Peanut Butter M&M Cookies
Ingredients
Directions / Instructions
Why You'll Love These Peanut Butter M&M Cookies
These Peanut Butter M&M Cookies combine two classic favorites—creamy peanut butter cookies and colorful chocolate M&M candies. The cookies have lightly crisp edges, soft and chewy centers, rich peanut butter flavor, and plenty of chocolate in every bite.
They're incredibly easy to make with everyday baking ingredients and are perfect for cookie exchanges, birthday parties, bake sales, holiday trays, school lunches, or a simple homemade dessert. The colorful M&M candies also make these cookies especially fun for kids.
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups M&M candies
- 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips, optional
Instructions
1. Prepare the Oven
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Mix the Dry Ingredients
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
3. Cream the Butter and Peanut Butter
In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter, peanut butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light and creamy.
4. Add the Egg and Vanilla
Beat in the egg and vanilla extract until fully combined and smooth.
5. Make the Cookie Dough
Gradually add the dry ingredients to the peanut butter mixture and mix just until combined. Avoid overmixing.
6. Add the M&M Candies
Gently fold in the M&M candies and chocolate chips if using. Reserve a few M&Ms for pressing onto the tops of the cookies after baking.
7. Shape the Cookies
Scoop approximately 2 tablespoons of dough for each cookie and place the dough balls about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Gently flatten each ball slightly.
8. Bake
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden and the centers still look slightly soft.
9. Cool and Finish
Immediately press a few extra M&M candies onto the tops of the warm cookies. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack.
Expert Tips
Use creamy conventional peanut butter for the most consistent cookie texture. Avoid natural peanut butter unless it is very well mixed because excess oil can affect the dough. Don't overbake the cookies—the centers should still look slightly underdone when they come out of the oven. Pressing extra M&Ms onto the warm cookies creates a colorful bakery-style appearance.
Storage
Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. For longer storage, freeze baked cookies for up to 3 months. You can also freeze scooped cookie dough balls and bake them directly from frozen, adding 1 to 2 minutes to the baking time.
Serving Suggestions
Serve these cookies with cold milk, hot chocolate, coffee, vanilla ice cream, or a peanut butter milkshake. They also make a fun addition to birthday dessert tables, holiday cookie platters, school lunchboxes, and cookie gift boxes.
Recipe Variations
Use peanut M&Ms for extra peanut flavor, mini M&Ms for smaller bursts of chocolate, or seasonal M&M colors for holidays. Add chopped peanuts, chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, pretzels, or chopped Reese's peanut butter cups for an extra indulgent cookie.
Frequently Asked Questions
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