Old-Fashioned M&M Cookies
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Your perfect cookie for dunkin’! These Old Fashioned M&M Cookies are hard to resist. Packed with colorful candy-coated chocolate and rich, nostalgic flavor, they’re the ultimate treat for cookie lovers. Perfectly crisp on the edges and soft in the center, these cookies bring back classic homemade goodness in every bite.
This old-fashioned M&M Cookies recipe is the one I remember Mama making the most growing up. Unlike many of today’s cookies, these have a good crunch to them. That, along with a pure flavor brought about by the vanilla makes them absolutely perfect for dunking in milk. I repeat: Absolutely perfect. Divine. Sublime. Wonderful. I really, really, really, want you to make these and have them with a glass of milk — tonight!
An Old-Fashioned Cookie Recipe
Mama used to always make this Old Fashioned M&M Cookie recipe and put the little balls of dough on baking sheets before transferring them to the table where the three of us sat at the ready. She’d give each of us a little bowl of M&M’s and we had one rule: We could put three M&M’s on each cookie—no more. I didn’t understand why Mama had that rule until I made these classic cookies with my son for the first time. One cookie had fifteen M&M’s on it! 🤣
Now I do it just like Mama. M&M’s go into the dough, and each cookie gets exactly three on top before baking.
Ingredients for Old-Fashioned M&M Cookies:
- Solid Vegetable Shortening (I like to use Coconut Oil but you can use whatever you like)
- Brown Sugar (dark or light, whatever you have on hand)
- M&M’s
- Sugar
- Eggs
- Self Rising Flour (See FAQ on how to make your own)
- Vanilla
Tip for Getting Red M&M’s on the Cheap
I buy Christmas M&M’s for half price right after the holidays. Keep that in mind for next year if need be! It’s great to already have them on hand whenever the urge to make these old-fashioned m&m cookies strikes! I always store candies and such that I plan on baking with in mason jars rather than the original bags. Mason jars are reusable and keep them fresh better than the bags. Critters, if determined, can easily get into those bags, too. So glass jars is a safe way to keep everything stored until you need it!
How To Make this Old-Fashioned M&M Cookies Recipe Step-by-Step
Place your shortening in a mixing bowl and add sugars. I prefer dark because of the richer flavor but either one works. Add eggs and vanilla. Mix.
Add those M&M’s, but only add about half because you want to save some to put on the top!
Spray your baking sheet with cooking spray. Shape the dough into little balls about one inch in size. Add a couple more M&M’s on top
Bake for ten to twelve minutes or so… When they are done baking they’ll look like this. And they are ready for dunkin’!
These Old Fashioned M&M Cookies are the kind you’ll find yourself coming back to. Soft in the middle, just a little crisp around the edges, and loaded with that sweet candy crunch – just like Mama used to make. Go on and bake a batch, pour a cold glass of milk, and enjoy a little comfort straight from the oven!
Ingredients
- 1 cup solid Vegetable Shortening I use coconut oil but you can use your favorite
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 tsp teaspoons vanilla
- 2 eggs
- 2 1/2 cups self rising flour*
- 1 1/2 cups M&M's
Instructions
- Combine shortening, sugars, eggs, and vanilla and mix thoroughly. Gradually add in flour and mix well (or just dump it in all at once like I do). Stir in 1/2 cup M&M's, reserving rest to decorate the tops with.Form dough into one inch balls and place on greased cookie sheet. Decorate tops with additional M&M's (this is GREAT for kids to help with!) and bake at 375 for ten to twelve minutes or until golden brown. Makes about five dozen.
I used to do the same thing with the Christmas chocolate kisses when my kids were in elementary school. I’d separate the red and green ones into zipper bags. Then in Feb. I’d send the red ones to school and in March I’d send the green ones to school. Their teachers were always happy to have a little treat to pass out or use at the holiday parties (back when schools could have holiday parties). Now I’ll remember to do this with MMs, too!
Great idea with the kisses!! Thanks you for sharing Carol!!!
Hi Christy! Love this recipe. Just have one question. Can I use margarine instead of shortening? Just ’cause that’s what I have on hand!!
i LOVE Nielsen-Massey vanilla – and while it’s normally expensive to order or find at a specialty kitchen store, you can often find it at TJMaxx or HomeGoods for a really really reasonable price …. and while some people think it doesn’t make a difference, i bake a lot of goodies to give away (cause my husband’s diabetic and i don’t need them!) – once you try this brand, you will not want to return to any other. And that’s my commercial effort for today, and no- i was not a paid representative and was not compensated or anything ………. (i wish!) …….
WANT TO SAVE THIS ONE, BUT IT WON’T LET ME .. 🙁
Christy, I just love reading your recipes! You are the sweetest gal, I feel like I’ve known you all my life! I look forward to opening your emails everyday, thank you for your ray of sunshine~