"The Best" M&M Cookies

M&M Cookies - made dough December 6, 2015 from Cookies and Cups

It's no secret that I love chocolate chip cookies and make them pretty much year round. Although this is the season of fancy holiday cookies, I'll take a good chocolate chip cookie over the fancy every time.

But you can also dress up your favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe and make them holiday appropriate by adding red and green M&Ms if you celebrate Christmas or, if you have the patience, pick out the blue and white ones from a 4th of July M&M bag if you want to align them more with Hanukkah. Either way, these will taste great.

I like using the mini M&M baking bits rather than the full size M&Ms as I made these cookies small and chubby. The regular size M&Ms might've taken over the cookies but the baking bits were just the right size, especially paired with mini chocolate chips like I did with these.

Similar to other cookie recipes that use vanilla pudding mix, these have a wonderfully chewy texture when they're just slightly underbaked with crisp edges. The M&M bits add a nice crunch and chocolate punch along with the mini chocolate chips. They don't spread much so you don't have to worry about thin cookies but I still recommend portioning into dough balls and freezing first before baking.

¾ cup butter, room temperature
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 (3.4 oz) box instant vanilla pudding mix
¾ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups flour
1½ cup Mini M&Ms, plus ¼ cup more for garnish

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine butter and brown sugar, beating until combined.
2. Add in egg and vanilla; continue mixing until smooth, scraping sides as necessary. Mix in vanilla pudding mix, baking soda and salt.
3. Add in the flour and beat just until combined. Stir in the M&Ms with a wooden spoon,
4. Portion dough into golf-ball-sized balls, cover and chill or freeze for several hours or overnight until firm.
5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and space frozen dough balls evenly on each sheet.
6. Bake for 9-11 minutes until edges are golden and middles no longer look raw. Cook for 3-4 minutes on baking sheet, remove to wire cooling racks and let cool completely.