Name: Red White and Blue M&M Cookies
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature; 1/3 cup brown sugar; 2/3 cup granulated sugar; 1 egg; 3/4 tsp salt; 1/2 tsp baking soda; 1/2 tsp espresso powder; 1/4 tsp almond extract*; 2 tsp vanilla extract; 1 2/3 cup all purpose flour; 1 Tbsp cornstarch; 1 + 1/4 cup M&Ms, divided (I used red, white and blue, but you can use any M&Ms); Sea Salt, optional

These Red, White, and Blue M&M Cookies are my favorite 4th of July cookie recipe. These are such soft and chewy M&M cookies, and the holiday M&M candies make these so fun for the summer months.

Easy 4th Of July M&M Cookies

If summer was a cookie, these festive M&M cookies would be it! They are soft and chewy M&M cookies filled with patriotic colors, they have a crisp and buttery edge while still having gooey middles. With all of the red, white, and blue M&Ms, these are kind of like adorable little firework cookies.

While I do have a few recipes on here specifically dedicated to holidays, I don’t usually share such perfectly themed recipes. However, when I spotted these 4th of July M&Ms, I couldn’t resist making these patriotic cookies.

These M&M cookies are based off my classic chocolate chip cookie recipe, but sub out chocolate chips, using all milk chocolate M&Ms instead (however, if you want to use both, you can use half chocolate chips and half M&Ms like I do in these M&M Cookie Bars) and also use a pinch of almond extract.

And the best part? You don’t need to chill the cookie dough. So freshly baked homemade cookies are in your hands in under an hour from start to finish!

What I Love About These Easy M&M Cookies For 4th Of July

Theme: It’s no surprise I’m a sucker for cute things, and the colored M&Ms put out for each holiday are some of my favorite cutesy things. These red white and blue M&Ms add such a vibrancy to the cookies, making them the perfect cookie for summer! Whether it’s Memorial Day, Labor Day, or 4th of July, these festive Independence Day Cookies with M&Ms will be a fun addition to the celebration.
One Bowl: One bowl cookies are my jam! Why dirty up more dishes than necessary?
Texture: Soft-baked M&M cookies with chewy centers and buttery edges. Plus, this is a no chill cookie dough!

If you’re looking for other patriotic desserts, check out these Cream Cheese Red Velvet Cookies, these Red Velvet Cupcakes, this Lemon Berry Naked Cake, and this Classic Strawberry Shortcake (which you can add a few blueberries to in order to really amp up the holiday theme).

Ingredients:

Unsalted Butter: We add sea salt and salt to the cookie dough so no, we’re not using salted butter to make cookies.
Brown Sugar: Just a little bit of brown sugar to give these cookies a nice and soft texture.
Granulated Sugar
Egg
Baking Soda
Salt
Espresso Powder: I love adding espresso powder to my cookie recipes with chocolate (whether it’s a chocolate cookie base, a chocolate chip cookie, or a cookie with M&Ms) because the espresso powder enhances the chocolate flavor.
Vanilla Extract
Almond Extract: Okay, this addition of almond extract is totally optional. I like adding it for two reasons. Firstly, I think almond is a really nice flavor with milk chocolate and it just enhances the overall milk chocolate flavor of the M&M cookie dough. Secondly, it adds a little bit of a cake batter flavor to the cookies, which sets them apart from traditional chocolate chip cookies or even plain M&M cookies.
All Purpose Flour
Cornstarch
M&Ms: We’re using red white and blue M&Ms, but you can use any M&M you have—peanut butter M&Ms, peanut M&Ms, dark chocolate M&Ms, etc.
Sea Salt

How To Make 4th of July M&M Cookies:

This a an easy M&M cookie recipe and this cookie dough comes together so quickly! This is a brief overview of how to make these patriotic cookies, as there is a printable recipe card down below.

Step 1: Using a hand mixer, cream unsalted butter in a medium bowl (or in the bowl of a stand mixer) until light and fluffy.

Step 2: Add in both the brown sugar and the granulated sugar, and continue to cream the mixture until light and fluffy.

Step 3: Next, add in the egg and mix until fully combined.

Step 4: Add in the baking soda, salt, espresso powder, vanilla extract, and almond extract. Mix until combined.

Step 5: Scoop and level flour, and then add it to the cookie dough. And, add in the cornstarch. Then, mix until combined.

Step 6: Finally, add in the M&Ms and mix until combined.

Step 7: Scoop dough with a large cookie scoop and place evenly apart on a parchment lined baking sheet.

Step 8: Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until centers are just about golden brown and the edges are slightly set.

Step 9: If desired, use a large cup or dough cutter to swirl around the warm cookies to push them into perfect circles. Sprinkle the tops with sea salt and add a few more M&Ms for decoration.

Storing and Freezing Tips:

Store: Keep these patriotic M&M cookies in an airtight container for 2-3 days. M&M cookies are best when freshly baked, but they are still soft and chewy for the next couple of days. After that, they begin to dry out and turn crumbly.
Freeze: If you want to freeze the cookie dough, scoop the dough into balls and place in an airtight container with parchment paper between the layers. You can let the cookies thaw before baking, or you can bake frozen M&M cookies by adding about 3 more minutes to the overall bake time.

Here are some other festive desserts for the summer season:

Quick and Easy Baking Tips:

Want the Best M&M Cookies for 4th of July? Don’t skip these recipe tips:

Room Temp Butter: Make sure your butter is at room temperature before making these cookies.
Cookie Scoop: Using a large cookie scoop will get you 12 M&M cookies that are thick, chewy, and gooey. You can use a medium scoop as well. You will likely get 18-20 cookies, and I’d reduce the back time by a couple of minutes.
Sea Salt: I’m a big believer in sea salt on top of cookies, especially cookies with M&Ms or chocolate chips. The sea salt helps cut through the overall sweetness.
Cornstarch: We use cornstarch because it adds an extra softness and chewiness to the cooke dough, and I for one can never get enough of chewy M&M cookies with soft centers and perfectly crisp edges.