These festive gluten-free M&M cookies have a soft center, chewy edges, and buttery flavor. They’re the perfect bakery-style cookies for the holiday season!
If you need a new go-to holiday cookie recipe, these gluten-free m&m cookies are it.
This simple recipe is always a crowd-pleaser and can be adapted for any holiday. Just change the color of the M&Ms and you’re ready to go!
With a soft center and slightly crispy edges, these gluten-free M&M cookies are sure to be a new favorite. The recipe calls for simple ingredients you probably have on hand, and the combination of butter and shortening makes these cookies extra chewy and soft.
This is such a fun alternative to your classic chocolate chip cookie recipes.
What’s not to love? Happy holiday baking!
Why I Love This Recipe
- Chewy and tender: Using shortening instead of butter helps create an extra soft, chewy texture that is hard to compete with!
- Festive holiday cookies: These festive gluten-free M&M cookies are made with red and green M&Ms, making them perfect for the holiday season.
- Great for gifting: Give these gluten-free chocolate chip cookies to friends and neighbors as sweet and tasty holiday gift!
- Can be made ahead: These chewy cookies taste even more amazing when you chill the dough overnight. This makes them a great make-ahead cookie. Just keep the gluten-free M&M cookies dough in the fridge and bake them fresh whenever you’re ready!
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Gluten-free flour: It’s best to use a high-quality gluten-free flour blend for these gluten-free M&M cookies. I recommend King Arthur Measure-for-Measure Baking Flour. It has xanthan gum, which helps provide a nice chew and gives a similar texture to all purpose flour.
- Shortening: Using a mix of real butter and butter-flavored Crisco helps create the BEST texture for these cookies. Shortening helps these cookies turn out extra chewy, moist, and soft!
- Butter: For best results, use salted butter instead of unsalted butter. It has better depth of flavor and will really make a difference with these gluten-free M&M cookies!
- M&Ms: I like to use red and green M&Ms for these gluten-free cookies during the Christmas season. But you can use regular M&M colors or another color scheme to suit the occasion!
How to Make Gluten-Free M&M Cookies
Make Dough: Using a hand mixer and a medium bowl or a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the room temperature butter, shortening, brown sugar and granulated sugar together. Add the wet ingredients, including the egg and vanilla extract. Mix until combined, then scrape down the bowl.
Add the dry ingredients, including gluten-free flour, baking soda and salt. Mix on low speed until fully combined. Stir in the M&Ms and chocolate chips. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and preferably overnight.
Bake: Preheat the oven to 375F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Scoop the dough and roll into 2-tablespoon-sized cookie dough balls. Bake cookies for 9-11 minutes until slightly golden brown and set. Let cool on the pan for 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely. Enjoy!
Storage Instructions
Store these M&M cookies in an airtight container for up to five days, or freeze for up to three months.
Recipe Tips
- Chill the dough. These cookies taste amazing when you refrigerate the dough overnight. Letting the dough chill allows the gluten-free flour to hydrate and the flavors to develop. I highly recommend making the dough in advance if you can!
- Use high-quality gluten-free flour. It’s best to use a high-quality gluten-free flour blend for these gluten-free M&M cookies. I recommend King Arthur Measure-for-Measure Baking Flour. It has xanthan gum, which helps provide a nice chew and gives a similar texture to all purpose flour.
- Use salted butter. I typically prefer salted butter to unsalted butter. It has better depth of flavor and will really make a difference with these gluten-free M&M cookies!
More Gluten-Free Holiday Cookies
- Gluten-Free Christmas Cookies
- Gluten-Free Gingerbread Cookies
- Gluten-Free Snowball Cookies
- Gluten-Free Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
- Gluten-Free Biscotti
I hope you love this recipe as much as we do! If you try these gluten-free M&M cookies, be sure to leave me a comment/rating below. I’d love to hear from you!
Gluten-Free M&M Cookies
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons (56g) butter, softened
- ½ cup (95g) butter-flavored Crisco
- ¾ cup (153g) brown sugar
- ¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 ½ cups (400g) gluten-free 1:1 baking flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cups M&Ms plus more for pressing into the cookies
- ½ cup chocolate chips
Instructions
- Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter, shortening, brown sugar and granulated sugar together.
- Add the egg and vanilla extract and mix until combined, then scrape down the bowl.
- Add the gluten-free flour, baking soda and salt. Mix on low speed until fully combined. Stir in the M&Ms and chocolate chips.
- Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and preferably overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 375F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Scoop the dough and roll into 2-tablespoon sized balls. Bake for 9-11 minutes until slightly golden and set.
- Let cool on the pan for 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy!
Notes
- Chill the dough. These cookies taste amazing when you refrigerate the dough overnight. This allows the gluten-free flour to hydrate and the flavors to develop. I highly recommend making the dough in advance if you can!
- Use high-quality gluten-free flour. It’s best to use a high-quality gluten-free flour blend for these gluten-free M&M cookies. I recommend King Arthur Measure-for-Measure Baking Flour. It has xanthan gum, which helps provide a nice chew and gives a similar texture to all purpose flour.
- Use salted butter. I typically prefer salted butter to unsalted butter. It has better depth of flavor and will really make a difference with these gluten-free M&M cookies!
Can I use regular crisco instead of the butter flavored crisco? Thanks! Love your recipes 🙂
Yes that should work great!
I love that this is gluten-free!! Such a perfect holiday treat!
We made a ton of these and I froze a bunch for the holidays. They are amazing. I just enjoyed one with my coffee!
We are addicted to these GF M&M Cookies! So delicious, delightful and guilt-free!