These Red White and Blue M&M Cookies are soft, chewy, and packed with patriotic flair! Made with red, white, and blue candies, they’re perfect for 4th of July BBQs, parade day snacks, or any summer celebration where cookies are welcome (which is... always).
With no chill time and just a handful of basic ingredients, they come together fast — and disappear even faster. I had so much fun with last year's 4th of July lemon sugar cookies, I decided to try a different type with M&Ms this year.
Why You'll Love These Cookies
- Super festive for patriotic holidays
- No chill needed (or just while the oven is preheating)
- Soft, chewy texture with bursts of color
- Easy to make with pantry staples (my local grocery store carried the M&Ms)
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Ingredients You'll Need for M&M Cookies
- Butter unsalted
- Light brown sugar
- Sugar white
- Eggs
- Vanilla extract
- All-purpose flour
- Baking soda
- Baking powder
- Kosher salt
- Chopped walnuts
- M&M's
- M&M's extra for topping
Baking Tips!
- Use room temp butter for best texture
- Don’t overbake — cookies will finish setting as they cool
- Press extra candies on top after baking for bright color
- When weighing more than one ingredient into a bowl, don’t forget to use the Tare button between additions.
How to Make Red White and Blue M&M Cookies
These cookies are a quick dessert for that backyard 4th of July family gathering.
Prep Work
I weigh or measure both sugars into a bowl and set it aside. Next, weigh or measure the flour into another bowl. Add to the flour the baking soda, baking powder, and the salt. Run a whisk through to blend.
Step-by-Step Instructions for 4th of July Cookies
Cube the butter into a mixer bowl.
How cold your butter is will determine how long it takes to cream — usually a minute or two on medium speed does the trick.
Add both sugars to the creamed butter and mix on a medium mixer speed for 3 minutes.
Add the vanilla extract and one egg. Mix until combined, then add the second egg and mix again. Scrape down the bowl, then add the flour mixture in thirds. Mix just until combined. Use a spatula to make sure there aren’t any sneaky bits of flour hiding at the bottom of the bowl.
Now add the M&M's and the chopped walnuts. I only mix for about 15 seconds. You don't want to break up the M&M with the beaters.
I use the spatula to even out the M&M's and walnuts in the cookie batter. If you have not turned on the oven yet put the cookie dough in the fridge while it is heating up. You don't have to but I do out of habit.
Baking the Patriotic Cookies
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C–180°C) and grab 2 cookies sheet pans. I line my cookie pans with a sheet of parchment paper. This protects my pans, easy clean up and helps me make really good cookies.
Using a medium cookie scooper add 12 scooped cookie dough to a prepared sheet pan.
I could not decide whether to add more M&M's to the top of my cookies before or after they baked. So I tried it first before they went into the oven. I had a feeling the the colors would bleed and they did.
So my second pan I decided to add the M&M's after they baked. So I stuck the sheet pan in the oven for 12-14 minutes. I took them out at 12 minutes and I only added 1 of each color on mine but you can more of course to yours. Then I moved them to a cooling rack.
Have a Great Holiday!
FAQ's
I would store them in a container with a lid — just be sure to keep them out of the sun, since the M&Ms are chocolate.
I got mine at my local grocery store. But I also saw they were selling Red White and Blue M&M's at Target!
Simple answer: you can’t. But there’s a workaround. So I have a 1 ½ cups of M&M in this recipe. You can split the amount between adding to the cookie dough before scooping and the other portion adding them right into the tops of the cookies after you take them from the oven.
More Summer Cookies or Bars You'll Love
If you’re planning a full dessert table, try my Raspberry White Chocolate Almond Shortbread Bars or Orange Cardamom Snickerdoodle Cookies for more summer flavor!
Recipe
Red White and Blue M&M Cookies
Barbara HallWould you like to save this recipe?
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Ingredients
- 1 cup (227 g) Butter unsalted room temperature
- ⅓ cup (73.33 g) Light brown sugar
- ¾ cup (150 g) Sugar white
- 2 Eggs
- 2 ¼ teaspoons Vanilla extract
- 2 ½ cups (312.5 g) All-purpose flour
- 1 ¼ teaspoons Baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon Baking powder
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- ½ cup (58.5 g) Chopped walnuts
- 1 cup (236.59 g) M&M candies
- ½ cup (118.29 g) M&M candies for topping pressing on cookie tops after baking
Instructions
- Weigh or measure the white sugar, then add the light brown sugar to the same bowl. Set it aside. In a separate bowl, weigh or measure the flour. Add the baking soda, baking powder, and salt to the flour, then whisk to combine.
- Cube the butter into a mixer bowl. Cream the butter on medium speed for about 1 minute. Add the sugars and mix on medium speed for 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl, then mix for another 30 seconds. Add the vanilla extract and one egg; mix to combine before adding the second egg.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the flour mixture in thirds, mixing just until incorporated. Try not to overmix. Use a spatula to check for any dry flour pockets—there’s often some hiding at the bottom of the mixer bowl. Add the chopped walnuts and M&Ms, then mix on low speed for about 15 seconds. You don’t want to break up the M&Ms. Use a spatula to evenly distribute them throughout the cookie dough.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C–180°C). Using a medium cookie scoop, place 12 scoops of dough onto a parchment-lined cookie sheet. Bake for 12–14 minutes. Once out of the oven, gently press red, white, and blue M&Ms into the tops of the cookies. Then transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely.
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NUTRITION DISCLAIMER
I am not a certified Dietitian or Nutritionist. The nutrition amounts given below are provided through a program and are only a guideline.
Barbara says
Okay, so yes, I made these. But they turned out really good — soft, chewy, and full of M&Ms in every bite. No chill time (yay!), and they disappeared fast at my house. Highly recommend if you're baking for the 4th or just need a cookie excuse.