The Ultimate Guide to Soft and Chewy M&M Cookies: Recipe, Tips & Tricks
Get ready to bake the best Soft M&M Cookies you’ve ever tasted! This recipe is bakery-worthy, and I’m sharing all my secrets to guarantee perfectly soft, chewy, and utterly irresistible cookies every single time.
Sometimes, all you need is a chewy cookie – one that’s exceptionally soft, wonderfully rich, and loaded with a vibrant rainbow of M&Ms. When a crispy, crunchy cookie simply won’t satisfy, this is the perfect recipe for you. These M&M cookies are designed to be delightfully soft and chewy, making them an instant favorite for everyone.
While baking can be seen as a science, achieving that perfect soft and chewy cookie doesn’t demand a chemistry degree. I’ve diligently conducted the necessary tests for you, from carefully balancing the ratio of white to brown sugar to determining the ideal baking time. Read on to discover the best M&M cookie recipe, which you can easily customize with your preferred candy-coated chocolates, whether you’re in the mood for classic rainbow colors, festive Christmas hues, or patriotic Fourth of July shades!
How to Make Perfect M&M Cookies
Once your wet and dry ingredients are perfectly combined in your stand mixer, gradually fold in the M&Ms at the very end. This ensures they don’t create a “funfetti” effect, preserving their distinct candy-coated texture and vibrant colors. This step is crucial for achieving the ideal balance of cookie and candy.
One of my favorite baking shortcuts is to scoop the cookie dough onto a baking sheet before chilling it. When you scoop the dough immediately after mixing, it’s at its softest and most pliable. This makes it incredibly easy to scoop beautiful, uniform cookies without any extra effort. Plus, it saves you time later when you’re ready to bake!
The Secret to Soft and Chewy Cookies
There’s an abundance of advice available on how to create irresistibly soft and chewy cookies. It can feel like tackling a chemistry or physics assignment when bakers discuss how altitude, flour density, and temperature affect a cookie’s texture – and, indeed, these factors do have an impact. However, achieving soft, chewy cookies is remarkably simple. The secret lies in a single, easy-to-follow technique that will transform your baking game. It’s all about mastering the art of the underbake! This will guarantee that soft, melt-in-your mouth texture that everyone craves.
The secret is simple: underbake the cookies slightly. Remove them from the oven when they are barely set in the center. Allow them to continue baking on the hot baking sheets outside the oven for about 5 minutes. This carry-over cooking is the key. This simple adjustment ensures that the cookies retain their soft and chewy texture, rather than becoming crisp or crunchy.
Do you want more uniformly shaped cookies? It’s not a problem! Immediately after removing the cookies from the oven, use a large circular ring (or even a glass) to place on top of each cookie. Gently rotate the ring in a circular motion so that the edges of the cookie come into contact with the sides of the ring. This technique ensures that each cookie achieves a perfectly circular shape, resulting in a more visually appealing batch of cookies. This little trick will elevate your baking presentation.
Freezing M&M Cookies: A Baker’s Best Friend
Yes, you can (and absolutely should!) freeze your M&M cookie dough. If you ever find yourself with more dough than you can bake at once, or if you simply want to have fresh, homemade cookies on demand, freezing is the perfect solution. Transfer your covered baking sheet of scooped dough to your freezer until the cookies are solid. Once frozen, you can transfer the cookies to a sealed plastic bag or airtight container to store in your freezer for 2 to 3 months. When a cookie craving strikes, you’ll be ready. Remember to allow a bit of thawing time, either overnight in the refrigerator, or bake straight from the freezer, adding a few extra minutes to the baking time.
Freezing cookie dough for later is always a brilliant idea, ensuring that you’re never far from a batch of freshly baked M&M cookies. Want to take your cookie game to an even higher level? Consider taking two of your freshly baked cookies and making, perhaps, the best ice cream sandwich of your life. The exceptionally soft texture of these cookies makes them ideal for freezing, as they’ll retain their delicious chewiness even when frozen. This treat is perfect for a hot summer day or anytime you need a bit of indulgence!
Now, all that’s left to do is decide which color M&Ms you’ll be mixing into your dough! Any color scheme is welcome here, from festive red and green for Christmas to spooky black and orange for Halloween. Let your creativity guide you. Gather your favorite candies, and let the baking fun begin! These cookies are a blank canvas for your seasonal celebrations and personal tastes.
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Soft M&M Cookies
for guaranteeing confection perfection!
Kelly Senyei
