Easter Shortbread Cookies with Mini M&Ms
Easter is right around the corner, and these easy Easter Shortbread Cookies with Mini M&Ms are a delicious way to celebrate the day! You’ll love the crisp golden-brown bottoms and buttery, sweet flavor with little bursts of colorful chocolate. They’re irresistibly good!
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Does the spring season and Easter holiday have you in the mood for some baking? Easter Shortbread Cookies with Mini M&Ms are delightfully delicious and perfect for sharing, and they’re the perfect 4 ingredient cookie!
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From family get-togethers to church potlucks, sweet and buttery Shortbread Cookies are always a hit. They bake until the bottoms are golden-brown for that perfect crispy texture, and the mini M&Ms add a festive pop of color. They’re so fun!
This recipe is as easy as mixing, chilling, slicing, and tossing them in the oven.
What You’ll Love About Easter Shortbread Cookies with Mini M&Ms
- Chocolate candy adds the perfect pop of color.
- The dough is so easy to prepare.
- The buttery flavor and crispy texture is undeniably yummy!
Ingredients
- Butter — Salted.
- All-purpose flour
- Icing sugar — Also known as powdered sugar or confectioner’s sugar.
- Mini M&Ms — You could also use mini chocolate chips.
How To Make Easter Shortbread Cookies
Scroll down for the full recipe card with exact measurements and printable instructions.
Start by adding the butter to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat the butter until it is light, smooth, and fluffy.
Add the sugar and continue mixing for about 2 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed, until the mixture is creamy and well combined.
Gradually add the flour and mix until a soft dough forms.
Fold the mini M&M candies into the dough using a spatula, making sure they are evenly distributed throughout.
Shape the dough into a log and wrap it tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate the dough for about 2 hours, or until firm enough to slice cleanly.
When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Remove the dough from the refrigerator and slice it into ½-inch thick rounds.
Arrange the cookie slices on the prepared baking sheet, leaving a little space between them.
Bake until the cookies are lightly golden brown on the bottom and set around the edges.
Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Serve and enjoy!
Chef Jenn’s Tips
- Use good-quality butter for the best shortbread texture.
- Don’t over-mix the dough.
- For the best cookies, chill the log thoroughly before slicing and baking.
- Bake the cookies from cold to reduce spreading.
Make it a Meal
If Deviled Eggs are always on your Easter menu, learn How to Make Instant Pot Hard-Boiled Eggs for the easiest prep ever. For your main course, swap out the usual spiral-cut ham for this meaty Smoked Carver Ham with a mouthwatering glaze on top! You also can’t go wrong with immensely flavorful and always tender Smoked Lamb Chops. And if you’re itching to keep baking, Chocolate Chip Mini Egg Cookies are another festive and fun dessert!
Variations for Easy Shortbread Cookies
Don’t have any mini M&Ms? You can always make Easter Shortbread Cookies with Mini Chocolate Chips instead! Or try mini white chocolate chips for a flavor twist.
Another fun variation would be using mini chocolate egg candies. I recommend putting them in a plastic bag and smashing them with a rolling pin to give you smaller pieces. You want them to be about the same size as mini M&Ms.
Want to add even more color? Choose your favorite springtime shade and add a few drops of food coloring to the dough before mixing. I recommend doing this when you add the flour before you mix in the M&Ms.
If you’re feeling really ambitious, you could even separate the dough and add different food coloring to each section. Mix the M&Ms into the individual doughs, then carefully form them into a log, so the edges don’t mix too much. You’ll have a gorgeous variety of spring colors!
Storage
If you’re lucky enough to have some extra Easter Shortbread Cookies, store them in an airtight container at room temperature. If you keep them on the counter, just make sure they’re not in the sun. Otherwise, the heat could cause the chocolate to melt. The cookies can also be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container. They should be enjoyed within 3-4 days.
Easter Shortbread Cookies with Mini M&Ms
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup salted butter at room temperature
- 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 cup mini M&Ms or other small candy coated chocolates
Instructions
- Beat the butter in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment until fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- Add the sugar to the butter and mix for 2 minutes.
- Add flour and continue to mix until a dough forms, scraping the sides as needed.
- Remove the bowl from the stand mixer and fold in the M&Ms with a wooden spoon. The paddle attachment will just crush them.
- Turn the dough out onto plastic wrap, form it into a log, and chill it in the refrigerator for 2 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 350-F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Cut the dough log into ½-inch thick slices and transfer to the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake until the cookies are golden-brown on the bottom; about 10 minutes.
- Cool them on the cookie sheet for 10 minutes before transfering them to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Notes
Chef Jenn’s Tips
- Use good-quality butter for the best shortbread texture.
- Don’t over-mix the dough.
- For the best cookies, chill the log thoroughly before slicing and baking.
- Bake the cookies from cold to reduce spreading.
Nutrition
A Note on Nutritional Information
Nutritional information for this recipe is provided as a courtesy and is calculated based on available online ingredient information. It is only an approximate value. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site cannot be guaranteed.