M&M Oatmeal Cookies
If you’re a fan of oatmeal cookies, you’ll gobble up these M&M Oatmeal Cookies packed full of candy-coated chocolate candies!
An M&M Cookie Recipe is always a crowd-pleaser, and this one is full of healthy oats, making these cookies slightly healthier than other indulgences.
Why You Must Make
- Full of M&M candies, these are kid-friendly cookies.
- They’re great for picnics as the candy won’t melt like chocolate chips.
- The oats provide more nutrition than regular M&M cookies.
Recipe Tips
- Use regular, old-fashioned oats for a nice chewy, hearty texture.
- Use real butter, never margarine. I use salted butter since salt is a flavor enhancer and helps prevent cookies from tasting flat.
- This recipe calls for dark brown sugar, which gives a caramel undertone to the cookies.
- PRO-Tip: If you don’t have dark brown sugar, you can mix 1 tablespoon of molasses into a cup of light brown sugar as an easy substitution. You will only need half of it for this recipe.
- Use a Medium or Large Cookie Disher (affiliate link) to make all the cookies the same size. This will help each of the cookies finish baking at the same time.
- Chill the dough for 1-2 hours to minimize spreading as they bake.
- PRO-Tip: This recipe calls for Baking Powder, not baking soda. It often comes in a can and does expire. So check the date on the package and replace it if it’s outdated or near the expiration date. You can also test it to see if it’s still active by putting a spoonful into some very hot water. If it’s OK, it will bubble vigorously; if it doesn’t, it’s past its prime.
- PRO-Tip: Reserve some M&Ms to carefully press onto the top of the warm cookies after they come out of the oven. This makes them look like they came from a bakery!
Ingredient Notes:
- Butter – I use salted butter in all my recipes unless otherwise noted.
- Dark Brown Sugar (affiliate links in blue) – Contains more molasses than light brown sugar, giving a deeper caramel undertone.
- Sugar – White, granulated sugar.
- Egg – I use large eggs in all my baking unless otherwise noted. Having them at room temperature makes for easier incorporation; you can put them into a bowl of very warm (not boiling) water, while you prep the other ingredients to take the chill off.
- Vanilla Extract (affiliate link to my go-to brand) – Use real vanilla extract, never imitation vanilla.
- Flour – Use All-Purpose Flour. I use the King Arthur brand.
- Baking Powder – Not the same as baking soda. Check the expiration date. It often expires while in your pantry since it’s not used as often as baking soda. PRO-Tip: To check its potency, put a spoonful in a cup of hot water. It should bubble vigorously if it’s fresh.
- Salt – I use table salt as the finer grains mix more thoroughly into the dough. PRO-Tip: If you use kosher salt, use 1¼ teaspoons for each teaspoon of table salt called for.
- Old-fashioned Oatmeal (affiliate link) – Hardier than Quick Oats.
- Mini M&M’s – Reserve some to press into the cookies as soon as they come out of the oven for a nice presentation. You may also use some regular M&M’s to garnish.
Substitutions
- You may use light brown sugar instead of dark.
- PRO-Tip: To make your own dark brown sugar, mix a tablespoon of light molasses into a cup of regular brown sugar. When mixed thoroughly, you can measure and use.
- You may add chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, or white chocolate chips instead of the M&Ms.
- Quick oats will work in a pinch if you don’t have old-fashioned oatmeal on hand.
Frequently Asked Questions
The oatmeal provides soluble fiber, protein, and vitamins and minerals, including copper, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, selenium, iron, zinc, and B1. Oats can help lower cholesterol, too. But the saturated fat in the butter and egg may raise cholesterol. So they’re not exactly healthy, but they’re healthier than many other types of cookies
If you don’t have M&Ms, add any flavor of chocolate chips—milk chocolate, white chocolate, semisweet, or bittersweet. Raisins and dried cranberries or cherries are delicious additions, too!
When you start smelling the delicious aroma of baked cookies coming from your oven, they are close to being done. Use the recipe’s suggested baking time as a guideline, but realize that all ovens bake a little differently. Since the cookies will still cook after they come out of the oven from the residual heat of the cookie sheet, it’s OK if the very centers look a little underdone.
You May Also Like:
- 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 (in my recipe index cookie category)
M & M Oatmeal Cookies Recipe
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
- 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
- Preheat the oven to 350º. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Cream butter, brown sugar, and sugar till thoroughly mixed.
- Add eggs, then vanilla, and mix well.
- Add flour, baking powder, and salt, and mix till all flour is incorporated.
- Mix in oatmeal, then M and M's.
- Cover and chill dough for at least an hour (longer will help minimize flat cookies).
- With a medium cookie disher, scoop out mounds of dough and place on prepared baking sheets, about 2 inches apart.
- Press a few of the reserved M and M's into dough balls. Bake 12-14 minutes.
- 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.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
12Serving Size:
2 cookiesAmount 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.
4 Comments on “M&M Oatmeal Cookies”
Is the sugar amounts correct? It has sugar, brown sugar, and brown sugar? Thank you!
Hi, Kimberly! Thanks for catching that. It should be sugar and brown sugar, but you can use dark brown sugar for a deeper caramel flavor if you want. Off to edit the recipe 🙂
Thanks for catching that, Kimberly. Just a single half cup of brown sugar
These cookies have always been a hit with my kids!