Monster cookies combine the best parts of a peanut butter cookie, an oatmeal cookie, and classic chocolate chip cookies all in one delicious bite.
Made with quick oats, creamy peanut butter, brown sugar, chocolate chips and colorful M&Ms, these soft and chewy cookies are packed with texture and flavor. They’re easy enough for a weeknight baking project but special enough for bake sales, parties and holiday cookie trays.
The combination of chocolate candies, hearty oats, and peanut butter makes these some of the best cookies for satisfying a serious sweet tooth.
And because you can customize the mix-ins, it’s a great recipe to make with kids. Decorate with candy eyeballs for an instant Halloween favorite.
Why We Love this Recipe
- They’re incredibly chewy. Quick oats and peanut butter give these cookies the perfect chewy texture that stays that way for days.
- They’re loaded with chocolate. Semi-sweet chocolate chips and colorful M&M candies make every bite delicious.
- They’re easy to customize. Add peanut butter chips, butterscotch chips, white chocolate chips or even chopped dark chocolate.
- They’re big cookies. Use a large cookie scoop to make generously sized portions with a great visual effect.
- They’re perfect for kids. Kids love the colors and textures, and the name is perfectly suited for Halloween.
- They’re make-ahead friendly. You can refrigerate or freeze the dough and bake it whenever you’re ready.
- They’re a little bit of everything. If you can’t decide between an oatmeal cookie, a peanut butter cookie or chocolate chip cookies, you don’t have to choose!
Why are they called Monster Cookies?
The exact origin of the name isn’t completely clear, but Monster Cookies are generally known for being big, hearty cookies packed with lots of different ingredients.
Think of them as a cookie with a little bit of everything: oats, peanut butter, chocolate chips and candy-coated chocolate pieces. Some versions also include peanut butter chips or butterscotch chips.
Whatever the original reason, these cookies definitely earn the name “monster” because they’re often large cookies loaded with delicious mix-ins.
Ingredients
- All purpose flour
- Oats
- Butter
- Eggs
- Sugar
- Creamy peanut butter
- Brown sugar
- Vanilla extract
- Salt
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Mini M&Ms
- Semi sweet chocolate chips
How to Make Monster Cookies
Combine the Wet Ingredients
For this part, you’ll want to use a stand mixer or an electric hand mixer. Beat together the butter and both sugars until they’re fluffy, then beat in the eggs, peanut butter and vanilla.
Combine the Dry Ingredients
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
Mix it All Together
Now, incorporate the dry ingredients alternately with the oats into the wet ingredients. When the cookie dough is combined, gently fold in the chocolate chips and M&Ms.
Chill the Dough
Chill the dough in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. You can definitely chill it for longer, even overnight.
Portion and Bake the Cookies
Use a large cookie scoop to get those monster-sized portions. I use a 3 Tbsp. scoop. Then, place the dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Be sure to pull the cookies out of the oven when they’re brown around the edges but not too brown on top. They will continue to bake on the cookie sheet for a few more minutes even when they’re out of the oven.
Variations
One of the best things about monster cookies is how easy they are to customize.
Try adding:
- Peanut butter chips
- Butterscotch chips
- White chocolate chips
- Reese’s Pieces
- Dark chocolate chunks
- Chopped pretzels
- Chopped nuts
Tips for Success
1. Use room temperature ingredients. Room temperature butter and eggs blend more easily with sugar and create a smoother dough.
2. Don’t overmix. Once the dry ingredients are incorporated, mix just until combined. Overmixing can make cookies less tender.
3. Measure your dough consistently. A cookie scoop makes it easy to create uniform cookie dough balls, so the bake time will be consistent for all cookies.
4. Don’t overcrowd the pan. Give each cookie enough room to spread slightly.
5. Don’t overbake. The cookies may not look completely done when you remove them from the oven. They’ll continue to bake for a few minutes on the cookie sheet and they’ll also firm up as they cool, which is the best way to achieve those soft, chewy cookies.
Storage Instructions
Once your cookies are completely cooled, store them in an airtight container at room temperature. They’ll stay soft and chewy for days!
For longer storage, place the cookies in a freezer bag or container.
You can also freeze the cookie dough. Scoop the dough into individual dough balls, place them on a baking sheet and freeze for about 30 minutes.
Transfer the frozen dough balls to a freezer bag and bake directly from frozen, adding an extra minute or two to the baking time.
FAQs
If your cookies are spreading too much in the oven, there are a few simple things you can do.
1. Use room temperature butter.
2. Chill the dough.
3. Use a cool baking sheet, not one that’s hot from the oven.
Yes! Make a few simple swaps for gluten free monster cookies.
Use certified gluten-free oats and replace the all-purpose flour with your favorite gluten-free flour blend.
For best results, I recommend using creamy peanut butter. It has a consistent texture and works beautifully for baking. While natural peanut butter is delicious for sandwiches and snacking, the oils will separate and could affect the texture of the cookies, so I don’t recommend it for baking.
Absolutely!
Regular-sized M&Ms work fine in these cookies.
For a fun holiday twist, use seasonal M&Ms in different colors.
If you can’t use peanut butter, almond butter is a great alternative. You can also experiment with other nut butters, depending on your dietary needs and preferences.
For a nut-free version, sunflower seed butter is often a good substitute. Check the consistency of your dough because different nut and seed butters can vary in moisture and oil content.
I don’t recommend simply leaving the peanut butter out because it plays an important role in the structure and texture of these cookies.
Yes! Monster cookies freeze beautifully.
Allow baked cookies to cool completely before transferring them to a freezer bag or airtight container. Remove as much air as possible before sealing.
When you’re ready to enjoy them, let the cookies thaw at room temperature.
You can also freeze unbaked cookie dough. This is my preferred method because you can bake exactly as many cookies as you need.
When you make these monster cookies, I’d love to hear about it! Drop a rating or leave a comment below. Enjoy!
For more cookie recipes, try these:
- Chewy Oatmeal Cranberry White Chocolate Cookies
- Crumbl Copycat Snickerdoodle Cookies
- Salted Caramel Chocolate Cookies
For more Halloween recipes, try these:
Monster Cookies
Ingredients
- 12 Tbsp. unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups oats not instant
- 2 large eggs
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 tsp. salt
- 3/4 tsp. baking powder
- 3/4 tsp. baking soda
- 1 cup mini M&Ms
- 1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the softened butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar until fluffy.
- Beat in the eggs, peanut butter and vanilla, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- With the mixer running on low speed, add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients alternately with the oats. Fold in the mini M&Ms and chocolate chips.
- Chill the cookie dough for at least 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350F degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Use a 3 Tbsp. cookie scoop to portion out the dough. Place unbaked cookies at least 2 inches apart on the baking sheets. Bake 14-16 minutes. Cool cookies on the baking sheets before transferring to a wire rack.
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