M&M Peanut Butter & Chocolate Cookies

Two of the most popular American cookies meet in one bowl here: peanut butter cookies and M&M cookies. The peanut butter brings the soft, slightly sandy crumb and that toasty nut flavor, while the M&Ms swap in for chocolate chips and add their own crunch through the candy shell plus pops of color through the cookie.

Three-quarters of a cup of oats sneaks into the dry mix. That is the second texture trick: oats stop the cookie from spreading flat and add a chewy bite, similar to a peanut butter oatmeal cookie. They are quick oats, so they hydrate fast in the dough and disappear into the structure rather than reading as oatmeal.

The dough goes onto ungreased sheets in heaping tablespoonfuls for generously sized cookies. They are done at the moment the edges turn light gold; pull them then for a chewy interior. A minute on the pan firms them up enough to move.

Pro Tips

• Use regular peanut butter, not natural or no-stir; oil separation in natural peanut butter throws off the texture.
• Do not press the dough balls down; they spread on their own and pressing them gives flat, hard cookies.
• Stir half the M&M’s into the dough and press a few onto the tops before baking for a bakery-style presentation.
• Store in an airtight container with a slice of bread; the cookies stay chewy for days.

Variations

• Substitute peanut butter chips, mini M&M’s, or chocolate chunks for the standard M&M’s.
• Press a peanut butter cup miniature into the center of each cookie right after baking.
• Add a half cup of chopped salted peanuts for crunch and a saltier finish.