M&M HALLOWEEN COOKIES

Perfect M&M Halloween Cookies made with butter, sugar, pudding mix & colorful M&M’s candies! Fun & festive Halloween Cookie recipe that everyone loves!

Cookies with the perfect texture, slightly crispy edges and a soft & chewy center. Using mini chocolate chips and a combination of regular sized & mini M&M’s is CRITICAL! The final result is very balanced cookie with just the right amount of chocolatey sweetness to cookie dough.

Halloween Cookie Ingredients

Butter & shortening: Using ½ cup each softened butter and shortening makes the cookies rich, crisp, and light.

Sugars: You need 1 cup of both granulated sugar and brown sugar to make these treats sweet and chewy.

Eggs: 2 eggs bind the ingredients in this cookie dough well.

Milk: Add ¼ cup milk to help thin the dough to a good consistency. You can use any type of milk that you have on hand.

Extract: Enhance the flavors by using 1 tsp vanilla extract. I personally love the high quality stuff because nothing compares to how great it tastes.

Flour: Using 3 cups all-purpose flour creates a thick cookie dough.

Pudding mix: You need one 3.4-oz box of vanilla pudding, it adds chewy goodness and flavor!

Baking Soda and salt: The leavening agent is 1 tsp of baking soda and 1 tsp salt is its flavor sidekick.

Chocolate: Use 1 cup mini chocolate chips, 10-oz mini M&M’s, and 1 cup regular sized M&Ms to ensure there is plenty of chocolate in every bite!

Tips for Achieving Chewy Halloween Chocolate Chip Cookies

1. Start by using equal parts softened butter and shortening—this blend creates a cookie that is both rich and light. Cream them thoroughly with your sugars to incorporate air, which helps with the texture.
2. Add the pudding mix to the dry ingredients before combining with the wet. This boosts chewiness and enhances flavor without extra steps.
3. Use a mix of mini chocolate chips, mini M&M’s, and regular-sized M&M’s. This ensures each bite has chocolate and candy color evenly distributed.

Best Ways to Store and Keep Cookies Fresh

Store your cookies in an airtight container to maintain their chewy texture and prevent them from drying out. Layering cookies with parchment paper between each helps avoid sticking or smudging of the colorful M&Ms.

Keep the container at room temperature for up to 5 days. If you want to store them longer, freeze the cookies in a single layer on a baking sheet first, then transfer to a resealable freezer bag for up to 3 months.

Before serving frozen cookies, let them thaw at room temperature. Avoid refrigeration, as it tends to make cookies hard and lose their softness.

M&M Halloween Cookies Recipe

Perfect M&M HALLOWEEN Cookies made with butter, sugars, pudding mix & festive M&M’s candies! Fun & festive Halloween Cookie recipe that everyone loves! 

5 from 4 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Cookies, Desserts

Cuisine: American

Keyword: M&M Halloween Cookies

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 12 minutes minutes

Total Time: 27 minutes minutes

Servings: 48 cookies

Calories: 182kcal

Author: Jessica & Nellie

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going to sleep

Ingredients 

1x2x3x4x5x

• ½ cup butter softened
• ½ cup shortening
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup light brown sugar packed
• 2 large eggs
• ¼ cup milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 3.4 oz box vanilla pudding mix
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 cup mini chocolate chips
• 10 oz Mini M&M’s
• 1 cup Halloween M&M’s
• Candy Eye Balls optional

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350°F and line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
• In a large bowl using an electric mixer, cream the butter and shortening for about 2 minutes, until pale. Add both sugars, mix again until well combined.
• Add the eggs, vanilla extract, milk & mix to combine.
• In a separate bowl whisk the flour, pudding mix, baking soda, and salt. Pour dry ingredients into the butter mixture, stir until flour is completely incorporated.
• Stir in the mini chocolate chips.
• Scoop dough using a medium cookie scoop. Press the ball of dough into the bowl of mini M&M's, so that candies coat the top part of the cookie dough ball. Place several regular sized M&M's onto the top of each cookie. It will look very full, but remember, the cookie will spread in the oven.
• Place balls about 1.5-2″ inches apart on the baking sheet.
• Bake for 11-12 minutes until cookies just barely begin to lightly brown on the sides. Let cool on cookie sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to cooling rack.
• OPTIONAL: After cookies come out of the oven, place 1-2 candy eye balls on top of each cookie, between M&M's. Serve & enjoy!

Notes

These Halloween cookies will stay fresh for up to 5 days if stored in an airtight container at room temperature.

Place them in an airtight container or freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 182kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 14mg | Sodium: 122mg | Potassium: 19mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 20g | Vitamin A: 102IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 24mg | Iron: 1mg

Tried this recipe?Mention @familycookierecipes or tag #familycookierecipes!

What type of pudding mix is best for Halloween M&M cookies?

You should use a vanilla instant pudding mix, typically a 3.4-ounce box. Vanilla adds flavor without overpowering the cookie and contributes to a chewy texture.

Avoid flavored or cook-and-serve pudding mixes as they can change the consistency and taste of your cookies.

Can you replace shortening with more butter in cookie recipes?

You can substitute butter for shortening, but it will affect texture. Using only butter tends to make cookies denser and less crisp.

The original recipe uses half butter and half shortening to balance richness, crispness, and lightness. If you prefer all butter, expect softer edges and a chewier center.

Can I use only regular sized M&M candies?

You definitely could, and it would still be incredible (of course) but you may have a little more trouble getting the cookie dough to hold so many M&Ms on the dough balls because they’re bigger in size. But it’ll work!

How do I know when my cookies are finished baking?

If they are lightly browned around the edges and still look a little doughy at the top, they’re finished. Letting them rest on the cookie sheet for 10 minutes will allow them to complete their cooking process without overdoing it and allow them to solidify before transferring to the cooling racks.

Try more tasty Halloween Cookie recipes here:

• Halloween Cookie Cake is a soft, chewy chocolate chip M&M cookie cake topped with candy eyeballs and festive colors. It’s a fun and spooky-sweet dessert that’s perfect for Halloween celebrations!
• Our recipe for Halloween Cake Mix Sprinkle Cookies are quick, festive treats made with cake mix, vanilla frosting, and colorful sprinkles. Easy to whip up, they’re the perfect sweet addition to any Halloween celebration!
• Halloween Sugar Cookie Bars are topped with purple buttercream and spooky sprinkles. Festive and fun, they’re the perfect sweet treat for Halloween parties!
• These Halloween Brownie Cookies are everything you love about brownies, in cookie form! Soft & chewy with a decadent chocolate icing, these festive cookies are perfect for chocolate lovers!
• Halloween Skeleton Cookies are chocolate sugar cut-outs decorated with spooky skeleton designs. Festive and fun, they’re an easy treat to bake, decorate, and enjoy for Halloween!
• Halloween Sprinkle Cookies is a buttery brown sugar cookie dough colored in fun Halloween shades and rolled in festive sprinkles. Sweet, colorful, and perfect for holiday celebrations!

M&M Halloween Cookies are soft, buttery cookies made with pudding mix and festive M&M candies. Fun, colorful, and irresistibly sweet, they’re a Halloween treat everyone will love!