Big Soft M&M Cookies

Name: Big Soft M&M Cookies
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 18
Ingredients: 1 cup packed brown sugar; ½ cup white granulated sugar; 1 cup vegetable shortening; 2 large eggs; 2 teaspoons vanilla extract; 2½ cups all-purpose flour; 1 teaspoon baking soda; 1 teaspoon salt; 2–3 tablespoons all-purpose flour (additional); 1½ cups M&M's candy; M&M's candy for topping

Recipe GLPRd0813f8677e910

Dessert

45 min

370 cal

Servings: 18

Oven

SNAP eligible

Oversized, chewy cookies loaded with colorful M&M's candies. These cookies are baked just until the edges are set while the centers remain soft and tender, then left to cool slightly so they hold their shape perfectly. Perfect for anyone who loves big, indulgent treats.

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Ingredients

1 cup packed brown sugar

½ cup white granulated sugar

1 cup vegetable shortening

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2½ cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2–3 tablespoons all-purpose flour (additional)

1½ cups M&M's candy

M&M's candy for topping

Directions

Preheat your oven to 350°F.
In a large bowl, combine the packed brown sugar, white granulated sugar, and vegetable shortening. Add the eggs and vanilla extract. Using an electric mixer on low speed, beat everything together until the mixture is smooth and well combined.
Add the 2½ cups of all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt to the bowl. Mix on low speed until the ingredients are just barely combined; the dough should look slightly rough.
Switch to mixing by hand with a wooden spoon or sturdy spatula. Add the additional 2–3 tablespoons of flour a little at a time, stirring until the dough feels thick and slightly dry to the touch.
Fold the M&M's candy into the dough, distributing them evenly throughout.
Roll the dough into large balls (about golf ball size or slightly larger). Place them on ungreased baking sheets and press additional M&M's candies into the tops of each ball. Flatten each ball gently with your palm or the flat back of a wooden spoon until about ½ inch thick.
Bake for 8–10 minutes. The edges should look set and lightly golden, while the centers will still appear slightly underbaked. This is intentional and creates the soft, chewy texture.
Remove the baking sheets from the oven and immediately transfer the cookies to a wire cooling rack using a spatula.
Allow the cookies to cool on the rack for 5–10 minutes before serving. They will continue to set slightly as they cool and will hold their shape better if you give them this resting time.

Comments

Grocery List Plus Editorial Staff4.5

Every ingredient is a staple at any Charlotte grocer—shortening, sugars, eggs, vanilla, flour, baking soda, and salt cost pennies, and M&Ms are everywhere. At roughly $0.35 per cookie for ingredients alone, the cost per serving is reasonable for a treat. The stated 45 minutes is honest: mixing takes five to ten minutes, and baking sixteen to eighteen minutes at temperature, leaving time for cooling. These are a fuss-free mixer-bowl job with no active technique, though softness depends on catching them just before they set hard—a simple visual cue. They do not improve with age (cookies go stale and hard), so this is best as a fresh-batch or same-day project, and they freeze well if you want to make ahead and bake fresh later.