These peanut butter M&M cookies are soft, thick, and packed with peanut butter flavor in every bite, plus a generous handful of mini M&Ms for color and crunch. If you’ve been baking from my site for a while, this recipe may look familiar. It’s based on my classic soft peanut butter cookies dough, a recipe I first published in 2012 and still use as the foundation for countless variations today.
I first shared this peanut butter M&M cookie variation back in 2012, and while the recipe itself hasn’t changed, I’ve updated this post with new photos, clearer instructions, and extra success tips to ensure the same great results I expect in my own kitchen today.
This dough has stood the test of time for a reason. The cookies bake up pillowy-soft in the center, lightly crisp around the edges, and never dry or crumbly. Adding mini M&Ms turns them into a fun, nostalgic twist that’s especially popular with kids—but just as loved by adults who enjoy the colorful candy-coated chocolates!
Why You’ll Love These Peanut Butter M&M Cookies
- Soft & thick centers with lightly crisp edges
- Loaded with peanut butter flavor
- Made with simple pantry ingredients
- Mini M&Ms distribute perfectly in every bite
- Based on my most trusted peanut butter cookie dough
- Easy to adapt with other mix-ins
This Dough Is a Classic for a Reason
This peanut butter cookie dough is one I return to again and again. It’s the same base I use for peanut butter blossoms, peanut butter jam thumbprints, peanut butter cookie cups, and more. Over the years, thousands of readers have baked the dough (in some version!) successfully, and it continues to be one of the most reliable cookie recipes on my site.
A few key aspects make it work so well:
- More Peanut Butter, Less Flour: This recipe uses more peanut butter and less flour than most traditional peanut butter cookies. Did you know that peanut butter acts as a binder in cookie doughs? This means that you don’t need much flour—and adding more would actually dry the cookies out. Stick with the measurements below for the softest results.
- Brown Sugar + Granulated Sugar: Using more brown sugar than white keeps the cookies soft and moist, while a little granulated sugar helps them spread just enough. It’s the same balance I rely on in many of my soft cookie recipes.
- Creamy Peanut Butter Is Best: Creamy peanut butter produces a smoother, softer cookie. Crunchy peanut butter tends to make cookies overly crumbly. You can use either processed or natural peanut butter—both work—but note that natural peanut butter will produce crumblier cookies that spread a bit more. For best results, I recommend processed creamy peanut butter like Jif or Skippy.
If you love oats in your cookies, try these big giant monster cookies next!
Why Mini M&Ms Work So Well Here
Like my classic M&M cookies, mini M&Ms are ideal in today’s dough because they distribute evenly throughout the cookie, don’t overpower the peanut butter flavor, and add just enough crunch without weighing the dough down.
If you only have regular M&Ms, you can roughly chop them, but mini M&Ms give the best texture.
Don’t Skip the Chill Time
After you mix up the cookie dough, you’ll notice it’s extremely soft and creamy, almost like peanut butter frosting. That’s completely normal and expected; remember, there isn’t a ton of flour in this dough.
Because of the dough’s consistency, refrigerating the dough for at least 1–2 hours makes it easier to scoop and helps the cookies hold their shape in the oven. If you want to get ahead, you can refrigerate the dough overnight.
Once chilled, the dough is easy to handle and shape. Each cookie dough ball will be around 1.5 Tablespoons, or 30–35 grams. A food scale is always handy in the kitchen, and especially when portioning cookie dough.
Success Tip for Bakery-Style Beauties
For extra-pretty, bakery-style cookies, I like to make sure plenty of the M&Ms are near the tops of the dough balls so you see lots of colorful candies once the cookies are baked.
Since mini M&Ms come in so many color variations, you can easily customize these cookies for different holidays. Use Valentine’s Day–colored mini M&Ms for your Valentine’s Day desserts, red and green M&Ms for Christmas cookie recipes, etc.
If you love soft peanut butter cookies, this candy-studded version deserves a spot in your regular baking rotation!!
Peanut Butter M&M Cookies
- Prep Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes (includes chilling)
- Cook Time: 13 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour, 45 minutes
- Yield: 26-28 cookies
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
These peanut butter M&M cookies are soft, thick, and packed with peanut butter flavor in every bite, plus a generous handful of mini M&Ms for color and crunch. Don’t skip chilling the cookie dough. If you’ve been baking from my site for a while, this recipe may look familiar. It’s based on my classic soft peanut butter cookies dough, a recipe I first published in 2012 and still use as the foundation for countless variations today.
Ingredients
- 1 and 1/4 cups (156g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (8 Tbsp; 113g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1/2 cup (100g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 3/4 cup (188g) creamy peanut butter (see Note)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 and 1/4 cups (250g) mini M&Ms
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together. Set aside.
- In a large bowl using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat the butter for 1 minute on high speed until creamy. Switch to medium-high speed and beat in the brown sugar and granulated sugar until completely creamed and smooth, about 3 minutes. (Here’s a helpful tutorial if you need guidance on how to cream butter and sugar.) Add the egg and beat until combined, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Add the peanut butter and vanilla extract and beat until combined.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and beat on low speed until combined, and then beat in the M&Ms. The dough will be very creamy and soft.
- Cover and chill the cookie dough in the refrigerator for at least 1–2 hours, and up to 3 days.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- Roll the dough: Roll chilled cookie dough into balls, about 1.5 Tablespoons (around 30–35g) of dough each. For extra M&Ms on top, gently position some of the candies near the surface of the dough balls, or press a few additional M&Ms into the tops before baking. Arrange the dough balls on the baking sheets about 2 inches apart.
- Bake for 12–15 minutes or until the edges appear set and are very lightly browned. The centers will still look very soft.
- Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Cookies stay fresh covered at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Make-Ahead Instructions: You can make the cookie dough and chill it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Baked cookies freeze well for up to 3 months. Unbaked cookie dough balls freeze well for up to 3 months. Bake for an extra minute; no need to thaw. See How to Freeze Cookie Dough for more success tips.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Food Scale | Electric Mixer (Stand Mixer or Handheld) | Baking Sheets | Silicone Baking Mats or Parchment Paper | Cooling Rack
- Peanut Butter: Creamy peanut butter is ideal for this recipe because crunchy peanut butter creates an overly crumbly cookie. You can use processed peanut butter such as Jif or Skippy, or natural-style peanut butter. If using natural peanut butter, make sure it’s at room temperature, stirred well, and expect a crumblier cookie. 3/4 cup of peanut butter weighs around 185–195g.
- Can I Use Almond Butter? Yes, you can use almond butter in this cookie recipe; however, expect a crumblier cookie. You may enjoy these flourless almond butter cookies more, though!
- Mini M&Ms: Mini M&Ms are ideal in this dough because they distribute evenly throughout the cookie, don’t overpower the peanut butter flavor, and add just enough crunch without weighing the dough down. You can use regular-size M&Ms if you’d like; roughly chop them first.
- Can I Add Chocolate Chips or Other Add-Ins? Yes, as long as the total amount of add-ins (including M&Ms) is around 1 and 1/4 cups.
- Update in 2026: This recipe originally used salted butter with no added salt—feel free to make the dough that way if you prefer. It also called for smaller, 1 Tablespoon cookies (about 20g), yielding around 36 cookies. Over time, we’ve found the cookies bake up a little better when made slightly larger, which is why the portion size has been increased.
Reader Comments and Reviews
If I’m going to bake I always use your recipes! how about making these w normal chocolate chips? Any reason I shouldn’t try this? Thanks!
Chocolate chips will be fantastic in these cookies, Bethany – enjoy!
Wow! Made these cookies on a whim when looking for recipes to use with peanut butter m&m’s. I don’t normally like PB cookies or do I leave a review but these are amazing! They were even better the day after. I was a little worried because the cold dough was a little dry, especially toward the end of scooping. I tried one pan where we pushed them flat as we stuck m&m’s on and another one where I left them as rounded as possible. Round ones were better, I think. A little crumbly when they first come out but as they cook, they firm up into a cakey kind of cookie (well, as cakey as you can get with a PB cookie). This recipe is definitely a keeper. Thanks!
Hi Sally can I send these P. and M&M cookies in the mail?
Sure can! This is the Best Way to Ship Cookies.
Just found out a dear relative is gluten-free. Can this recipe work gluten free using Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1 to 1 Baking Flour?
Thanks
Hi Marjorie, I haven’t tested this recipe with gluten free flour but please let me know if you do!
Thank you so much!
Hi Sally, what do you think of using peanut butter filled m&m’s? I have some on hand so I thought I would try put i’m worried they might turn out too gooey. Any suggestions?
Thanks!!
I tried this recipe with peanut butter m&ms because that’s all I had and they turned out great! Not too big at all’
Sorry, I meant to say “I like to have cookie dough ready to treat my toddler!”
Thank you, Mallory! Yes, you can shills the dough overnight. If it is too hard to scoop you can leave it out at room temperature for about a half hour.
Is it alright if I halve this? Would I need to alter baking times or temp? Thank you!
I made these with red, white and blue M&Ms, for Veteran’s Day. I did add about 2 tbs of cookie butter, as it finished off the jar and a handful of mini chocolate chips. Took about 3 dozen to the VFW and when I left, there were only 3 left. Everyone loved them. Thanks, Sally, for another keeper!
Hi Eden, It could be any number of reasons! Check out this post to help you troubleshoot. I hope it helps! https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/2016/07/06/5-tips-improve-next-batch-cookies/
Amazing! I simply made these and they’re astounding!! Much obliged to you for the formula!
I’ll add my comment to save some folks from my mistake. I used Kirkland Signature creamy organic peanut butter and organic brown sugar. The brown sugar didn’t really mix in well, and I think the peanut butter was lacking in oil. Cookies were more crumbly and pale than I liked but luckily my husband and three year old happily disposed of the evidence.
I love baking- mostly cakes and pies because I’ve never found a cookie recipe I truly loved….until now! I loved the peanut butter flavor..it was strong, but not overpowering. I’m not generally a fan of MM cookies, but this recipe has changed my mind entirely. Not to just stop eating them before Christmas day. Thanks!
Is it ok if I use natural peanut butter? Thank you!!!!
I just made these using Peter Pan natural peanut butter- They came out great!
Wow! I just made these and they’re amazing!! Thank you for the recipe!
Looking forward to making these. I think instead of M & Ms I will add in those little tiny peanut butter cups (smaller than the Mini Reese’s). Pb overload!
Regarding the pb, do you think you can use “natural” pb (like the kind that has the oil separated from the sorta gritty/chunky nut part)? Or do you think the recipe would benefit more from the smooth commercial variety?
Commercial style is best in cookies. Love your idea of the teeny pb cups!
Another great recipe! Worked fantastic in the very first time!
I just made these and wanted to say they’re absolutely melt in your mouth delicious! I didn’t have M&M’s, so used chocolate chips instead, but still very tasty. I am very picky about cookies so this is saying a lot 🙂
Just wanted to edit that I added 1/2 t of salt, and to let you know how much I appreciate that you included grams weight measurements! It makes it so much easier to keep a recipe consistent this way 🙂
I made PB Blossoms for Thanksgiving (it won the family vote:) The kiss ALWAYS falls off and becomes impossible to enjoy PB and chocolate goodness with every bite. I googled PB chocolate chip cookie and yours popped up. I should have looked here first! OF COURSE Sally made these!! I made a batch with what I had on hand – half the recipe was M&M and half milk chocolate morsels. They are already gone the next day. AMAZING!!
This is the most perfect peanut butter cookie recipe ever! I add just a bit more salt, cause I like a lot of salt…. and sometimes mini chocolate chips too. I am the star of office potlucks thanks to you!
Lisa, I made these in Denver at 375 degrees for 10 minutes, with about 2 tsp extra flour. I also omitted the vanilla and used 1 tbsp maple syrup, i tbsp honey, as I always do with cookies. Absolutely perfect on the first try.
It may be my oven or the altitude, but I always need recipe’s upper recommended amount of time on baking. (Toll House chocolate chip cookies always take exactly 11 minutes). Best of luck!
Sally, you are right, these cookies are the best cookies ever made! I have not stopped eating them since I made 2 days ago. This is my first recipe I’ve made of yours and certainly won’t be the last. Enjoy your commentary and little tips to make the perfect recipes. Keep it up!
I made these cookies today and I used the new kraft chocolate peanut butter instead of regular and they were super awesome, I also used a small ice cream scoop to make sure they didn’t spread too much, thank you very much they are so yummy.
LOVE this recipe; it was so easy to mix up and the reward was incomparable — took a batch to a neighbor’s bday party and they were all gone in minutes! I’m getting ready to make another batch and wonder if there would be any benefit or reason to leave out the M’s if I’m going to chill the dough overnight, then mix them in just before baking. Thanks!
Thank you; I wondered if this might be the case! 🙂
Hi Sally!
I’m a huge fan! I’ve made several of your dessert recipes and they have all been huge hits! So, I’m going to make these cookies, but with chocolate chips instead of M&Ms for my boyfriend for Valentine’s Day… the catch is that he lives in London, and I will be transporting them over with me when I fly on Wednesday night. What is your best bet for insuring that they stay soft and chewy? Also, would it be possible to even bake them Sunday/Monday night or will be stale by the time I arrive on Thursday?
Thanks,
Julie
Hey Julie! I suggest making these cookies on Monday night. Wrapping up two at a time in saran/plastic wrap, sandwiched together back to back, and inside a tupperware. That’s how I always travel with cookies. They will certainly still be soft, yes. Safe travels!
These are wonderful. I made these cookies for my daughters office and they loved them. Thank you 🙂 I cant wait to try more recipes from you!!
That’s wonderful Sue! Let me know what you try next!
These are scrumptious. I like that theae aren’t overly peanut butter. It is just the perfect amount!
Made these this weekend. Made dough and chilled overnight to bake the next day. They are INCREDIBLE! Even better than I thought they would be. So moist and full of peanut butter flavor. I made them with peanut butter M&Ms instead of regular and the peanut butter yumminess with a little snap of chocolate is to DIE for. Thanks for this recipe!!
I love how much PB flavor they have as well, Amy! Thanks so much for reporting back 🙂