Rich, fudgy Double Chocolate M&M Cookies with crisp edges and soft centers, truly nothing better!
If you’re a chocolate lover like me, then these Double Chocolate M&M Cookies are about to become your new favorite cookie. Rich cocoa powder, dark chocolate chips, mini chocolate chips, and M&Ms combine to create layers upon layers of chocolate flavor in every bite. This cookie has crisp edges, soft and fudgy centers, and pools of melted chocolate throughout.
Finished with a sprinkle of flaky sea salt, these cookies are the perfect balance between sweet and salty. They are easy enough for a weeknight baking session, but impressive enough to bring to parties, add to holiday cookie trays, make for bake sales, family gatherings, or just eating alone in your closet (no judgement from me!).
So whether you’re craving a classic chocolate cookie, looking for the perfect dessert to satisfy a chocolate craving, or simply need a foolproof cookie recipe that everyone will rave about, then this Double Chocolate M&M Cookie recipe is the only one you need.
Why you’ll love this recipe!
What ingredients do I need?
- Unsalted Butter: Provides richness, flavor, and helps create that perfectly chewy texture.
- Granulated Sugar: Adds sweetness and helps create lightly crisp cookie edges.
- Light Brown Sugar: Adds moisture, chewiness, and subtle caramel notes.
- Eggs: They bind the ingredients together, while also contributing to their structure and richness.
- Vanilla Extract: Enhances the chocolate flavor and adds warmth.
- All Purpose Flour: The flour provides structure to the cookies, while keeping them tender as well.
- Cocoa Powder: Creates a rich chocolate base and deep cocoa flavor.
- Baking Soda: Helps the cookies spread properly and develop chewy centers.
- Baking Powder: Provides a little extra lift and softness.
- Espresso Powder (Optional): Enhances the chocolate flavor without making the cookies taste like coffee.
- Sea Salt: Balances sweetness and deepens flavor.
- Dark Chocolate Chips: Provide rich chocolate flavor and gooey melted pockets throughout the cookies.
- Mini Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips: Distribute evenly through the dough, ensuring chocolate in every bite.
- Semi-Sweet Chocolate Mini M&M’s: Add texture, sweetness, and a fun bakery like appearance.
- Flaky Sea Salt: The finishing touch that makes the chocolate flavors pop.
Recipe Variations
- Triple Dark Chocolate Cookies: Use dark chocolate chips, dark chocolate chunks, and dark chocolate candies. Just stick to the dark chocolate for this one!
- Chocolate Walnut Cookies: Add ½ cup of toasted, chopped walnuts for extra crunch.
- Mocha Chocolate Cookies: Double the espresso powder for a subtle coffee flavor.
- Peanut Butter Chocolate Cookies: Add peanut butter chips for a sweet and salty variation.
Pro Tips
- Slightly underbake the cookies for the best soft and fudgy centers.
- The cookies continue baking on the hot sheet pan after they’re removed from the oven.
- Use room temperature butter, which makes for better creaming and even mixing.
- Cream the butter and sugars for the full 2–3 minutes to create a lighter texture.
- Use high-quality chocolate whenever possible for richer flavor.
- Reserve a few chocolate chips and M&M’s to press into the tops of the dough balls before baking for bakery style presentation.
- If your kitchen is warm and the dough feels sticky, chill it for 20–30 minutes before baking.
- Sprinkle flaky sea salt immediately after baking so it adheres to the warm cookies.
- Use a cookie scoop for evenly sized cookies that bake consistently. I love using my 3 tbsp cookie scoop. I personally feel it makes the most perfect size cookies.
- After sprinkling the warm cookies with flaky sea salt, gently tap the baking sheet on the counter 2–3 times. This helps slightly deflate the cookies, creating those beautiful rippled edges and dense, fudgy centers often seen in bakery style cookies.
Can I Substitute?
Yes! Like always though, any substitutions made to the recipe can result in a change in texture and/or flavor.
- Unsalted butter: Use salted butter and then slightly reduce the added salt.
- Chocolate: Swap the chocolate with whatever chocolate you would like.
- Cocoa powder: Use dutch-process cocoa powder for a deeper chocolate flavor.
- Espresso powder: You can completely omit this without any issues.
Dietary Substitutions
- Dairy Free: Use your favorite plant based butter and dairy-free chocolate chips.
- Egg Free: Use a flax egg substitute, though texture may be slightly softer. To make one flax egg, whisk together 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed and 3 tablespoons of water, then let it sit for 5–10 minutes until thickened and gel-like.
- Gluten Free: Substitute a 1:1 gluten-free baking flour blend.
Leftovers and Storage
- Room temperature: Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
- Freezer: For longer storage, freeze baked cookies in a freezer safe container for up to 2 months.
- To freeze cookie dough, scoop the cookie dough onto a baking sheet and then freeze the dough until solid. Transfer the frozen dough to a freezer safe container, or bag, and store for up to 2 months. You can then take out however many cookies you would like and bake them directly from frozen, adding 1–2 minutes to the bake time. You can see my blog post on this here.
But, I Still Have A Few Questions…
Why are my cookies spreading too much?
Butter that is too soft or warm can cause excessive spreading. If your dough feels very soft, chill it for 20–30 minutes before baking.
Can I make the dough ahead of time?
Yes. Cookie dough can be refrigerated for up to 48 hours before baking. You can also freeze the dough! To freeze cookie dough, scoop portions onto a baking sheet and freeze until solid. Transfer to a freezer bag and store for up to 2 months. Bake directly from frozen, adding 1–2 minutes to the bake time. You can see my blog post on this here.
Why do the centers look a little underbaked?
Not underbaked, perfect! That’s exactly how to you want them to look when you remove them from the oven. The cookies will continue setting as they cool, creating that soft, fudgy texture that you will love!
Do I have to use espresso powder?
No. It’s completely optional and used to simply enhance the chocolate flavor.
Can I make smaller cookies?
Yes. Choose a smaller scoop size and begin checking for doneness around 8–9 minutes.
What type of cocoa powder works best?
Natural cocoa powder works really well, however you can use Dutch-process cocoa powder too which would result in a deeper flavor.
Why add flaky sea salt?
Flaky sea salt balances the sweetness and enhances the chocolate flavor. Once you start sprinkling it on top, you’ll never go back! I love these two flaky sea salts the best: Saltverk and Maldon Sea Salt.
Can I use chocolate chunks instead of the chocolate chips?
Go for it! Chunks create larger pockets of melted chocolate throughout the cookies, which sounds amazing to me!
How do I get that bakery style cookie look?
Use a large cookie scoop, reserve extra chocolate for the tops, sprinkle with a little flaky sea salt after baking, and slightly underbake the cookies.
Why should I tap the baking sheet on the counter after baking?
Gently tapping the baking sheet on the counter immediately after removing the cookies from the oven helps the centers settle and creates those signature crinkly, bakery-style edges.
Other Recipes You’ll Love
Let’s engage!
Make sure to tag @thehomechefmomma on Instagram or Facebook, and leave a review or comment if you make these. I always get so excited to see your creations, variations of the recipe, and feedback! Just remember to be kind in your comments, there is still a person behind this screen! 🙂
Double Chocolate M&M Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2¼ cups all purpose flour
- ⅓ cup cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon espresso powder optional
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1¼ cups dark chocolate chips
- ½ cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ¾ cup semi-sweet chocolate M&M’s
- Flaky sea salt for finishing
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar for 2–3 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Add eggs and vanilla extract. Mix until fully combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Add flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, espresso powder (if using), and sea salt. Mix on low speed until just combined.
- Fold in the dark chocolate chips, mini chocolate chips, and M&M’s.
- Using a 3-tablespoon cookie scoop, portion dough onto prepared baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between cookies.
- Bake for 10–12 minutes, until the edges are set and the centers still appear slightly soft.
- Remove from the oven and immediately sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Then tap a few times on the counter.
- Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5–10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
double chocolate chip cookies | double chocolate cookies | fudgy chocolate cookies | bakery style chocolate cookies | chocolate chip cookie recipe | easy chocolate cookie recipe | homemade chocolate cookies | chewy chocolate cookies | cocoa powder cookies | dark chocolate cookies | chocolate lover cookies | soft chocolate cookies | best double chocolate cookies | chocolate M&M cookies | sea salt chocolate cookies
Nutritional Content Disclaimer
I choose not to include nutritional information with my recipes, as these values can be calculated from the ingredients provided. With my background as a pediatric nurse practitioner and my own family experience with disordered eating, I understand how focusing on numbers can affect our relationship with food. My philosophy is that all foods have a place—sweet, savory, nourishing, or indulgent. I aim to share recipes that support a healthy, joyful approach to eating. My hope is that this space also encourages a balanced, healthy relationship with food for you and your family too.