These Peanut Butter M&M Cookies are soft in the middle, crispy on the edges, and packed with crunchy, chocolatey M&Ms! They have that classic peanut butter cookie flavor with plenty of chocolate in every bite, and they’re ready in just 20 minutes.
You know what’s even better than just any old cookie? A peanut butter cookie. And you know what’s better than a peanut butter cookie? A peanut butter cookie with M&Ms in it!
These Peanut Butter M&M Cookies are one of my all-time favorites. They’re perfect for sharing, but also perfect to keep ALL to yourself.
Why I LOVE this recipe!
- Amazing Texture! Soft in the middle and crispy on the edges with the perfect sweet crunch of M&M in each bite. What’s not to love?
- Quick to Make. Just 10 minutes of prep, 10 minutes in the oven, and a few minutes to cool.
- Make-Ahead Friendly. Prep the cookies OR the cookie dough in advance for an easy treat anytime.
Recipe Notes
This M&M Cookie Recipe is as simple as promised! Just 10 minutes of prep and 10 minutes in the oven for a family friendly treat.
In this section I am going to go through a few tips and tricks I use when making this recipe to get the absolute best and most delicious results.
Make sure to scroll to the bottom for the FULL recipe card.
Ingredients + Substitutions
- Peanut Butter – Creamy or crunchy will work, depending on how much texture you like in your cookies!
- Butter – Softened first. A quick 30 minutes on the counter will do the trick!
- Sugar – A combination of brown sugar and granulated sugar gives you the perfect soft cookie with crispy edges.
- Egg
- Vanilla Extract
- All-Purpose Flour
- Baking Powder
- Salt
- M&M Chocolate Candies – Regular or mini will work!
Peanut Butter M&M Cookies Step by Step
- In a large mixing bowl, combine peanut butter, butter, and both sugars. Use an electric mixer to cream together until light and fluffy.
2. Add in the flour, baking powder, and salt, then mix until a dough forms. Do not over-mix.
3. Stir the M&Ms in by hand, then mix gently to evenly distribute throughout the dough. Portion the dough evenly into balls. (Optional: Tear each ball in half, then stick back together so the torn edges are facing up. Lightly roll between your hands to seal together.
4. Place the cookie dough balls on a baking sheet, leaving about 2 inches between each dough ball. Bake at 350ºF for 11-13 minutes or until the edges are browned and the centers are set. Cool, then enjoy!
Recipe Tips
- Don’t over-mix. Over-mixing can result in overly dense cookies. Mix only until just combined to get the best texture for your finished product!
- Stir in M&Ms by hand. An electric mixer can break or crush the M&Ms. I recommend gently mixing them in by hand so they stay intact!
- Portion evenly. Make sure each dough ball is relatively even in size so they all bake at the same rate.
- Don’t over-bake! The cookies might look slightly underdone when you pull them out of the oven, but they should set up as they cool. Take them out when the edges are golden-brown, but the center is still slightly soft.
Recipe Short Cuts
If you need to make this recipe, but are extra short on time, here are a few ideas that can help make this recipe even faster!
- Make the dough ahead of time – Cookie dough can be prepped and stored in the fridge for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Bake ahead and freeze – Fully baked cookies will stay fresh on the counter, in the fridge, OR in the freezer. Get ahead by prepping them and storing them to easily be grabbed anytime!
Recipe Variations
If you love this recipe as much as we do and want some quick ways to change it up for variety, these little tips will do the trick!
- Use other mix-ins – While they won’t be M&M cookies anymore, of course, you can totally use other mix-ins using this same cookie dough. Try it with coconut, chopped walnuts or pecans, chocolate chips, you name it. Whatever you use, you’ll need 1 cup!
- Try another type of M&M – Peanut or peanut butter M&Ms, pretzel M&Ms, caramel M&Ms, you name it!
How to Freeze Cookies
Cookies can be frozen before or after baking. If freezing the cookie dough you are able to just pop out a few or as many as you need to bake to have hot, fresh cookies on demand.
If you prefer, you can bake all of the cookies and freeze after baking. Freezing the baked cookies will preserve them and once, thawed they come out just as soft, chewy, fresh, and perfect as they are when freshly baked.
Both are great options for keeping cookies fresh and delicious!
To freeze cookie dough:
- Mix the dough as instructed, then portion out onto a baking sheet.
- Pop the cookie sheet in the freezer, then flash freeze until the dough balls are frozen solid.
- Transfer to a ziplock bag, then store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- When you’re ready to enjoy, thaw overnight, then bake OR bake from frozen, adding a few minutes to the baking time.
To freeze baked cookies:
- Let the cookies cool completely, then transfer to a ziplock bag or freezer-safe container.
- Store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- When you’re ready to enjoy, thaw at room temperature or microwave individual cookies for a sweet treat anytime!
How to store cookies
If you have extras after making Peanut Butter M&M Cookies, then they can be saved to munch on at a later time.
To save leftovers, separate into meal sized portions and then place in an airtight container and store:
- on the counter for up to a week
- in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks
- in the freezer up to 3 months
More EASY Cookie Recipes
If you enjoyed this recipe, I really hope you will take a moment to grab a few more easy recipes for another busy night!
You can check out all of my easy cookie recipes here, or see a few of our readers favorite recipes below.
- Wyoming Cowboy Cookies
- Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Cornflake Cookies
- White Chocolate Macadamia Cookies
Peanut Butter M&M Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup peanut butter, creamy or crunchy
- ½ cup salted butter, softened
- ½ cup brown sugar, packed
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1½ cup all-purpose flour
- ¾ tsp baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup M&M chocolate candies
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350˚F.
- In a large bowl, cream the peanut butter, butter, and sugars together until light and fluffy, by hand or with an electric mixer. Add eggs and vanilla and mix to combine.
- Add the flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix until a dough forms. Stir in the M&M candies by hand.
- Scoop cookies by rounded tablespoonful. Shape into a ball with your hands, then tear the ball in half and stick together so the torn edges are facing up. Lightly roll between your hands to seal the two pieces together. This method will create a nice texture on the top of the cookies. If you want to skip it you can just bake the rounded tablespoonfuls.
- Place each on a cookie sheet, 2 inches apart. Bake for 11-13 minutes or until edges are browned and the centers are just set. (They may still look just slightly underdone and will continue to cook after they come out of the oven.)
- Let cool for 3-4 minutes, then transfer them to a wire cooling rack.
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