Peanut Butter M&M Cookies
These Peanut Butter M&M Cookies are soft, chewy, and packed with rich peanut butter flavor and colorful chocolate candies in every bite. Made with simple pantry ingredients and a short chill time, they come together easily in one bowl and bake into thick, bakery-style cookies with slightly crisp edges and soft centers. Perfect for kids, parties, or everyday sweet cravings, these cookies are quick to make and even quicker to disappear.
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 1 and 1/4 cups 156g all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients
- 1/2 cup 113g unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup 100g brown sugar
- 1/4 cup 50g granulated sugar
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 3/4 cup 188g creamy peanut butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Topping
- 1 and 1/4 cups 250g mini M&Ms
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Whisk flour, baking soda, and salt in a bowl.
- Cream butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add egg, peanut butter, and vanilla; mix until smooth.
- Mix dry ingredients into wet ingredients until just combined.
- Fold in most of the M&Ms, saving some for topping.
- Chill dough for 30 minutes.
- Scoop dough into balls and place on baking sheet.
- Press extra M&Ms on top.
- Bake 11–13 minutes until edges are set.
- Cool on pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to rack.
Notes
- Make sure your butter is softened but not melted for the best cookie texture and to prevent spreading.
- Don’t skip the chilling time it helps the cookies stay thick, chewy, and bakery-style.
- Slightly underbaking the cookies keeps the centers soft; they will continue to set as they cool.
- You can customize this recipe by using regular M&Ms, chocolate chips, or peanut butter cups instead of mini M&Ms.
- For extra flavor, add a small pinch of sea salt on top after baking.
- Store cookies in an airtight container to keep them soft for several days, or freeze dough balls for fresh cookies anytime.