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Caramel M&M cookies featuring a dark chocolate base and chunks of gooey caramel. One of my favorite cookie recipes with caramel M&Ms!
What Inspired These Caramel M&M Cookies?
A few years ago, while wandering the aisles of a New York City drugstore, I spotted something strange and unfamiliar: M&Ms candies in a dark blue package. I instantly did a double-take. Upon closer inspection, it dawned on me that I was in the presence of…caramel M&Ms!
Caramel M&Ms made their debut into the M&M Mars family back in May of 2017. And logically, being a fan of both M&Ms and caramel, these chewy bits of chocolate goodness quickly became a staple in both my baking (and snacking!) repertoires.
My only (admittedly minor!) complaint about these caramel M&Ms is their size. They’re fairly large (even bigger than a peanut M&M) which means that they don’t work easily into the cookie dough like a traditional M&M. So, I’ve opted to press the M&Ms into the tops of each cookie, rather than kneading them into the cookie dough itself.
These bakery-style M&M cookies combine a dark chocolate base with caramel M&Ms and chunks of caramel candy. When I first wrote this recipe back in 2017, I made these cookies with store-bought caramel. Several years of experience (and a trip to pastry school!) later, I’ve given this recipe a bit of an upgrade. Instead of store-bought candies, these cookies now feature a gooey, homemade caramel. They’re particularly good while still just slightly warm from the oven!
Preparing the Caramel
As mentioned above, this recipe calls for first making a small batch of homemade caramels, which are rolled into the center of each ball of cookie dough. If you haven’t made caramel before, I encourage you to give it a try. (It’s not nearly as difficult as it might seem!) Just be sure to have a good kitchen thermometer handy.
(Side note: If you’re looking for a good recipe for homemade caramels, and don’t plan on using them to make cookies, I suggest making this apple cider caramel recipe instead. The recipe in these cookies only yields a small loaf tin of caramels, rather than a standard-size batch.)
If you don’t feel comfortable making your own caramel, or are just in need of a quick shortcut, you can certainly still substitute store-bought caramels instead. The Kraft brand is generally a good go-to, but any soft, chewy caramel candy will work.
Notes on Timing
Though fairly simple to make, these double caramel M&M cookies do take a bit more time than most standard cookie recipes. Both the cookie dough and caramel components require at least an hour or two of chilling and cooling time prior to rolling and baking your cookies, so be sure to plan accordingly.
If desired, you can easily make the chocolate dough base and the homemade caramel the day before you plan to bake and serve your cookies. Chill dough in the refrigerator until ready to bake, and store the pan of caramels (covered with a well-greased sheet of aluminum foil) on the countertop overnight, then proceed to the assembly and baking steps the next morning.
Make-Ahead and Storage Suggestions
These M&M cookies are best enjoyed on the day they are made. Layer leftover caramel M&M cookies between sheets of parhcment and store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to five days.
Caramel M&M cookies also freeze well. Layer between sheets of parchment and freeze in an airtight container for up to three months. Thaw at room temperature.
Other cookie recipes you might enjoy:
Lavender-Lemon Latte Cookies
Dark Chocolate Cookies with Peppermint Ganache
Quadruple Peanut Butter Cookies
Mint M&M Cookies
And if you do make these, or any of my recipes, don’t forget to tag me @bastecutfold or use the hashtag #bastecutfold on Instagram. I always love to see what you’re making!
PrintCaramel M&M Cookies
- Total Time: 40 minutes (+ chilling time)
- Yield: 12 - 3-inch cookies 1x
Description
Caramel M&M cookies featuring a dark chocolate base and chunks of gooey caramel. One of my favorite cookie recipes with caramel M&Ms!
Ingredients
Cookie Dough:
128 grams all purpose flour (1 cup)
50 grams cocoa powder (1/2 cup)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch salt
113 grams unsalted butter, softened (1/2 cup / 1 stick)
70 grams granulated sugar (1/3 cup)
70 grams dark brown sugar (1/3 cup, lightly packed)
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
100 grams Caramel M&Ms, for tops of cookies (1/2 cup, or 4–5 M&Ms per cookie)
Homemade Caramel:
140 milliliters whipping cream (2/3 cup)
45 grams unsalted butter, softened (3 tablespoons)
Pinch salt
190 grams granulated sugar (3/4 cup)
40 milliliters water (1/4 cup)
30 grams corn syrup, or liquid glucose (1 tablespoon)
Instructions
Cookie Dough:
In a large mixing bowl, sieve flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt, and whisk to combine.
In a separate mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, whip butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Whip in egg and vanilla extract and mix until well combined.
Gradually add flour/cocoa mixture to butter mixture, and continue mixing until well combined.
Use your hands to form the dough into a ball. Wrap in clingfilm/plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator, at least two hours or overnight. While dough chills, prepare the homemade caramel.
Homemade Caramel:
Line a loaf pan with parchment, and grease generously with butter or nonstick cooking spray.
In a small saucepan, combine the cream, butter, and salt, and gently warm over low heat. (Do not boil.)
Meanwhile, in a large saucepan combine granulated sugar, water, and corn syrup and cook to medium caramel color (about 365° F / 185° C on a candy thermometer).
Remove caramel from heat. Pour in the warmed cream and butter mixture, then wait for a moment until the bubbles subside.
Return caramel pan to heat and cook mixture until it reaches approximately 250° F / 120° C on a candy thermometer.
Immediately pour hot caramel mixture into prepared pan and allow to set until firm, at least one hour or overnight.
Assembly:
When your dough is well-chilled and caramel is set, your cookies are ready to bake.*
Preheat oven to 350° F / 175°C. Line a baking tray with parchment or a silicone baking mat.
Remove caramel slab from loaf tin and peel away the parchment. Cut caramel slab into 1-inch squares with a sharp, well-oiled knife. (You’ll have a few squares of caramel left over for snacking!)
With a cookie scoop, portion out the cookie dough. Use your hands to roll each portion into a ball. You should have approximately 12 balls total.
Using your thumb, make a deep impression in each ball of dough, then press a square of homemade caramel into the middle. Shape the dough around the caramel until the caramel square is completely hidden.**
Place balls of dough on prepared tray. (Be sure to allow a good amount of space in between, as these cookies will spread!) Flatten slightly with the palm of your hand, then press 4-5 caramel M&Ms into the top of each ball. If you enjoy a gooey cookie and don’t mind a bit of a mess, you can press a few bits of the leftover caramel into the tops of your dough balls as well.
Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes.
For perfectly round cookies, immediately reshape each cookie using a round cutter.
Sit tray on a wire rack and allow cookies to cool completely on the tray.***
Store cookies at room temperature in an airtight container, separated by sheets of wax paper or parchment, for up to five days.
Notes
*Both the cookie dough and caramel components of this recipe require at least an hour or two of chilling/cooling time. If desired, you can make these the day before you plan to bake and serve your cookies.
**Before baking, double check to make sure that your caramel squares are completely “sealed” into the balls of dough. If you see any caramel peeking out, cover it with an additional bit of dough. Otherwise, the caramel will ooze out during the baking process (although it’s okay if this happens, too–your cookies will still be delicious!)
***Allow these cookies to cool completely before removing them from the tray. Resist the urge to cool these on a wire rack. The warm caramel will stick to the rack, and the cookies will break when you try to pry them free.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Chilling Time: 2 hours
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Biscuits and Cookies
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: Dessert