Restless Chipotle

  • About
  • Recipes
  • Videos
  • Subscribe
  • Shop
  • Recipe Box
menu icon
go to homepage
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Videos
  • Subscribe
  • Shop
  • Recipe Box
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Videos
  • Subscribe
  • Shop
  • Recipe Box
×
Home » Recipes » Cookies Recipes

Peanut Butter M&Ms Cookie Recipe

Published: Sep 20, 2012 · Updated: Jan 21, 2025 by Marye

Peanutty, chocolatey, chewy goodness - these cookies are perfect for lunch boxes and after school snacks. M & Ms and Reese's Pieces make them colorful and extra special. Be sure to check out the peanut butter free option.
Total time for the recipe to be finished.Total Time 55 minutes minutes
Jump to Recipe Pin Recipe
A stack of colorful m & m cookies on a white plate.
A stack of cookies with a title text overlay for Pinterest.

Soft, thick, and chewy m&m cookie recipe with salty peanut butter makes the best lunchbox treats of childhood (and adulthood!). This recipe is a classic that not only tastes amazing but it freezes well, too. Peanut butter free option in the recipe, since some schools don't allow peanut butter.

Check out our other cookie recipes!

stack of m&ms cookies with red and green candies on a white plate with green trim.
Table of Contents
  • 🧾 Ingredients
  • 💭 Things to know
  • 👩‍🍳 FAQs
  • 📚 Related recipes
  • 📞 The last word
  • 📖 Recipe
  • 💬 Comments

🧾 Ingredients

There are two lists here. One for the peanut butter m&m cookie recipe and the other for plain m&m cookies because I know that more and more schools are outlawing peanut butter due to allergies.

Honestly, the recipes are SO similar it didn't make sense to me to create a whole new post so I'm adding instructions for both.

With peanut butter

  • All-purpose flour
  • Kosher salt
  • Baking soda
  • Butter
  • Creamy peanut butter
  • Sugar
  • Brown sugar
  • Vanilla
  • Large eggs
  • m&ms Candies- I like to get these in holiday colors; red and green for Christmas, pink and red for Valentine's Day, red white and blue for summer, and so on.
  • Reese's Pieces - optional but I like to use some of these in place of some of the m&ms.
  • Chopped peanuts - optional but I like the crunch they give.

Without peanut butter

  • All-purpose flour
  • Kosher salt
  • Baking soda
  • Butter
  • Sugar
  • Brown sugar
  • Vanilla
  • Large eggs
  • m&ms Candies
M&Ms cookies

💭 Things to know

I made the cookies with the peanut butter AND the Reese's AND the m&ms. Oh-MMMMM-GEEEEE these are so good, especially if you like that classic combination of chocolate and peanut  butter. ::::Raises hand:::::

  • Butter should be room temperature BUT make sure it is still cool to the touch. When butter is too soft your cookies will spread too much.
  • I usually dust the sheet with flour after I grease it. This keeps the cookies from sticking and it helps keep them from spreading. You just need to make sure you don't use too much flour and you shake the excess of the sheet.
  • Or you can use parchment or silpat.
  • If you have time put the cookie sheet with the dough balls on it in the freezer for 5 minutes or so before baking.
  • They'll be prettier if you save out a few of the candies to press (GENTLY) into the tops of the cookies before baking.
  • Don't overbake! The trick is to bake them enough that they are not raw in the middle but they are not quite done either. They will cook a little as they cool. It may take some practice but pretty soon you will be able to figure out when to take them out by the way they look.
  • Let them sit on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes or so after baking so they don't fall apart.
  • Freeze the raw cookie dough balls on the cookie sheet then put into freezer containers. You can then just bake a few as needed for fresh cookies whenever.

👩‍🍳 FAQs

Here are the questions I am most frequently asked about this recipe.

Baking Soda or Baking Powder?

I use baking soda in these because it helps them stay softer. Baking powder makes cookies crisper. You can also try substituting ½ teaspoon of the baking soda with baking powder.

Do These Cookies Ship Well?

They may or may not travel well. I sent vacuum sealed packages of these to both of my sons that are in the Air Force, one in Korea and one in Japan. The ones that went to Korea arrived intact and fresh and delicious. The ones that went to Japan arrived in tiny pieces but I was assured they were delicious none-the-less.

m & ms cookies

📚 Related recipes

Here are some more of my favorites here on Restless Chipotle. One of the things I like to do is to make several kinds of dough and freeze it shaped but unbaked... then I can have a mixture of fresh cookies whenever I want.

  • Perfect rolled sugar cookies for any occasion. No spreading, soft with crispy edges, freeze well - and SO easy to make!
  • Old fashioned molasses crinkles like the ones you used to sneak out of the cookie jar at Grandma's!
  • Peanut butter Rolo cookies are stuffed with gooey, melty Rolo candies!
  • Closeup of polar bear cookies on a cookie sheet.
    Christmas Polar Bear Cookies
  • Close up of Monster Cookies for the featured image.
    Monster Cookies
  • A plate of cookies with coffee cups in the background.
    50 Best Cookie Recipes on the Internet (Updated for 2024)
  • Overhead view of blueberry white chocolate cookies.
    Blueberry White Chocolate Cookies

📞 The last word

Grab a glass of milk - you're about an hour away from a trip to irresistible. I've included both versions of the cookie - one with peanut butter and one without.

We love both!

If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need. Don't forget that you can click on "add to collection" to save it to your own, private recipe box!

If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

📖 Recipe

A stack of colorful m & m cookies on a white plate.

Chewy M andM Cookie Recipe

5 from 5 votes
Print Pin Recipe Save Recipe Saved! Rate Recipe
Prevent your screen from going dark
Peanutty, chocolatey, chewy goodness - these cookies are perfect for lunch boxes and after school snacks. M & Ms and Reese's Pieces make them colorful and extra special. Be sure to check out the peanut butter free option.
Course cookies
Cuisine Amercian Heritage
Prep Time: 40 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes
Resting time: 5 minutes minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes minutes
Servings:48
Calories:138
Author:Marye Audet-White

Ingredients

Peanut Butter Version

  • 2 cups All-purpose flour
  • ¾ teaspoon Baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
  • ¾ cup Butter
  • ½ cup Peanut butter
  • 1 cup Sugar
  • ¾ cup Brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons Vanilla
  • 2 Eggs
  • 1 cup m & ms chocolate candies
  • ½ cup Reese's Pieces, optional
  • ½ cup peanuts, optional - chopped

Plain Version

  • 2 cups All-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon Baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
  • ¾ cup Butter
  • 1 cup Sugar
  • ¾ cup Brown sugar
  • 1 ½ teaspoons Vanilla
  • 1 Egg
  • 1 Egg yolk
  • 2 cups m &m's candies

Instructions

  • Let butter and eggs come to room temperature.
  • Preheat the oven to 350F
  • Grease a cookie sheet and dust with flour
  • Mix the flour and baking soda
  • Beat the butter and peanut butter on medium speed until it is smooth and well combined
  • Add the sugars and beat until the mixture is well blended and most of the graininess is gone
  • Beat in the vanilla
  • Beat in the eggs, one at a time
  • Stop and scrape the bowl
  • With the mixer on low add the dry ingredients
  • Mix just until well blended
  • Stir in the candies and peanuts
  • Chill for 30 minutes
  • Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto the prepared cookie sheet
  • Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until done the way you like
  • Cool for 5 minutes before removing from sheet

Plain m & m Cookies

  • Follow the instructions above using the "plain cookie" ingredients.

Notes

Do not use homemade or all natural peanut butters - they just don't blend right.
  • Butter should be room temperature BUT make sure it is still cool to the touch. When butter is too soft your cookies will spread too much.
  • I usually dust the sheet with flour after I grease it. This keeps the cookies from sticking and it helps keep them from spreading. You just need to make sure you don't use too much flour and you shake the excess of the sheet.
  • Or you can use parchment or silpat.
  • If you have time put the cookie sheet with the dough balls on it in the freezer for 5 minutes or so before baking.
  • They'll be prettier if you save out a few of the candies to press (GENTLY) into the tops of the cookies before baking.
  • Don't overbake! The trick is to bake them enough that they are not raw in the middle but they are not quite done either. They will cook a little as they cool. It may take some practice but pretty soon you will be able to figure out when to take them out by the way they look.
  • Let them sit on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes or so after baking so they don't fall apart.
  • Freeze the raw cookie dough balls on the cookie sheet then put into freezer containers. You can then just bake a few as needed for fresh cookies whenever.

Nutrition Facts

Calories: 138kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 8mg | Sodium: 89mg | Potassium: 66mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 97IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 23mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

This recipe has been tested several times. If you choose to use other ingredients, or change the technique in some way, the results may not be the same.

More Homemade Cookie Recipes

  • A stack of ranger cookies on a plate.
    Texas Ranger Cookies
  • Big chewy chocolate chip cookie with ganache and pecans on top.
    Chocolate Chip Cookies with Ganache
  • Plate stacked with cranberry cookies.
    Pecan Cranberry Cookies
  • A platter of holiday cookies.
    Christmas Cookies: One Dough - Five Kinds

Love it? Share it!

316 shares
  • Facebook
  • Flipboard

About Marye

Meet Marye Audet, a wizard in the kitchen and a storyteller at heart. Marye is like your eccentric but fun aunt who knows all the secret recipes and isn't afraid to spill them.

Comments

    5 from 5 votes (5 ratings without comment)

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Love it? Give it 5 stars!




  1. Donna Campbell says

    July 08, 2024 at 1:59 pm

    I tried these and since I have 20 grandchildren they didn't last long at all.

    Reply
Marye Audet-White, founder of Restless Chipotle Media

Hey Y'all, I'm Marye

Welcome to my kitchen! ☕

NY Times bestselling author. 10 cookbooks. Mom of 8 kids. Homeschooling mom for 22 years. Addicted to Hallmark Christmas Movies. Collector of old cookbooks.

Find out more

🍉 Summer Cookouts

  • Overhead view of potato salad in a glass bowl
    Mom's Homemade Potato Salad
  • Overhead view of the finished watermelon basket filled with an assortment of fruit.
    How to Make a Watermelon Basket
  • Closeup of a finished hamburger in a bun.
    Retro Lipton Onion Soup Burger (Vintage Recipe)
  • Closeup of a star shaped cake covered in white chocolate with red and blue sprinkles.
    Zebra Cake Recipe: Little Debbie Copycat

🫖 Picklefork Stories

Picklefork town crest.
Click here to visit Picklefork

👑 Reader Favorites

  • Square overhead of chicken for feature image.
    Crockpot Angel Chicken
  • Close up of the sauce showing the creamy texture.
    Copycat Red Robin Campfire Sauce Recipe
  • Wooden spatula removing fried potatoes out of iron skillet.
    Crispy Fried Potatoes in a Cast Iron Skillet (Southern Style)
  • Blue cocktail with a red and white straw.
    Sex in the Driveway Cocktail
  • A sliced loaf of english muffin bread.
    Easy English Muffin Bread – No Knead, Perfect for Toasting!
  • Two finished loaves of Amish white bread cooling on a table.
    No-Fail Amish White Bread

Footer

^ back to top

About

  • About Marye Audet-White
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Accessibility Policy
  • Contact
MaryeAudet Whiteandherchildren Dec

Featured In:

Places Restless Chipotle has been featured

We improve our products and advertising by using Microsoft Clarity to see how you use our website. By using our site, you agree that we and Microsoft can collect and use this data. Our privacy statement has more details.

Copyright ©2006 - 2025 Restless Chipotle Media, LLC

Picklefork Tales Copyright ©2025 Marye Audet, Restless Chipotle Media

Rate This Recipe

Your vote:




Let us know what you thought of this recipe:

This worked exactly as written, thanks!
My family loved this!
Thank you for sharing this recipe

Or write in your own words:

A rating is required
A name is required
An email is required

Recipe Ratings without Comment

Something went wrong. Please try again.