Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.Tip: Spray the baking sheet first with non-stick cooking spray (I use avocado oil spray), then place the parchment on top. This will help it stick easily.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the all purpose flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder. Set aside for now.
In a separate large bowl, cream the room temperature butter and sugar together.
Add in the egg and vanilla extract and mix again.
Add ½ of the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix together.
Add the last half of the flour and mix in. At this point you might have to use a spatula or your hands to finish mixing.
The cookie dough will be soft and easy to roll together.
Use a cookie scoop or 1 Tbsp to roll the dough into small balls. Roll each ball into a bowl of the mini M&Ms covering the cookie dough. Place more candies in empty dough spaces. Add cookies to a baking sheet with a little room between each one.
Bake for 9-11 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool 5 minutes on baking sheet, then gently transfer to a rack to cool completely.
Cookies can be stored in an airtight container on the counter or in fridge for up to 1 week. These cookies can also be frozen in an airtight container for 3 months.
Recipe Notes:
Room Temperature Butter: If the butter is too cold or too hot (aka. melted butter), the cookies won’t hold air properly during the creaming process. This is what creates the light texture of these cookies.
Adding The Mini M&Ms: The secret to making these cookies is that the M&Ms are added after the dough is rolled into balls. Pour an entire bag of mini M&M's into a bowl and roll each cookie ball in the candies. Add extras to any spaces that need filling. The whole point of this cookie is to be LOADED with mini M&Ms!
Keep Dough In A Ball: Place the rolled balls onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. No need to flatten them.
Bake In Small Batches: Bake only one cookie sheet in the oven at a time. This ensures even baking. You can also buy a larger baking sheet to save time and cook them all at once.