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The Best Monster Cookies

These Homemade Monster Cookies are loaded with creamy peanut butter, rich chocolate, and crunchy M&Ms. These easy cookies are the perfect combination of sweet and salty.

A Monster Cookie resting against a glass of milk.

Soft and Chewy Monster Cookies

These Monster Cookies are a classic childhood staple. They’re packed with so many tasty mix-ins like peanut butter, oatmeal, chocolate chips, and M&Ms. With so many contrasting textures and flavors, these cookies really do make for a party in your mouth!

The base is my Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies recipe, so they have a super soft center with nice and crispy edges. If you’re looking for an indulgent but easy-to-make dessert, this is the recipe for you!

No Chill Time Required!

Typically, chilling your dough before baking makes your cookies thicker, chewier, and more flavorful, but in this case, it isn’t necessary. The addition of oats and creamy peanut butter means these cookies have the perfect shape and chewy texture without any chill time. 

One of the reasons that I love this recipe is because it does not require that you chill the dough first. This means that your cookies will be ready to eat 30 minutes sooner!

6 Monster Cookies stacked on top of each other with 4 of them being cut in half.

Here’s What You’ll Need

These Monster Cookies are pretty simple to make, so most of the ingredients you probably already have in your pantry. Here’s everything you need for this recipe:

  • Butter
  • Peanut Butter Make sure to use a creamy peanut butter like Jif or Skippy, don’t use a natural peanut butter
  • Sugar: Both granulated and light brown sugar make the perfect chewy texture
  • Eggs
  • Pure vanilla extract
  • Flour
  • Oats: I use rolled oats, they make for a really nice texture in the cookies and they also give them more chewiness
  • Baking Soda
  • Salt
  • Chocolate Chips
  • M&Ms

How to Make Monster Cookies

These quick and easy Monster Cookies are ready in just 30 minutes!

Preheat the oven and start the batter. Preheat the oven to 350°F and beat the butter and peanut butter until the mixture is completely smooth. Then add both sugars and beat on medium speed until the batter is fully combined (this should take 2-3 minutes).

Add the liquid ingredients being the eggs and vanilla and continue beating until they’re fully incorporated. 

A mixing bowl showing the peanut butter and butter being mixed together.

Combine the remaining dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, combine the rest of the dry ingredients except the M&Ms and chocolate chips. Slowly add the dry ingredients into the batter and mix at a low speed until the dough starts to form. Make sure to stop before it thickens and add in the M&Ms and chocolate chips. eat for just another minute until the dough comes together.

Prepare the baking sheet and scoop the dough. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking sheet. Then, use a large cookie scoop to place the dough on the pan. If you want to, you can add additional M&Ms and chocolate chips on top of the cookies.

The cookie dough balls on a baking sheet.

Bake the cookies. In my oven, these bake for11-13 minutes. The centers should be slightly underbaked but not too gooey. Once they look done, remove them from the oven and let them cool on the sheet for 5-10 minutes. Then, move them to a wire rack and allow them to cool completely. 

A batch of Monster Cookies.

My Best Baking Tips For Perfect Cookies

While this is a simple recipe, nailing the right texture while baking can be tricky. Here are a few tips for making soft and chewy cookies:  

  • Use a creamy peanut butter: I recommend that you use Jif or another creamy peanut butter to make this recipe. Using all-natural peanut butter will make these cookies grainy. 
  • Make sure your cookies the same size: Different-sized cookies require different cook times, so trying to make one huge cookie on a sheet filled with smaller ones isn’t the best idea. Instead, try to scoop the same amount of dough for each cookie. 
  • Check the cookies after 11 minutes: These cookies are ready to be removed from the oven even when the centers are still slightly underbaked. The cookies will continue to cook while cooling on the baking sheet so make sure that you remove them before then (otherwise you will have really hard and crispy cookies).
A batch of Monster Cookies in an open container.

How to Store Homemade Cookies

Monster Cookies are just as easy to store as they are to make. Just allow them to cool completely before placing them in an airtight container. When stored this way, they will last for up to a week at room temperature. 

Can I Freeze These?

Yes, you can freeze these cookies! You can freeze both the unbaked cookie dough and the fully baked cookies for up to three months.

To freeze the unbaked dough, just roll the dough into balls and place them in a freezer-safe container. Thaw to room temperature and bake according to the instructions.

To freeze baked cookies, just allow the cookies to cool completely. Once cooled, place them in a freezer-safe container. If you plan to stack the cookies on top of each other, I recommend using parchment paper between layers to prevent them from sticking together. When you’re ready to eat them, allow them to thaw at room temperature.

Monster Cookies in an open container.
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Close up of an Oatmeal Monster Cookie topped with M&Ms and Chocolate chips

The Best Monster Cookies

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4 from 2 reviews
  • Author: Julianne Dell
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 13 minutes
  • Total Time: 23 minutes
  • Yield: 12-14 Cookies
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Baked
  • Cuisine: American

Description

Homemade Monster Cookies are loaded with creamy peanut butter, rich chocolate, and crunchy M&Ms. These easy cookies are the perfect combination of sweet and salty!


Ingredients

  • ½ cup (113g) butter, at room temperature
  • ½ cup (264g) creamy peanut butter
  • ½ cup (95g) granulated sugar
  • ½ cup (110g) light brown sugar, packed
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 teaspoons (10ml) pure vanilla extract
  • ¾ cups (105g) all-purpose flour
  • ¾ cups (72g) rolled oats
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup (90g) semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • ½ cup (90g) M&Ms

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Combine the softened butter with peanut butter and beat until completely smooth; scrape down the bowl occasionally. Next add the brown and granulated sugar. Beat on medium speed until well combined, 2-3 minutes.
  2. Next add the eggs and vanilla extract and continue beating until well incorporated.
  3. In a separate bowl, combine the remaining dry ingredients, except the chocolate chips and M&Ms. Stir to combine and slowly add the dry ingredients into the dough, mixing on low speed until dough starts to form. Before the dough thickens, add the chocolate chips and M&Ms. Beat a couple of times just until the flour incorporates.
  4. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking sheet. Scoop the dough using a large cookie scoop and place on a sheet pan, 2 inches apart. Place additional M&Ms and chocolate chips on top of the cookies if desired.
  5. Bake for 11-13 minutes. The center of the cookie should be slightly under baked but not too gooey. Allow to cool on the baking sheet for 5-10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool. Store in an airtight container.

Notes

  • Peanut butter: Be sure to use creamy peanut butter like Jif or Skippy, and not natural peanut butter. 
  • Store finished cookies in an airtight container
  • Freeze cookie dough: Scoop the dough into balls and place them in a freezer-safe container. Thaw to room temperature and bake according to the instructions. 
  • Freeze finished cookies: To freeze baked cookies, just allow the cookies to cool completely. Once cooled, place them in a freezer-safe container. 
  • Double the recipe for a large batch

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 cookie
  • Calories: 309
  • Sugar: 26g
  • Sodium: 149mg
  • Fat: 16g
  • Carbohydrates: 37g
  • Fiber: 1.9g
  • Protein: 4.9g
  • Cholesterol: 34mg

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More Easy Cookie Recipes to Try

If you liked these cookies, make sure to check out some of my other recipes:

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4 thoughts on “The Best Monster Cookies”

  1. Best monster cookie recipe!! Turned out great! Can’t wait to try some more of your cookie recipes! Thank you!






    1. Julianne - Beyond Frosting
      Beyond Frosting

      Yeah yeah yeah! Thank you Morgan. My Oatmeal cookie recipes are pretty freaking good, but also I have a lot of good cookies that are not oatmeal too. Thanks for being here!

  2. Followed the recipe to a T and they liquified while baking. Baked for 15 minutes to see if they could be salvaged – they became one giant flat, crunchy cookie. I have been baking for 20 years and should’ve gone with my gut instinct telling me 3/4 cup was not nearly enough flour. The dough was more like a brownie batter consistency after all ingredients had been combined. Part of me wonders if recipe is a typo and should have said 1 + 3/4 cup flour, not just 3/4 cup flour. Bummed






    1. Julianne - Beyond Frosting
      Beyond Frosting

      Hi Nic, I understand how frustrating that could be. Sometimes typos do happen. This recipe is for 12 cookies, so 3/4 cup flour and 3/4 cups oats are enough. I have used this recipe several times, and have similar ones on the site as well. It’s been well tested and I can assure you it’s correct. If it was a brownie batter consistency, as in runnier, then that tells me something was off, perhaps a difference of ingredients. I am curious what type of peanut butter you used? The dough will be soft but scoopable, you can see that in the recipe video as well. I am going to follow up with you via email to get some more details.