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Home » Cookies » Monster Cookies

Published: Oct 22, 2022 by Veronika's Kitchen * This post may contain affiliate links

Monster Cookies

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These are my favorite soft and thick Monster Cookies, made with peanut butter, oats, M&Ms, and chocolate chips. They are so easy to make and you don’t need to chill the dough!

Cookies topped with M&Ms and chocolate chips on a wire rack.

These delicious Monster Cookies became my favorite cookies to bake. They are so easy to prep and there is no chilling required. Loaded with oats, peanut butter, M&Ms, and chocolate chips, they will make a grate treat for the holiday season or a simple Sunday bake.

These cookies will be a perfect addition for the Christmas Cookie party, along with Cranberry Orange Biscotti, Snickerdoodle Cookies, Almond Spritz Cookies, Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies, and many others.

And if you are making them for Halloween, I love to decorate them with some eyeball candies on top and serve with Halloween Sugar Cookies and Halloween Rice Krispie Treats.

Why you will love this recipe

  • Easy to make. Because we don’t need to chill the dough for this recipe, it’s really easy to prep and bake this cookies.
  • Has your favorite ingredients. Who doesn’t like oats, peanut butter, M&Ms, and chocolate chips? These cookies have it all!
  • Fun for kids. Thanks to colorful M&Ms, it will be fun to make this treat with your kids.
  • Make ahead. I love making the dough ahead of time and keep it in my freezer. Check out the freezing instructions below in the recipe.
Cookies topped with M&Ms and chocolate chips on a wire rack.

Ingredients and Substitution

  • Butter. When making cookies, we always want butter to be room temperature. So, when it’s mixed with the sugar, it will be easily blended and become light and airy.
  • Sugar. In this recipe, I use a mix of granulated and light brown sugar. Granulated sugar provides crispy edges, while brown sugar keeps the cookies soft and moist inside.
  • Peanut butter. You can use your favorite brand of creamy peanut butter. Brands like Skippy and Jif work very well.
  • Egg. Similar to butter, it has to be room temperature.
  • Vanilla extract. I always like to add a touch of vanilla extract for extra aroma.
  • All-purpose flour. Make sure you measure the flour correctly. To do so, scoop the flour into a measuring cup and scrape the back of the butter knife across the top to level it.
  • Oats. I prefer to use old-fashioned rolled oats for more texture, but you can also use 1-minutes oats.
  • Salt. A magic ingredient that helps to balance the sweetness
  • M&Ms. I like to use classic M&Ms. You can also use flavored ones, like with peanut butter.
  • Chocolate Chips. You can use dark, semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips.
Ingredients to make Monster cookies.

How to make it

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

In a mixing bowl, add dry ingredients (1 cup all-purpose flour, ½ cup rolled oats, ½ tsp baking soda, ¼ tsp salt). Mix and set aside.

Process photos of mixing flour with rolled oats.

In a separate large mixing bowl, add ½ cup room temperature unsalted butter, ⅓ cup light brown sugar, and ¼ cup granulated sugar. Using a stand or hand mixer, beat well for about 5 minutes, until it becomes light and airy.

Process photos of mixing butter with sugar.

Add ½ cup peanut butter and mix again.

Add 1 large egg and 1 tsp vanilla extract. Beat again until well combined.

Process photos of mixing egg and vanilla extract with cookie dough.

Add dry ingredients and mix it on low speed until just halfway mixed.

Process photos of adding dry ingredients to cookie dough.

Then add ½ cup M&Ms and ½ cup chocolate chips and mix until combined. Don’t overmix.

Process photos of adding M&Ms and chocolate chips to cookie dough.

Using an ice cream scoop or a regular spoon, scoop out about 2 tbsp of cookie dough, roll it in a ball and place on the baking sheet with parchment paper.

Slightly press to flatten and top with a couple of M&Ms and chocolate chips.

Bake at 350°F for about 11-13 minutes or until the tops are just set.

Take them out of the oven and let sit on the counter on baking sheet for another 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.

Monster Cookies on a baking sheet before and after baking.

Tips for best results

  • Ingredients temperature. To make sure that all the ingredients blend well with each other, they should be room temperature (especially butter and eggs).
  • Cream butter and sugar. The trick to make the cookies perfectly soft is to beat the butter with sugar on high speed for about 5 minutes. The mixture should become light and airy.
  • Baking time. Depending on your oven, baking sheet, and the size of the cookies, the baking time should take between 11-13 minutes. The tops should be just set but still very soft. They will continue to “bake” while resting on the baking sheet on the counter. Also, that will ensure them to stay soft and not dry.

Storage and Freezing

  • How to store. You can keep monster cookies in an air-tight container on a countertop for 3-4 days.
  • How to freeze. After they are completely cooled off, transfer them to an air-tight container or a freezer-safe bag and freeze up to 3 months.
  • How to freeze cookie dough. When freezing cookie dough, I like to roll it into balls first, place on a baking sheet and put in the freezer for 30 minutes to harden (this way they won’t stick to each other). Then transfer to an air-tight container or a freezer-safe bag and freeze for up to 3 months. To thaw, just leave in the fridge overnight. Take it out of the fridge and leave on the countertop for about 20 minutes before baking.
Cookies topped with M&Ms and chocolate chips on a baking sheet.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Monster Cookies are made of?

Classic monster cookies should contain these four main ingredients: oats, peanut butter, M&Ms, and chocolate chips. Although, today you can often see different variations that use other add-ons.

Do you need to refrigerate Monster Cookie dough?

No. These cookies are not very spreadable, which means you don’t really need to refrigerate the dough.

Why are my cookies dry?

Most likely you over baked them. When they are done, the top of the cookies should be just set but still very soft. They will continue to set when you take them out of the oven and let sit on the counter for 10 minutes.

Cookies topped with M&Ms and chocolate chips.

More Cookie Ideas:

  • Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies
  • Hello Dolly Cookies
  • Amaretti Biscuits
  • Pistachio Cookies
  • Danish Butter Cookies Recipe
  • Fudgy Brownie Cookies
  • Twix Cookies
  • Chocolate Chip Blondies
  • Sour Cream Cookies
Cookies topped with M&Ms and chocolate chips on a wire rack.
Print Recipe
5 from 10 votes

Monster Cookies

These are my favorite soft and thick Monster Cookies, made with peanut butter, oats, M&Ms, and chocolate chips. They are so easy to make and you don’t need to chill the dough!
Prep Time20 mins
Cook Time12 mins
Total Time32 mins
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 12 cookies
Calories: 266kcal
Author: Veronika’s Kitchen

Ingredients

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup old fashioned rolled oats
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup unsalted butter room temperature
  • ⅓ cup light brown sugar
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • ½ cup peanut butter
  • 1 large egg room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ cup M&Ms
  • ½ cup chocolate chips

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
  • In a mixing bowl, add dry ingredients (1 cup all-purpose flour, ½ cup rolled oats, ½ tsp baking soda, ¼ tsp salt). Mix and set aside.
  • In a separate large mixing bowl, add ½ cup room temperature unsalted butter, ⅓ cup light brown sugar, and ¼ cup granulated sugar. Using a stand or hand mixer, beat well for about 5 minutes, until it becomes light and airy.
  • Add ½ cup peanut butter and mix again.
  • Add 1 large egg and 1 tsp vanilla extract. Beat again until well combined.
  • Add dry ingredients and mix it on low speed until just halfway mixed.
  • Then add ½ cup M&Ms and ½ cup chocolate chips and mix until combined. Don’t overmix.
  • Using an ice cream scoop or a regular spoon, scoop out about 2 tbsp of cookie dough, roll it in a ball and place on the baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • Slightly press to flatten and top with a couple of M&Ms and chocolate chips.
  • Bake at 350°F for about 11-13 minutes or until the tops are just set.
  • Take them out of the oven and let sit on the counter on baking sheet for another 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.

Notes

  • Ingredients temperature. To make sure that all the ingredients blend well with each other, they should be room temperature (especially butter and eggs).
  • Cream butter and sugar. The trick to make the cookies perfectly soft is to beat the butter with sugar on high speed for about 5 minutes. The mixture should become light and airy.
  • Baking time. Depending on your oven, baking sheet, and the size of the cookies, the baking time should take between 11-13 minutes. The tops should be just set but still very soft. They will continue to “bake” while resting on the baking sheet on the counter. Also, that will ensure them to stay soft and not dry.
  • How to store. You can keep monster cookies in an air-tight container on a countertop for 3-4 days.
  • How to freeze. After they are completely cooled off, transfer them to an air-tight container or a freezer-safe bag and freeze up to 3 months.
  • How to freeze cookie dough. When freezing cookie dough, I like to roll it into balls first, place on a baking sheet and put in the freezer for 30 minutes to harden (this way they won’t stick to each other). Then transfer to an air-tight container or a freezer-safe bag and freeze for up to 3 months. To thaw, just leave in the fridge overnight. Take it out of the fridge and leave on the countertop for about 20 minutes before baking.

Nutrition

Calories: 266kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 35mg | Sodium: 154mg | Potassium: 100mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 273IU | Vitamin C: 0.05mg | Calcium: 27mg | Iron: 1mg
Did you make this recipe?I’d love to know how it turned out! Please let me know by leaving a review below. Or snap a photo and share it on Instagram; be sure to tag me @veronikaskitchen.

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    Sour Cream Cookies
  • Close up photo of Raspberry Almond Thumbprint Cookies.
    Raspberry Almond Thumbprint Cookies
  • Orange Cranberry Biscotti on a plate.
    Orange Cranberry Biscotti
  • Sliced Hello Dolly cookies into bars.
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Reader Interactions

Comments

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    Recipe Rating




  1. ramona says

    November 02, 2022 at 6:00 pm

    5 stars
    These monster cookies look super fun to make, they also look super delicious! I am going to make these this week, thank you for sharing this recipe i cant wait to try them out!

    Reply
  2. Lori | The Kitchen Whisperer says

    October 30, 2022 at 11:47 pm

    5 stars
    It’s not truly the holidays until we make monster cookies! Such a great recipe with lots of helpful hints!

    Reply
  3. Dani says

    October 30, 2022 at 9:08 pm

    5 stars
    Brought this to a Halloween Party and they disappeared within minutes. Everyone asked for the recipe so I sent them to your website. Thank you for sharing this delicious recipe

    Reply
  4. Tristin says

    October 30, 2022 at 5:28 pm

    5 stars
    Had so much fun making these monster cookies with my kids today. Of course they kept snacking on the m&ms, luckily we bought a huge bag!

    Reply
  5. Katie Crenshaw says

    October 30, 2022 at 2:50 pm

    5 stars
    These cookies are incredible. They have the perfect combination of sweet and texture. I loved them.

    Reply
  6. Loreto says

    October 30, 2022 at 10:31 am

    5 stars
    You have sparked some delicious childhood memories. I loved peanut butter cookies especially with milk. Adding in the m&must just made them stand out and colorful. I can only imagine how chewy they are. Just want to bite right in!

    Reply
  7. Ann says

    October 30, 2022 at 8:02 am

    5 stars
    Monster cookies are one of absolute favorite cookies! They always comes out delicious! This post reminded me, I need to make more soon!

    Reply
  8. Tracy says

    October 27, 2022 at 11:01 pm

    5 stars
    Nothing beats a homemade cookie!! My kids always want extra M&Ms! These are so good!

    Reply
  9. Lauren Michael Harris says

    October 25, 2022 at 9:50 pm

    5 stars
    These monster cookies are always so fun to make. The kids love them (me too!). There are never leftovers!

    Reply
  10. Gloria says

    October 24, 2022 at 12:34 pm

    5 stars
    Home-baked cookies are the best. I always like to make some treats for the grandkids. They move M&M’s, so these will be a hit.

    Reply

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