Oatmeal M&M Cookies with Chocolate Chips
Modified: Published: by Nora Breyer Combine Good Flavors 1 Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Disclosure Policy
These oatmeal M&M cookies are soft, chewy, and packed with rolled oats, chocolate chips, and plenty of colorful M&M’s. In this post, I’ll show you how to keep them thick and tender, why that short chill in the fridge is worth it, and when to pull them from the oven so the centers stay beautifully soft.
I’ve made a lot of chocolate chip cookies over the years, but I always come back to the ones made with rolled oats. There’s just something about the texture they give the dough that I really love. The cookies have a bit more bite and chew without feeling heavy.
Then add chocolate chips and M&M’s, and they’re even harder to resist. My family and coworkers certainly thought so because these disappeared in no time.
They’re easy enough to make for work or when guests are coming over, but just as nice to keep in the cookie jar for a few days. And if you love chocolate chip cookies as much as I do, have a look at my roundup of more than 60 chocolate chip cookie recipes for even more ideas.
Just a few ingredients
See the recipe card for quantities.
Why You Will Love These Oatmeal M&M Cookies
How to Make Oatmeal M&M Cookies
Mix the Dry Ingredients
Whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl. Stir in the rolled oats, then set the bowl aside.
Cream the Butter and Sugars
Add the softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar to a large mixing bowl. Beat for 2 to 3 minutes, until the mixture looks lighter and fluffy. It’s worth giving this step a little time. Properly creamed butter and sugar help give the cookies that soft texture we’re after.
Add the Egg and Vanilla
Mix in the egg and vanilla until everything is smooth and well combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl if needed.
Add the Dry Ingredients
Gradually add the flour and oat mixture to the wet ingredients. Mix just until the dough comes together and you can no longer see streaks of flour. There’s no need to keep mixing once you reach that point.
Fold in the Chocolate Chips and M&M’s
Gently fold in the chocolate chips and M&M’s. If you want prettier cookies, save a small handful of both for the tops.
Chill the Dough
Cover the bowl and refrigerate the dough for at least 30 minutes. That short chill helps the cookies hold their shape in the oven instead of spreading too much.
Preheat and Prepare
Toward the end of the chilling time, preheat the oven to 350°F / 175°C and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Scoop the Cookies
Scoop tablespoon-sized portions of chilled dough onto the prepared baking sheet, leaving about 2 inches / 5 cm between them. Press a few extra M&M’s and chocolate chips onto the tops if you like.
Bake
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the edges are lightly golden but the centers still look a little soft. That slightly underdone look in the center is exactly what you want. The cookies continue to set while they sit on the hot baking sheet.
Bake them in batches as needed, and keep the remaining dough in the fridge while the first tray is in the oven. If you’re reusing the same baking sheet, let it cool before adding the next batch. Putting cold cookie dough onto a hot tray can make it start spreading before it even goes into the oven.
Cool
Let the cookies sit on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes. Once they’re firm enough to move, transfer them to a wire cooling rack.
Variations
- One of the easiest ways to change these oatmeal cookies with M&M’s is simply to switch the candy colors.
- Pastel M&M’s are lovely for spring and Easter, red and pink work beautifully for Valentine’s Day, and red and green are an easy choice for Christmas.
- You can also play around with the chocolate chips. Semisweet gives you a nice balance, dark chocolate makes the cookies a little less sweet, and milk chocolate leans fully into the fun, candy-filled side of things.
- If you want the cookies to look even more colorful, use 70 g chocolate chips and 65 g M&M’s instead of 85 g chocolate chips and 50 g M&M’s.
Tools you’ll need
Some of the equipment links below may be affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you.
Tips & Tricks
- Don’t skip the chill.
- Thirty minutes really does make a difference. The dough firms up and the cookies hold their shape much better in the oven.
- Use properly softened butter.
- It should be soft enough to cream easily, but not melted or greasy.
- Stop mixing once the flour disappears.
- There’s no benefit to beating the dough longer once everything has come together.
- Take the cookies out while the centers still look soft.
- They’ll continue to set on the hot baking sheet. If you wait until the centers look completely baked, they can end up drier once cooled.
- Keep the second batch cold.
- Leave the rest of the dough in the fridge while the first batch bakes.
- Let the baking sheet cool between batches.
- That helps the second tray bake and spread at the same rate as the first.
- Save a few M&M’s and chocolate chips for the tops.
- It takes only a few seconds and makes the finished cookies look so much more colorful.
- Mini M&M’s are especially nice here.
- Regular M&M’s work perfectly, but the mini ones give you more little pops of color throughout each cookie.
Storage: Store completely cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 to 4 days. Make sure they’re fully cool before closing the container. Otherwise, the trapped steam can create condensation and soften them more than you want.
More Cookie Recipes
If one batch is never quite enough, take a look through more of my cookie recipes and find something new to bake next. There are classic chocolate chip favorites, colorful seasonal cookies, and plenty of easy ideas for keeping that cookie jar happily stocked.
Snag our Cook(ie)book!
If you make this recipe, let me know how you liked it by ★★★★★ star rating it and leaving a comment below. This would be awesome! You can also sign up for our Newsletter or follow me on Pinterest or Instagram and share your creation with me. Just tag me @combinegoodflavors and hashtag #combinegoodflavors, so I don’t miss it.
Oatmeal M&M Cookies with Chocolate Chips
Equipment
- Kitchen scale or measuring cups and spoons
- Medium mixing bowl
- Large mixing bowl
- Electric hand mixer or stand mixer
- Silicone spatula
- Baking sheet
Ingredients
- 1½ cups All-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon Baking soda
- ½ teaspoon Ground cinnamon optional
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 1 cup Old-fashioned rolled oats
- ½ cup Unsalted butter softened
- ¾ cup Light brown sugar packed
- ¼ cup Granulated sugar
- 1 Large egg
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- ½ cup Chocolate chips
- ¼ cup M&M’s
- Extra M&M’s and chocolate chips for the tops optional
Instructions
- Whisk together 1½ cups All-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon Baking soda, ½ teaspoon Ground cinnamon, and ½ teaspoon Salt in a medium bowl. Stir in 1 cup Old-fashioned rolled oats and set aside.1½ cups All-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon Baking soda, ½ teaspoon Ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon Salt, 1 cup Old-fashioned rolled oats
- Beat ½ cup Unsalted butter, ¾ cup Light brown sugar, and ¼ cup Granulated sugar for 2 to 3 minutes, until light and fluffy.½ cup Unsalted butter, ¾ cup Light brown sugar, ¼ cup Granulated sugar
- Mix in 1 Large egg and 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract until smooth and well combined.1 Large egg, 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- Gradually add the dry ingredients and mix just until the dough comes together.
- Fold in ½ cup Chocolate chips and ¼ cup M&M’s. Save a few for the tops if you like.½ cup Chocolate chips, ¼ cup M&M’s
- Cover the dough and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
- Toward the end of the chilling time, preheat the oven to 350°F / 175°C and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Scoop tablespoon-sized portions of chilled dough onto the prepared baking sheet, leaving about 2 inches / 5 cm between them.
- Press a few Extra M&M’s and chocolate chips for the tops if desired.Extra M&M’s and chocolate chips for the tops
- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the edges are lightly golden and the centers still look slightly soft.
- Keep the remaining dough chilled while the first batch bakes. If you’re reusing the same baking sheet, let it cool before adding the next batch.
- Leave the baked cookies on the tray for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire cooling rack.
Notes
- Mini M&M’s spread especially well throughout the dough, but regular M&M’s work perfectly too.
- The centers should still look a little soft when the cookies come out of the oven. They’ll continue to set as they cool.
- Keep the unbaked dough refrigerated between batches.
- For a more colorful version, use 70 g chocolate chips + 65 g M&M’s.
- Let the cookies cool completely before storing them.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 to 4 days.
Nutrition
Food Safety
- Don’t eat the raw cookie dough. Raw flour and raw eggs can both carry harmful bacteria, so the dough should be baked before eating.
- Keep flour and raw eggs away from ready-to-eat foods while you’re baking. Flour can spread around the kitchen surprisingly easily.
- Keep the cookie dough refrigerated while it chills and between batches. Take out only what you need for the next tray.
- Wash your hands well after handling raw flour, eggs, or cookie dough.
- Wash bowls, utensils, baking equipment, and work surfaces with warm, soapy water once you’re finished, especially anywhere flour may have scattered.
For more information, see the FDA’s guidance on handling flour safely.
Oatmeal cookies are my favorites! And adding both M&Ms and chocolate chips make them even better!