Best Monster Cookies Recipe

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Monster cookies are made with creamy peanut butter, oats, M&Ms, chocolate chips. My monster cookie recipe is SO easy to make and ready in under thirty minutes!

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        <ul>
    <li class="nav-heading">How Tos</li><li><a class="" href="#what_are_monster_cookies">What are monster cookies?</a></li><li><a class="" href="#ingredients">Ingredients</a></li><li><a class="" href="#how_to_make">How to make</a></li><li><a class="" href="#recipe">Get the recipe</a></li><li><a class=" watch-video" href="#recipe_video">Step-by-step video</a></li><li class="nav-heading">Frequently Asked Questions</li><li><a class="" href="#best_peanut_butter_to_use">Best peanut butter to use</a></li><li><a class="" href="#best_oats_to_use">Best oats to use</a></li><li><a class="" href="#best_mix_ins">Best mix-ins</a></li><li><a class="" href="#why_are_my_cookies_flat">Why are my cookies flat?</a></li><li><a class="" href="#how_to_store">How to store</a></li><li><a class="" href="#nutrition_info">Nutrition information</a></li><li><a class="" href="#what_are_monster_cookies">What are monster cookies?</a></li></ul></div>

Monster cookies are my favorite kind of cookie, but I could never seem to find the perfect recipe. You know the saying, if you want a job done right, do it yourself. Hundreds of cookies and two months of testing later, I’ve done it. These are the best monster cookies I’ve ever had!

What are monster cookies?

Monster cookies are soft and chewy peanut butter, oatmeal cookies with a variety of mix-ins often including chocolate chips & M&M’s.

Ingredients

Unsalted Butter – gives these cookies that classic, buttery taste and a chewy texture.
Dark Brown Sugar – adds a rich, molasses flavor to the cookies.
Granulated Sugar – in addition to the sweetness it adds to the cookie, granulated sugar offsets the stickiness of brown sugar helping create the perfect cookie shape and texture.
Eggs – help create a structure to the cookie while also binding all the ingredients together.
Vanilla Extract – adds flavor depth and helps to highlight the molasses-y flavor of the brown sugar.
Creamy Peanut Butter – also works to bind the dry ingredients together keeping the cookies from spreading out too much while baking.
Old-Fashioned Oats – fill out the dough helping to create a thick, fluffy, and sturdy cookie.
Baking Soda – gives the cookie a lift. Salt – balances out the sweetness of the cookie while also enhancing other flavors within the dough.
M&M’s – add more sweetness and a great candy-crunch to the cookies.
Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips – helps to balance the sweetness added by the rest of the cookie ingredients.

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How to make this monster cookie recipe

This monster cookie recipe is one of our most popular! Easy to make and filled with delicious sweetness, these cookies are always a big hit.

Use a hand mixer to beat together wet ingredients.
Mix in dry ingredients, M&Ms, and chocolate chips.
Chill the dough.
Use a cookie scoop to portion out cookie dough and place on a prepared baking sheet.
Bake and enjoy!

For a no-bake option, try my monster cookie bites.

JUMP TO RECIPE

These also make amazing ice cream sandwiches!

What kind of peanut butter to use

I would advise against using all-natural peanut butter for this monster cookie recipe because these tend to be runnier. Brands like Jiff or Skippy are better able to keep your cookies from spreading out too much while baking.

What kind of oats to use

I suggest using old-fashioned oats. You can use quick-cooking oats but these may spread more, preventing the monster cookies from reaching their potential in thickness, fluffiness, and sturdiness. Steel-cut oats will not work.

The best mix-ins for monster cookies

M&Ms – we used standard M&Ms but other flavors would be fun additions as well such as peanut, peanut butter, etc.
Chocolate chips – we used semi-sweet, but dark, white, or milk chocolate chips would be great too!
Other mix-in ideas: raisins, nuts, butterscotch chips, etc.

Why do my cookies go flat?

There are a number of reasons your cookies might not be as thick as you want them to be.

Is your baking soda fresh? Old baking soda won’t work nearly as well.
Are you using old-fashioned oats? Instant, quick, or steel-cut oats don’t bake as well.
Are you measuring your oats correctly? Too few oats in your dough and the cookies won’t have enough bulk to keep them thick and fluffy.
Is your butter at room temperature? Butter should be taken out of the refrigerator prior to making the dough. Do not microwave it.
Are you refrigerating the cookie dough? Refrigeration is not necessary for this recipe but may prevent the cookie dough from spreading out while baking.
Are you using a cookie scoop? I always use cookie scoops to portion out the dough rather than hand-rolling. This helps the cookies hold their shape.

How to store

You can store these monster cookies in an airtight container the following ways:

Room Temperature: up to a week
Refrigerator: up to two weeks
Freezer: up to three months

If you’re a fellow peanut butter cookie fanatic, you’ll also love my: easy peanut butter cup cookies, easy peanut butter blossoms, and peanut butter cream cheese cookies.

– Jennifer

What other cookies recipes do you want to see? Show Me the Yummy!

This recipe was originally posted December 8, 2014. It’s been updated to include a how-to video and new content.

Monster Cookies

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The Best Monster Cookie Recipe. Naturally gluten free cookies loaded with butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, vanilla, creamy peanut butter, oats, M&Ms, and chocolate chips. They really are the best monster cookies ever!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword monster cookies, the best monster cookie recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 12 minutes

Total Time 27 minutes

Servings cookies

Calories 253kcal

Equipment

Hand Mixer
Medium Cookie Scoop
Baking Sheet

Ingredients

1/2 cup unsalted butter softened to room temperature
1 1/4 cups dark brown sugar packed
1 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter
4 1/2 cups old fashioned oats* certified gluten free if necessary
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup M&M’s
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

Place butter, sugars, egg, vanilla, and peanut butter in a large bowl.
Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat together until well combined.  
Add in oats, baking soda, salt, M&Ms, and chocolate chips.
Mix until well combined.
Optional: chill the dough for at least 30 minutes. I never do this, but if you’re worried about spreading, I’d recommend chilling the dough.  
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line a rimmed baking sheet with a silicone baking mat.  
Use a cookie scoop** to scoop cookie onto prepared baking sheet. I bake 12 at a time. 
Depending on the size of your cookie scoop, bake cookies for 8-12 minutes (8 for smaller cookies, 12 for larger cookies).
Remove from oven and let cool for a few minutes, before removing them from the cookie sheet and placing the cookies on a cooling rack.
Serve immediately or cool completely before storing in airtight containers!

Video

Notes

*I’ve had success with quick cooking oats and rolled oats, although the results are different. Quick cooking oats aren’t quite as thick, fluffy, and sturdy as the rolled oats.

**If you use a smaller cookie scoop, you’ll get about 4 dozen cookies and the calorie count will be smaller.