Soft Red Velvet M&M Cookies

Soft inside but bright and bold on the outside, these cookies pack every bite with pops of crisp candy and color. Made from an easy cake mix, they’re super quick to put together and end up looking way fancier than the time you spend. Hints of cocoa run through the dough, then the M&Ms bring the fun crunch, making each cookie tough to resist—don’t be surprised if they vanish faster than you can bake them!

I found this trick ages back when I needed cookies fast for a school event. No time for a full baking session, but this came through—kids (and grownups) finished them first! My daughter asks for these at every celebration now, and I love swapping M&M colors to fit the holiday. Even my from-scratch-only mother-in-law wanted to know how I made them after gobbling a few at Christmas last year.

Effortless Ingredient Magic

• M&M Candies: These little chocolate bursts add crunch, color, and sweetness—standard size works best as minis just disappear
• Large Eggs: Add moisture and help everything stick together—if you can, use them at room temp so they mix right in
• Vegetable Oil: Keeps cookies soft and chewy for days—melted butter works too if you want a richer flavor
• White Chocolate Chips: Totally optional, but if you toss some in you’ll get pockets of melty creamy sweetness—good quality ones melt better
• Red Velvet Cake Mix: This is where you get that pretty red color and subtle cocoa vibe—taste might be a little different depending on the brand

Flawless Prep

Get Set:

Turn the oven on to 350°F and line your trays with parchment so nothing sticks. Get all your stuff together first, it’ll make things go way smoother.

Mix The Dough:

Dump the cake mix, eggs, and oil in a big bowl. Stir just until everything’s combined—don’t go nuts or the cookies get tough. You’ll end up with a thick, sticky dough that’s ready for add-ins.

Add The Goodies:

Gently fold a cup of M&Ms and half a cup of white chocolate chips (if you want) into the dough. Save some M&Ms for decorating the tops so they stand out after baking.

Scoop 'Em Out:

Use a scoop or a big spoon to roll dough into balls, about 1.5 inches wide. Pop them on your prepped trays, making sure they’ve got space to spread. If you want them super uniform, each one should be around 1.5 ounces.

Make Them Pop:

Gently press a few saved M&Ms on top of each ball and squish them just a little so you see the candies front and center after baking.

Bake 'Em Right:

Slide trays into the oven for 9-11 minutes until the edges look set but the middles still look a tiny bit wet—they’ll finish cooking on the pan after you pull them out.

Get That Perfect Middle:

Let cookies sit on the hot tray for 5 minutes; this helps them set up but stay soft inside. After that, move them onto a rack to finish cooling.

Let The Flavor Shine:

Hold off eating right away! They actually taste more chocolatey and rich once fully cool—the flavors really come through.

Save

I kind of made these cookies by accident at first. I’d bought a box of red velvet cake mix and then realized I didn’t have a cake pan big enough. With hungry kids hovering, I searched online and found you could make cookies instead. Wildly enough, that kitchen shortcut turned into one of our family’s favorites! Their bright color just jumps out at everyone, and people always think they took hours—even though you’ll spend under ten minutes getting them ready. Now I keep cake mix on hand just in case we suddenly need a batch.

Festive Fun

You can make these cookies work for pretty much any holiday or party by changing the candy colors. Go pink, white, and red for Valentine’s Day—kids and grownups both love them. Use blue, red, and white M&Ms for July Fourth or other celebrations. Dress them up with green and red for Christmas—feel free to dust on some powdered sugar too. Swap in rainbow candies for birthday parties, or match them to your party’s theme colors. Super easy, super cute.

Fun Twists

You can keep this easy base and spin off a bunch of new versions. Try adding dark chocolate chips for extra chocolate power, and you’ve got a chocolate lover’s dream. Or let the cookies cool and then add a cream cheese drizzle on top to bring that classic red velvet flavor. Throw in chopped pecans or walnuts for crunch and a bit of grown-up taste. Want something really special? Stick two cookies together with frosting in the middle and boom—instant sandwich cookies for a next-level treat.

Freshness Made Easy

If you want to keep these cookies perfect, how you store them matters. For a few days, stick them in a sealed container at room temp; parchment between layers keeps them from sticking. To keep them longer, freeze baked cookies on a tray till solid, then stash in freezer bags for up to three months—use parchment between layers here, too. For warm cookies on demand, freeze dough balls on a tray, then bag them up and bake from frozen later—just tack on a minute or two to the baking time.

Save

The best part about these cookies? They’re crazy easy, but everyone thinks you worked some baking magic. I taught my kids to make them—and if they can, anyone can! They were our first baking win and still show up at almost every school or office party. That red is just so eye-catching, and people keep grabbing more when they get a bite of the soft center and chocolate crunch. Sometimes simple hits the hardest—and that’s totally true with these.

Recipe FAQs

→ Can I switch out the cake mix flavor?

Sure! You can swap in chocolate, vanilla, or even lemon cake mix. Just pick mix-ins that match the flavor for a yummy combo.

→ How can I tell when these are done?

Look for the edges to set while the centers stay soft. They'll firm up more while cooling, so it's best to pull them out slightly underdone.

→ Can I freeze these cookies or the dough?

Totally! Freeze shaped dough balls on a tray, then bag them for up to three months. Bake frozen dough with an extra minute or two. Baked cookies can be stored frozen for two months, sealed up tight.

→ Why did my cookies end up spreading so much?

This might be because the dough was too warm. Chill it for about half an hour first. Also, let your baking sheet cool completely before reloading it.

→ Can I toss in nuts?

Absolutely! Try adding about 1/2 cup of crushed pecans, walnuts, or macadamias along with your M&Ms.

→ What can I do to make these look festive?

Add a few extra M&Ms on top of each cookie ball before baking. Once cooled, drizzle melted white chocolate or sprinkle seasonal decorations for a festive touch.