There’s a lot that goes into a recipe before I share. One of the first tasks is coming up with the idea of what to share with you all! I got to thinking—why not combine two of my viral recipes? Mini M&M Cookies are always a hit, and Nutella Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies are pure indulgence. Together, they make the ultimate dessert mashup! These Nutella Stuffed Mini M&M Cookies are soft, chewy, and packed with bursts of colorful candy crunch, while hiding a gooey, chocolate-hazelnut surprise in every bite. They’re perfect for parties, gifting, or just treating yourself on a cozy day at home.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Make-Ahead Friendly: Perfect for prepping and freezing, so you can bake fresh cookies anytime.
Double the Fun: The combination of creamy Nutella and crunchy Mini M&Ms makes every bite irresistible.
Versatile: These cookies are great for any occasion, from holiday platters to afternoon snacks.
Shop My Tools: I’ve linked my favorite cookie scoop (I use the largest size in this set), cookie sheets and cooling racks for your convenience!
Recipe Tips
- Freeze the Nutella: Freezing the Nutella in advance ensures it doesn’t seep out during baking. I use a small cookie scoop, about 1 rounded teaspoon, to scoop onto a baking sheet lined with wax paper. Freeze for at least 15 minutes, but the longer the easier it is to work with.
- Underbaking the cookies: This is essential to getting the texture right. I bake my cookies for 12 minutes on the dot and then remove from the oven and let them cool on the cookie sheet. Letting them cool on the hot pan will keep cooking them but at a lower temperature, not drying out the cookie entirely. If you prefer a crispier cookie, feel free to bake for 14 minutes. They’re still delicious, but I’m a sucker for a fudge chocolate cookie 🙂
- M&Ms: For this recipe I prefer to use mini M&Ms. You can use the normal size or whatever type you like, I just think they look the prettiest and tastes the best! I also prefer melting wafers because they are meant to melt and harden. You can substitute chocolate chips if that’s all you have!
- Corn starch: Corn starch gives the cookies that chewy texture (along with baking for the correct time) and makes them soft on the inside. If you aren’t able to use corn starch I have had people substitute arrow root. I’ve never tried it but I heard it works well!
- Chilling the dough: Chilling the dough will help with two things: cookie spreading and flavor. These cookies will spread when they bake but by chilling the dough for 30 minutes prior to baking, it will keep them from spreading too much! Also as the dough chills the flavor will enhance. It’s truly a win-win 🙂 I leave my cookie dough in the refrigerator and only pull out how many I need for the pan. They should be baked up straight from the fridge.
- Cookie dough scoop: I always get a ton of questions about what scoop I use, so I wanted to link the ones I used for this recipe! I like this set because it comes in 3 different sizes. For these cookies I used the large size. Using a cookie dough scoop gives you perfect cookie dough balls that are even and therefore will bake evenly!
- Baking sheet: For all of my cookie recipes you I suggest you use a cookie sheet. You can use a jelly roll however I find the edges of the cookies tend to brown a little faster and they bake differently.
Reshaping the Cookies: Don’t worry if your cookies come out of the oven looking a bit uneven or flat. You can quickly reshape them with a spoon or a round bowl or cookie cutter while they’re still warm. Gently nudge the edges into place for a perfect circle.
Storage Tips
- Room Temperature: Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
- Freezing: Freeze baked cookies in a single layer on a baking sheet. Once frozen, transfer to a freezer-safe bag or container. They’ll stay fresh for up to 3 months.
- Make-Ahead Dough: Freeze unbaked or assembled cookies for up to 3 months. For unbaked, do not roll in the m&ms until right before baking other the colors will bleed. Bake straight from the freezer, adding 1-2 minutes to the baking time.
FAQs
Can I use regular-sized M&Ms? Absolutely! Regular M&Ms will work fine, though the mini ones ensure a better dough-to-M&M ratio in each bite.
What if I don’t have Nutella? Feel free to substitute with another chocolate-hazelnut spread or even peanut butter for a different twist.
Can I double this recipe? Yes! This recipe doubles well and is perfect for making in large batches for events or gifts.
These Nutella Stuffed Mini M&M Cookies are the ultimate treat that brings together the best of two classic recipes. Whether you’re baking for a celebration or just because, these cookies are guaranteed to impress. Happy baking!
Nutella Stuffed Mini M&M Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cup salted butter melted. you can use unsalted if you prefer!
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 eggs room temperature
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp corn starch
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ¾ cup Nutella
- 1 cup mini m&ms
Instructions
- Line a baking sheet or plate with wax paper or parchment paper. Scoop 2 teaspoons of Nutella onto the prepared pan. Repeat to create 20 dollops of Nutella and freeze for at least 30 minutes.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer combine melted butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar and vanilla. Mix on low until combined. While the mixer is on low add in the eggs, one at a time, followed by the dry ingredients.
- Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and scoop 20 even dough balls. Gently flatten the dough and place the frozen Nutella scoop in the center. Cover completely with the dough and roll in mini m&ms, then place on the prepared baking sheet. Cover with clear wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. **If your dough is too soft, refrigerate for 30 minutes and then scoop the dough balls, fill with the Nutella and then chill for 30 minutes. If you are leaving the dough in the fridge longer (up to 24 hours in the fridge), do not add mini m&ms until right before baking otherwise the color can run!
- Preheat the oven to 350°. Space 4 cookie dough balls about 2 inches a part and bake for 12 minutes, or until the edges are just set. Leave the rest of the cookie dough in the refrigerator until needed.
- These cookies will spread! As soon as the cookies come out of the oven use a round cookie cutter or glass to gently reshape the cookies into perfect circles. Place the cookie cutter over the cookie and gently scoot it around until the cookie melds into a circular shape. Let cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet before gently transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.