Brownies are my favorite dessert. Full stop. But there’s something about a brownie in cookie form that hits different – thick, fudgy, chewy on the inside, with that crackly top that gives away its brownie roots.
M&M Brownie Cookies
These M&M brownie cookies are my no-mixer, one-bowl take on the brownie-cookie hybrid. They’re the fun, kid-friendly cousin to my olive oil & sea salt brownie cookies (same chewy interior, dressed up with chocolate chips and a handful of candy).
I’ve tested this recipe more times than I’d like to admit. The melted butter is what gives you the brownie-like chew. The chill time is what keeps them from spreading into sad puddles. Skip either step and you’ll end up with something fine, but not what you came for.
The batch makes about 40 cookies, which sounds like a lot until they’re gone in two days.
Why you’ll love these brownie cookies
- One bowl, no mixer. Melted butter does the work for you.
- The dough freezes beautifully – scoop, freeze, bake later.
- Easy to customize with any M&M variety (mini, peanut, seasonal colors).
Helpful Tools
- Microwave-safe mixing bowl – I melt the butter right in the bowl I’m mixing in, so glass or any microwave-safe option works.
- Whisk – For the wet ingredients before you switch to a spatula. I LOVE this fold-flat option.
- Medium cookie scoop – Makes 40 even cookies and saves your wrists. I have all the sizes; this is the one I reach for most.
- Parchment paper or silicone baking mat – Non-negotiable. Brownie batter sticks.
Ingredients for M&M Brownie Cookies
Below is a list of the ingredients you’ll need to gather to make this recipe, why you need them, and possible substitutions. Scroll all the way down for the full recipe card with measurements.
Jump- Butter – I melt it before mixing, so no waiting around for it to soften. I personally use salted because I like a strong salty-to-sweet balance, but the recipe card calls for unsalted (both work).
- Sugars – A combo of granulated white sugar and brown sugar. The brown sugar is what gives you that chewy brownie texture.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder – The whole brownie flavor lives here. Dark cocoa works too if you want a deeper, richer color.
- Eggs – Three large eggs. I try to pull them out when I start prepping so they come to room temp.
- Vanilla extract – Pure vanilla, not imitation. I buy it in bulk from Sam’s because I go through it constantly.
- Salt – For balance. Cocoa needs a little salt to actually taste like chocolate.
- Baking powder AND baking soda – You need both. They work together to give the cookies lift without making them cakey.
- All-purpose flour – I’ve only tested this recipe with AP. Sub at your own risk.
- Chocolate chips – Whatever you have on hand. Trader Joe’s chocolate chunks are my current go-to.
- M&Ms – Classic milk chocolate are my default, but any flavor works. Use seasonal M&Ms for holidays (red and green for Christmas, pastels for Easter, orange and black for Halloween).
How to make M&M’s Brownie Cookies
This section shows you how to make this recipe, with process photos showing the steps to help you visualize it. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card below.
Jump- STEP ONE: Make the dough. Melt the butter in a large microwave-safe bowl. Whisk in both sugars and the cocoa powder until smooth. Add the eggs one at a time, whisking after each addition. Add the salt, vanilla, baking powder, and baking soda. Whisk until combined. Switch to a spatula and gently stir in the flour until no white streaks remain. Fold in the chocolate chips and M&Ms.
- STEP TWO: Chill the dough. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes. I usually leave mine overnight if I’m planning ahead. This is not the step to skip.
- STEP THREE: Scoop the dough. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line two cookie sheets with parchment or silicone mats. Use a medium cookie scoop to portion the dough, 9-12 balls per sheet, with a couple inches between each. Press a few extra M&Ms into the tops if you want them looking extra pretty.
- STEP FOUR: Bake. Bake for 9-12 minutes. Pull them when the edges look set and the centers don’t look gooey. Let them cool on the pan for a minute before sliding the parchment off onto the counter to finish cooling.
- Don’t skip the chill. I learned this the hard way the first time I made these. Melted butter plus warm dough equals thin, sad puddle cookies that spread into one giant cookie sheet of regret. 30 minutes minimum, overnight is better.
- Salted butter is a yes from me. The recipe card says unsalted (because that’s standard for baking) but I always use salted. The extra salt makes the chocolate flavor pop.
- Press M&Ms into the tops. Yes, it’s purely aesthetic. Yes, it’s worth it. Your cookies will look like the ones on the front of the bag instead of cookies with hidden surprises inside.
- Use parchment or silicone every time. Brownie batter is sticky, and a bare cookie sheet will fight you for every cookie.
- Try seasonal M&Ms. Red and green for Christmas cookie trays, pastels for Easter, orange and black for Halloween. Same cookie, repackaged for every holiday.
Storage & Leftovers
Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. If they make it that long.
If you’re not ready to make 40 cookies right now, this dough freezes really well. Scoop the dough out onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet, as if you were getting ready to bake them, but cover with plastic wrap and freeze overnight.
The next day, place them into a freezer bag and squeeze out any excess air. That way, the next time you get a cookie craving, you have dough already ready – they bake up just like you normally would, straight out of the freezer.
They dough will keep in the freezer for up to a couple months.
You can also freeze the baked cookies, layered between parchment in a freezer bag, for up to 3 months.
FAQs
Yes. Because you’re starting with melted butter, the dough is too warm and soft to hold its shape in the oven. Skip the chill and you’ll get thin, flat cookies that spread into each other. Chill for at least 30 minutes, up to 3 days in the fridge.
Absolutely. Minis are actually really cute because you get more candy in every bite. Any M&M variety works: minis, peanut, peanut butter, dark chocolate, or any seasonal color.
Yes. Dark cocoa (sometimes called Dutch-processed) gives you a deeper, almost-black cookie with a more intense chocolate flavor. Hershey’s Special Dark is what I’d reach for if I wanted that look.
Need more cookie recipes? Try these:
- Chewy M&M Sugar Cookies – softer sugar cookie base if you want a less-chocolatey M&M cookie.
- Double Chocolate M&M Cookies – thicker, more traditional cookie texture (these brownie cookies are chewier and more fudgy).
- Brown Sugar M&M Cookies – all brown sugar, chewy, no cocoa.
- Cosmic Brownie Cookies – if the brownie-cookie hybrid is your love language.
Click here for my entire collection of cookie recipes.
M&M Brownie Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter melted & cooled
- 1 cup granulated white sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3 large eggs
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 2 ½ cups all purpose flour
- ½ cup chocolate chips
- ½ cup M&Ms + more for pressing into tops of cookies optional
Instructions
- In a large microwave safe bowl, melt the butter and then add the sugar, brown sugar, and cocoa powders. Whisk together until fully combined.1 cup unsalted butter, 1 cup granulated white sugar, 1 cup brown sugar, ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- One at a time, add the eggs, whisking between each addition.3 large eggs
- Add in the salt, vanilla, baking powder, and baking soda. Whisk until combined.¼ teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon baking powder
- Add in the flour and stir gently with a spatula until fully combined.2 ½ cups all purpose flour
- Add in the chocolate chips and 1/2 cup of M&Ms. Stir to evenly distribute.½ cup chocolate chips, ½ cup M&Ms
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
- Once ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees, line cookie sheets with parchment paper, then use a cookie scoop to drop 9-12 balls of dough per sheet.
- Press more M&Ms into the tops of the cookie balls, if desired.
- Bake for 9-12 minutes, remove from oven, let cool for a couple minutes on the baking sheet then transfer to a wire rack to fully cool.
Notes
- You can use dark chocolate cocoa powder, if desired.
- M&M’s work great—regular, mini, or flavored varieties all fit well!
- Chill dough for at least 30 minutes, up to 3 days, covered in the fridge.
- Frozen dough stays good for a couple of months.
- Store leftover cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week (if they last that long!).
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate and provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Originally published June 22, 2015
We’ve been in our new house for just over two months and these are the first cookies I baked in my new oven. How is that even possible? How did I hold out that long? Is that why my jeans are getting bigger…?
Anyway, these are good. So good that I had them for dinner the other night. Then I ate three of them when I was supposed to be taking their picture.
They’re thick and chewy like a brownie but soft and flat like a cookie (obviously). They’re filled with Ghirardelli baking chips and M&Ms that look so pretty. You’re going to need a glass of milk with these.
For years I wanted a KitchenAid mixer and now that I have one, I get excited for recipes that don’t need require a mixer. Go figure.
Mine looked just like the photos! And tasted great, too! This recipe is a keeper.
Yay, thanks for letting me know!