Whether you are celebrating Memorial Day, the Fourth of July, or just looking for a delicious and chewy cookie, these Patriotic Red, White, and Blue M&M cookies are the perfect choice!
These cookies are:
- Salty and sweet
- Full of texture from crushed and mini M&Ms
- Chewy on the inside with crisp edges
- Easy to make and adaptable for any holiday!
Recipe used for the Patriotic M&M Cookies:
Recipe used: BEST M&M Cookies by Butternut Bakery
Every recipe I have made by Jenna of Butternut Bakery has been a complete hit and these M&M cookies are no exception. I’ve made these cookies a few times, with the last batch receiving a Valentine’s Day makeover with pink, red, and white M&Ms! Check them out here – Valentine’s M&M Cookies.
What makes this recipe so unique is the crushed M&Ms. This is the first recipe I’ve seen that doesn’t call for whole M&Ms and the texture of the broken candies is absolutely fantastic! Every bite has the perfect ratio of chocolate pieces to buttery cookie. The flaky salt on top also completely pushes these over the top to be an M&M cookie like you’ve never had before!
Tips for Assembling the Patriotic M&M Cookies:
Buy festive M&M mixes:
I found these patriotic colored M&Ms at the grocery store, and separated out the red, brown, and blue from the mini M&M packs. If you dont wan’t to spend the time separating the mini M&M colors, you could sub for mini chocolate chips or add extra of the crushed, regular size M&Ms!
Use a cookie scoop:
It saves so much time! I recently bought these scoops and can’t believe I didn’t invest in quality scoops sooner. Using this tool is much easier than weighing out the dough balls on a food scale! I also used these scoops for my Neapolitan Cookies and am amazed at how clean of a scoop/release I get with them.
Tips for baking the M&M cookies:
Push in the cookie edges as soon as they come out of the oven:
Do not hesitate as the edges will start firming up quickly. Grab your fork and immediately start pushing the edges in while the cookies are soft, hot, and malleable.
Use a light colored pan:
After switching to light colored pans I can’t imagine going back to dark! I have found cookies to bake much more evenly with no risk of burnt bottoms. I love these by Nordic Ware and have 3 pans in rotation to keep batches moving without waiting for the pan to cool down to bake another.
Add extra M&Ms before and after baking:
For visual impact and also added texture, top the dough balls with extra crushed and mini M&Ms before baking and also right after they come out of the oven.
Don’t forget the sprinkle of flaky salt as well!
Additional Tips:
Save time and make the dough the night before:
I made the 2 oz dough balls, topped them with extra M&Ms and then put them in an air-tight container overnight in the refrigerator. I baked them straight out of the fridge the next morning and they baked wonderfully!
Freeze the leftovers – if you have any!
I find these cookies freeze very well. They maintain their flavor, texture, and chewiness. The M&Ms may develop a bit of a white cast if you store them for over a month or so, so be forewarned in case you bake these for an event. For day to day snacking the color fading doesn’t take away from the flavors one bit!
I like to wrap the cookies in saran wrap and then place them in a freezer-safe, air-tight container.
Whether you are a fan of M&M cookies, a salty and sweet combo, or in need of a crowd-pleasing patriotic dessert for Memorial Day weekend, you will be bookmarking this recipe to make again and again! There is something so mouth watering and addicting about the crunch of the crushed M&Ms paired with the crisp cookie edges and chewy, buttery center. These Patriotic Crushed M&M Cookies should be a staple in everyone’s recipe arsenal! If they aren’t currently, they no doubt will be as soon as you take one bite!
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If you make this dessert or have any questions, please leave a comment below! I absolutely love hearing when others are inspired to step into their kitchen and try out something new.
Happy Baking!
XOXO,
