Monster Cookies are loaded with oats, peanut butter, chocolate chips, and M&M‘S. Everyone loves this classic cookie recipe, even the Cookie Monster approves!
Monster Cookies
I always describe myself as a cookie monster (have you seen the hundreds of cookie recipes on our site?), so of course I love Monster Cookies. This classic cookie recipe is made with so many delicious ingredients: oats, peanut butter, M&M’S, chocolate chips…just listing it out makes me want a fresh batch in the oven right now! They are loaded with goodness.
Why are they called Monster Cookies? It’s because they’re like the Frankenstein’s monster of the cookie world…a bunch of cookies all mashed together in ONE recipe! Monster Cookies are part peanut butter cookie, part oatmeal cookie, part chocolate chip cookie, part M&M cookie, and 100% DELICIOUS cookie! Let’s do the Monster Mash and make Monster Cookies!
Monster Cookie Ingredients
The ingredient list might look a little long, but you probably already have most of the ingredients in your pantry.
- Oats (use old fashioned oats)
- All-purpose flour
- Baking soda (check the date to make sure it is fresh)
- Salt
- Unsalted butter
- Creamy peanut butter (don’t use natural peanut butter, I like Skippy)
- Granulated sugar
- Brown sugar
- Egg
- Vanilla extract
- Chocolate chips
- M&M’S
- Flake sea salt (for sprinkling on top!)
How to Make Monster Cookies
We’ve got a pretty standard cookie procedure here! Let’s get baking!
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or Silpat baking mats.
- Get all the dry ingredients stirred together in a big mixing bowl: oats, flour, baking soda, and salt. Set it aside; we’ll come back to it in a minute.
- Use a stand mixer or hand mixer, beat the peanut butter, softened butter, and sugars together on medium speed until everything is creamy and smooth. Use a spatula to scrape the sides down if necessary!
- Add in the egg and vanilla and keep that mixer going until everything is good and combined.
- Add in the dry ingredients, but only mix them until they’re just combined! Don’t over mix! Finish the dough off by gently stirring in chocolate chips and M&M’s.
- Scoop the dough into balls with about two tablespoons of dough per cookie. Place them on the prepared sheets with two inches between each cookie.
- Now we bake! Give them 10-12 minutes in the oven, until the monster cookies are lightly browned around the edges but soft in the middle.
- Remove them from the oven and sprinkle with sea salt. This is also a great tie to press a few additional chocolate chips or M&Ms into the tops so they look nice and extra colorful.
- Let the cookies cook for about 5 minutes. These cookies have a LOT of goodness baked in, so you want to make sure they’re set before moving to a wire rack to cool completely!
- This cookie recipe can easily be doubled! Sometimes you NEED a MONSTER batch of MONSTER cookies:)
Monster Cookie Add-Ins
These cookies are already loaded, but the sky is really the limit here! If you want to add something additional, try…
- Peanut butter chips or butterscotch chips
- Pretzels
- Raisins or dried cranberries
- Peanuts, almonds, or walnuts
How to Store the Cookies
You can store the monster cookies on the countertop in an airtight container for 3 to 5 days. To keep the cookies soft, place a piece of bread in the container. The bread will get rock hard, but the cookies will stay soft.
How to Freeze
You can freeze the cookie dough or the baked cookie!
To freeze the cookie dough, scoop the dough into balls and place onto a cookie sheet and pop them in the freezer for about an hour, just until they lose their stickiness and are mostly frozen. After that you can put them into a freezer-safe container or freezer bag! When you’re ready to bake, pull them out and bake as directed, just add a couple of minutes to the baking time.
To freeze baked cookies, place cooled cookies in a freezer container or freezer bag and freeze for up to 2 months. Defrost and enjoy or you can even eat them frozen! I love frozen monster cookies!
More Cookie Recipes
- 1 1/2 cups old fashioned oats
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups chocolate chips
- 1 ½ cups M&M candies
- Flake sea salt, for sprinkling on cookies
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Line two large baking sheets with Silpat baking mats or parchment paper. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, stir together the oats, flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
Using a stand mixer or hand-held mixer, beat the butter, peanut butter, and sugars together until creamy and smooth, on medium speed. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula, if necessary. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract. Mix until well combined.
Add in the dry ingredients and mix on low until just until the combined. Don’t over mix. Gently stir in the chocolate chips and M&M’s.
Scoop the cookies into round balls, about 2 tablespoons of dough per cookie, and place on the prepared baking sheets, leaving 2 inches in between cookies. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the cookies are lightly browned around the edges, but still soft in the middle.
Remove cookies from oven and sprinkle the cookies with sea salt. You can also gently press additional chocolate chips and M&M’s on top of the cookies to make them look extra pretty. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes or until set. When set, transfer cookies to a wire rack and cool completely.
Nutrition Facts
Monster Cookies
Amount Per Serving
Calories 253 Calories from Fat 117
% Daily Value*
Fat 13g20%
Saturated Fat 7g35%
Cholesterol 21mg7%
Sodium 126mg5%
Potassium 65mg2%
Carbohydrates 32g11%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 24g27%
Protein 4g8%
Vitamin A 182IU4%
Vitamin C 1mg1%
Calcium 39mg4%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Photos by Molly
