Name: Grandma's Soft m&m Cookies
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 8 min
Total time: 18 min
Ingredients: 2 ¼ cup all purpose flour; 1 tsp salt; 1 tsp baking soda; ½ cup butter ((½ cup = 1 stick)); ½ cup butter flavored shortening ((½ cup = ½ stick)); ½ cup granulated sugar; ¾ cup light brown sugar ((packed)); ¼ cup dark brown sugar ((packed)); 2 tsp vanilla; 2 eggs; 10 oz bag of m&ms

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These soft m&m cookies have been a family favorite for generations. My grandma on my dad’s side passed away before I was born, but thankfully her recipes live on, and this one is easily one of my all-time favorites. We make these m&m cookies every Christmas, but honestly, they work for just about any holiday with a simple candy color swap.

What I love most about these cookies is how easy they are to customize. Red and green for Christmas, pastel for Easter – same cookie recipe, different colored candies, and suddenly you’ve got a dessert tray that looks like you really planned ahead.

They’re soft, chewy, buttery, and exactly the kind of nostalgic homemade cookie recipe every family needs. Pro tip: freeze a few and eat them cold straight from the freezer. Weirdly – and amazingly – delicious.

Servings: Makes about 4 dozen cookies
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Bake Time: 8-10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

2 ¼ cups all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 stick of butter (½ cup)
½ stick of shortening (½ cup, butter flavored)
½ cup granulated sugar
¾ cup light brown sugar
¼ cup dark brown sugar
2 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
10 oz. bag of m&ms

Get the full printable instructions at the bottom of the post in the recipe card.

Looking for more nostalgic cookie recipes?

Chocolate Chip Cookies – a timeless classic, never flat
Russian Tea Cakes – bite size and completely addictive

Step by Step Directions:

Step 1: Remove butter from refrigerator to allow it to soften. Preheat oven to 350º F. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and baking soda. Set aside.

a stick of butter softening on a counter next to half a stick of shortening

salt and baking soda being whisked into flour in a bowl

Step 2: In a large bowl, use a hand mixer on medium to cream butter, shortening and sugars together. Add vanilla and continue mixing. Add eggs on at a time, mixing thoroughly after each one.

butter, shortening, sugar, light brown sugar and dark brown sugar in a bowl

a hand mixer beating the butters and sugars together

Step 3: With mixer set to low, add flour mixture a little at a time, scraping the sides of the bowl to ensure the dough is thoroughly mixed. Reserve about 1/2 cup of flour and stir in with a wooden spoon.

flour being mixed into dough with a hand mixer

flour being stirred into dough with a wooden spoon

Step 4: Stir in m&ms with a wooden spoon. Drop tablespoons of dough on cookie sheets lined with parchment paper leaving space in between.

m and m's being stirred into dough with wooden spoon

scoops of dough on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper

Step 5: Bake for 8-10 minutes, then carefully remove from oven. Let cool for a minute on the cookie sheet, then remove to a cooling rack or plate. Enjoy!

Tips for Baking the Best Cookies:

I use dark baking sheets lined with parchment paper for drop cookies because they conduct heat better and help to crisp up the edges while keeping that chewy center everyone loves.
The combination of brown sugars and butter with shortening helps keep them from flattening out.
Multiple trays can be baked at a time, but it’s best to rotate them halfway through for even baking.

How to Customize These m&m Cookies for Holidays

Christmas Cookies – red and green m&ms
Halloween Cookies – orange, black, and purple m&ms
Easter Cookies – pastel m&ms
Valentine’s Day – pink, red, and white m&ms
Fourth of July – red, white, and blue m&ms

🍪Before You Go . . .

These m&m cookies are perfect for holiday cookie trays, but they don’t have to be the only dessert on the table. Browse our Easy Party Food Recipes for more sweet treats and festive favorites. If you’re looking for more holiday desserts, check out our roundup for Christmas sweets or browse through our Easter dessert collection.

Grandma’s Soft m&m Cookies

These soft M&M cookies are buttery, chewy, and easy to customize for every holiday with different colored candies. A nostalgic family recipe that’s perfect year-round.

Beth

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 8

Total Time 18

Servings

Ingredients

2 ¼ cup all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
½ cup butter (½ cup = 1 stick)
½ cup butter flavored shortening (½ cup = ½ stick)
½ cup granulated sugar
¾ cup light brown sugar (packed)
¼ cup dark brown sugar (packed)
2 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
10 oz bag of m&ms

Instructions

Remove butter from refrigerator to allow it to soften. Preheat oven to 350º F. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and baking soda. Set aside.
In a large bowl, use a hand mixer on medium to cream butter, shortening and sugars together. Add vanilla and continue mixing. Add eggs on at a time, mixing thoroughly after each one.
With mixer set to low, add flour mixture a little at a time, scraping the sides of the bowl to ensure the dough is thoroughly mixed. Reserve about 1/2 cup of flour and stir in with a wooden spoon.
Stir in m&ms with a wooden spoon. Drop tablespoons of dough on cookie sheets lined with parchment paper leaving space in between.
Bake for 8-10 minutes, then carefully remove from oven. Let cool for a minute on the cookie sheet, then remove to a cooling rack or plate. Enjoy!