If you like soft and chewy cookies then you'll love these salted caramel M&M cookies. They're super easy to make with basic ingredients and they're even suitable for beginner bakers!
Calling all M&M lovers, this recipe is for you! Since I had so much fun making my M&M fudge and my M&M bark, I thought I'd make some cookies to add to the collection.
These caramel M&M cookies are soft and chewy, with slightly crispy edges and a salted caramel filling. They're super easy to make and they're ready to eat in less than 30 minutes.
For those who are new to cookie baking, I've written some ingredient and equipment notes below, along with step-by-step instructions and images, top tips and answers to FAQs. I hope you find it helpful. If you'd prefer the quick, condensed version of the recipe, skip straight to the recipe card by scrolling to the end of the post. Enjoy!
Ingredients
- Sugar: A mix of white and brown sugar will give you the chewiest cookies with a delicious caramel-like flavour. I recommend using caster sugar (also known as superfine sugar) and soft light brown sugar.
- Butter: You can use salted or unsalted butter for these cookies- whatever you prefer. To make life easier for yourself, make sure to soften your butter before you start baking! You can either leave it out at room temperature for an hour or you can pop it in the microwave for about 10 seconds- just enough to soften it without melting it.
- Egg: Just 1, which will help to bind all of the ingredients together.
- Vanilla extract: For extra flavour.
- Flour: I like to use self-raising flour in my cookies because it creates a lovely texture without needing to add baking powder separately.
- Chocolate chips: I used milk chocolate chips but feel free to use white or dark if you prefer.
- Caramel sauce: To fill the cookies with. Any type of runny caramel will work here. I used one from a squeezy bottle which made it super easy to divide it between the cookies.
- Salted caramel M&Ms: Last but not least, you'll need some salted caramel M&Ms. Here in the UK we don't have the regular caramel M&Ms so I opted to use these instead.
Kitchen tools
- Mixing bowl: A large one. This recipe makes quite a lot of dough!
- Utensils: You'll need a teaspoon for measuring and a wooden spoon for mixing.
- Baking tray: It's good to have one or two large trays to bake these cookies. They spread out a lot in the oven so you'll need to leave quite a bit of space between them.
- Baking paper: To stop the cookies from sticking to the tray. I don't recommend using a non-stick tray as the caramel can harden against it.
How to make salted caramel M&M cookies
Step 1: First, preheat your oven to 180°C (or 160°C if you're using a fan oven). Line a large tray or two with baking paper.
Step 2: In a large bowl, mix together 150g of softened butter, 130g of caster sugar and 100g of soft light brown sugar until smooth.
Step 3: Next, add medium 1 egg and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Mix well.
Step 4: Add 250g of self-raising flour to the bowl and start mixing. When it's starting to come together, put your hands in there and press it all together into a ball of dough.
Step 5: Add 80g of chocolate chips and 150g of salted caramel M&Ms then gently press them into the dough with your hands. I recommend leaving a few to top the cookies with.
Step 6: Divide the cookie dough into 12 equal-sized pieces. Then divide each piece into 2 halves. Roll the first half into a ball then press down in the middle to create a dent. Place 1 teaspoon of caramel into this dent. Press the other half of the dough into a flat disc and use it to cover the caramel, as pictured below.
Step 7: Top with extra M&Ms and chocolate chips if desired.
Step 8: Bake the cookies for around 12 minutes, until they are just starting to turn golden at the edges. They will look underdone when you first take them out but they'll continue to bake for a few minutes longer outside of the oven.
Step 9: Leave the cookies on the tray until they're completely cool then enjoy!
Cookie tips
- Don't overfill the cookies or caramel may spill out. I found 1 teaspoon to be the perfect amount for each cookie.
- The cookies will look underbaked when you first take them out. They should be slightly golden at the edges and a little bit pale in the middle. Don't let them get golden all over as they will end up hard and crunchy instead of chewy once they've cooled.
- If your cookies are a little wonky looking, you can use the edge of a spoon or large cookie cutter to shape them into perfect circles while they're still warm.
FAQ
You can store these in an airtight container for up to 5 days. I like to keep mine in the fridge to make them extra chewy.
Yes, you can freeze these for up to 1 month. You can either put them into airtight containers or you can pre-freeze them on a baking sheet and then pop them into a freezer bag. To defrost them, let them sit out at room temperature for an hour or two. Do not refreeze.
I have not got around to testing this yet but I imagine these cookies would work well with gluten-free flour. Make sure to use one with xanthan gum in it, which will help to prevent crumbly cookies.
More cookie recipes:
I hope you like these caramel M&M cookies. If you make them at home, please leave a rating and comment below to let me know what you think. Enjoy!
Salted Caramel M&M Cookies
Ingredients
- 150 g Salted butter (⅔ cup) softened at room temperature and cut into cubes
- 130 g Caster sugar (⅝ cups)
- 100 g Soft light brown sugar (½ cup)
- 1 Medium Egg
- 1 Teaspoon Vanilla extract
- 250 g Self-raising flour (2 cups)
- 80 g Milk chocolate chips (½ cup)
- 12 Teaspoons Salted caramel sauce
- 150 g Salted caramel M&Ms (5.3oz)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 180℃ (or 160℃ for fan ovens) and line a large baking tray or two with baking paper.
- Add the butter to a large bowl along with the caster sugar and brown sugar. Use an electric whisk or stand mixer to mix it into a thick paste.
- Now add the egg and the vanilla extract. Mix again until smooth.
- Add in all of the self-raising flour and stir it in. When it's starting to stick, use your hands to press it all together into a ball of dough.
- Gently knead the chocolate chips and most of the M&Ms into the cookie dough, saving a few for topping.
- Divide the dough into 12 equal-sized pieces.
- Divide each piece into 2 halves. Roll the first half into a ball and gently press down in the middle to create a small dent. Fill the dent with 1 teaspoon of salted caramel sauce. Press the other half into a flat disc and use it to cover the caramel. Repeat for each cookie.
- Put the cookies on the tray, leaving 2-3 inches of space in between them to allow for spreading (4-5 per tray is best).
- Top with extra M&Ms and chocolate chips.
- Bake for 11-12 minutes, until the cookies are JUST starting to turn golden at the edges. They'll look a bit underdone but will turn golden and chewy once they've cooled down.
- Let the cookies cool completely before removing them from the tray.
Video
Notes
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
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