Looking for the cutest way to celebrate Valentine's Day? These Valentine M&M cookies are soft, chewy, and loaded with red, white, and pink M&Ms and chocolate chips! The best part? They're rolled in festive Valentine sprinkles before baking, which makes them look absolutely adorable (and taste even better).
I made these last week when Emily asked if we could make "fancy cookies" for her class Valentine's party. Honestly? I thought it would be complicated, but these turned out to be one of the easiest cookie recipes I've ever made. The sprinkle coating is what really makes them special – it adds this fun crunch and makes them look like you spent way more time on them than you actually did!
If you're looking for more easy cookie recipes, you'll definitely want to check out my small batch chocolate chip cookies – perfect when you don't want to make a huge batch!
Why You'll Like These Valentine M&M Cookies
- Super quick to make - Ready in just 20 minutes from start to finish! Perfect for last-minute Valentine's Day baking.
- Soft and chewy texture - These cookies stay soft for days thanks to the cold butter method and cornstarch.
- Festive and colorful - The red, white, and pink M&Ms plus the sprinkle coating make them perfect for Valentine's Day parties.
- Kid-friendly recipe - Emily helped me roll these in sprinkles and had a blast doing it (though she ate a few M&Ms along the way).
- Freezer-friendly - Make the dough ahead and bake fresh cookies whenever you want them.
- No chill time needed - Unlike most cookie recipes, you can bake these right away!
What You'll Need For Valentine M&M Cookies
For The Cookies:
- 1 cup unsalted butter (cold, not softened – this is important!)
- 1 cup brown sugar (packed)
- ½ cup granulated white sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 TBS cornstarch (this is the secret to super soft cookies)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1.5 cups red, white, and pink M&Ms (plus extra for topping)
- 1 cup chocolate chips (plus extra for topping)
- ½ cup Valentine sprinkles (use more as needed)
Equipment:
- Baking sheets
- Silicone mats or parchment paper
- Stand mixer or hand mixer
- ¼ cup cookie scoop (or a large spoon)
How To Make The Best Valentine M&M Cookies
Prep Your Baking Area:
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. I know this seems hot for cookies, but trust me on this one – it creates the perfect slightly crispy edges with soft centers.
- Line your baking sheets with silicone mats or parchment paper. Don't skip this step or you'll be scraping cookies off the pan later (been there, done that).
Mix The Cookie Dough:
- Cut your cold butter into slices and add it to your stand mixer. Beat it until smooth – this should only take a minute or two. The cold butter is actually the secret here! It keeps the cookies from spreading too much.
- Add the brown sugar and white sugar to the butter. Beat for another minute or two until everything looks smooth and creamy.
- Crack in the eggs and pour in the vanilla extract. Mix just until combined – you don't want to overmix here.
- In goes the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Mix on low speed until just combined. The dough should look thick and slightly crumbly.
- Time for the fun part! Add your M&Ms and chocolate chips to the dough. Fold them in gently until they're spread throughout. I always save a few extra to press into the tops later.
Shape And Decorate:
- Using a large spoon or ¼ cup cookie scoop, scoop out portions of dough. Roll each one into a ball between your hands.
- Here's where it gets messy (in the best way). Roll each dough ball in the Valentine sprinkles until it's completely covered. Emily calls this the "glitter step" and honestly, she's not wrong!
- Press a few extra M&Ms and chocolate chips into the top of each dough ball. This makes them look really professional and bakery-style.
- Place 6 cookies per baking sheet, giving them plenty of room to spread. Don't crowd them or they'll bake into one giant cookie (which happened to me the first time I made these).
Bake To Perfection:
- Bake for 8 to 12 minutes. You're looking for lightly golden edges with tops that are just set. They'll look slightly underdone – that's exactly what you want!
- Here's the critical part: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes. I know it's tempting to move them right away, but they'll break if you do. They continue cooking on the hot pan during this time.
- After 10 minutes, move them to a cooling rack. Or just eat them warm with a glass of milk (my personal preference).
Storing Your Valentine Cookies
At Room Temperature:
Keep these cookies in an airtight container for up to 5 days. They stay soft and chewy the whole time! I stack them between layers of parchment paper to keep the sprinkles from getting everywhere.
In The Freezer:
You can freeze baked cookies for up to 3 months. Just let them cool completely first, then stack them in a freezer-safe container with parchment paper between layers.
Want to freeze the dough instead? Roll the dough balls and coat them in sprinkles, then freeze on a baking sheet. Once frozen solid, transfer to a freezer bag. Bake straight from frozen – just add 1-2 extra minutes to the baking time.
Tips For Making Perfect Valentine M&M Cookies
Use cold butter, not softened. I can't stress this enough! Room temperature butter makes the cookies spread too much. When I use cold butter, they keep their shape and have those beautiful thick edges.
Don't skip the cornstarch. This ingredient is what keeps the cookies super soft and chewy. Without it, they're still good, but not quite as amazing.
Roll generously in sprinkles. Don't be shy here! The more sprinkles, the better. They add texture and make the cookies look so festive.
Watch them carefully while baking. Every oven is different. Mine bakes these perfectly at 10 minutes, but Emily's friend's mom said hers took 12 minutes. Start checking at 8 minutes to be safe.
Let them cool on the pan. This is when they finish setting up. Move them too early and they'll fall apart (learned this the hard way when I was in a hurry one time).
Try different color combinations. Valentine's Day is obviously red and pink, but you could make these for any holiday! Green and red for Christmas, pastels for Easter, orange and black for Halloween – the possibilities are endless.
Add extra chocolate on top. Right when they come out of the oven, press a few extra M&Ms and chocolate chips into the tops. They'll stick perfectly and make the cookies look like they came from a bakery.
Valentine M&M Cookies FAQs
Yes! You can refrigerate the dough for up to 3 days or freeze it for up to 3 months. Roll in sprinkles just before baking for best results.
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days, or freeze for up to 3 months. They stay soft and chewy!
Absolutely! Any color M&Ms work perfectly. You can customize them for any holiday or occasion using different colored M&Ms and sprinkles.
Make sure your butter is cold (not softened), don't overmix the dough, and chill the dough balls for 15-30 minutes before baking if they seem too soft.
Recipes You May Like
- Cookie Monster Cookies - These bright blue cookies are another fun, colorful option that kids go crazy for!
- Small Batch Chocolate Chip Cookies - When you want homemade cookies but don't need three dozen
- Lemon Blueberry Cookies - A lighter, fruity cookie option that's perfect for spring
Let's Make Some Valentine Magic
These Valentine M&M cookies are seriously one of my favorite things to make this time of year. They're so easy, they look amazing, and they actually taste incredible. The combination of soft, chewy cookie with crunchy sprinkles and melty chocolate is just perfect.
Emily's class went wild for these at her Valentine's party, and I've already had three moms ask me for the recipe. That's when you know you've got a winner!
The best part? You don't need any special skills or fancy equipment. If you can mix ingredients in a bowl and roll dough in sprinkles, you can make these. They're foolproof, fun, and absolutely delicious.
So grab your M&Ms and sprinkles, and get baking! These cookies are going to make your Valentine's Day so much sweeter. Don't forget to save this recipe to Pinterest so you can make them every year!
Valentine Sprinkle M&M Cookies
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with silicone mat or parchment paper, and set aside.
- Cut cold butter into slices, and add it into a stand mixer and beat until smooth (a stand mixer with paddle attachment is preferred but not necessary). Add brown and white sugar, beat until smooth; just a minute or two.
- Add the eggs, and vanilla extract and beat until just mixed in.
- Add the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, baking powder, and salt to the mixture and mix on low speed until just combined.
- Add M&Ms and milk chocolate chips; and fold into the dough until mixed evenly throughout.
- Using a large spoon or ¼ cup cookie scoop, scoop cookie dough. Roll into a ball.
- Roll the cookie dough in Valentine sprinkles and sprinkle additional chocolate chips, and M&Ms on the dough.
- Set on prepared cookie sheet.
- Continue scooping cookies and rolling in Valentine sprinkles, placing 6 cookies per cookie sheet.
- Bake in the preheated oven about 8 to 12 minutes, until the sides are lightly golden, and the tops are just set.
- Remove the pan from the oven and cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes. They will keep cooking on the pan. Don't remove them early or the cookies will break.
- Remove to cooling rack for additional cooling as needed.
