Bakery M&M Cookies

We love a good, super thick bakery-style cookie, but sometimes you need a thin, crispy cookie. And that’s where this Bakery M&M Cookies recipe comes in. They’re huge, exceptionally soft and chewy, and thin (not thick) throughout with incredible crisp edges. And with two types of chocolate chips and M&M’s, cookies from the bakery don’t stand a chance against these homemade ones!

Bakery M&M Cookies

These super-thick Bakery-Style Chocolate Chip Cookies I shared a couple of years ago have remained one of the most popular recipes on this site. And, for good reason! Ginormous, rich, chewy, and chocolate-chip studded cookies are wildly popular — no wonder so many cookie bakeries keep popping up around the U.S.!

But sometimes you want to save yourself a trip to the bakery (or save the delivery fees) and make your own. Or perhaps you like homemade best, which is the camp I fall into. 🙂

Thin and crispy, but still soft and chewy

Throughout the years since posting that original bakery-style cookie recipe, I’ve received numerous emails requesting a similar bakery-style cookie but thinner and crispier. You guys still want soft and chewy, huge cookies, but not so thick.

And I’m happy to report — I finally cracked the code. It’s taken a lot of testing, but these are the PERFECT thin, crispy, soft, chewy, and chocolate-studded bakery-style cookies. 

Truthfully, this recipe is a little particular, but overall it is simple to make. And I’m sharing all the tips and tricks to perfectly execute bakery-style cookies (thin and crispy-style) from home.

Bakery M&M Cookies Tools Needed

• Stand mixer or hand mixer. This dough needs the machine to whip the butter and sugars until creamy. This is essential for getting the right cookie texture. Take the time to thoroughly beat the sugars and butter at the beginning of making these cookies.
• LARGE sheet pan. We use this 15×21 inch sheet pan and I’m obsessed with this size. It allows space for more cookies to bake while ensuring the cookies don’t run into each other — be warned– they spread a lot!
• Silpat liner or parchment paper. This helps bake foods evenly without burning and allows the cookies to release from the pan and clean up effortlessly. Without the liner, we found the bottoms of the cookies crisped up more than we liked.
• Metal Spatula. This is my secret to getting the perfect crispy ridges on the cookies. More on this below!

What’s up with the metal spatula?

This is my “secret” to those perfect crispy rippling ridges on the edges of the cookies. 

Working quickly, right out of the oven, use the back of a large metal spatula to press the edges of the cookies into the center. (Watch the video or see the picture below for a visual!) You’ll need to work quickly since the cookies set up fast and are resistant to being pressed inwards after sitting out for more than a minute or two. If they are resisting, use two metal spatulas (one on each end of the cookie) to gently press the edges towards the center.

In a pinch, use the back of a large soup spoon instead of a spatula.

Bakery M&M Cookies Tips

• Measure carefully: The most important measurement is the flour. If you press a measuring cup into a bag of flour you are likely packing in way too much flour, which will yield poofy, cake-like, and less-flavorful cookies — we want thin and crispy here! Spoon the flour into a measuring cup and level the top with the back of a table knife. I’ve also included gram measurements with this recipe if you prefer to measure using a food scale instead. 
• Chill the dough: The chill time isn’t too long for these cookies — 30 minutes is all they need. We do need to chill for a little– otherwise, the batter is a little too wet and hard to shape into balls.
• Use a 1/4 cup measuring cup. The perfect size for each cookie ball is 4 tablespoons (1/4 cup). Pack the dough in the measuring cup and then use a spoon to scoop it all out of the measuring cup onto the lined sheet pan.

Bakery M&M Cookies Tips, Continued

• Space the cookie dough. You’ll be amazed how much these cookies spread as they bake — they are thin and crispy after all! Leave ample room in between cookies so they don’t run together.
• Underbake. The other secret to these cookies is slightly underbaking them. When they first come out of the oven, they look pretty gooey in the center, but that center will firm up as the cookies sit on the sheet pan. The residual heat will bake the cookies a little more and then, as the cookie continues to set, you’ll end up with the crisp edges but a super soft and chewy center. 
• Add M&M’s® and chocolate chips on top. The cookies you get at the bakery are pretty! And homemade should be no different. As you can see from the process photos, these cookies aren’t anything spectacular to look at straight out of the oven. I jazz up the appearance by pressing the edges inwards and then strategically pressing a few more M&M’s and chocolate chips into the tops of the cookies. 

Cookie Storage

• Store these Bakery M&M Cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. They’re best enjoyed within 3-4 days. Freeze cookie dough as opposed to baked cookies (see next bullet point).
• Instead of freezing the baked cookies, freeze the dough! Drop the cookie dough balls on a large sheet pan and freeze until solid. Once solid, transfer the frozen cookie dough balls to an airtight container or bag and freeze for up to three months. To bake: You can bake these cookies straight from the freezer. There is no need to thaw, but you may need to add a few extra minutes to the baking time. Bake until the edges are lightly browned, and the center is still soft.

More Cookie Recipes 

• Funfetti Cookies with sprinkles
• Oatmeal Scotchies with butterscotch baking chips
• M&M Cookies small (not bakery-style) cookies
• Magic Cookie Bars with a graham cracker crust
• Maple Cookies with a maple glaze

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5 from 2 votes

Bakery M&M Cookies

By Chelsea Lords

These Bakery M&M Cookies are huge, soft, chewy, and thin with perfectly crisp edges. Loaded with two kinds of chocolate chips and plenty of M&M’s, these homemade cookies give the bakery a run for its money!

Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes

Chilling Time: 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes

Servings: 15 cookies

Equipment

• Hand mixer or stand mixer
• large sheet pan,
• Parchment paper or silicon baking mat

Ingredients 

USMetric

 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 16 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature, not softened or melted
• ▢ 1 cup light brown sugar firmly packed
• ▢ 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• ▢ 2 large eggs
• ▢ 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ▢ 4 tablespoons oat flour oats that have been blended, see note 1
• ▢ 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• ▢ 1 teaspoon salt
• ▢ 2-1/2 cups flour see note 2
• ▢ 1-1/2 cups milk chocolate chips
• ▢ 1/2 cup miniature chocolate chips
• ▢ M&M’s
• ▢ Serving suggestions see note 3

Instructions 

• Use a hand mixer (or a stand mixer with the whisk attachment) to cream together the room-temperature (not melted) butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Beat until smooth, light, and creamy, about 3–4 minutes.
• Add in 1 egg. Beat until incorporated. Add in the other egg and vanilla. Beat until incorporated.
• Add oat flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt to the mixture. Beat to combine. Mix in flour without overmixing, then fold in the milk chocolate chips and mini chocolate chips. Cover dough and let chill 30 minutes.
• While chilling, preheat oven to 350℉. Line a large sheet pan with parchment paper or a silicon baking mat.
• Remove dough from fridge and fill a 1/4-cup measuring cup with dough. Use a spoon to scoop that dough onto the prepared baking sheet, shaping it into a ball. Press 6 M&M’s onto each cookie. Repeat to make 3 more cookie dough balls, leaving space for spreading. (I only bake 4 at a time—they really spread!) Bake for 10 minutes; cookies will appear underbaked in the centers with messy edges.
• Remove pan from oven and, working quickly, use the back of a metal spatula to press the edges of the cookies inward. If the cookie is resisting, use two spatulas to gently push the edges. Press a few more M&M’s and mini chocolate chips into the cookies. Let cookies sit at room temperature for 10 minutes to firm up, then transfer to a wire cooling rack. Repeat with remaining dough.

Video

Recipe Notes

Note 1: To make oat flour, add old-fashioned or quick oats to a blender or food processor and blend until the oats resemble flour. If needed, stir and re-blend to break up larger chunks of oats—it should be a fine powder. Then measure to get 4 tablespoons for the dough.

Note 2: If you press a measuring cup into a bag of flour and scoop, you will pack in way too much flour, resulting in the wrong texture of cookie. To accurately measure the flour, spoon the flour into the measuring cup until its overfilled. Then use the back of a table knife to level the measuring cup at the top.

Note 3: One of my favorite ways to enjoy these Bakery M&M Cookies is to use them in an ice cream cookie sandwich! Put a big scoop of vanilla bean ice cream on the bottom of one cookie and add another cookie on top. Press it together gently and enjoy!

Nutrition Note: Calories do not include M&M’s as the amount you use will vary on personal preferences. To estimate, 10 M&M’s (6 in the dough and 4 on top) contain about 40 calories.

Storage: Store Bakery M&M Cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. They’re best enjoyed within 3–4 days. Use leftover baked cookies as cookie ice cream sandwiches (see note 3). Freeze cookie dough instead of baked cookies. Drop cookie dough balls on a large sheet pan and freeze until solid. Once solid, transfer frozen cookie dough balls to an airtight container or bag and freeze for up to 3 months. You can bake these cookies straight from the freezer—no need to thaw, but you may need to add a few extra minutes to the baking time.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 298kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 59mg | Sodium: 260mg | Potassium: 66mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 25g | Vitamin A: 434IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 35mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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