Vanilla bean shortbread cookies are even better when there are M&Ms in them! These shortbread cookies are easy to make and delicious to eat. Use pretty pink M&Ms for a Valentine’s Day treat!
I love that there are plenty of excuses to bake around Valentine’s Day. Kid’s class parties, sweet treats for friends, and of course something special just for two. I’ve been spreading the love to some neighbors, doormen and even real estate brokers. And you know what, I don’t hear any complaining;-)
These cookies are fairly easy to make and appear so simple (while pretty), but I assure you they are anything but boring. The vanilla bean paste adds an extra special flavor element to the buttery shortbread cookie and then of course, there are M&Ms. I don’t know what it is about an M&M cookie that is so appealing but they never, ever disappoint. Make these to spread some Valentine’s Day love in your world.
- 227g (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened
- 150g (~3/4 cup) granulated sugar
- 120g (3/4 cup) powdered sugar, sifted
- 10 milliliters (2 teaspoons) pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste (or replace with additional teaspoon of vanilla extract)
- 2g (1/2 teaspoon) salt
- 265g (~2 cups) all-purpose flour, sifted
- 320g (1⅓ cups) M&MS
- Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
- Line baking sheets with parchment paper or slipat; set aside
- Cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy
- Add vanilla extract, vanilla bean paste and salt and beat until well combined
- Stir in flour; stir in M&Ms
- Scoop dough with a medium cookie dough scoop (~2 tablespoons each) onto prepared cookie sheets about 2 inches apart
- Bake for 13-15 minutes or until very light brown around the edges (bake for less time if looking for a slightly chewier cookie)
- Allow cookies to cool on cooling rack
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature up to one week or in the freezer for up to two months
Make something from the blog? Be sure to share it on Instagram with the tag #KeepItSweetDesserts.
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Salted Brown Butter M&M Cookies
seriously valentine’s is one of my favorite baking holidays! red and pink just make everything feel festive and wonderful! these are adorable. i have a half eaten bag of v-day m&ms just looking for a reason to be used…
I totally agree! I keep staring down all the sale Valentine’s Day candy at the stores.
My husband would love if i made him a Vday treat like these…not that you REALLY need an excuse to bake some cookies ;)
If I could marry shortbread cookies, I would…so basically I need to make these and next weekend is the perfect excuse!
These are excellent. They’re rich, buttery and sweet. Kids love them! I found the dough to be a bit more dry and crumbly than most cookie doughs but it held together when scooped. My cookies were larger than the ones pictured and took longer to bake. I set the oven at 325° so that they wouldn’t brown before they were done. A full recipe yielded 17 cookies.
I’m so happy to hear that. Thank you for the nice comment!
I have made these cookies several times and ALWAYS a hit!! I love them! My only question is why do they come out really flat. I follow the recipe exactly and use a medium scoop (2 TBSP) Any suggestions are appreciated! Thanks for the recipe ❤
Do you press the dough down before baking? That could affect it. They also aren’t supposed to be too fluffy because there is no rising agent. Glad to hear you like them!