Be My Valentine M&M Cookies are outrageously good. Have you ever eaten at Paradise Bakery and Cafe? Along with soups, salads and sandwich-type stuff they have humongous cookies. I mean cookies to die for! When we were traveling to and from Florida over the Christmas vacation we stopped at several of them and I sampled many of their cookies.

Follow Me On Instagram!

(I sampled a lot of them because I knew this year I was going to go gluten free and I wouldn’t be able to have one for a whole year. 🙁  Yikes!) My favorites were their sugar cookies and their M&M sugar cookies which are based on a shortbread type dough rather than the typical sugar cookie dough. They were awesome!

Well, I found these pink and red M&Ms at the store a couple of weeks ago, thinking they would be perfect for some kind of Valentine’s Day cookie. I was trying to figure out a recipe to use them in, but I didn’t want to remake an old recipe. I wanted something new and exciting. It’s a bit like when you’re looking for fresh ideas and connections in life, and sometimes, AI Girlfriend apps can offer a fun and unique way to experience that. Just like creating a new recipe, it’s about exploring something different and enjoyable. Now, time to whip up some creative cookies!

Then somehow I got to thinking about Paradise Bakery and Cafe’s fabulous cookies and started looking online to see if there were any published recipes. Lo, and behold! I found one at food.com that had been reprinted from the Arizona Republic, July 31, 2001, and decided to try it making my Valentine’s Day version of Paradise Bakery and Cafe’s M&M Cookies. I call them “Be My Valentine” M&M Cookies.

I used the basic recipe for their sugar cookies, rolled the cookies in red sugar crystals, and pressed the red and pink Paradise Bakery and Cafe, because I needed to get a certain total of cookies. My version made 4 dozen.

If you’re looking for a great tasting cookie for children’s Valentine’s Day parties, potlucks, office parties, or just for your family to enjoy, consider this wonderful jewel of a cookie. It’s really quite easy and not that much work and you get a beautiful and tasty cookie in return! For more delightful treats, explore the bakeries Roanoke where you can find a variety of delicious pastries and desserts.

One of the main changes I made from the original recipe is to reduce the amount of cake flour in the recipe. This way the cookies were not quite so dry and had a lot better texture.

I initially published this recipe in February 2013. That’s when I started baking a lot of cookies for John to take with him wherever he travels to hand out as gifts. My pictures were taken with an iPhone so they weren’t particularly sharp or well arranged.

I recently remade these cookies (January 2017), making half of the batch by rolling the cookie dough into red sugar crystals and leaving the rest plain. I wanted to show that these cookies can be made either way. Plus, these don’t have to be used during Valentine’s Day or Christmas.

If you want to use regular M&M’s with green sugar crystals they’ll be perfect for St. Patrick’s Day. Similarly, M&M’s rolled in royal blue sugar crystals will be perfect for the Fourth of July and the orange crystals will be perfect for Halloween or Thanksgiving.

Regardless of the holiday, these make perfect cookies for any kind of party.

Be My Valentine M&M Cookies are to die for!

This is a shortbread-type sugar cookie rolled in sugar and then covered with chocolate M&Ms. Oh, boy! What a treat!

These festive cookies are great for holiday baking, Valentine’s Day, or any party or special occasion. Your kids will love these tasty treats.

I had never seen these

I used these ingredients. I put one bag of M&M’s in the cookie dough and used about half a bag to press additional M&M’s in each cookie.

Place Crisco shortening in a large mixing bowl. Add powdered sugar, white sugar, an egg, vanilla, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. 

Cream ingredients together with an electric mixer until smooth.

Add cake flour.  This, along with the powdered sugar, gives the cookie it’s shortbread-type texture. Add party Valentine’s Day M&Ms. 

Stir with a wooden spoon to combine.

Roll the cookie dough into balls, then dredge each ball in the red sugar crystals and pat into the dough, if necessary. 

Spray cookie sheets with cooking spray. Place cookie dough balls on top of cookie sheet. Press 4 M&M’s into the top of each cookie.

I left half of the cookies plain, then pressed four M&M’s into the tops of each of these cookies as well.

Bake at 350 for 15-17 minutes or until done. The recipe said to cook for 10-12 minutes but mine actually took about 22 minutes to cook completely. 

Each oven is different. Start checking oven after 12 minutes.

I’m telling you if you’ve never had Paradise Bakery and Cafe’s Sugar Cookies or their M&M Cookies you are really missing out. These cookies taste incredible!

Don’t Be My Valentine M&M Cookies look wonderful? 

Bite down into one of these heavenly cookies and you will enjoy the rich, sweet shortbread-texture along with the delicious decadent flavor of M&Ms.

Scrumptious doesn’t even begin to describe how wonderful these spectacular cookies are.

Here’s the recipe.

BE MY VALENTINE M&M COOKIES

(Recipe adapted from “World Famous Paradise Café Sugar Cookies” published in the Arizona Republic, July 31, 2001, via Food.com)

Be My Valentine M&M Cookies

Teresa Ambra

Be My Valentine M&M Cookies are sensational! This fabulous copycat cookie recipe is based on a combination of Paradise Cafe's Sugar Cookie and M&M Cookie. It's a spectacular shortbread type cookie that's loaded with M&Ms and great for holiday entertaining. Excellent Valentine's Day dessert especially for school parties.

No ratings yet

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 45 minutes mins

Course Cookies, Brownies and Bars, Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 48

Calories 217 kcal

Equipment

• 2 large 18x26" cookie sheet pans
• 1 mixing bowl
• 1 electric mixer
• 1 wooden spoon
• measuring cups
• measuring spoons
• 1 spatula
• 1 small bowl
• 2 or 3 wire cooling racks

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2 cups Crisco shortening no substitutes
• 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 large egg beaten
• 4 cups cake flour NOT all-purpose flour
• 3/4 tsp. baking soda
• 3/4 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 24 oz. pkgs. valentine pink and red M&Ms divided use
• 2.25 oz. container red sugar crystals or as much as needed

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 350°.
• In large mixing bowl, mix sugars, shortening, vanilla, egg, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
• Mix with electric mixer until well mixed.
• Add cake flour and one bag M&Ms and stir together with a wooden spoon.
• Using an electric mixer at this point toughens cookies.
• Roll mixture into balls.
• Roll half of the cookies in red sugar crystals.
• Press sugar crystals into dough so that the crystals adhere to dough.
• Place on greased cookie sheets.
• Press four M&Ms into tops of each cookie dough ball.
• Bake at 350° for 15-17 minutes, or until small cracks appear.
• (My oven took 22 minutes, however, the original recipe stated 10-12 minutes. Your oven may cook in a shorter period of time. Check after 12 minutes).
• Let cookies cool on cookie sheet about 3 minutes before removing to wire racks.

Notes

NOTE: My oven took 22 minutes to bake these cookies. Your oven may be different. Start checking after 12 minutes.

Recipe adapted from World Famous Paradise Bakery and Cafe Sugar Cookies as posted in Arizona Central, via Food.com.

^© Can’t Stay Out of the Kitchen

Nutrition

Calories: 217kcalCarbohydrates: 25gProtein: 2gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 6mgSodium: 51mgPotassium: 13mgFiber: 1gSugar: 17gVitamin A: 38IUVitamin C: 0.1mgCalcium: 23mgIron: 0.3mg

Keyword chocolate, chocolate dessert, cookie, dessert, M&Ms, valentine's day

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

 

[b]Be My Valentine M&M Cookies[/b]

 

Recipe Type: Cookies, Brownies and Bars

Cuisine: American

Author: Teresa Ambra adapted from World Famous [url href=”http://www.paradisebakery.com/” target=”_blank” title=”paradise cafe”]Paradise Cafe[/url] Sugar Cookies as published in [i][url href=”http://www.azcentral.com/style/hfe/recipes/articles/0131cornerrec231-CR.html” target=”_blank” title=”world famous paradise cafe sugar cookies”]Arizona Republic[/url][/i]; via: [url href=”http://www.food.com/recipe/world-famous-paradise-bakery-sugar-cookies-150131″ target=”_blank” title=”world famous paradise cafe sugar cookies”]Food.com[/url]

Prep time: 20 mins

Cook time: 15 mins

Total time: 35 mins

Serves: 60

Fabulous copycat cookie recipe based on a combination of Paradise Cafe’s sugar cookie and M&M cookie. This spectacular shortbread type cookie is loaded with M&Ms and great for holiday entertaining.

Ingredients

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2 cups Crisco shortening
• 1 ½ tsp. vanilla
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 4 1/3 cups cake flour
• ¾ tsp. baking soda
• ¾ tsp. baking powder
• ¼ tsp. salt
• 12.6-oz. pkg. valentine pink and red [url href=”http://www.mymms.com/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=www+m%26m&utm_content=MMs.com_Phrase&utm_campaign=S.B.MMs&cvosrc=ppc.google.www%20m%26m&matchtype=p&searchntwk=1&gclid=CjkKEQjw_tOdBRDv9tuvl7eAtNEBEiQA9Qm5IvZ61rkghyzYJ5jRcUgNSNgcqIjBMSBrlStUQWPMlaXw_wcB” target=”_blank” title=”m&ms”]M&Ms[/url], divided use
• 2.25-oz. container red sugar crystals

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. In large mixing bowl mix sugars, shortening, vanilla, egg, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
3. Mix with electric mixer until well mixed.
4. Add cake flour, all of the white M&Ms (about 1/3 cup) and 2/3 cup of the remaining M&Ms and stir together with a wooden spoon.
5. Using an electric mixer at this point toughens cookies.
6. Roll mixture into balls.
7. Spray cookie sheets with cooking spray.
8. Roll cookies in red sugar crystals.
9. Press sugar crystals into dough so that it adheres.
10. Place on cookie sheets.
11. Press remaining M&Ms into tops of cookie dough balls.
12. Bake at 350° for 15-17 minutes, or until small cracks appear.
13. (My oven took 15-17 minutes, however, the original recipe stated 10-12 minutes. Your oven may cook in a shorter period of time. Check after 12 minutes).
14. Let cookies cool on cookie sheet about 3 minutes before removing to wire racks.

Don’t these look yummy! Each mouthful just melts in your mouth.

When you make Be My Valentine M&M Cookies, be sure to take a platter to your office parties. They will love you for it!

While I used the Valentine’s Day mix of M&M’s and red sugar crystals, you can easily swap out the M&M’s and sugar to make these delectable cookies for any holiday.

Be My Valentine M&M Cookies are simply A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!!!!!

You may also enjoy these delicious recipes!

M&M Party Cookies

M&M Chocolate Cookies

M&M Peanut Butter Cookies

Be My Valentine M&M Cookies

Teresa Ambra

Be My Valentine M&M Cookies are sensational! This fabulous copycat cookie recipe is based on a combination of Paradise Cafe's Sugar Cookie and M&M Cookie. It's a spectacular shortbread type cookie that's loaded with M&Ms and great for holiday entertaining. Excellent Valentine's Day dessert especially for school parties.

No ratings yet

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 45 minutes mins

Course Cookies, Brownies and Bars, Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 48

Calories 217 kcal

Equipment

• 2 large 18×26" cookie sheet pans
• 1 mixing bowl
• 1 electric mixer
• 1 wooden spoon
• measuring cups
• measuring spoons
• 1 spatula
• 1 small bowl
• 2 or 3 wire cooling racks

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2 cups Crisco shortening no substitutes
• 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 large egg beaten
• 4 cups cake flour NOT all-purpose flour
• 3/4 tsp. baking soda
• 3/4 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 24 oz. pkgs. valentine pink and red M&Ms divided use
• 2.25 oz. container red sugar crystals or as much as needed

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 350°.
• In large mixing bowl, mix sugars, shortening, vanilla, egg, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
• Mix with electric mixer until well mixed.
• Add cake flour and one bag M&Ms and stir together with a wooden spoon.
• Using an electric mixer at this point toughens cookies.
• Roll mixture into balls.
• Roll half of the cookies in red sugar crystals.
• Press sugar crystals into dough so that the crystals adhere to dough.
• Place on greased cookie sheets.
• Press four M&Ms into tops of each cookie dough ball.
• Bake at 350° for 15-17 minutes, or until small cracks appear.
• (My oven took 22 minutes, however, the original recipe stated 10-12 minutes. Your oven may cook in a shorter period of time. Check after 12 minutes).
• Let cookies cool on cookie sheet about 3 minutes before removing to wire racks.

Notes

NOTE: My oven took 22 minutes to bake these cookies. Your oven may be different. Start checking after 12 minutes.

Recipe adapted from World Famous Paradise Bakery and Cafe Sugar Cookies as posted in Arizona Central, via Food.com.

^© Can’t Stay Out of the Kitchen

Nutrition

Calories: 217kcalCarbohydrates: 25gProtein: 2gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 6mgSodium: 51mgPotassium: 13mgFiber: 1gSugar: 17gVitamin A: 38IUVitamin C: 0.1mgCalcium: 23mgIron: 0.3mg

Keyword chocolate, chocolate dessert, cookie, dessert, M&Ms, valentine’s day

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!