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Home » Recipes » Cookies

Brown Butter M&M Cookies

Published: Sep 3, 2024 by Heather · As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. · 1514 words. · About 8 minutes to read this article.

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Brown butter M&M cookies are a fun twist on my favorite chewy chocolate chip cookies recipe. The brown butter adds an irresistible nutty, caramel flavor that you're going to love!

A stack of brown butter M&M cookies on a cooling rack.

I love adding brown butter to cookies. My brown butter shortbread cookies are a favorite around the holidays!

Nutty, toasted brown butter adds a cozy, comforting flavor that you'll love. M&M's are folded into the dough and add a little crunch, chocolatey flavor, and a rainbow of colors.

Brown butter M&M cookies are perfect any time of year and can easily be customized to the season with different candy colors. Christmas M&M cookies are perfect for a holiday cookie tray!

Ingredients and substitutions

Ingredients on a countertop.
  • Unsalted butter - The butter and salt listed in the recipe can be substituted with salted butter if needed.
  • Sugars - We're using a combination of granulated sugar and brown sugar in this recipe for optimal texture and flavor. Brown sugar adds a caramelized, molasses flavor and chewy texture to your cookies. Granulated sugar adds a little crispness to the edges as the cookies bake.
  • Eggs - Room temperature eggs incorporate seamlessly into the dough and add moisture and structure.
  • Vanilla extract - Enhances the flavor of your cookies.
  • All-purpose flour - Adds structure to your cookies and balances the wet ingredients in the recipe. I haven't tested this recipe with other types of flours, so I can't say for sure how your cookies would turn out with substitutions. To avoid wasting ingredients, I highly suggest searching for a recipe that has been developed with the type of flour you'd like to use.
  • Leavening - You'll need baking soda for this recipe - it cannot be substituted with baking powder, the two are not interchangeable.
  • Salt - Enhances the flavor of your cookies and balances the sweetness without making your cookies "salty".
  • M&M's candies - M&M's can be substituted with Reese's Pieces or chocolate chips if desired.

Brown butter tips

Never browned butter before? Browning butter is as simple as melting butter in a saucepan over medium heat and allowing it to brown in the pan. You'll notice brown flakes forming on the bottom of the pan after about 4 to 5 minutes.

Stir frequently - Stir the butter frequently as it begins to brown. This helps scrape up browned bits on the bottom to prevent burning.

Cook until golden brown, not black - Once the butter looks golden brown with a good amount of brown flecks, remove the butter from the heat. It shouldn't look dark or black.

Cookie tips and tricks

Making brown butter M&M cookies on a sheet pan.

Properly measure your flour - This is the most common issue in baking. If you have issues with your cookies not spreading, turning out extra thick, or having a bland flavor, you probably measured too much flour into your cookie dough.

To properly measure flour - I highly recommend using a kitchen scale. Measuring by weight ensures your ingredients are 100% accurate every time. If you don't have a kitchen scale, use the spoon and level method. Gently stir your flour, then use a spoon to add flour to your measuring cup. Last, level off the top with a knife. By scooping flour directly from a container with your measuring cup, you’re compacting the flour into the cup. This adds up to 25% extra flour to your dough. Check out my flour measuring test on my post 10 tips for baking cookies to see the weight difference of each measuring method!

Why chill cookie dough? - Chilling is important for several reasons. This time allows the flavors to meld, creating a tastier cookie. The flour has time to hydrate, which creates a chewier, thicker cookie. Lastly, some of the moisture evaporates, which creates a concentrated flavor and helps the dough spread less in the oven.

Chill longer for better texture and flavor - I try to chill my dough for at least 24 hours when I bake cookies for myself. Dough can be chilled for up to 3 days in the refrigerator if you'd like to make it ahead of a holiday or event.

Don't have 24 hours? - Anywhere in the 3 to 6 hour range greatly improves the overall texture of your cookies. If time is an issue, I highly recommend chilling for at least 1 hour minimum. I never recommend baking this dough straight after mixing.

Storage

Your cookies will keep for up to 5-7 days in a tightly sealed container at room temperature. To help keep cookies fresh, place a slice of bread in the container with the cookies. Replace the bread slice as needed.

Cookies can also be frozen for up to 3 months in a freezer-safe container. To thaw, place on the countertop and remove the lid for 1 to 2 hours.

Frequently asked questions

Brown butter M&M cookies spread out on a cooling rack.
What does browning butter do for cookies?

Browning butter adds a nutty, toasted caramel flavor to the dough.

Why are my brown butter cookies flat?

Brown butter cookies can turn out flat if the butter wasn't brought back to room temperature (solid) before creaming the ingredients together. The solid butter and sugars are creamed together to aerate the dough and help the cookies rise in the oven. Dough also needs to be chilled so that it firms up and spreads less while baking. Greasing the cookie sheet can also cause cookies to spread more.

Why did my cookies turn out dry?

Dry baked goods can happen for several reasons. If any of the moisture-adding ingredients have been reduced, like sugar, butter, or eggs, this can cause baked goods to turn out dry. If too much flour was added (I recommend weighing your flour or using the spoon and level method), cookies can turn out dry or cakey. Lastly, baking too long in the oven can dry out baked goods.

Do I need to chill my dough?

Chilling cookie dough allows the flavors to meld and firms up the dough so it spreads less in the oven. Some of the moisture in the dough evaporates, which prevents excess spreading in the oven. If you don't rest your dough, it's very likely that your cookies will spread into thin blobs on the baking sheet. See my section above, "chilling cookie dough", to see my chill time test results.

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📖 Recipe

A stack of brown butter M&M cookies on a cooling rack.
Pin Print Rate
5 from 1 review

Brown Butter M&M Cookies

Brown butter M&M cookies are a fun twist on my favorite chewy chocolate chip cookies recipe. The brown butter adds an irresistible nutty, caramel flavor that you're going to love!
Prep Time1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes
Cook Time10 minutes minutes
Total Time1 hour hour 40 minutes minutes
Servings: 36 cookies
Calories: 173kcal
Author: Heather

Ingredients

  • 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 cup (213 g) brown sugar
  • ½ cup (99 g) granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 ½ cups (300 g) all purpose flour, *measured properly
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups (356 g) M&M's candies
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Instructions

Browning butter

  • In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt butter and stir frequently. Butter will begin to foam and boil. After 4 to 5 minutes you will see brown flecks appear in the bottom of the pan. Continue to stir until butter is golden and flecks are a medium brown color. Watch closely, butter will brown quickly. The entire process takes about 5 to 7 minutes.
  • Remove butter from heat and pour into a bowl. Refrigerate for 15-25 minutes, or until butter is just solidified. You're looking for a room temperature or slightly cooler, solid butter.

Cookies

  • In a large bowl, add room temperature brown butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Using a stand mixer or hand mixer, beat until creamed and fluffy, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add eggs and vanilla extract and beat until creamy and smooth, about 1 minute.
  • In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Gradually stir dry ingredients into butter mixture until just combined. Add M&M's and stir until just combined. 
  • Cover bowl or wrap dough in wax paper. Chill for at least one hour (24 hours or more is ideal) in the refrigerator. Refrigerating helps the flavors meld, creates a chewier texture, and firms up the dough so it spreads less in the oven.
  • Preheat oven to 350℉ and line a baking sheet with parchment paper (do not grease your baking sheet, this causes the cookies to spread more in the oven). Set aside.
  • Scoop dough using a medium cookie scoop or shape by hand into 1.5 inch balls.
  • Place cookie dough balls 2 inches apart onto prepared baking sheet. Bake for about 11-14 minutes, or until lightly browned around edges and across the tops. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Equipment Recommendations

  • Nicewell Digital Kitchen Scale
  • Pyrex Glass Mixing Bowls
  • Nordic Ware Half Baking Sheet
  • Reynolds Parchment Paper

Notes

  • * How to measure flour properly: Use a kitchen scale to measure flour for accurate results every time. If you don't have a kitchen scale, use the spoon and level method. Stir the flour (especially if it's been packed down in a bag/container), then gently spoon into the measuring cup, leveling off the top with a knife. Scooping with a measuring cup compacts flour into the cup and adds up to 25% extra to the recipe, resulting in dry, bland cookies that don't spread properly.
  • Storing cookies: Cookies will keep for 5-7 days in a sealed container. To help keep cookies fresh, place a slice of bread in the container with the cookies. Replace the bread slice as needed.
  • Storing dough: Raw cookie dough will keep in the refrigerator for 3 days.
  • Freezing: Cookie dough balls (and baked cookies) freeze well, up to 3 months in a sealed plastic container or freezer bag. Allow frozen balls to thaw for up to 10 minutes on the baking sheet before baking, or add 1-2 minutes to the baking time.
  • Tips: Be sure to check out my 10 tips for baking cookies, based on reader comments and questions!

Nutrition Estimate

Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 173kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 24mg | Sodium: 109mg | Potassium: 23mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 197IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 23mg | Iron: 1mg
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American

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  1. Heather

    February 14, 2025 at 10:02 am

    I had so much fun creating this recipe! I hope you give it a try and love it as much as I do. If you have a question, check out the post above, which is packed with information about the recipe. Tried the recipe? I'd love to hear your thoughts — leave a comment and a star rating to share your feedback!

    Reply

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Heather of The Toasty Kitchen

Hi, I'm Heather!

I love cooking with simple, everyday ingredients and want to help you make homemade meals with ease.

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