Labor Day weekend is already here. It seems impossible, right? My Labor Day travel was cancelled because of 2020 but there is no stopping me from making these patriotic cookies. They’re the best portable dessert for Labor Day weekend. They’re essentially a chocolate chip cookie but the chocolate chips are swapped with red, white and blue m&m’s. They’re soft, chewy, and irresistible.
Every single holiday, (and even an excuse for other events like baby and bridal showers, or graduations and anniversaries) m&m candies are quick to supply special colors to match the theme of your event. I personally love it because there’s no need to go out to buy special molds or cookie cutters or any other specific equipment that I’ll use only once a year for a certain holiday.
This recipe will change all your previous suspicions about m&m cookies. They are incredibly soft, chewy and rich in flavor. When splitting in half, they gently bend rather than snap apart. And really, you don’t even have to follow my recipe! You can just make any Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe you want, and substitute the chocolate chips for m&m’s. However, these are so good, I think you’d regret not trying it. They produce an incredibly soft cookie, so soft in fact, they’re really like pudding cookies. However, no artificial pudding mixes get added to these. They’re secret ingredient (and my inability to stop at just one) is cornstarch. It delivers the same moisture that the pudding box mixes provide, without any chemicals. The result is a cookie that is so soft, it practically melts in your mouth. And getting those bites of crunchy candy shell that encase the chocolate is so satisfying.
So next time you’re hoping to up your dessert game think of these for:
Birthdays (classic)
Valentine’s Day (red, pink & white)
St. Patrick’s Day (Different shades of green)
Easter (pastels)
Sports Events (team colors)
4th of July, Veteran’s Day, Memorial Day, Labor Day (Red, white & blue)
Halloween (orange & black)
Fall (brown, orange, & red)
Christmas (Red & Green)
Hanukkah (Different shades of blue)
A few comments over the years that this recipe has received:
“OMG, I cannot stop at just one.”, “You can definitely taste that these are homemade.” “These are soooooo soft and good.”, “Can we eat these instead of dinner?”
Labor Day M&M Cookies
These patriotic themed m&m cookies are the perfect dessert for Labor Day weekend. They're essentially a chocolate chip cookie but the chocolate chips are swapped with red, white and blue m&m's. They're soft, chewy, and irresistible.
- 3/4 cup Butter, softened
- 3/4 cup Brown sugar
- 1/4 cup Sugar
- 1 Egg
- 2 tsp. Vanilla
- 2 cups Flour
- 2 tsp. Cornstarch
- 1 tsp. Baking soda
- 1/4 tsp. Salt
- 1 1/2 cups Milk chocolate patriotic m&m candies, divided (11 oz. bag; reserve ¼ cup to decorate the top after baking; choose m&m colors based on holiday theme)
In a bowl attached to stand mixer or using an electric hand mixer, beat the butter, brown sugar, and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla, beating until combined, another 2 minutes.
In a separate bowl, combine the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. Add the dry mixture to the wet ingredients. Mix just until combined. Fold in the m&m’s using a spatula, remembering to save 1/4 cup for the end after the cookies have baked.
Create 1 or 2 tablespoon sized cookie dough balls. Flatten each slightly. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 2 hours (or up to 72 hours). (The longer the better but if you're in a pinch put them in the freezer for 30 minutes; they just need to be chilled. You can bake without chilling, but the warm dough will cause the cookies to spread).
Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Place dough evenly on parchment lined cookie sheets. Bake for 8-10 minutes, until edges have set and tops are just beginning to set. Do not bake longer than 10 minutes (even though you may not believe they’re done). They will firm as they cool. Top cookies while still warm with reserved m&m’s. Allow to cool for 3 minutes on baking sheets before transferring to wire rack to cool completely.
*Note: Chocolate chips can be used instead for classic chocolate chip cookies. I like to make these during the holidays, so I choose the m&m bag with the corresponding color theme. Example: Valentine’s Day, Easter, St. Patrick’s Day, 4th of July, Halloween, Christmas, etc.
Recipe from Averie Cooks.
A Bee Bakes 