Chewy M and M Oatmeal Cookies

Welcome to the ultimate guide for baking the most delightful and vibrant **M&M Oatmeal Cookies**! If you’re a devoted fan of classic oatmeal cookies and adore the playful crunch and color of candy-coated chocolates, then prepare to fall in love with this recipe. These aren’t just any cookies; they’re a celebration of texture and flavor, bringing together the wholesome chewiness of oats with the irresistible sweetness of M&M’s in every bite. Perfect for any occasion, from casual snacking to festive gatherings, these cookies promise to be a crowd-pleaser that will have everyone reaching for more.

There’s something uniquely comforting about a warm, freshly baked cookie, and an **M&M Cookie Recipe** always holds a special place in people’s hearts. What makes this particular recipe stand out is the inclusion of hearty oats, which not only lend a wonderful chewy texture but also introduce a touch of beneficial fiber and nutrients. While we’re indulging in a sweet treat, the oats contribute to making these cookies a slightly more wholesome choice compared to many other dessert options, allowing you to enjoy your indulgence with a little less guilt.

Why These M&M Oatmeal Cookies Are a Must-Make

Whether you’re an experienced baker or just starting your culinary journey, these M&M Oatmeal Cookies offer compelling reasons to get your mixing bowls ready. Beyond their undeniable deliciousness, they bring a host of practical and delightful benefits to your kitchen and your dessert table. They are not merely cookies; they are little parcels of joy designed to impress and satisfy.

• Unquestionably Kid-Friendly: The vibrant colors of M&M candies instantly captivate children, making these cookies a guaranteed hit with the younger audience. The playful aesthetic combined with the familiar chocolatey goodness ensures these are always the first to disappear from any cookie platter.
• Perfect for Outdoor Events: Unlike cookies made with traditional chocolate chips, the candy coating on M&M’s provides a protective barrier against melting. This makes these cookies an ideal choice for picnics, barbecues, potlucks, and any outdoor event where heat might otherwise turn your beautiful chocolate chips into a messy smear. Enjoy worry-free transport and serving!
• A Healthier Indulgence: While still a treat, the addition of oats significantly boosts the nutritional profile of these cookies. Oats are a fantastic source of soluble fiber, which can aid in digestion and help lower cholesterol. They also provide essential vitamins and minerals, including manganese, phosphorus, magnesium, and B vitamins, giving you a little extra goodness with every bite compared to regular M&M cookies.
• Customizable Fun: These cookies offer a fantastic canvas for creativity. While M&M’s are a classic, you can easily swap them out or add other mix-ins to suit your taste or the occasion. Consider different M&M varieties for holidays or special events, or combine them with other favorites for a truly unique cookie.
• Irresistible Texture and Flavor: The combination of chewy oats, rich brown sugar, and buttery dough creates a cookie with an incredibly satisfying texture. Each bite offers a delightful contrast between the soft, yielding cookie base and the slight crunch of the M&M’s, culminating in a complex flavor profile that’s both sweet and subtly caramel-like.

Essential Recipe Tips for Perfect M&M Oatmeal Cookies

Achieving bakery-quality cookies at home is entirely possible with a few key techniques and smart choices. These tips are designed to elevate your **M&M Oatmeal Cookies** from good to absolutely outstanding, ensuring a consistent bake, perfect texture, and maximum flavor. Pay close attention to these details, as they can make all the difference in your baking success.

• Choose the Right Oats: For that signature chewy and substantial texture, always opt for **regular, old-fashioned rolled oats**. Quick oats are thinner and will result in a softer, less textured cookie. Steel-cut oats are too tough for cookies unless specially prepped, so stick with old-fashioned for the best results.
• Butter Matters: The foundation of any great cookie lies in good quality butter. **Always use real butter, never margarine**. Margarine contains more water and can lead to cookies that spread too much and lack flavor. I prefer using salted butter as salt is a natural flavor enhancer, which helps to balance the sweetness and prevents the cookies from tasting flat. If using unsalted butter, you may wish to slightly increase the amount of salt in the recipe.
• The Magic of Dark Brown Sugar: This recipe specifically calls for dark brown sugar, and for good reason. Dark brown sugar contains a higher molasses content than its light brown counterpart, which imparts a deeper, richer flavor profile with delightful caramel undertones, adding complexity to your cookies.
• PRO-Tip for Brown Sugar: If you find yourself without dark brown sugar but have light brown sugar and molasses on hand, don’t fret! You can easily create a substitute by mixing 1 tablespoon of molasses into a cup of light brown sugar. This simple trick will mimic the flavor and moisture benefits of dark brown sugar perfectly.
• Precision with a Cookie Disher: For uniform cookies that bake evenly, a cookie disher (or ice cream scoop) is your best friend. Scooping consistent amounts of dough ensures that all cookies in a batch finish baking at roughly the same time, preventing some from being over-baked while others are still underdone.
• Chill for Success: Don’t skip the chilling step! Chilling the dough for at least 1-2 hours (and up to 24 hours for even better results) is crucial. This helps solidify the butter, which minimizes spreading during baking, resulting in thicker, chewier cookies. It also allows the flavors to meld and deepen, leading to a more delicious end product.
• PRO-Tip on Baking Powder: This recipe uses baking powder as the leavening agent, not baking soda. It’s common for baking powder, often sold in cans, to expire well before it’s used up, especially if you don’t bake frequently. Always check the expiration date on the package. To test its potency, place a spoonful in a cup of hot water; it should bubble vigorously if it’s fresh and effective. If it doesn’t, it’s time to replace it.
• PRO-Tip for Bakery-Style Presentation: For that “fresh from the bakery” look, reserve a handful of M&M’s. As soon as the cookies come out of the oven, while they are still warm and soft, carefully press a few of these reserved M&M’s onto the top of each cookie. This ensures a beautiful, colorful display and adds extra chocolatey goodness right on top.
• Don’t Overmix: Once you add the dry ingredients to the wet, mix only until just combined. Overmixing can develop the gluten in the flour too much, leading to tough, dense cookies instead of light and chewy ones.
• Baking Sheet Preparation: Always line your baking sheets with parchment paper. This prevents sticking, promotes even baking, and makes cleanup incredibly easy. Silpat mats also work wonderfully.
• Cooling Process: Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes after removing them from the oven. This helps them set up and prevents them from breaking when transferred. Then, move them to a wire rack to cool completely, ensuring air circulation prevents them from becoming soggy on the bottom.

Ingredient Notes: Understanding Each Component

Every ingredient plays a vital role in the final outcome of your **M&M Oatmeal Cookies**. Understanding their specific functions can help you troubleshoot issues and even make informed substitutions if needed. Here’s a breakdown of the key ingredients and why they are important for achieving the perfect cookie.

• Butter: As mentioned, real butter is crucial for flavor and texture. It provides richness, moisture, and helps create that desirable spread and chewy texture. Using room temperature butter ensures it creams properly with the sugars, incorporating air for a lighter crumb. I consistently use salted butter in my recipes unless explicitly stated otherwise, finding that the added salt enhances the overall flavor profile.
• Dark Brown Sugar: This ingredient is a true game-changer. Its higher molasses content not only contributes to the deep, caramel-like flavor but also adds significant moisture to the dough, resulting in softer, chewier cookies that stay fresh longer. It works in harmony with white sugar to create a balanced sweetness and texture.
• Sugar (White, Granulated): Granulated sugar contributes to the cookie’s crispness around the edges and aids in spreading. It also works with brown sugar to achieve the ideal balance of sweetness and texture, providing that classic cookie foundation.
• Egg: Eggs act as a binder, helping to hold all the ingredients together and providing structure to the cookies. They also add richness and moisture. I always use large eggs in my baking, unless a recipe specifically calls for a different size, as this is the standard size for most baking recipes. Ensure your egg is at room temperature for better emulsification with the butter and sugars.
• Vanilla Extract: A splash of real vanilla extract is indispensable. It’s a fundamental flavor enhancer that deepens and rounds out the sweetness of the cookies, adding a warm, aromatic depth that imitation vanilla simply cannot replicate. Invest in good quality pure vanilla extract for the best results.
• All-Purpose Flour: The backbone of most baked goods, all-purpose flour provides the necessary structure for the cookies. When measuring, always spoon the flour into your measuring cup and level it off with a straight edge to avoid packing too much flour, which can lead to dense, dry cookies.
• Baking Powder: This leavening agent is responsible for the lift and slight puffiness in your cookies. Its chemical reaction creates carbon dioxide bubbles, giving the cookies a tender crumb. As a reminder, always check its expiration date and test for potency by adding a spoonful to hot water; it should bubble vigorously if fresh.
• Salt: A pinch of salt is vital for balancing the sweetness and enhancing all the other flavors. It prevents the cookies from tasting overly sweet and brings out the depth of the butter and sugars. I typically use fine-grained table salt as it dissolves and mixes more thoroughly into the dough than coarser salts.
• Old-fashioned Rolled Oatmeal: These provide the distinctive chewy texture and wholesome character of oatmeal cookies. Their sturdier structure holds up well during baking, contributing to a satisfying bite. Quick oats can be used in a pinch, but they will yield a softer cookie with less chew.
• Mini M&M’s: The star of the show! Mini M&M’s are perfect for oatmeal cookies as they distribute well throughout the dough and provide pops of color and chocolate in every bite. Remember to reserve some to press into the tops of the warm cookies for an attractive, professional finish. You can also use a combination of mini and regular M&M’s for added visual appeal and varied texture.

Creative Substitutions to Customize Your M&M Oatmeal Cookies

While this recipe for **M&M Oatmeal Cookies** is fantastic as is, baking is also about creativity and adapting to what you have on hand or what your taste buds desire. Don’t be afraid to experiment with these simple substitutions to tailor the recipe to your preferences or dietary needs.

• Brown Sugar Variations: If dark brown sugar isn’t available, **light brown sugar** can be used instead. The cookies might have a slightly lighter color and less intense caramel note, but they will still be delicious. For an even deeper flavor, consider adding a tiny splash of molasses to your light brown sugar.
• Alternative Mix-Ins: The beauty of oatmeal cookies is their versatility. If M&M’s aren’t your favorite, or if you simply want to try something new, feel free to substitute them with other delectable options. **Chocolate chips** (milk chocolate, semi-sweet, dark, or white chocolate), **butterscotch chips**, or even **peanut butter chips** are fantastic choices. For a more classic oatmeal cookie, consider adding **raisins, dried cranberries, chopped walnuts, pecans, or even shredded coconut**. A combination of these can create a “loaded” oatmeal cookie experience.
• Oat Alternatives: While old-fashioned rolled oats are highly recommended for their texture, **quick oats** can certainly work if that’s all you have on hand. Just be aware that the resulting cookies will be softer and less chewy. Avoid instant oatmeal as it’s too finely processed for this recipe.
• Dairy-Free Options: For those with dairy sensitivities, **plant-based butter sticks** (not tubs, as they contain too much water) can often be substituted 1:1 for regular butter. Be sure to use a brand designed for baking.
• Gluten-Free Flour: If you need a gluten-free option, a **1:1 gluten-free baking flour blend** (that includes xanthan gum) can typically be used in place of all-purpose flour. Results may vary slightly in texture, but many blends perform beautifully in cookie recipes.

Frequently Asked Questions About M&M Oatmeal Cookies

You May Also Like: Explore More Cookie Creations

• Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies from Bless This Mess
• Classic M & M Cookies
• Loaded Oatmeal Cookies
• M & M Blondies
• Plus check out all my Best Cookie Recipes

The Recipe:

M & M Oatmeal Cookies Recipe

Prep Time
20 minutes

Cook Time
14 minutes

Additional Time
1 hour

Total Time
1 hour 34 minutes

Yield
2 dozen

Chewy, buttery oatmeal cookies full of colorful mini M & M candies.

Ingredients

• ½ cup butter, at room temperature
• ½ cup  dark brown sugar
• ½ cup sugar
• ½ cup dark brown sugar
• 1 egg, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• ¾ cup flour
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ salt
• 1½ cups old fashioned oatmeal
• 1 cup mini M & Ms, reserve some to garnish tops
• Regular M & Ms, optional, to garnish

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350º.  Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Cream butter, brown sugar, and sugar till thoroughly mixed. 
3. Add eggs, then vanilla, and mix well. 
4. Add flour, baking powder, and salt, and mix till all flour is incorporated. 
5. Mix in oatmeal, then M and M’s.
6. Cover and chill dough for at least an hour (longer will help minimize flat cookies).
7. With a medium cookie disher, scoop out mounds of dough and place on prepared baking sheets, about 2 inches apart.
8. Press a few of the reserved M and M’s into dough balls.  Bake 12-14 minutes. 
9. Cool for a couple of minutes on the pan, then remove to wire rack to finish cooling.

Notes

Oatmeal cookie base adapted from Ina Garten. May use chocolate chips instead of M & M’s.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

• Black Spatula
• Reynolds Cookie Baking Sheets Non-Stick Parchment Paper, 25 Sheet, 4 Count
• USA Pan Bakeware Half Sheet Pan

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

12

Serving Size:

2 cookies

Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 319Total Fat: 13gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 39mgSodium: 118mgCarbohydrates: 48gFiber: 1gSugar: 37gProtein: 3g

Thatskinnychickcanbake.com occasionally offers nutritional information for recipes contained on this site. This information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although thatskinnychickcanbake.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.

Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased can change the nutritional information in any given recipe. Also, many recipes on thatskinnychickcanbake.com recommend toppings, which may or may not be listed as optional and nutritional information for these added toppings is not listed. Other factors may change the nutritional information such as when the salt amount is listed “to taste,” it is not calculated into the recipe as the amount will vary. Also, different online calculators can provide different results.

To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in any given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information obtained is accurate.

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