs, vanilla extract. I prefer to bake with unsalted butter, so that we can adjust the salt content to taste, but this is really just a matter of personal preference.
  • Chocolate Chips: You can use standard semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips. Use milk chocolate only if you want a really sweet and sugary treat. If using miniature chocolate chips, use 3/4 cup (my preference). If using regular-sized chocolate chips, use 1 full cup.
  • M&Ms: We prefer miniature M&Ms in these cookies, but regular ones work just fine, as well, with no further adaptations necessary.
  • and, one small (3.4 ounce) package of instant vanilla pudding mix.

Why do some cookie recipes add pudding mix?

If you experiment with a lot of cookie recipes, it’s not a news flash that including pudding mix in the dough is basically a guaranteed short-cut to puffy, pillow-y cookie heaven. This is because instant pudding mix includes cornstarch — the same ingredient that is a masterful thickener in sauces and soups. Cornstarch in baked goods provides structure, prevents spreading, and guarantees a delightfully chewy, soft, puffy final result.

Cooling rack full of chocolate chip M&M cookies.

How To Make Chocolate Chip M&M Cookies

These are an excellent, achievable, from-scratch baking project, especially if you’d like a not-overly-chaotic way to get kids involved in the kitchen. Here’s all it takes:

  1. Cream together the butter and two types of sugar into a light, fluffy mix. Beat in the pudding mix, eggs, and vanilla, in that order.
  2. Sprinkle dry ingredients on top and mix just until blended.
  3. Stir in chocolate chips and M&Ms by hand.
  4. Scoop and bake for 10-12 minutes.

Pro Tip: For the ultimate convenience, use a cookie scoop to portion out dough. This medium-sized scoop is a workhorse. Scoops are terrific for muffin and cupcake batter, and meatballs as well!

If you want extra colorful, pretty cookies, reserve a few M&Ms to press into the tops just after removing the cookies from the oven. This may be just for looks, but it’s my kids’ favorite part of the entire process, and I’m willing to bet yours will adore it, too.

Do I need to refrigerate the dough?

No, you do not need to refrigerate or chill the dough for these M&M cookies. The dough is ready to bake right away. If you want to set the dough aside and bake later, it is alright to store the dough in the fridge. Let it return mostly to room temperature prior to scooping and baking.

Do M&Ms melt in the oven?

No, at a standard baking temperature of 350 degrees F or close to it, standard M&Ms will not melt in the oven. If they are very near the top of the oven and therefore the heating element, the candy coating could begin to soften and run. This is why it’s best to place a few decorative M&Ms on top of cookies after pulling them out of the oven.

Cooling rack full of chocolate chip M&M cookies with one broken open to show the soft, chewy inside.

How To Store Them

These cookies will keep very well in an airtight container at room temperature for at least 3-4 days. The cornstarch in the pudding mix keeps them soft and chewy for the duration!

Can you freeze M&M cookies?

Yes! These cookies freeze extremely well as dough balls for future baking, and that is the freezing method I would recommend.

  • How to freeze M&M cookie dough: Just shape cookie dough into balls, place on a baking sheet with a little space in between them, and pop into the freezer for about 30 minutes. That will flash freeze the dough balls, after which you can pile them together in a freezer-safe bag or container without them sticking together. Bake straight from the freezer as needed. Just add 1-2 minutes to the baking time!

You can also place fully baked cookies in an airtight plastic ziplock bag and freeze for 2-3 months. Defrost on the counter overnight.

More Easy Cookies You’ll Love

Now let’s just feast on our eyes on these beautiful treats up close one more time! They’re so cheerful to me. If I were Bob Ross, these would be my little trees.

Close up of a chocolate chip M&M cookie.

If you try these Chocolate Chip M&M Cookies, don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave a comment below. I love hearing how recipes turn out in your kitchen, and it helps other readers, too.

You can also FOLLOW me on PINTEREST, INSTAGRAM, FACEBOOK, and TWITTER for more great recipes and ideas!

Cooling rack full of chocolate chip M&M cookies with a nearby glass of milk.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
4.64 from 22 votes

Chocolate Chip M&M Cookies

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 24 cookies
A timeless classic you will adore! This is the best recipe you can count on for super soft cookies brimming with chocolate and cheerful candies, the kind of cookie your kids will beg you to make time after time.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar 
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar 
  • 1 package (3.4 oz) instant vanilla pudding mix 
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 and 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon flaked sea salt
  • 1 cup miniature M&Ms
  • 3/4 cup chocolate chips see note

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 C). Prepare baking sheets with silicone mats or parchment paper, and set aside. 
  • Using an electric mixer, or mixing by hand with a rubber spatula, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until well-blended. Beat in the instant pudding mix, followed by eggs and vanilla. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat until mixture is mostly even.
  • Sprinkle the flour, baking soda, and salt over the dough, then mix just until they are incorporated. Stir in M&Ms and chocolate chips by hand.
  • Drop spoonfuls of dough onto baking sheets and bake for 10-12 minutes, until the tops are lightly golden. Gently press a few extra M&Ms into the top of each cookie right after taking them out of the oven, if desired. (This is just for looks!)
  • Allow cookies to cool for 5-10 minutes on the baking sheets, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

  • Chocolate Chips: You can use standard semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips. Use milk chocolate if you want a really sweet and sugary treat. If using miniature chocolate chips, use 3/4 cup (my preference). If using regular-sized chocolate chips, use 1 full cup.
  • Storage: Cookies will keep well in an airtight container at room temperature for at least 3-4 days.
  • Freezing: These cookies freeze extremely well as dough balls for future baking. Just shape into balls, place on a baking sheet with a little space in between them, and pop into the freezer for about 30 minutes. That will flash freeze the dough balls, after which you can pile them together in a freezer-safe bag or container without them sticking together. Bake straight from the freezer as needed. Just add 1-2 minutes to the baking time!

Nutrition Estimate

Calories: 239 kcal, Carbohydrates: 33 g, Protein: 2 g, Fat: 11 g, Saturated Fat: 7 g, Cholesterol: 36 mg, Sodium: 99 mg, Potassium: 29 mg, Fiber: 1 g, Sugar: 22 g, Vitamin A: 285 IU, Vitamin C: 0.1 mg, Calcium: 27 mg, Iron: 0.8 mg
Did you make this recipe?Leave a review below, then snap a quick picture and tag @nourishandfete on Instagram so I can see it!
Author: Monica Lensink
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: chocolate chip M&M cookies, soft M&M cookies