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Big soft M&M cookie with colorful candy pieces on a ceramic plate

Big Soft M&M Cookies with Colorful Candy Pieces and M&M’S

Big Soft M&M Cookies are thick, tender m m cookies with a soft center, rich brown sugar flavor, and colorful candy pieces throughout. These easy homemade cookies are perfect when you want a classic dessert with a fun bakery-style appearance.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 18 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 244
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Wet Ingredients
  • 1 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup white sugar
  • 1 cup shortening
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
Dry Ingredients
  • 2 1/2 cups flour (+ 2-3 tablespoons)
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
Mix-Ins
  • 1 1/2 cups M&M’s

Method
 

Preparation
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). In a large bowl, beat the brown sugar, white sugar, shortening, eggs, and vanilla with an electric mixer on low speed until the mixture is fully combined.
  2. Add the flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix until the dry ingredients are incorporated, finishing by hand if needed. Add the extra tablespoons of flour until the dough feels thick and almost dry to the touch. Fold the M&M’s into the dough.
  3. Shape the dough into large balls and press additional M&M’s onto the tops. Flatten each portion slightly with your palm or the back of a wooden spoon.
  4. Bake for 8-10 minutes, keeping the cookies slightly underbaked. Transfer the cookies from the baking sheet to a cooling rack immediately, then allow them to rest for 5-10 minutes so they can set.

Notes

I add a little extra flour to help keep these cookies from spreading. If too much flour makes the cookies stay overly thick, gently press them down with your palm or the back of a wooden spoon before baking to create a more typical cookie shape.