These Easter M&M cookies are crispy on the outside, chewy in the center. What makes them Easter themed? The M&M colors. That’s all. You can make these M&M cookies all year long.

These Easter M&M cookies have those lovely ridges on the edges – that’s thanks to the pan banging method when they bake: the cookies will puff up in the oven, but we will remove the cookies and slam them on the counter to make them sink. When you repeat this process, you get those rivulets.

These M&M cookies are flavored with a splash of coffee and topped with big flakes of sea salt – magnifique! The batter is also placed the in the freezer to cool, but only for 10 minutes! Quick and easy.

What M&M’s should I buy?

I grabbed a 10 ounce bag of the Easter-themed colors, but you can get any color pack you like. You could also use peanut butter M&M’s!

Be sure to get at least 10 ounces, because you will definitely use them up!

Equipment needed for Easter M&M cookies

Here’s what you need to make this recipe:

A stand mixer or electric handheld mixer – to whip wet ingredients. I used my KitchenAid with the standard beater attachment.
A large bowl – to mix dry ingredients.
A whisk
A silicone spatula – to fold in our M&M’s.
A rolling pin – or another item to crush M&M’s with. Could be a butt of a knife!
A plastic bag – to crush M&M’s.
parchment paper – to line baking sheets so our cookies do not stick.
2 large baking sheets – I like to use two so that while some cookies cool, I have another set of cookies ready to go into the oven! It speeds up the process.
cookie cooling racks – optional.

Ingredients for Easter M&M Cookies

Here’s what to add to your grocery list:

all-purpose flour
salt – table salt and flaky sea salt!
baking soda
brown sugar
granulated sugar
unsalted butter (2 sticks) – at room temperature (important).
1 egg
1 tbsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp freshly brewed coffee – I like to add coffee to cookies because it brings out the buttery vanilla flavors. Your cookies won’t taste like coffee.
A 10 oz package of M&M’s – Easter colors, optional.

Tips for making the best M&M cookies

Make sure your butter is room temperature – it shouldn’t be too melted or too solid. Just soft, like what you would use for buttered toast. It’s important to leave your butter out for a few hours before you begin baking. When we whip the butter, it will create tiny air pockets, and the sugar will push more air into the batter. This will allow the cookie to bake more evenly as the oven heat travels through the dough.
Use both brown sugar and granulated sugar – they are both important to create a balanced cookie, in both taste and texture. Don’t substitute one for the other!
Don’t overmix your cookies – you can whip the wet ingredients for a while, but once you add the dry ingredients, mix on low until JUST combined. If you keep mixing the batter, it will become tough.

How to make Easter M&M Cookies

Let’s make them together!

Step 1

Mix the dry ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt and baking soda. Set aside.

Step 2

Mix the wet ingredients. In your stand mixer, add the butter and whip it on medium speed until fluffy, for one minute. Then add the brown sugar and granulated sugar and beat on medium speed for 2 more minutes, until well combined and fluffy. Add the egg, coffee and vanilla and mix on low until homogenous.

Step 3

Add the dry ingredients to the stand mixer with the wet ingredients. Mix on low speed until just combined.

Step 4

Crush your M&M’s. Add half of the M&M’s to a plastic bag (around 2/3 cups is my guess). Use the rolling pin to crush them into big pieces (they shouldn’t be dust). Add ¼ cup of the crushed M&M’s to the batter, as well as ¼ cup of whole M&M’s to the batter. With a spatula, mix gently.

Step 5

Freeze. Place the batter in the freezer for 10 minutes. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 350°F.

Step 6

Prepare the cookies. Use a cookie scoop or take a heaping tablespoon of dough and roll it with your hands. Place it on a baking sheet and then push a couple crushed M&M’s onto the cookie. Repeat until you have around 4-5 cookies on your sheet. They will expand quite a bit in the oven.

Step 7

Bake the cookies on the center rack for 10 minutes. Remove the pan with oven mitts and bang the pan on the counter or floor once or twice. This will cause the cookies to flatten and get those crispy edges. Place the pan back into the oven and bake for 1 more minute. Bang the pan on the ground once more and then let them cool. Immediately top the cookies with even more M&M’s (whole pieces and crushed pieces) to your liking. Sprinkle them with sea salt.

Step 8

Let the cookies cool for 5 minutes before moving them to a cooling rack (if you have them). Then repeat the baking process until the dough is gone. Enjoy warm or save for later!

Storage Suggestions

Wait for your cookies to completely cool before stacking them in a container. Otherwise your M&M’s might melt and get crushed.

Place the cookies in an airtight container and leave them at room temperature. Consume within 1 week. If you like them warm, pop them in the microwave for 5-10 seconds.

Other recipes to try

If you liked these Easter M&M cookies, try these other recipes on my site:

Sheet Pan Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Kitchen Sink Cookies

Blood Orange Olive Oil Cake

M&M Blondies

Leave a Review for Easter M&M Cookies

If you liked these Easter M&M cookies, please leave a star review below with a comment. Feel free to tag me in your instagram stories too: @caroline_hoffman.

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