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Why You’ll Love My Recipe
Peanut butter and M&Ms are a match made in cookie heaven! These Peanut Butter M&M Cookies are thick, chewy, and loaded with pockets of peanut butter in every bite. Sweet, nutty, and full of colorful candy, they’re sure to be a hit with kids and adults alike.
Turn these cookies into a tasty PB Halloween Ice Cream Sandwich, or try my Easy Peanut Butter Cup Fudge Recipe for the perfect peanut butter fix!
Reader Review
I love the bright colors in these peanutty cookies. I haven’t made many cookies lately, but will be remedying that soon🙂
Karlynn’s Recipe Notes
- Skill Level: These cookies are easy and quick to make, perfect for an after-school treat!
- Total Time: Your Peanut Butter M&M Cookies are ready in about 25 minutes from start to finish.
- Variations: Try adding chocolate chips or swapping the M&Ms for peanut butter cups. Then serve your cookies with a glass of fresh Strawberry Milk or learn How To Make Homemade Hot Cocoa for an extra cozy snack!
- Tools For This Recipe: You’ll need a large baking sheet, mixing bowls, a hand or stand mixer, a spoon for scooping, and a cooling rack.
What You’ll Need for Ingredients
M&M’s Candies: These chocolate candies give your cookies little pops of color and fun in every bite. Karlynn’s Tip: Swap in seasonal or holiday-themed M&Ms to make these cookies festive and themed for any occasion!
Peanut Butter: As the star flavor of these cookies, the rich, nutty peanut butter perfectly complements the chocolate M&Ms. Karlynn’s Tip: Using chunky peanut butter adds a fun texture, while smooth gives you a creamy bite.
Sugar: The combination of brown and granulated sugars adds moisture and depth, browns nicely in the oven, and helps achieve that thick, chewy cookie texture!
All-Purpose Flour: Flour is what brings everything together, balancing the baking soda and baking powder to help your cookies rise evenly and stay soft inside. Karlynn’s Tip: Make sure to lightly spoon and level your flour so the cookies bake up tender instead of dense.
How To Make Peanut Butter M&M Cookies
This is a quick overview of the recipe. The full list of ingredients & complete step-by-step instructions are in the recipe card below.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a bowl, then set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
- Beat in the peanut butter, then the egg and vanilla until well combined.
- Gradually stir in the flour mixture until smooth.
- Fold in the M&Ms.
- Drop heaping tablespoonfuls of dough onto the prepared sheet, spacing them apart.
- Bake 10–12 minutes, until the edges are lightly browned and the centers are just set.
- Cool on the baking sheet 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely and enjoy!
Karlynn’s Tips and Tricks for the Perfect Peanut Butter M&M Cookies
- Use Room Temperature Butter: Make sure your butter is softened before mixing. This helps it blend evenly with the sugars, giving your cookies that chewy, bakery-style texture.
- No Mixer? No Problem: If you don’t have a hand or stand mixer, you can absolutely make these cookies by hand. Use a sturdy whisk or wooden spoon to cream the butter and sugars together until fluffy. It takes a little elbow grease, but the result is just as delicious!
- Try a Different Nut Butter: Swap the peanut butter for almond or sunflower seed butter if you want to try something new. Just note that textures can vary slightly depending on the brand!
Storage Instructions
Nothing beats a warm cookie straight from the oven, but these stay fresh and tender for days, so you can treat yourself anytime!
Refrigerator or Counter: Store your Peanut Butter M&M Cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. They’ll stay soft and chewy if you keep the lid tightly sealed.
Freezer: These cookies freeze wonderfully in a freezer-safe container or zip-top bag! They’ll keep for up to 3 months according to USDA food safety guidelines – just let them thaw at room temperature before serving.
More Delicious Cookie Recipes
If you love Cookies as much as we do, try these favorites out next:
- Crispy Mint Chocolate Cookies are refreshing, crunchy, and chocolatey perfection.
- This Nutella Stuffed Hazelnut Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe is a gooey, decadent treat that no one can resist!
- Zucchini Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe are a great way to sneak in some veggies while still satisfying your sweet tooth!
And that’s how you make the best Peanut Butter M&M Cookies. These cookies are always a hit, whether you’re baking them for an after-school treat, sharing, or just because you deserve something sweet!
Bake up a batch and tell me how you made them your own. Did you use different candies or add a fun twist? I’d love to hear in the comments below!
Happy Baking!
Karlynn
Peanut Butter M and M Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup butter , at room temperature
- ¾ cup peanut butter, chunky or smooth
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar, firmly packed
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups M&M’s candies
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a bowl and set aside.
- In a large bowl, using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or a hand mixer, beat the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the peanut butter until combined. Beat in the egg until combined completely, then add the vanilla.
- Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, beating until well blended. Stir in the M&M’s.
- Drop by heaping tablespoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until edges are lightly browned and the middle of the cookies is just set, then remove from the oven.
- Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes then transfer to a baking rack to cool completely.
- Store in a closed container at room temperature for up to 5 days or freezer for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Theressa says
Thanks so much for sharing all these great posts i haven’t baked in a while but this year i am going to bake up a storm for Christmas gifts
thekitchenmagpie says
Theressa You go, girl! I love Christmas baking, but it DOES get a little overwhelming! I will have TONS of Christmas cookies this year on the site, stay tuned!
shannonr25 says
Could you replace the butter with peanut butter?
Rambling Tart says
I love the bright colors in these peanutty cookies. 🙂 I haven’t made many cookies lately either, but will be remedying that soon. 🙂
thekitchenmagpie says
@Rambling Tart They are just so darn cheery, aren’t they? I’ve been such a cookie slacker… but yes, with back to school it’s back to baking!!!