These Monster Cookies are seriously the best recipe for Monster Cookies on the internet. Watch short video showing you how to make them, then scroll to the end of this post to print out the recipe so you can bake them at home.
Monster Cookies Beware!
This post should be titled, “Out of Sight, Out of Mind!” or “Hiding Cookies in Your Freezer is a Good Idea!” Or better yet, “When Cookies Are in My Freezer, I Don’t Remember They’re There!” Only I’d be lying to myself.
I bake cookies and put them in little ziploc baggies and place them in the freezer for instant munching for the boys in my house. I tell myself that since they’re in the freezer, they’re totally safe. Safe from ME. Safe from my strong desire to eat something sweet at a certain time of day.
That little trick seems to work at first, until my cravings turn mad and uncontrollable. I try to tell myself that frozen cookies aren’t any good. But guess what? They’re good. They’re actually better than un-frozen cookies.
And so it goes that these Monster Cookies are dangerous. They’re dangerous to have around because you’ll want to gobble far too many of them!
Monster cookies aren’t anything new. They’ve been around a very long time, and this recipe was tucked into my collection sometime way back in my pre-teen years.
Someone… somewhere made them up- Betty Crocker, I’m guessing. They are indeed a cookie recipe worth keeping around for decades.
Monster Cookies are basically a peanut butter- oatmeal cookie with chocolate chips and M&M candies mixed in. There is no flour at all in the recipe!
I dot extra M&M’s and chocolate chips on top of each blob of cookie dough on the baking sheet. This ensures that they will be extra pretty when they are all baked up and ready to eat.
Sometimes I bake GIANT Monster Cookies (using an ice cream scoop to dole out the dough). If you go the giant route, you’ll end up with 22 fabulously large cookies. If you’d like to make a normal-sized cookie, you’ll get 36 cookies.
Bake some Monster Cookies today, and keep them in the freezer… where they’ll be safe!
If you’re looking for more recipes using M&M’s, you might like to try my M&M Pretzel Blondies or these Super Soft Peanut Butter- M&M Cookies. No Bake Monster Cookie Bars, M&M Shortbread Cookies and Kit Kat Cake are good recipes to try too!
Monster Cookies
Recipe Details
Ingredients
- 1½ cups creamy or chunky peanut butter
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 cup granulated white sugar
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 3 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 4½ cups quick cooking oats
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup M&M's plain chocolate candies
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray cookie sheets with nonstick spray, or line with parchment paper or a silpat mats.
- In a large bowl, combine the peanut butter with the sugars and butter. Use an electric mixer to mix until well combined. Mix in the eggs and vanilla. Mix in the oats and baking soda. Then stir in the chips and M&M's.
- Drop the cookies by heaping spoonfuls onto the prepared cookie sheets. If you'd like your cookies to look pretty (like the photos), dot a few extra M&M's and chocolate chips on each mound of dough before baking.
- Bake 10 to 12 minutes. Do not overbake. Cool for 5 minutes on cookie sheets until cookies are set. Transfer to wire racks; cool completely before storing in an airtight container.
Video
Notes
- If you are preparing this cookie as gluten-free, just be sure to make sure you are using brands of the following items that are known to be GF: peanut butter, vanilla, oats, chocolate chips and M&M's.
- If you'd prefer to make giant cookies, use an ice cream scoop instead to scoop the dough onto the cookie sheet. They'll need to bake for 18 to 20 minutes, and you'll end up with about 22 cookies.
I LOVE monster cookies. Got to make some soon!
My daughter will love these!
I have a recipe very similar to this. I add 2TBS of light corn syrup. It makes the cookies come out like a soft batch cookie and not as crunchy. 🙂
great tip!
I died laughing at your post because you’re the first person to agree with me on the frozen cookies. I TOTALLY have this problem! I make cookies, put them in the freezer so I don’t eat them and then eat MORE because they’re so delicious frozen. Love that you posted what I’ve been saying for years!! I’m totally making these babies soon… and keeping them in the freezer 😉
For quite some time now, I’ve made up cookie dough, popped it in the frig or freezer till i “need” fresh cookies. But your idea I LOVE! Fresh & delicious cookies anytime..*safe* in the freezer. 🙂
Lori – A very long time ago, one Halloween, when my children were young; I did and thought the very same thing. I put all the leftover candy in the freezer so I wouldn’t be tempted. I soon couldn’t resist and discovered they were just as good right from the freezer. 🙂
You’re right, the extra m&m’s and chocolate chips on top did make them extra pretty! I wish banishing cookies to the freezer would make me forget about them too:)
I’m drooling here!
My kids love monster cookies… the bigger the better. The freezer trick doesn’t work for me either…lol.
I can’t even look away. Lori these are mesmerizing.
3:00 in the afternoon is my cookie time! That is the sugar hour and these would definitely do the trick!!!
What a fabolous cookie! My Husband would love these for work!!
How many calories per cookie?
See when I hide cookies in the freezer, I never quite “forget” about them as much as I need to for this to be an effective technique. 😛 But that’s okay…I’d be totally fine eating these cookies fresh from the oven. Or stuffing them with ice cream! Mmm…
Ha! I have a freezer full of sweets, for the exact same reason, I will eat them! Glad I’m not alone! I forget to make monster cookies, I don’t know why they are fun to eat and yummy! Thanks for the reminder!
Wow..such wonderful crust..the cookies, and PB..brown sugar..oats..what more I want from a healthy & yum cookie!
The title “monster cookies” don’t do these babies any justice! I don’t tend to freeze cookies but I will most definitely have to start. I mean homemade cookies any time I want? It doesn’t get better than that!
Thanks so much for pointing out that these cookies are GF! I have a little friend that I am always trying to figure out treats for – she’s only 3 and has severe Celiac. These will be perfect for out little party next Monday (prepared on freshly washed everything, of course – can’t risk any flour dust!) Thank you.
I tried making these tonight.
They tasted great but mine spread out ALOT when I baked them… Not sure what I did wrong.. Made for a delish but flimsy cookie…
I’m thinking that you must have gone wrong somewhere. Was your batter very thick? It should be very, very thick- almost difficult to stir. I actually had the opposite problem- the cookies stayed quite thick and didn’t want to spread out much. Did you use regular butter and regular peanut butter (not low fat or margarine?)
Those look amazing!!! I love the up close and personal shot of the cookies. I have been “hiding” cookies in the freezer so I have extras on hand for school lunches…doesn’t work too well since I keep eating all of them anyway:-)