This easy recipe for monster cookies is perfect to whip up on a whim or with the kids. Full of oats, peanut butter, chocolate chips, and M&M's everyone loves these cookies. Step-by-step photos help you bake the perfect batch each time!

plate full of monster cookies next to a cup of chocolate chip, oats, and m&ms and a spoon full of peanut butter

It's that time of the year where eating copious amounts of cookies is encouraged. AKA my favorite time of the year. These monster cookies are a family favorite for the wonderful flavor and texture. Any dessert that has contrasting textures is a winner in my book, I die over my Dulce de Leche Napoleon for those reasons.

The beauty of this recipe is there is no chilling time required, most of my cookie recipes do require a chill time. Chilling the cookie dough helps prevent the cookies from spreading. Because these cookies are full of oats and peanut butter there isn't a spreading issue.

As with most cookie recipes, I bake half of the recipe and then freeze the rest for a cookie whenever I want. When I bake these from frozen or chilled I do find that I need to bang the pan on the floor halfway through baking to encourage the spreading. But just keep an eye on them, everyone's oven is different.

For another few favorite cookies try my friend Hayley's Potato Chip Toffee Cookies, Jamie's Cuban Shortbread Cookies, or Cheryl's Peanut Butter Blowout Cookies!

Let's get to the monster cookie recipe.

What are Monster Cookies?

Monster cookies are a peanut butter-based cookie chock a block full of oats/oatmeal, chocolate chips, and M&M's. These cookies have a great chewy texture and nice crunch thanks to the M&M's.

monster cookie dough scooped into balls on a small baking sheet

What are the ingredients for Monster Cookies?

You'll need your standard cookie ingredients here:

Unsalted Butter. Make sure your butter is completely softened to room temperature. Otherwise, it will not "cream" with the sugars properly.
Sugar. More light brown Sugar and less granulated sugar helps create a moist and chewy cookie.
Peanut Butter. You can use creamy or crunchy peanut butter here.
Large Egg. Your egg needs to be at room temperature, a quick way to warm it up is to place it in a bowl of warm water for 5 minutes.
Pure Vanilla Extract. Don't bother with the imitation stuff, it is nowhere near the real deal.
Oatmeal. A classic monster cookie has the chewy and texture of oats. I prefer to use quick-cooking oats but roller/old-fashioned oats work just as well.
All-Purpose Flour. We don't use a lot of flour here just enough to bind everything together. Some monster cookie recipes don't call for any flour but I prefer it in my cookies.
Baking Soda. To help raise the cookies and give them their lift.
Salt. Just a bit is needed in most dessert recipes, it really does help balance everything out.
M&Ms and Chocolate Chips. Two types of chocolate make these cookies extra special. I often use dark chocolate chips since the M&Ms are milk chocolate!!

How to Make Monster Cookies?

Preheat oven to 350F/180C and line a cookie sheet with a Silpat liner/ Silicone baking mat. In a large mixing bowl with a handheld electric whisk or in the bowl of an electric mixer beat butter and sugars for 2 minutes on medium speed.

butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar in a large mixing bowl

Scrape down the sides of the bowl then add the peanut butter, mix for an additional one to two minutes.

peanut butter added to sugar and butter mixture in a metal bowl

Add in the egg and vanilla extract and mix until fully combined.

peanut butter, egg, vanilla added to butter sugar mixture in a metal bowl

In a medium bowl mix together oats, flour, baking soda, and salt.

dry ingredients in a glass bowl for a monster cookie recipe

Add dry ingredients, M&Ms, and chocolate chips to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined.

m&ms, chocolate chips, and dry ingredients added to wet ingredients in a metal mixing bowl

Be sure not to overmix the batter.

monster cookie dough in a metal mixing bowl

Use a medium cookie scoop and place on prepared baking sheet two inches apart. Add more M&M's and chocolate chips on top of each cookie, if desired.

Bake for 8-11 minutes. Until golden brown and just set. Let cool on sheet for 5 minutes then transfer to wire rack. Store in an airtight container.

Can you freeze the cookies?

To freeze unbaked cookie dough:

Scoop the cookie dough into the dough size you want then freeze on a flat surface lined with a silicone mat or parchment paper so they do not stick together. Once the dough is frozen, about 30-60 minutes you can move the cookie dough balls into a freezer-safe plastic bag or container.

To bake frozen cookie dough balls:

Just add an extra minute or two on the bake time. Rotate the pan halfway through, at this point if the cookies have not started to spread down then take the sheet out of the oven and bang on the floor once to encourage spreading. Immediately place the pan bake in the oven to continue baking.

To freeze baked cookies:

Once the cookies are baked let them cool on a wire rack until completely cooled. Place the cookies in a freezer-safe plastic bag or container. To thaw cookies let them sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.

up close of monster cookie stood up against a plate of cookies

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Monster Cookies

Author: Elizabeth Waterson I Confessions of a Baking Queen
Prep Time: 10
Cook Time: 10
Total Time: 20 minutes
Yield: 27 Cookies 1x
Category: Dessert
Method: Bake
Cuisine: American

Description

Scale

Ingredients

4oz (1/2 cup) Unsalted Butter, at room temp.
150 Grams (3/4 cup) Light Brown Sugar
50 Grams (1/4 cup) Granulated Sugar
(4oz) 1/2 Cup Peanut Butter, creamy or crunchy
1 Large Egg, at room temperature
2 Teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract
100 Grams (1 Cup) Quick Fashioned Oats
125 Grams (1 Cup) All-Purpose Flour
1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
150 Grams (3/4 Cup) M&Ms
90 Grams (1/2 Cup) Chocolate Chips

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350F/180C and line a cookie sheet with a Silpat liner. In a large mixing bowl with a hand held electric whisk or in the bowl of an electric mixer beat butter and sugars for 2 minutes on medium speed.
Scrape down the sides of the bowl then add the peanut butter, mix for an additional one to two minutes. Add in the egg and vanilla extract and mix until fully combined.
In a medium bowl mix together oats, flour, baking soda, and salt. Add dry ingredients, M&M's, and chocolate chips to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined.
Use a medium cookie scoop and place on prepared baking sheet two inches apart. Add more M&M's and chocolate chips on top of each cookie, if desired.
Bake for 8-11 minutes. Until golden brown and just set. Let cool on sheet for 5 minutes then transfer to wire rack. Store in an airtight container for u pto 5 days.

Keywords: monster cookie recipe, peanut butter oat cookies, easy monster cookie

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