Chewy Monster Cookies Recipe

I perfected the Best Monster Cookies Ever by sneaking in one unexpected ingredient that gives these spooky treats a playful twist.

I never planned to bake something that would disappear faster than I could plate it, but here we are. Soft, chewy and a tiny bit spooky these Monster Cookies sneak up on you with pockets of M&M candies and warm notes of creamy peanut butter.

I kept tasting, tweaking, tasting again until my hands were covered in crumbs and I laughed at how perfect they turned out. For real, these might be the Best Monster Cookies Ever.

They’re messy, they’re loud, and they make every holiday feel like a dare. Take one, try to stop at one, I dare you.

Ingredients

• Unsalted butter adds richness and fat, mostly saturated; makes cookies tender and very flavorful
• peanut butter gives protein, a nutty flavor, and chewiness, but its calorie dense
• Light brown sugar adds deep caramel sweetness and moisture, more flavor than white sugar
• Rolled oats add fiber and chew, give whole grain notes, slightly nutty and hearty
• All purpose flour provides structure and carbs, helps cookies hold shape and brown nicely
• M&M candies bring color, crunchy sugar shell and extra sweetness kids love
• Chocolate chips add melty pockets of bittersweet chocolate and extra sugary richness

Ingredient Quantities

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup creamy peanut butter, not the natural kind
• 1 1/4 cups packed light brown sugar
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs, room temp
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon fine salt
• 3 cups old fashioned rolled oats
• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups M&M candies
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

How to Make this

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone mat; this stops sticking and helps even browning.

2. In a large bowl beat 1 cup (2 sticks) softened unsalted butter, 1 cup creamy peanut butter (not natural), 1 1/4 cups packed light brown sugar and 1 cup granulated sugar until light and a bit fluffy, about 2-3 minutes with a mixer.

3. Add 2 large room temperature eggs, one at a time, mixing after each, then stir in 2 teaspoons vanilla extract until combined; scrape the bowl so nothing is hiding down there.

4. In a separate bowl whisk together 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda, 1 teaspoon fine salt and 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour to avoid lumps, then add this dry mix to the wet batter and mix until just combined.

5. Fold in 3 cups old fashioned rolled oats until evenly distributed, do not overmix or the cookies get tough.

6. Gently fold in 1 1/2 cups M&M candies and 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips, reserving a few pieces to press on top of each dough ball so they look extra fun.

7. Chill the dough 20-30 minutes if you have time it helps prevent excessive spreading and makes thicker chewier cookies, but you can bake right away if you’re impatient.

8. Scoop heaping 2-tablespoon to 3-tablespoon portions of dough onto prepared sheets, spacing about 2 inches apart, press a few reserved candies on top of each ball for color.

9. Bake 9-12 minutes until edges are set and centers still look slightly soft for max chewiness, remove from oven and let cookies cool on the sheet 5-10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling; store in an airtight container to keep them soft.

Equipment Needed

1. Baking sheet(s) lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat, for even browning and no sticking
2. Electric mixer (stand or hand) to cream the butter, peanut butter and sugars
3. Large mixing bowl for the wet ingredients
4. Medium mixing bowl for whisking the flour, baking soda and salt
5. Whisk to break up lumps in the dry mix
6. Rubber spatula to scrape the bowl and gently fold in oats and candies
7. Measuring cups and spoons for flour, sugars, oats and baking soda
8. Cookie scoop or tablespoon plus a small spoon to portion the dough
9. Wire cooling rack to finish cooling the cookies safely

FAQ

Chewy Monster Cookies Recipe Substitutions and Variations

• Unsalted butter → coconut oil (solid) or stick margarine, 1 cup = 1 cup. Coconut oil gives a tiny coconut taste and can make cookies spread more so chill the dough 30-60 minutes before baking.
• Creamy peanut butter (store style) → almond butter or sunflower seed butter, 1:1. If you use natural peanut butter it’s runnier so either chill it or cut back the added butter a bit.
• Eggs → flax “egg” (1 tbsp ground flax + 3 tbsp water per egg, let sit 5 min) or unsweetened applesauce (1/4 cup per egg). Flax keeps them chewier, applesauce makes them a bit softer.
• M&M candies → extra semisweet chocolate chips (1:1), chopped peanut butter cups, or chopped toasted nuts. Bigger mix ins might sink so press a few on top before baking.

Pro Tips

1) Chill or freeze the scooped dough before baking — 30 to 60 minutes in the fridge or 10 to 15 minutes in the freezer. It really cuts spreading and gives you thicker, chewier cookies.

2) Measure flour the right way: spoon it into the measuring cup and level off. Too much flour = dry crumb. If you like them extra tender, try pulsing 1 tablespoon less flour next time.

3) For better texture, pulse about 1 cup of the oats once or twice in a food processor. You get a mix of fine and whole oats, so cookies are soft inside but still have oat chew on the outside.

4) Add M&Ms and chips at the end and save a few to press on top just before baking. That keeps the candy colors from bleeding into the dough and makes the cookies look more fun. Minis work great if you want color in every bite.

5) Watch the bake time: pull them when the edges are set but centers still look a little underdone, then let them rest on the sheet 5 to 10 minutes so they finish without overbaking. Also use light-colored baking sheets and rotate halfway for even browning.