These Valentine's M&M Cookies are soft, chewy, and packed with chocolate and festive colors. Every batch tastes incredible and makes about 50 cookies, so there's plenty to go around!
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These Valentine's Day M&M Cookies are so irresistibly delicious that you'll find yourself craving them throughout the year (and who's stopping you, anyway?).
Crafted from scratch, they feature the secret ingredient of boxed pudding mix in the dough, making them an irresistible treat that you won't be able to resist.
We use boxed pudding in a lot of recipes from our Butterscotch Chocolate Chip Cookies and Chocolate Pistachio Bundt Cake to our Southern Banana Pudding Cake. When added to baked goods, pudding mix can add amazing flavors and enhanced texture.
When you try these Valentine's M&M Cookies, you'll see for yourself why it's such a great baker's secret! These cookies are chewy, soft, flavorful, and delicious.
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⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ The Buzz From Readers
"This recipe! These cookies! Oh my my my. I will be making this all year long. These cookies remain soft and gooey. Just like how I love my cookies!"
- Sarita
💛 Why You'll Love This Recipe
- They're fun. The added sprinkles, M and Ms, and chocolate chips make the cookies festive and indulgent. For more Valentine's fun, be sure to check out my Cheesecake Stuffed Strawberries Dipped in Chocolate and Raspberry Whipped Cream Filled Cream Puffs.
- They're easy to make. Just mix, scoop and bake! This recipe is a great beginner-friendly cookie recipe to try with the family.
- No chilling is required. Until many other cookie recipes out there, we don't need to chill this dough before baking. The cookies turn out perfectly, and your patience won't be tested.
🛒 Ingredients
Oreo Jell-O Pudding Mix - Use the dry mix only. This adds chocolate flavor, chewiness, and the signature "pudding cookie" texture.
Milk chocolate chips - Add some to the dough and save a few for topping so the cookies look bakery-style.
Valentine's M&Ms - Use red/pink holiday M&Ms or cherry-chocolate ones if you find them.
Valentine's sprinkles - Make the cookies festive and colorful. Try using leftovers in my Cherry Chip Cake Mix Cookies.
See the recipe card below for full ingredients and instructions.
🔀 Substitutions & Variations
No Oreo pudding? Use a 3.4oz box of vanilla pudding + 4 crushed Oreos, stirred together and used as a swap.
Chocolate options: Swap milk chocolate chips for semi-sweet, white chocolate, or even chopped chocolate bars.
M&M options: Use classic, peanut butter, or mini M&Ms for a different texture.
💰 Budget-Friendly Tips
Use holiday clearance candy. Grab M&Ms and themed sprinkles after Christmas or Valentine's Day, up to 75% off.
Swap chocolate chips. Store-brand chocolate chips melt just as nicely as name-brand versions.
Stretch add-ins. Use ½ cup chips + ½ cup M&Ms instead of full amounts, cookies still look full of goodies.
🥄 Instructions for Valentine's M&M Cookies
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or spray with nonstick cooking spray.
Step 2: Add the flour, pudding dry mix, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to a large mixing bowl (Image 1).
Step 3: Whisk together to combine (Image 2). Set aside.
Step 4: Add the granulated sugar, brown sugar and butter to another large mixing bowl (Image 3).
Step 5: Cream together until light and fluffy (Image 4).
Step 6: Add in the vanilla and eggs (Image 5).
Step 7: Mix to distribute (Image 6).
Step 8: Add the dry ingredients to the bowl of egg mixture and mix until well combined (Images 7&8).
You may need to use your hands to help mix it in. The dough will be thick.
Step 9: Add in most of the chocolate chips, sprinkles, and M&Ms. Reserve the rest for later (Image 9).
Step 10: Fold together to combine (Image 10).
Step 11: Scoop the dough into 2 tablespoon sized scoops.
Step 12: Place on a parchment lined baking sheet at least 2 or 3 inches apart (Image 11).
Step 13: Sprinkle your reserved sprinkles over the top of the dough balls.
Step 14: Bake the cookies for 10 minutes until the edges look set (Image 12).
Immediately after removing the Valentine's M&M Cookies from the oven top the cookies with some remaining chocolate chips and M&Ms. I like to chop my M&Ms for a nicer appearance.
Step 16: Let rest on the baking sheet for 2 minutes before transferring to the cooling rack.
Step 17: Continue until all cookies have been cooked and cooled.
👩🏻🍳 Expert Tips
- Mixing Add-Ins: Use a wooden spoon or dough hooks when adding M&Ms, they break less and stay prettier.
- Perfect tops: Press extra M&Ms and chips onto the cookies right after baking to make them picture-perfect.
- Thick dough is normal: This dough is heavy and thick because of the pudding mix, use your hands to finish mixing if needed.
❄️ Storage and Make Ahead
Storage: Store cooled Valentine's M&M Cookiesin an airtight container for up to 4-5 days.
Make Ahead: Roll the dough into balls and refrigerate for up to 48 hours, or freeze the dough balls for up to 3 months. Bake from frozen by adding 1-2 minutes to the bake time.
🥗 Side Dishes or Pairing Ideas
Pair these Valentine's M&M Cookies with other Valentine's Day treats like Cheesecake Stuffed Strawberries Dipped in Chocolate, Raspberry Whipped Cream Filled Cream Puffs, or serve them on a dessert board with hot cocoa or strawberry milk.
- Valentine Cream PuffsRecipe $14.45 / Serving $0.72
- Poor Mans Prime RibRecipe $23.28 / Serving $3.88
- Pink Chocolate Covered StrawberriesRecipe $2.33 / Serving $0.47
- Strawberry Blueberry ShortcakeRecipe $5.47 / Serving $0.91
❓ Valentine's M&M Cookies FAQs
That depends on the cookies you're making, I usually prefer milk chocolate chips. They melt nicer, look glossy, and give a nice burst of sweetness. Semi-sweet can also be good if you like the contrast in flavor and slight bitterness.
Yes, you could use any boxed pudding in place of the one requested in these Valentine themed cookies. Cheesecake flavored, chocolate, vanilla, or even banana cream would all taste pretty amazing in this recipe.
Yes. Freeze the dough balls before baking or freeze the cookies after they've cooled down. Valentine's cookies can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
🍽️ More Recipes You'll Love
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- Red Velvet Banana BreadRecipe $2.81 / Serving $0.28
- Chocolate Covered Cheesecake StrawberriesRecipe $5.53 / Serving $1.38
🐝 If you tried these Valentine's M&M Cookies, please leave a ⭐️ star rating and share your buzz in the 💬 comments below. I'd truly appreciate it!
📖 Recipe
Valentine's M&M Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened - ($1.98)
- 1 cup brown sugar - ($0.44)
- 1 cup granulated sugar - ($0.36)
- 2 large eggs, room temperature - ($0.30)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract - ($0.06)
- 3 cups all-purpose flour - ($0.39)
- 1 box (4 ounces) Oreo instant pudding mix, dry mix only - ($1.78)
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch - ($0.01)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder - ($0.05)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda - ($0.01)
- 1 teaspoon salt - ($0.08)
- 1 cup milk chocolate chips - ($1.07)
- 3 tablespoons Valentine's sprinkles - ($0.48)
- 2 ½ cups (10 ounces) red and pink holiday M&Ms - ($4.28)
Instructions
- Preheat. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly grease.
- Mix dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, Oreo pudding mix, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- Cream butter and sugars. In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add eggs. Mix in the eggs and vanilla extract until fully incorporated.
- Combine. Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and mix just until combined. The dough will be thick.
- Fold in mix-ins. Gently fold in most of the chocolate chips, sprinkles, and M&Ms, reserving some for topping.
- Portion. Scoop the dough into 2-tablespoon portions and place 2 to 3 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle the reserved sprinkles over the tops.
- Bake. Bake for 10 minutes, or until the edges look set and the centers no longer appear glossy.
- Finish. Immediately press the reserved chocolate chips and M&Ms into the tops of the warm cookies.
- Cool. Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 2 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Mix-ins. Chopping some of the M&Ms creates a more even, bakery-style look.
- Resting. Allowing cookies to sit briefly on the baking sheet helps them finish setting.
- Make ahead. Dough balls or baked cookies can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
- Substitution. Replace Oreo pudding with a 3.4-ounce box of vanilla pudding mixed with 4 crushed Oreos, or use chocolate, cheesecake, vanilla, or banana cream pudding flavors.
Nutritional Information
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Sarita says
This recipe! These cookies! Oh my my my. I will be making this all year long. These cookies remain soft and gooey. Just like how I love my cookies!
Nicole says
I'm so glad you enjoyed them! They're certainly a favorite around here too.