Best Peanut Butter M&M Cookies Recipe

The Best Peanut Butter M&M Cookies Recipe! Soft and Chewy Peanut Butter M&M Cookies from Scratch with Peanut Butter Chips!

Stack of best colorful candy-studded cookies on a white surface.

This is easily the Best Peanut Butter M&M Cookies Recipe

Classic and simple and easy to make from scratch. Use Mini M&Ms for the best result and best texture. This is one of my favorite peanut butter cookie recipes! 

Best colorful candy-coated chocolate pieces embedded in freshly baked peanut butter cookies on a cooling rack.

Plus, be sure to check out even more Easy M&M Cookie Recipes!

A stack of homemade peanut butter cookies with colorful M&M candy pieces on a white surface.

Why you will love these Peanut Butter Cookies with M&Ms!

  • Soft and chewy peanut butter cookies with peanut butter chips and peanut butter M&Ms!
  • Mini Peanut Butter Filled M&Ms! If you’ve never had these, they are a treat. My favorite M&Ms ever! I love that they are mini, and filled with peanut butter!
  • Easy panty recipe with basic ingredients for the perfect cookies!

M&M Peanut Butter Cookie Recipe

What you need for Peanut Butter M&M Cookies

  • Peanut butter baking chips! These add a burst of flavor. You could double the M&Ms and skip these, but I really like getting pockets of extra peanut butter in my cookies!
  • Mini Peanut Butter M&Ms! These are different than Mini M&Ms because they are filled with peanut butter and not chocolate. 
  • A mixture of brown sugar and granulated sugar plus basic pantry ingredients!
  • Parchment Paper
  • Silpat Baking Mat
  • Cookie Scoops
  • Cooling Rack

Colorful candy-coated chocolates scattered around and embedded in freshly baked peanut butter cookies.

How to make Peanut Butter M&M Cookies

Ingredients for the Best Peanut Butter M&M Cookies Recipe laid out on a marble countertop, including flour, chocolate chips, M&M candies, peanut butter, butter, sugars, an egg, baking powder

Start by dividing your M&Ms into 3 bowls because you will need them in three different steps. You’ll need 3/4 cup, 1/2 cup, and 1/4 cup in each bowl (or about those numbers). 

Parchment Paper Baking Cookies

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. You can use a silpat baking sheet here, but I really like the way parchment paper works. 

Ingredients for baking the best Peanut Butter M&M Cookies, including sugar, butter, and colorful candies, are prepared in a glass mixing bowl on a marble countertop.

In a mixing bowl, cream the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together. 

Best Vanilla extract being poured into a mixing bowl with peanut butter M&M cookie ingredients.

Add the peanut butter, egg, and vanilla and mix until combined. 

A glass bowl containing flour and a liquid mixture on a kitchen counter with colorful Peanut Butter M&M candies scattered around.

Stir in the flour, baking soda and salt until your dough comes together. 

Best cookie dough in a mixing bowl with chocolate chips and colorful peanut butter M&M pieces on the side.

Fold in about 3/4 cup of M&Ms (save the rest for rolling and garnishing) and the peanut butter baking chips. 

A scoop of cookie dough for the best peanut butter M&M cookies recipe on top of colorful M&M candies in a glass bowl.

Use a two tablespoon cookie scoop to create cookie dough balls and roll the top half of the cookie dough ball in the 1/2 cup of M&Ms (using extra if needed).

Best Peanut Butter M&M Cookies dough balls with colorful candy pieces are placed on parchment paper, ready for baking, with additional candy and dough in bowls beside them.

Place the cookie dough balls about 2″ apart and bake for 8-9 minutes. 

Peanut Butter M&M Cookies on Cooling Rack

Remove from the oven and garnish with sea salt and some of the remaining M&Ms. 

Freshly baked Peanut Butter M&M cookies cooling on a wire rack.

Let cool on the baking sheet for about 8 minutes before you transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely 

A close-up of a hand holding a colorful, best peanut butter M&M candy-studded cookie broken in half, revealing a soft and chewy texture inside.

Peanut Butter M&M Cookies Recipe

Yields: 24 cookies
Preparation time: 12 minutes
Baking time: 8-9 minutes
Additional time: 8 minutes

Ingredients:
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup peanut butter
1 egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 cup unbleached flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 and 1/2 cup mini M&Ms, divided
1 cup peanut butter baking chips
Sea Salt to Garnish, optional

Directions:
Divide your M&Ms into 3 bowls: ¾ cup, ½ cup, and ¼ cup (does not have to be exact)
Preheat the oven to 350 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a medium sized mixing bowl cream together the butter, sugar, and brown sugar.
Add in the peanut butter, egg, and vanilla and mix until combined.
Stir in the flour, baking soda, and salt.
Fold in about ¾ cup of the M&Ms (save the rest for rolling & garnishing) and the peanut butter baking chips.
Use a two tablespoon cookie scoop to create cookie dough balls and roll the top half of the cookie dough ball in the ½ cup of M&Ms – using extra if needed)
Place the cookie dough balls about 2 ½” apart on the baking sheet and bake for 8-9 minutes.
Remove from the oven and garnish with sea salt and a few of the remaining M&Ms.
Let cool for 8 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to a cooling rack.

Notes:

  • Do not over bake. These cookies will look slightly brown on the edges but soft in the center. The cookies will continue to bake as they cool on the baking sheet.
  • For best results, cookies can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 4 days – if you are keeping them past 4 days I recommend freezing the cookie dough balls in an airtight container for up to 3 months and then baking them as needed.
  • Cookie dough balls can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Remove from the fever and bake according to the directions.
  • The sea salt garnish is optional but makes for a pretty cookie with a great flavor!
  • Cookies are soft and chewy – I love the light peanut butter flavor in the cookie dough with bursts of peanut butter in the baking chips.
A stack of the best homemade peanut butter cookies with colorful M&M candy pieces on a white surface.

Best Peanut Butter M&M Cookies Recipe

Yield: 24 Cookies
Prep Time: 12 minutes
Cook Time: 8 minutes
Additional Time: 8 minutes
Total Time: 8 minutes

The Best Easy Peanut Butter M&M Cookies Recipe! Soft and Chewy M&M Peanut Butter Cookies for Any Occasion or Holiday! The Best Peanut Butter M&M Cookies!

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup light brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup peanut butter
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 1/4 cup unbleached flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 and 1/2 cup mini M&Ms, divided
  • 1 cup peanut butter baking chips
  • Sea Salt to Garnish, optional

Instructions

  1. Divide your M&Ms into 3 bowls: ¾ cup, ½ cup, and ¼ cup (does not have to be exact)
  2. Preheat the oven to 350 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 
  3. In a medium sized mixing bowl cream together the butter, sugar, and brown sugar. 
  4. Add in the peanut butter, egg, and vanilla and mix until combined. Stir in the flour, baking soda, and salt. 
  5. Fold in about ¾ cup of the M&Ms (save the rest for rolling & garnishing) and the peanut butter baking chips. 
  6. Use a two tablespoon cookie scoop to create cookie dough balls and roll the top half of the cookie dough ball in the ½ cup of M&Ms - using extra if needed)
  7. Place the cookie dough balls about 2 ½” apart on the baking sheet and bake for 8-9 minutes. 
  8. Remove from the oven and garnish with sea salt and a few of the remaining M&Ms. 
  9. Let cool for 8 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to a cooling rack.

Notes

  • Do not over bake. These cookies will look slightly brown on the edges but soft in the center. The cookies will continue to bake as they cool on the baking sheet. 
  • For best results, cookies can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 4 days - if you are keeping them past 4 days I recommend freezing the cookie dough balls in an airtight container for up to 3 months and then baking them as needed. 
  • Cookie dough balls can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Remove from the fever and bake according to the directions. 
  • The sea salt garnish is optional but makes for a pretty cookie with a great flavor! 

Cookies are soft and chewy - I love the light peanut butter flavor in the cookie dough with bursts of peanut butter in the baking chips. 

Did you make this recipe?

Share it with me! I'd love to see your creation!

A hand holding a colorful peanut butter M&M cookie with a bite taken out of it.

Can you use regular Mini M&Ms instead of Mini Peanut Butter M&Ms? 

Yes! Absolutely. Just swap the exact amounts for the different candy. I like the peanut butter filled ones because they are the perfect mixture of salty and sweet.

A close-up of colorful peanut butter M&M chocolate chip cookies on a striped surface.

But Chocolate Mini M&Ms would be good too! Just a little less of a peanut butter flavor. 

Freshly baked Peanut Butter M&M Cookies studded with colorful candy pieces, ready to enjoy.

If you are looking for more Peanut Butter Cookie Recipes, this Easy Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies Recipe is one of my favorites! 

Best Peanut Butter M&M Cookies

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