The Ultimate Soft & Chewy M&M Oatmeal Cookie Recipe: A Family Favorite!
Get ready to indulge in the ultimate comfort treat: homemade M&M Oatmeal Cookies. These delightful cookies are a perfect fusion of two classic favorites – the hearty, wholesome texture of a beloved oatmeal cookie combined with the joyful burst of colorful M&M candies. Each bite promises a wonderfully soft and chewy experience, generously loaded with not only vibrant M&Ms but also plenty of mini chocolate chips and robust oats. This isn’t just an ordinary M&M cookie recipe; it’s an elevated baking adventure designed to bring smiles to faces of all ages and add a touch of festive cheer to any moment. Whether you’re baking for a special occasion, a holiday gathering, or simply craving a sweet, satisfying snack, these cookies are incredibly versatile and always a crowd-pleaser.
The beauty of these cookies lies in their adaptable nature. We adore classic M&M cookies, but integrating M&Ms into a classic oatmeal cookie base offers a unique twist that quickly became a personal favorite. One of the most fun aspects of making M&M cookies is the ability to customize them for any holiday or season. Imagine vibrant red and green M&Ms for Christmas, pastels for Easter, or traditional primary colors for a birthday party! While I opted for mini M&Ms in this specific recipe to ensure an even distribution of chocolatey goodness, regular-sized M&Ms work beautifully too. Feel free to experiment with different M&M varieties like peanut, peanut butter, or pretzel M&Ms to add an extra layer of flavor and crunch tailored to your preference. The possibilities are endless when it comes to personalizing these joyful treats.
What Kind of Oats Are Best in M&M Oatmeal Cookies?
The choice of oats can significantly impact the final texture of your oatmeal cookies. You generally have two main options: quick oats or old-fashioned (rolled) oats. While both can be used, the difference in texture and consistency is notable, and it often comes down to personal preference. For these particular M&M Oatmeal Cookies, I wholeheartedly recommend using old-fashioned oats.
Old-fashioned oats are whole oat groats that have been steamed and then rolled flat. This process gives them a heartier, chewier texture that is absolutely ideal for cookies. When baked, they retain more of their structural integrity, contributing to that desirable chewy cookie experience. The distinct texture of old-fashioned oats creates a more substantial cookie that truly feels like you’re enjoying a wholesome oatmeal treat, which, in my opinion, makes it easier to justify having one (or two!) for breakfast!
Quick oats, on the other hand, are cut into smaller pieces and rolled thinner, allowing them to cook faster. If you use entirely quick oats in this recipe, your cookies will likely be a bit denser and puffier, with a less pronounced chewiness. While still delicious, they won’t have the same robust texture that old-fashioned oats provide. If you only have quick oats on hand, you can certainly use them, but be prepared for a slightly different result. For those who want the best of both worlds, or are simply experimenting, using a combination of both quick and old-fashioned oats can also yield interesting results, offering a balance between density and chewiness. Just remember, consistency is key, so make a note of what you use if you want to replicate your perfect cookie batch!
Essential Ingredients for Perfect M&M Oatmeal Cookies
Crafting the perfect batch of soft and chewy M&M Oatmeal Cookies requires a thoughtful selection of ingredients. Here’s a detailed look at what you’ll need and why each component is crucial:
- Butter: You’ll need two sticks (1 cup) of unsalted butter for this recipe. It’s absolutely essential to soften the butter to room temperature before mixing it with the sugars. Room temperature butter creams beautifully with sugar, incorporating air and resulting in a lighter, more tender cookie texture. Cold butter won’t blend properly, and melted butter will lead to greasy, flat cookies.
- Brown Sugar and Granulated Sugar: The combination of both light brown sugar and granulated sugar is key to achieving the ideal sweetness and chewiness. Light brown sugar adds moisture, depth of flavor, and contributes to the soft, chewy texture. Granulated sugar provides sweetness and helps with crispness around the edges. For the best results, always ensure your brown sugar is soft and fresh; if it’s hardened, you can easily re-soften it by placing it in an airtight container with a slice of bread or a damp paper towel overnight.
- Eggs: Two large eggs are vital binders, helping to emulsify the ingredients and provide structure to the cookies. They add moisture, richness, and contribute to the overall chewy texture. Make sure your eggs are also at room temperature for better incorporation into the dough.
- Vanilla Extract: A high-quality vanilla extract can elevate your cookies from good to extraordinary. Vanilla enhances all the other flavors, adding a warm, aromatic depth that is simply irresistible. Don’t skimp on this ingredient; pure vanilla extract makes a noticeable difference.
- All-Purpose Flour: Standard all-purpose flour works wonderfully here, providing the necessary structure for the cookies. While cake flour can be used for an even more tender crumb, and a portion of it could be swapped with whole wheat flour for added nutrition, keep in mind that these substitutions will alter the taste and consistency. Stick with all-purpose for the classic texture.
- Ground Cinnamon: Don’t underestimate the power of cinnamon in an oatmeal cookie! An entire tablespoon of ground cinnamon is included in this recipe, and it’s non-negotiable. Cinnamon pairs exceptionally well with oats, bringing a comforting warmth and complexity of flavor that truly sets these cookies apart. It complements the sweetness of the M&Ms and chocolate chips beautifully.
- Baking Soda, Baking Powder, and Salt: These leavening agents work in harmony to give the cookies their rise and characteristic texture. Baking soda reacts with the acidic brown sugar, while baking powder provides an extra lift, resulting in soft, slightly puffy cookies. Salt, often overlooked, is crucial for balancing the sweetness and enhancing all the other flavors, preventing the cookies from tasting overly sugary. Always check the expiration dates of your baking soda and baking powder to ensure they are fresh and active.
- Old-Fashioned Oats: As discussed earlier, old-fashioned (rolled) oats are the superior choice for these cookies. Their robust texture ensures a satisfyingly chewy bite, distinguishing them from cookies made with quick oats.
- Mini M&Ms: You’ll need about 1½ cups of these colorful candies. I find mini M&Ms ideal as they distribute more evenly throughout the dough and adhere better to the tops of the cookies for that perfect visual appeal. A 10-oz bag is usually just right. Of course, you can adjust the quantity to your liking – more M&Ms generally means more joy! If you prefer, regular-sized M&Ms can also be used, but the minis offer a delightful, consistent burst of chocolate in every bite.
- Mini Chocolate Chips: About 1 cup of mini chocolate chips adds an extra layer of rich chocolate flavor and texture. While optional, I highly recommend including them; more chocolate is almost always a good thing! Mini chocolate chips blend seamlessly with the mini M&Ms, ensuring a harmonious chocolate distribution. Regular-sized chocolate chips can be substituted, but the mini size truly complements the overall cookie texture and the mini M&Ms.
How to Make M&M Oatmeal Cookies: Step-by-Step Instructions
Making these delicious M&M Oatmeal Cookies is a straightforward and rewarding process. Follow these simple steps for a perfect batch every time:
First, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). This ensures your oven is at the correct temperature for even baking from the start.
In a large mixing bowl, using an electric mixer, cream together the softened butter and both types of sugars (brown and granulated) for 2-3 minutes. This crucial step incorporates air, making your cookies lighter and more tender. Next, add the eggs one at a time, followed by the vanilla extract, blending for another 2 minutes until the mixture is light and fluffy.
In a separate medium-sized bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, ground cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Ensure they are thoroughly combined to distribute the leavening agents evenly throughout the dough.
Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet butter and sugar mixture. Mix on low speed just until combined. Be careful not to overmix the flour, as this can lead to tough cookies. Once the flour is mostly incorporated, gently fold in the old-fashioned oats, half of the mini M&Ms, and all of the mini chocolate chips. Stir until these delicious add-ins are evenly distributed throughout the dough.
To achieve those beautifully speckled tops, place the remaining half of the mini M&Ms into a small, shallow bowl. Using a cookie scoop (about 1.5-2 tablespoons), scoop the cookie dough into uniform balls. Then, gently press the top of each cookie dough ball into the M&Ms in the small bowl, ensuring each cookie is well-coated with colorful candies on its surface. This step is optional but highly recommended for an appealing finish.
Arrange the prepared cookie dough balls onto a well-greased cookie sheet, or preferably, a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Give them enough space, about 2 inches apart, as they will spread while baking.
Bake the cookies for approximately 12 minutes, or until the edges are just barely beginning to turn golden brown. It’s vital not to overbake them! The centers may still look slightly soft or underbaked when you pull them out, but they will continue to set and firm up as they cool on the hot cookie sheet. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes (about 5-7 minutes) before carefully transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. This resting period helps them finish baking and prevents them from breaking apart.
M&M Oatmeal Cookies
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Ingredients
- 1 cup butter softened to room temp
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 3 cups old-fashioned oats
- 1 ½ cups mini M&Ms divided
- 1 cup mini chocolate chips
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
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In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, cream butter and sugars together for 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla, blending for another 2 minutes until well combined.
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In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder and salt until well combined.
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Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix just until combined. Avoid overmixing. Add the oats, half of the M&Ms, and the mini chocolate chips; stir until evenly distributed throughout the dough.
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Place the other half of the M&Ms into a small, shallow bowl. Use a cookie scoop to portion the dough into balls, then gently press the top of each cookie dough ball into the M&Ms, ensuring each cookie dough ball is well coated with candies on the top.
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Place cookie dough balls onto a well-greased cookie sheet or a cookie sheet that has been lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat, leaving about 2 inches between cookies.
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Bake cookies for about 12 minutes, or until the edges just barely begin to brown and the centers still look slightly soft. Do not overbake! Let the cookies cool on the cookie sheet for a few minutes (5-7 minutes) before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Nutrition
Top Tips for Baking the Best M&M Oatmeal Cookies!
After years of experimenting with countless oatmeal cookie recipes, I’ve gathered several invaluable tips to help you achieve the absolute BEST M&M Oatmeal Cookies. Follow these guidelines for consistently perfect results:
- Ensure Proper Flour Quantity: The correct amount of flour is crucial for cookie structure. Oatmeal cookie dough is naturally a bit stickier than other cookie doughs, and that’s perfectly normal. However, if your dough feels excessively sticky and difficult to work with, you might need to add a tablespoon or two more of all-purpose flour. Be careful not to add too much, as this can result in dry, crumbly cookies.
- Always Use Old-Fashioned Oats: This tip cannot be stressed enough! While quick oats can be substituted in a pinch, they will drastically change the texture of your cookies. Old-fashioned oats provide that essential chewy, hearty bite that makes an oatmeal cookie truly special. They prevent the cookies from becoming overly dense and ensure a satisfying, rustic texture.
- Cream Butter and Sugars Thoroughly: Don’t rush this step. Investing an extra 2-3 minutes to thoroughly cream your softened butter with both brown and granulated sugars is a game-changer. This process incorporates air into the mixture, creating a lighter, fluffier base for your cookies and ultimately improving their overall consistency and tenderness.
- Preheat Your Oven Accurately: Always allow your oven to fully preheat before placing cookies inside. An accurately preheated oven ensures that your cookies begin baking at the correct temperature immediately, which is essential for proper spreading and consistent baking every single time.
- Invest in a Cookie Scoop: For perfectly shaped, uniformly sized cookies, a cookie scoop is an indispensable tool. It not only speeds up the portioning process but also ensures that all cookies bake evenly, preventing some from burning while others remain undercooked.
- Utilize Parchment Paper or Silicone Baking Mats: For effortless removal and easy cleanup, always line your baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. This prevents sticking, allows the cookies to slide right off the pan in perfect shape, and helps promote even browning across the bottom.
- Avoid Overbaking: This is arguably the most critical tip for soft, chewy cookies. When I remove my M&M Oatmeal Cookies from the oven, their centers still look slightly soft and underbaked. This is exactly what you want! The cookies will continue to bake and set on the hot cookie sheet for a few more minutes. Overbaking leads to dry, hard cookies, so err on the side of slightly underbaked for that ultimate chewiness.
How to Perfectly Soften Butter to Room Temperature
Many cookie recipes call for softened butter, and achieving the right consistency is key to a successful batch. Butter that is too cold won’t cream properly, leading to a lumpy dough, while melted butter can make your cookies spread too much and become greasy. The ideal “room temperature” butter should be pliable enough to leave an indentation when gently pressed, but not oily or shiny.
The best and simplest way to soften butter is to plan ahead: simply set it out on your kitchen counter for a few hours before you intend to bake. However, if you’re like me and often find yourself wanting to bake spontaneously, here are a few quick tricks to soften butter in minutes:
- The Microwave Method (with caution!): This is definitely the fastest method, but it requires careful attention to avoid melting the butter. Place the unwrapped stick of butter (never foil-wrapped!) in the microwave. Microwave it on a low power setting (or even better, the defrost setting if your microwave has one) for 5-7 seconds. Check the butter – if it’s still very firm, repeat in 5-second intervals, constantly checking its softness. As it starts to feel softer, reduce intervals to 2-3 seconds. The goal is soft, not melted! I personally prefer using the defrost setting, as it seems to soften the butter more gently, typically taking closer to 30 seconds, but with less risk of accidental melting.
- The Water Bath Method: Fill a medium-sized bowl with warm (not hot!) water. Place your unwrapped stick of butter in its wrapper into a larger bowl, then set the larger bowl into the warm water bath, ensuring no water gets into the butter. Let it sit for about 5-10 minutes, turning it occasionally. This gently warms the butter from all sides.
- The Chopping Method: If you’re really short on time, cut your cold butter into small cubes, about ½-inch in size. Spread the cubes out on a plate. This increases the surface area, allowing the butter to come to room temperature much faster, typically within 15-30 minutes.
- The Grating Method: For an almost instant soften, you can grate cold butter using a box grater. This creates fine shreds of butter that will soften extremely quickly when incorporated into your dough.
Why Do My M&M Oatmeal Cookies Burn on the Bottom But Aren’t Done in the Middle?
Encountering cookies that burn on the bottom while remaining undercooked in the middle is a common and frustrating baking problem, especially with dense cookies like oatmeal varieties. More often than not, this issue stems from your choice of baking sheet or how you prepare it.
Here’s why it might be happening:
- Dark-Colored Baking Sheets: Dark-colored cookie sheets absorb and retain more heat than lighter ones. This can cause the bottoms of your cookies to brown and even burn much faster than the rest of the cookie can cook through. If you frequently experience burned bottoms, consider switching to lighter-colored, reflective baking pans. These distribute heat more evenly, allowing for a more consistent bake.
- Excessive Cooking Spray or Grease: While a little grease is good for non-stick properties, using too much cooking spray or butter on your baking sheet can also contribute to a burned bottom. The excess fat can heat up rapidly, essentially frying the bottom of the cookie before the interior is fully baked.
- Oven Hot Spots: Sometimes, the issue isn’t the pan but the oven itself. Ovens can have “hot spots” where the temperature is significantly higher. If you consistently notice burning in a specific area of your oven, try rotating your baking sheets halfway through the baking time to ensure even cooking. An oven thermometer can also help you calibrate your oven’s true temperature versus what the dial says.
To combat these issues, I highly recommend using lighter-colored, non-stick baking pans. Furthermore, over the last couple of years, I’ve become a huge advocate for silicone baking mats. They are a game-changer! Not only do they provide a superior non-stick surface, eliminating the need for any cooking spray, but they also offer excellent heat distribution. Cookies bake beautifully and uniformly, and they slide off the mat with incredible ease – no sticking, no scraping, just perfectly baked cookies every time.
Other Delicious Oatmeal Cookie Recipes We Love!
- Fudgy Oatmeal Cookie Bars
- Homemade Oatmeal Cream Pies
- White Chocolate Cherry Oatmeal Cookies
- Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
- Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies
- Microwave Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Toffee Oatmeal Cookies
- Blackberry Oatmeal Cookies
- Best Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
- Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Best Monster Cookies
- Banana Oatmeal Cookies
- Caramel Apple Oatmeal Cookies
On a personal note, can you believe how quickly my little one is growing? She boasts the longest, thickest, most beautiful hair I’ve ever seen on a two-year-old! However, getting it combed has become a daily battle; she transforms from a generally pleasant child into a tiny sprinter at the mere sight of a comb or brush. So, we decided it was time for a simpler hairstyle to navigate this phase. Her first haircut made her a little nervous, but we found a fantastic place where she could sit in a cute little car and watch a show the entire time. We all survived the experience with minimal drama, and I absolutely adore how adorable her new look turned out! While I don’t love that she instantly appeared older, we are all thrilled to be free from daily tangles!
