M&M Oatmeal Bars (Made with baking mix!)
*If you have a service member overseas, these cookies are my most requested recipe to send. They travel very well and stay moist. I’ve had packages take as long as three weeks to arrive, only still get rave reviews when I’d tucked these bars inside! If you can, send a package. It make a world of difference!
These cookies were almost impossible to get a photo of. It seemed a soon as I cut them they started flying off the platter. Finally, I was forced to hide this little guy and he had to pose all by his lonesome 
. Poor little cookie, its not his fault he’s moist and tender, tasting of brown sugar and butter and dotted with candy coated chocolates.
Fortunately, these things are a snap to make. They may actually be the easiest cookies I bake come to think of it. I first discovered these beauties two years ago. It was ten o’clock at night and I had already gone to bed. Suddenly, the thought occurred to me that I really should make my daughter’s preschool teacher something because I hadn’t baked for her in a while (We miss you, Miss Rose!).
I immediately thought to the Pioneer Baking Mix in my pantry as I had been cruising their website earlier for recipes. I was also curious as to what a cookie made with baking mix would taste like. Thirty minutes later, two pans of these sat cooling on the counter and I was in bed again, this time only dreaming of baking rather than getting up to actually do it. *You can substitute Bisquick if you like.
For those who may not know me I want to say yes, it is completely logical to decide to bake something on the spur of the moment, no matter the hour 
. I just love to feed people.
You’ll need: Brown sugar, old fashioned oats, vanilla, Pioneer Brand Baking Mix, Candy Coated Chocolate Candies, a stick of Margarine, and One Egg.
Now the original recipe called for both light and brown sugar but I just use whatever I have on hand, which is light in this case. I have also made these with quick oats and they have been just as wonderful. You can also use butter in this if you like but seeing as how butter costs almost four times what margarine does, I stick with the cheap stuff. After all, we gotta start the Disney fund again soon anyway.
In a mixing bowl, place oats and brown sugar.
Check out my bowl, I’m going to show you the outside view here in a minute.
Add egg.
Melt margarine in microwave and pour in.
Add vanilla.
Stir all of that up. Normally I use an electric mixer and I do recommend that but I was feeling lazy and it honestly wasn’t difficult to just stir it all up good with a stiff spoon.
Of course, then again, I am a professional. ~snickers~ Just kidding.
Its cute when people take me seriously.
Toss in your candies.
Remember when blonde jokes were all the rage? You can only imagine how many I heard! I loved them though, so darn cute!
Why did the blonde get fired from the M&M factory?
She kept throwing away all the ones with “W’s” on them.
~giggle~
Spray an 8×8 pan with cooking spray. Y’all know I don’t even buy name brand in that, either.
Pat it out into your pan.
Then let your kids put more M&M’s on top. Katy likes to push hers down into the dough a bit.
Oh look, this is that bowl I used to mix this up in. I have a thing for antique mixing bowls and depression glass. I see no reason to spend money on modern things when I can put money into something of real value with a history to it. This is a Tulip pattern Fire King bowl and I have a whole set of them, thanks to Southern Plate!
One of these days I’m going to have to devote a post to all of my neat antique dishes that y’all have helped me buy.
Now bake these at 350 for about twenty minutes. Mine always take about twenty five minutes.
Voila! Easy Peasey, delicious, buttery tasting, brown sugar lovin’, kid pleasin’, done in a jiffy even when you start them at ten o’ clock at night, COOKIES!
I just love my baking mix!
M&M Oatmeal Bars
- 1/2 cup Rolled oats
- 1/2 cup M & M candies
- 1 cup Brown sugar, packed (I use light or dark, whatever I have on hand)
- 2 cup Pioneer Biscuit & Baking Mix
- 1 Egg
- 1 Stick margarine, melted
- 1 tsp Vanilla
Combine everything in a mixing bowl except candies. Mix until well blended. Stir in candies, reserving a few to place on top. Pat into greased 8×8 pan and bake at 350 for about twenty minutes. Allow to cool and cut into bars.
(Good luck being able to wait until they cool! These things smell amazing!)
Special thanks to my little neighbor, Grayson, for letting Brady borrow your reading book last night! He knocked on the door right after I had cut these and I sent him home with a few . Hope you liked them, Grayson! We appreciate the help!
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My daughter is home today because her daycare is closed since we had some snow yesterday.
She saw the email with this recipe and said we HAD to make them.
This will be my firs recipe with the baking mix. I might even make the biscuits to go with dinner tonight!
Bless her heart! I love it when kids get excited about cooking though, I bet she’ll be so proud! Isn’t it precious when all you do is have them put some M&M’s on top and that is enough for them to claim it as their own dish!
You let me know how it turns out and thank you!
They look great, and I really want to try these! What if I can’t find the Pioneer Brand baking mix? Will bisquick work? Thanks!
Hey Kira!
Hopefully you can find the Pioneer because I’m not kidding, that box of the other stuff is a ginormous pain in the…~clears throat~
But yes, another baking mix should work fine. I’ve never tasted it with another baking mix and I’ve never actually used one other than Pioneer for cookies but it should still work .
Let us know how it turns out!
Gratefully,
Christy
Hi Kira,
About finding that fabulous Pioneer mix, I looked on the Wal-Mart website for Pioneer products by entering my zip code. I did not find ANY in the state of Pennsylvania, nor nearby surrounding big cities in other states. Wah. I guess that I will have to have GA family and friends to ship it to me or just buy it online. Good luck because those M&M oatmeal bars are a huuuuge it at my house. It would be worth the effort to try to get this baking mix. Awesome!
~Drool~
Next holiday gathering (uh, Easter, I guess), I’m totally making these!
OOOOOOOOOH and you can make them with Easter M & M’s!!!
HOW FUN!
Melts in your mouth, not in your pocketbook!
LOL
Bill you always make me laugh
and smile
and chuckle
and sometimes you make me feel a bit triumphant (pizza roll comment
Thank you so much for posting these. I can’t wait to make them. This will be good for my five year old to help me with. He loves to help. He has been learning about construction zones in school and my kitchen is the construction zone at our house. Thanks for the hard work you put into making these postings. Southern Plate is the first thing I look at when I boot the computer up. God Bless and Happy Cooking.
Tracy, thank YOU so much for such a wonderful compliment!!!
I honestly cannot tell you how much personal fulfillment I get from doing Southern Plate and to hear that people like my site and even appreciate what I am doing is just icing on the big old, gorgeous cake that I get to experience every day!
Let me know how your little man likes them! My son LOVES to cook with me!!
Gratefully,
Christy
MMMMM My kids would love these. I am going to make them for when they get home from school. Maybe i will wait so they can help me out on the recipe.
I guess me and my little one (Russ 4yo) will be stopping by the store on our way home for m&m. Lets see DS favorite candy and DH favorite cookie and my favoite activit (making them happy).
Wow three birds one stone,,, ahhhhhh batch of cookies.
I loved the pioneer mix. Bought it yesterday am and have made 3 half batches allready.
Love this sight….
PS if you don’t have brown sugar you can add a tablespoon of molasses to 1 cup of sugar and there you go brown sugar.. I learned this on Chistmas eve when I needed I ran out and the stores were closed.
Hey Gina!!
What a great tip on the brown sugar, Thank you so much!!!
Let me know how you like them if you get a chance!!!!
I bet you’ll have some happy folks !!!!
Nothing like doing that with a shortcut, too!!!
Gratefully,
Christy
ooh they are awful, Tina, you won’t be able to resist them.
I highly recommend making two pans because that one just flew out the door.
I swear, Tina, they taste just like brown sugar and butter!!!
Mmm, those look so delicious! I often get the urge to bake right around the time I should be going to bed, too!
LOL! A kindred spirit for my insanity!!!
lol
These look yummy! Thank you
Hey Anne, thank YOU!!!!
These cookies look so good. My granddaughter and greatgrandson will be coming to be with me after my surgery. Maybe they will enjoy making these. Do you have a web site that will tell me where I can get the Pioneer mix in Muskegon, MI?
Lois
http://www.pioneerbrand.com has a place where you can check a bit. Also another person on this thread said you could check at http://www.walmart.com!
Good luck!! Let us know how you are after your surgery, we wanna stay posted on you!
Love the tulip bowl….sad to say I have one but I was dumb dumb dumb and put it in the dishwasher….I am smarter now. I love antiques. I murdered this bowl when I was younger and not as smart..lol..love your site!
I am SOOOOOOOOOOO showing this to my husband!!! I have found my precious bowls in the dishwasher on more than one occasion! I know, I know, be grateful he did dishes but hey, its 2009. I shop for groceries, take care of kids, and cook supper – doing the dishes never killed anyone who had just had a good meal!
Thank you!
Thank you for posting this recipe. Your jokes made me laugh…giggle. I was having a BLAH day at work and all it took was you sending this recipe to make me smile. I will be smiling more after I get home from work and I am eating a M&M Bar. All of your recipes are so easy to make and with items that I normally have stocked in my kitchen. I love to see others using off brand items. Thanks for all of your hard work and dedication you put into Southern Plate. It is very much appreciated!
I was excited to find the Pioneer Baking mix at our tiny store! But,um, I think I grabbed the buttermilk kind. How would these taste with buttermilk?!?! Gonna make biscuits asap!
Can’t wait to win that giveaway so I can try these. Bwa hahaha!! Ü
Step away from the coookies.
Ok these are great. “The cookies were yyyyuuuuuuuuuummmmmmmmmmmmy” Russ 4 yo. My husband agreed. I loved how easy they were.
Will be making these again..
Thanks!!!!!!!!!!
Gina
Oh, my gosh Christy, those M & M bars you sent by Grayson last night were out of this world. Thank you so much. And I as so enjoying your cookbook that Keith and Grayson gave me for my birthday. I am reading it like a novel. I collect cookbooks.
Have a great day!
Monica
Pioneer has been added to shopping list.
Ack!! I just checked WalMart.com and the closest stores that carry it are in GA. Makes me wonder if all Alabama stores quit carrying it altogether.
Wow! I don’t bake cookies, but I’m going to have to try these. Definitely!!! I love the M&M cookies they sell at Subway, I bet these will be much better.
I could probably buy the Pioneer baking mix online, but do you have any suggestions on what I could use in place of it?
I made these this morning for a sweet friend and they were great!! What?? I HAD to try one…
Love this easy recipe. I’m posting it on my blog today with my own pictures, but will of course link to your awesome site!!
I have a picture somewhere of my daughter at abut 2 yrs old sitting on the counter making pancakes… at 2:00 am. I took a picture of the clock. She woke up in the middle of the night and wanted to make pancakes and it was the only way to calm her down- so we did! (she had a lot of night terrors so it wasn’t easy when she woke up.) Your story reminded me of that- she’s 8 now. Thanks
Oh my, pan #2 is now in the oven. I’m going to try and sub butterscotch chips for the M&M’s on the next batch. Going to the fence to share.
Im gonna go out an buy this an make these m&m bars….i been looking for recipes for this baking mix online….there hard to find.
OK….so I made these tonight and they didn’t turn out like I expected. the dough looked a little wet going into the pan and I cooked them 15 minutes longer than it called for and they were still REALLY moist and heavy. I wonder what happened. Teen daughter LOVED them slightly underdone so I guess I hit a homerun there.
I made a double batch in a 9×13 pan. I wonder if I need to add more baking mix to a double batch. Weird. Thoughts?
These were a HUGE hit at the Superbowl party tonight… the grown men were the ones who gobbled this one… I hardly have leftovers… yum!!
I made these for the superbowl party. My neighbors request them now!
I tried this recipe Saturday – then my daughter and 3 grandkids came for lunch after church, and ate up every bite. So, I made more last evening (so my husband could have some). I did not have M&M’s, but semi-sweet chocolate chips worked. This will be a favorite, I am sure. (By the way, I am using Aldi’s generic baking mix and it tastes great.)
My sister and I created a family favorites cookbook to give our daughters and daughter-in-laws for Christmas. The problem is, I am going to have to publish an update later this year. I am finding so many favorites on your site. Loved your dad’s favorite coconut cake!
I made these tonight and used Valentine M&M’s. I doubled the recipe, used Jiffy baking mix (no Pioneer in my neck of the woods), and baked in Pampered Chef’s large bar pan. Came out a little crumbly but still delicious!
First let me say that I looovveee your site! I check it often and get really excited when I find something new on here! I made these M&M bars last week and I had the same problem Angela did. My Walmart didn’t have Pioneer baking mix so I bought another kind. I baked them for about 35 minutes and they were still really doughy. They tasted good, just the texture was off. Any suggestions?
Keep up the great recipes!!!
I have been an enthusiastic user of Pioneer Brand baking mix for at least 2 years, and mostly used it for dumplings, fruit cobbler and pancakes, but for the last 6 months, have been unable to find it at any of the area Wal-Mart stores, nor at a Meijer store in Ft. Wayne. So, I’ve had to go back to Jiffy. What’s up??????
I can’t wait to make this recipe – I have everything but the M&M’s – my husband ate them!
I made these last night and they disappeared within a couple of hours.
I used peanut M&Ms. So easy and so delicious. I toyed with the idea of reducing the butter but didn’t
Christy:
Girl, you crack me up!!! I am so glad I found this site. You have wit and yummy all wrapped in FIRE KING cookware….
My soulmate!!
I have the entire set of the orange fireking bakeware that my darling got on Ebay for me for Christmas one year. Poor soul…he did it after I broke the one piece my mother handed down to me when I was cleaning up after dinner and he called and startled me and I broke the dish.
LOL.
I’m happy to have found your site.
These sound delicious and will be in the next care package I send to my husband in Afghanistan unless of course my 3 girls eat all of them first!
I made these not too long ago and boy oh boy did they get gobbled up… 3 year olds LOVE m&m’s
Absolutely great recipe! my 5 year old son, who wouldn’t touch oatmeal, loves these bars! Super easy to make.
I just made my 1st batch of these… and goodness gracious… time to make another pan cus the pan I just made are almost gone. THESE are SOOOOOOOO good and so easy! This will be my next item to ship to a solider in Iraq. I will just vacuum seal them and ship. They will be awesome! I am sure of it! Thanks soooooooo much Christy!
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This post was mentioned on Twitter by SouthernPlate: @MailOurMilitary This is recipe for my most requested cookie to send overseas. Travels very well and stays moist! http://snipurl.com/t6m4s…