M&M Cookies (Colorful, Chewy, Impossible to Stop Eating)

Pull these from the oven when the edges are barely golden and the centers still look underdone. They firm up on the hot sheet over the next five minutes, and that carryover is what keeps the middles chewy instead of dry. I cream the softened butter with both sugars for a full three minutes, because the brown sugar is doing most of the work on texture here. The candies go in last so they don't crack apart in the mixer.

By Nora Calloway

Swaps & Substitutions

• Unsalted butter → if you only have salted, use it and drop the added salt to a pinch.
• All-purpose flour → a 1:1 gluten-free blend with xanthan gum works, though the cookies spread a touch more and turn cakier.
• Brown sugar → out of it? Stir 1 tbsp molasses into the granulated sugar per cup; skip the swap entirely and they bake up thinner and crisper.
• Eggs → a flax egg (1 tbsp ground flax + 3 tbsp water per egg) holds, but expect a denser, less chewy crumb.
• M&Ms → plain chocolate ones are the default; peanut or pretzel M&Ms work, just chop the big ones so they fold in evenly.
• Chocolate chips → optional anyway. Leave them out for a pure candy cookie, or swap in chopped chocolate for more melt.

Questions & Answers