Gluten-Free M&Ms Cookie Recipe. Buttery Sugar Cookies studded with M&Ms. Perfect for Christmas.
If you love both sugar cookies and chocolate chip cookies, these are for you!
They’re easy to make; so they make perfect Christmas cookies. You can crank out several batches quickly. Placed in pretty bags and tied with a ribbon, these make great gifts.
Like my soft gluten-free sugar cookie recipe, these are really easy to make. If you’ve never made simple sugar cookies before, here’s the lowdown.
How to Make Gluten-Free M&M Cookies
- Mix the Dough. This recipe makes a simple buttery sugar cookie. Cream together butter (see note below if you can’t use dairy) and brown sugar until a thick paste forms. Don’t over-whip the butter and sugar or the cookies will spread too much as they bake. Add the eggs and mix until combined. Then add the dry ingredients. Mix until a dough forms.
- Add the M&Ms. Once the dough comes together, stop the mixer and add the M&Ms. There are lots of M&Ms in these cookies, ensuring that almost each bite of cookie contains an M&M. During baking, the M&Ms sometimes “hide” in the dough. If you want to see the M&Ms, press a few extra into the top of the dough before baking.
- Quick Chill. A quick chill, about 20 minutes, keeps the cookies from spreading too much. Pop the dough into the refrigerator to chill and turn on the oven. By the time the oven is ready to go, the cookies have chilled for long enough.
- Preheat the oven. Bake the cookies into a preheated oven. A cold oven can cause greasy cookies (The butter melts too much before baking as the oven gets up to temperature.)
- Bake. Scoop the dough and drop onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. A cookie scoop works great for this. These cookies spread a little during baking–about as much as a gluten-free chocolate chip cookie. Be sure to space each dough ball about two-inches apart. Bake until the cookies are light brown.
- Cool. When the cookies come out of the oven, they’re delicate. Allow them to cool on the pan for about three minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool.
Which gluten-free flour should I use?
I tested this recipe with Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free Baking Flour. Using a different flour (or flours) can dramatically change the results.
Can I freeze these cookies?
Yes! Allow the cookies to cool completely before freezing. To freeze, place in a freezer container with a layer of parchment or waxed paper between the layers. Thaw the cookies at room temperature overnight.
You can also freeze the dough. Preheat the oven as directed and bake the cookies for an additional minute or so. There’s no need to thaw the dough before baking.
Gluten-Free M&M Cookie Recipe
Gluten-Free M&M Cookie Recipe. Buttery Sugar Cookies studded with M&Ms. Easy to Make.
Ingredients
- 2 cups gluten-free flour (see note) (10 ounces; 285 grams)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup butter, softened (1½ sticks; 6 ounces; 170 grams)
- 1 cup light brown sugar (7 ½ ounces; 212 grams)
- 2 large eggs (about 4 ounces ; 100 grams out of shell)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups chocolate M&Ms, plus additional if desired, see note
Instructions
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Whisk together the gluten-free flour, baking soda, and salt in small bowl. Set aside.
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Cream together the butter and brown sugar in a large mixing bowl until a thick paste forms, about 45 seconds. (Use medium speed on a stand mixer and medium-high speed on a handheld mixer.)
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Stop mixer. Scrape down bottom and sides of the bowl. Turn mixer on. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well between each addition. Stop mixer. Scrape down sides and bottom of the bowl. Add vanilla extract. Mix for 20 seconds.
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Stop mixer. Add whisked gluten-free flour. Turn mixer to low speed. Mix until a dough forms. Stop mixer. Add the M&Ms. Mix until just combined. Chill dough for 20 minutes while you preheat the oven.
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Preheat oven to 350℉. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
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Scoop dough, about two tablespoons each, and round into balls. Place dough onto prepared baking sheet. If desired, press a few additional M&Ms onto each cookie. Space dough about 2-inches apart, as cookies spread during baking.
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Bake until edges are golden brown, about 12 minutes. Allow cookies to cool on the pan for about three minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Recipe Notes
Gluten-Free Flour
This recipe was tested with Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free Baking Flour. Using a different flour can change the texture of these cookies. If you need to replace the flour, use a flour blend that contains xanthan gum or add ¼ teaspoon to the recipe.
Rebeccah says
This was hands down THE best gf cookie recipe I’ve made (and I’ve tried a toooon!). I did use King Arthur’s gf flour blend bc that’s what I had on hand, everything else exactly like the recipe. My gluten eating husband and 9 year old loved them as well and said they didn’t even taste gf! (I’m sure the baby would have said the same if he could try them ☺️). Thank you so much for sharing, and I already have a few other recipes of yours pinned to try later. Will def be checking out your entire blog!
Cindy says
Delicious cookies!!
Isabella says
These cookies were amazing! I made my teacher some she is celiac and she loved them! (and the cookies that I OF COURSE snuck off the pan were delicious!) They look very festive. Make sure to put some M&Ms arranged on top so they come out looking nice. Great cookies for the holiday season.
Long says
OMG! How delicious this looks. I am going to make this for my family. It will truly make them amazing. Thanks
Richard Tunner says
Of all the cookies in the world, M&M cookies have to be my favorite. They are so happy!
Diane Decker says
When you refer to Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free Baking Flour, can we assume that it is the newer 1:1 flour, rather than the older one called Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free Baking Flour that has the bean flour in it? I’ve noticed that you have upgraded a lot of your cookie recipes to include the 1:1 flour, so hoping that is the case here.
Elizabeth says
Hi Diane,
Good question. Yes. The flour used is the 1:1 baking flour. I believe their older blend is labeled as an “All-purpose gluten-free flour.” Bob’s only has one labeled 1:1. As of this writing, it’s in a blue bag.
I hope that helps!
Laura Parker says
I used King Arthur flour and they still turned out amazing!
Savanna says
I tried this recipe the other day and I’m super impressed with the slight crunch on the outside and the softer center. My cookies did spread a little more than I expected which could definitely be from me not letting them chill long enough. I used Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 flour, mini m&ms and I used a cookie scooper. All this to say, these cookies were a huge hit. Highly recommend! Thank you for sharing
SherriS. says
I made these cookies today and they were everything I hoped they would be. Your recipe was easy to follow and the taste and texture were wonderful. Thank you so much!
Valerie says
This is the first time I’ve made a gluten free cookies that’s come out perfectly. Thank you!!!
Karen says
These cookies are so soft and have great flavor. I’m betting no one will know they are gluten free. Love how far good taste is coming for the gluten free/celiac world!!! Thank you for a great recipe! Will definitely be making these again!