Monster Cookies
These are easily the BEST Monster Cookies! They’re thick and soft, loaded with oats and peanut butter, and filled with chocolate candies and chocolate chips. This recipe also includes a secret ingredient to help enhance the flavor and texture, making it unlike any other monster cookie. Oh, and did I mention there is the option to make them vegan?
What makes this the BEST Monster Cookie recipe?
With so many Monster Cookie recipes out there, why pick this one? For starters:
- The dough does not need to be refrigerated. Just mix and bake!
- It makes thick and huge (monstrous) cookies that live up to the name.
- The texture is perfection – a soft and gooey inside with a chewy outside.
- It calls for a secret ingredient never used before in a monster cookie that gives these cookies a super rich flavor and texture.
- These Monster Cookies do not fall apart!
I know I’m bias here, but seriously these are SO GOOD! They have the perfect amount of oats and peanut butter to give it that classic monster cookie flavor, but turned up just a bit. After trying these, it’ll be your new go-to recipe.
How to make the peanut butter oatmeal cookie dough
This recipe is made just like any other cookie dough, but I’m including a few extra tips to make sure you get it just right!
For starters, combine all of the dry ingredients in a bowl other than the main mixing bowl. This includes quick oats, flour, baking soda, and salt.
In your mixing bowl, whip together the butter, peanut butter, and sugar.
Two things here: make sure to use classic creamy peanut butter like Jif or Skippy… one that you don’t have to mix. If you use a natural peanut butter, the cookies will spread too much and the texture will be completely different.
Second, really whip the three ingredients together for a few minutes until they’re light and fluffy. This helps break down and dissolve the sugar granules so you’re left with a smooth dough. If you don’t mix it enough, the cookies will turn out with a hard crust and cracked surface.
Now comes the fun part… the secret ingredient! Once properly whipped, scrape down the bowl and add vanilla, one egg, and MOLASSES! Give it a good mix until smooth and combined.
Can you taste the molasses?
This is the secret to getting really rich and chewy monster cookies. The entire recipe only needs 2 teaspoons, so you can’t actually taste it. Don’t worry, they won’t resemble gingerbread cookies one bit. The molasses is only there to help enhance the flavors of this cookie.
It also boost the texture to create extra softness and chewiness. Brown sugar is a combination of regular sugar and molasses, so adding a little extra molasses helps boost the affects of the brown sugar.
I’ve used this exact technique with my halloween candy cookie bars and they turned out so delicious!
Finishing the cookie dough
Once the wet ingredients are well combined, toss in all of the dry ingredients and mix just until they’re absorbed. We don’t want to over mix otherwise you’ll be left with a tough and chewy cookie.
Monster cookie mix-ins
A classic monster cookie includes M&M’s and chocolate chips. For my recipe, I included just these two but you can mix in whatever you want!
Here I used naturally colored candy coated chocolates that you can get at Trader Joe’s or in the bulk food section of your local health food grocer. I love the unique colors it adds to these cookies.
I also used semisweet chocolate chips because they pair really well with the peanut buttery richness of the cookies.
Other mix ins include nuts, butterscotch chips, dark chocolate chips or chunks, white chocolate chips, pretzels, toffee, or anything else you have on hand!
Monster Cookies FAQs
Yes! To freeze the dough, scoop the dough out onto a small tray or baking sheet. You can line the dough up side-by-side in order to squeeze it all onto the tray.
At this point, you can either pop the dough in the fridge for a couple hours to firm up, then toss the dough balls into a freezer bag. Or you can keep them on the tray and wrap with a couple layers of plastic wrap and then foil.
The dough will keep in the freezer for up to a month. To bake, allow the dough to thaw for about an hour before baking. Then bake as instructed.
If you only have old fashioned oats on hand, you can use those instead. Just know that the cookies will have a more chewy and bulky texture. Another option is to take your old fashioned oats and place them in a food processor. Give it a couple pulses to break up into smaller pieces.
For more fun cookie recipes, check out my:
- Soft and Crispy Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Easy Chewy Nutella Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Thick, Soft and Chewy Sugar Cookies
- Chocolate Graham Cracker Cookies Recipe
- Dark Chocolate Chunk and Pistachio Cookies with Flaky Sea Salt
Make sure to tag me @butternutbakery on Instagram and leave a review below if you make these Monster Cookies. To pin this recipe and save it for later, you can use the button on the recipe card, the buttons above or below this post, or on any of the photos above. Happy baking!
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Monster Cookies
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 12 large cookies
Description
These monster cookies definitely live up to the name! They’re thick, soft, and loaded with M&M’s and chocolate chips. This recipe even includes a secret ingredient to enhance the flavor and texture. These can also be made regular or vegan!
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cup (125g) quick oats
- 1 cup (130g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup (110g) unsalted butter (reg or vegan), room temp
- 1/2 cup (140g) creamy peanut butter, like Jif or Skippy
- 3/4 cup (180g) light brown sugar, packed
- 1/4 cup (55g) granulated sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tsp molasses*
- 1 large egg or 1 flax egg**
- 1 cup (185g) M&Ms or UNREAL chocolate gems
- 1 cup (185g) semisweet chocolate chips (reg or vegan)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Combine the oats, flour, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl with a hand or stand mixer, cream together the butter, peanut butter, and sugar on medium-high speed for a couple minutes until light and fluffy. (see picture in post for reference). Scrape down the bowl.
- Mix in the vanilla, molasses, and egg until fully combined. Scrape down the bowl and give it another mix.
- Toss in the dry ingredients and mix just until the dough comes together. Remove from the mixer and fold in the M&M’s and chocolate chips using a rubber spatula.
- Using a large cookie scoop (2oz) scoop 5-6 cookies onto the baking sheet. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until lightly golden around the edges. If using a regular cookie scoop, bake for 12-15 minutes.
- Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet or a couple minutes, then transfer the cookies to a cooling rack.
- Enjoy!
Notes
*MOLASSES – You can’t actually taste the molasses in these cookies. It just helps to enhance the flavors and create a chewy-gooey texture.
**VEGAN EGG – Sub one whole egg with one flax egg = 1 tbsp ground flaxseed mixed with 2 1/2 tbsp water. Let it sit and gel for 5 minutes before use.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
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Meet Jenna
I’m the creator, baker, and photographer behind Butternut Bakery. Here I share desserts for every diet because I believe everyone should have a chance to indulge!
I used mini chocolate chips, white chocolate chips and cranberries. It tasted like a breakfast cookie. My new favorite.
Omg seriously one of the most delicious cookies I’ve ever had , like including levain bakery cookies. Holy cow.
Fantastic recipe! The molasses is a game changer in the texture
This is a great recipe!! I used m&m’s, milk chocolate chips and peanut butter chips. First batch, I rolled the dough into 2 oz balls. They don’t spread very much, so next batch I pushed them down into thicker discs. Worked perfectly and cooked for 12 minutes. Delicious!
I made these with mini peanut butter M&Ms, semi-sweet chocolate chips and caramel bits! Delicious. Next time I am going to try regular mini M&Ms, milk chocolate chips and Heath toffee chips!