If you’re looking for patriotic cookies to make for Memorial Day, the Fourth of July, Labor Day, or any red, white, and blue celebration, these Patriotic Peanut Butter M&M Cookies are such a fun and festive treat.
These soft and chewy peanut butter M&M cookies are packed with colorful candy pieces and have the perfect bakery-style texture. They are rich, buttery, and loaded with peanut butter M&M’s for an easy dessert that feels extra special for summer holidays, BBQs, pool parties, bake sales, and family gatherings.
The dough is based on a soft peanut butter cookie with extra brown sugar for chewiness and a little milk to keep the texture tender. Whether you serve them on a dessert tray for a backyard cookout or bring them to a fireworks party, these red, white, and blue cookies are always a hit.
If you need an easy patriotic dessert that both kids and adults will love, this is one of those simple recipes you’ll want to make all summer long.
Patriotic Peanut Butter M&M Cookies
Why You’ll Love These Patriotic Cookies
- Soft and chewy peanut butter cookie texture
- Perfect for Memorial Day, Fourth of July, and Labor Day
- Easy to make for summer parties and BBQs
- Festive red, white, and blue dessert
- Great for bake sales, potlucks, and family gatherings
- A fun patriotic cookie recipe for kids and adults
Tools I Used
These simple kitchen tools make these patriotic peanut butter M&M cookies even easier:
- Sheet pans for even baking
- Parchment paper so the cookies don’t stick
- Cookie scoop to keep the cookies the same size
- Hand mixer or stand mixer for creaming the butter and sugars
- Mixing bowls for the dough
- Wire cooling rack so the cookies cool evenly
- Round cookie cutter or biscuit cutter for shaping the cookies right after baking for that bakery-style look
Yield
About 20–24 cookies
Prep Time
15 minutes
Bake Time
12–14 minutes
Ingredients
Wet Ingredients
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 2¼ teaspoons vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup milk
Dry Ingredients
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoons cornstarch
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ⅓ teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon salt
Mix-Ins
- 1 shareable-size bag peanut butter M&M’s
- red, white, and blue M&M’s if available, or sort patriotic colors from your bag
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract. Mix until smooth.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined.
- Stir in the milk until the dough comes together.
- Fold in the peanut butter M&M’s.
- Scoop the dough into balls, about 1½ tablespoons each, and place them on the prepared baking sheet.
- Press a few extra M&M’s on top of each cookie and flatten slightly with your hand.
- Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and, if desired, use a round cookie cutter or mason jar lid to gently swirl each cookie into a more uniform shape.
- Return to the oven for 2 more minutes.
- Let the cookies cool for 5 minutes on the pan before transferring them to a wire rack.
Tips for Best Results
- Do not overmix the dough once the flour is added.
- Pressing extra M&M’s on top makes the cookies look prettier for parties.
- Shaping the cookies with a round cutter right after baking gives them a bakery-style look.
- These cookies are perfect for a Fourth of July dessert tray or a Memorial Day cookout dessert table.
How to Serve These Patriotic Cookies
These cookies are perfect for:
- Memorial Day BBQs
- Fourth of July parties
- Labor Day cookouts
- summer birthday parties
- bake sales
- pool parties
- picnic desserts
- patriotic dessert boards
Storage
Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
SEO FAQ section
What are the best cookies for Fourth of July parties?
These Patriotic Peanut Butter M&M Cookies are perfect for Fourth of July because they are festive, easy to transport, and full of red, white, and blue color.
Can I make these patriotic cookies for Memorial Day?
Yes. These are a great Memorial Day cookie recipe for backyard cookouts, family gatherings, and summer parties.
Are these soft peanut butter cookies?
Yes. These cookies are soft, chewy, and loaded with peanut butter flavor.
Can I use regular M&M’s?
Yes, but red, white, and blue candies make them extra festive for patriotic holidays.
Are these good for bake sales and parties?
Yes. These cookies travel well and are great for dessert tables, potlucks, and summer events.
These Patriotic Peanut Butter M&M Cookies are the perfect easy dessert for Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day, and all your summer gatherings. They are soft, chewy, festive, and simple to make, which makes them a go-to recipe for patriotic dessert trays, bake sales, cookouts, and family parties.
Whether you call them red white and blue cookies, patriotic M&M cookies, or summer peanut butter cookies, this is one of those fun seasonal recipes everyone gets excited about.
Patriotic Peanut Butter M&M Cookies
- Total Time: 27 minutes
- Yield: 20–24 cookies 1x
Description
Soft, chewy red, white, and blue peanut butter cookies perfect for Memorial Day, the 4th of July, Labor Day, summer cookouts, and patriotic dessert trays.
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup milk
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/3 teaspoon baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 shareable-size bag peanut butter M&M’s, using red, white, and blue candies if available or sorting patriotic colors by hand
Get Recipe Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter, granulated sugar, 1/2 cup brown sugar, and 2 tablespoons brown sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract. Mix until smooth and combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined.
- Pour in the milk and stir until the dough comes together.
- Fold in the peanut butter M&M’s.
- Scoop the dough into balls, about 1 1/2 tablespoons each, and place them on the prepared baking sheets a few inches apart.
- Press a few extra M&M’s on top of each cookie and flatten slightly with your hand.
- Bake for 10 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the oven and, if desired, use a round cookie cutter or mason jar lid to gently swirl each cookie into a uniform shape for a bakery-style look.
- Return the cookies to the oven and bake for 2 more minutes.
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Do not overmix the dough once the flour is added or the cookies may turn out less tender.
- Pressing extra candies into the tops before baking makes them look prettier for parties and dessert tables.
- If you can’t find patriotic-colored peanut butter M&M’s, you can sort through a regular bag and use the colors that fit your theme best.
- These cookies are great for Memorial Day desserts, 4th of July cookie trays, Labor Day cookouts, and summer bake sales.
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 12
- Category: dessert
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: american
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