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.
Can you leave out the peanut butter. Have allergies to eat at my house?
Just made these and they turned out great! I made them about golf ball sized….ate some of the batter and still got 22 cookies.
Just an update: I tried it with vanilla almond butter (http://www.naturallynutty.com), 1/4c butter and 1/4c olive oil, white chocolate chips (instead of chocolate) and added 2TBSP flax seeds. And like another reader, put just a few m&ms on top. Really delicious, but a little gooey. I don’t think more time in the oven would have helped; they were just too moist. Still learning, I guess. But luckily, I have another batch of dough following your instructions to the letter, ready to go in the oven. This recipe is such a great one, full of possibilities.
I’ve been making these for the past 22 years. My son didn’t like chocolate so I used peanut butter chips and resees pieces instead of the m and m’s and chocolate chips.
Has anyone tried using almond butter with this recipe? Just wanted to know how it turned out if you did. Thanks!
I haven’t tried it. I would think it would be okay if you tried it with a really creamy almond butter- like the Barney Butter brand.
When I tell my kids I am going to make cookies, MONSTER COOKIES is what comes out of their mouths! I cut the chocolate chips in half, and once left them out completely, and only put 4-5 M&Ms on top (none in the cookie itself) to cut out some of the calories and sugar and I don’t find we are losing any flavor. I usually use a 1/4 dry measuring cup to scoop them so they are truely monster sized. Takes a few extra minutes to cook but they are amazing. And put in the freezer? We never have left overs!!
My boyfriends favorite cookie is a monster cookie so I decided to try this recipe for hips Christmas stocking.. They lasted maybe 12 hours at the most so I’d say they were a hit! My family got a taste of the first batch and I’ve been asked to make 3 other batches of these yummy cookies! Love them, thank you for the recipe!
Ummm…, my kiddo is allergic to peanuts. Do you think that if I left out the peanut butter they would be o.k.? If not, it’s o.k.
Thanks.
Made these today and really liked them. I did add 2 T. of light corn syrup like someone suggested in the comments as I like a soft cookie. I also did a mixture of chocolate chips & butterscotch chips. They are earning a spot on the holiday tray this year! Thanks for the recipe 🙂 Merry Christmas!
Worst cookies i’ve ever made. Sorry. Not the recipes fault, it was my fault. I substituted butter for margarine. M&Ms for Smarties. And 50% large oats instead of quick oats.
Turned into a flat sticky mess. Most recipes are forgiving enough to allow for substitutes like this more suitable to unique tastes. Not these ones.
Will probably not try again because it was that big of a disaster. Sorry.
Sounds like your substitutions were not a success. Try the recipe as is and you might like it!
Suprised there is not flour in these….
nope- no flour needed in these cookies!
My son has been pleading with me to make these again, but I couldn’t find my recipe. The one I had from years ago called for 18 cups of oatmeal, a dozen eggs and 3 lbs of peanut butter. That was all I could remember. Thanks for the smaller recipe I will definitely be making these sooooon!
I’m sorry to say but these cookies are NOT gluten free!!!
Oats are NOT suitable for a person with celiac disease and m&m’s are no longer
Safe to eat for a person with celiac disease ever since they
Started making pretzel m&m’s
Just thought I would let you know
Did you read my tips? You can absolutely buy GF oats. I hadn’t heard about M&M’s not being safe anymore. Perhaps you can locate another sort of candy-coated chocolate that is known to be GF? In any case, the recipe is gluten-free adaptable… you just need to be certain that the ingredients you’re using are all free of gluten.
These are the first cookies I have made from scratch and i made these cookies for my family on thanksgiving And they loveddddd them! They are so pretty. I love your website and these cookies!!!
I have just moved to mtns in Mexico…little nervous to bake here because of high altitude…any suggestions for the monster cookies
Sorry- I’m not familiar at all with high altitude baking.
Made these with Gluten free Oats….Amazing! Thank you for the Super Recipe! These are going in my treat cauldron for Halloween! Cheers!
Made these yesterday and they are amazing! I used regular oats instead of quick cook and they came out fine (I was worried). My kids loved them, my neighbors loved them and I think I’m going to have to hide them from myself! Thanks for the keeper recipe!
These look absolutely amazing! I have two children Ryla and Ryder and I think they will love them! Thank you so much for this recipe!
These are amazing. I have made them twice already and I’m whipping up another batch of them tonight. Everyone at work absolutely loves them!! This recipe is perfect, thank you so much!!
I first ate these as a middle schooler. I had never had a cookie that was four different cookies all rolled into one! It was the first recipe I ever asked a friend to share with me and I made them frequently. I lost the recipe over the years but had a craving recently. Yours was the first link to pop up on Google. Thanks a million for sharing. Off to do a little baking.