I have been baking these Monster Cookies for almost two decades, they are THE BEST! Pillowy soft, packed with peanut butter, oats, chocolate, and all your favorite mix-ins, they are are scarily good.
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If you’ve never tried monster cookies, you’re in for a treat!
Thanks to the plethora of mix-ins and peanut butter flavor, this is my version of the ultimate monster cookie recipe.
- Monster cookies are supremely ooey-gooey, thick, and chewy.
- They’re jam-packed with bits and bites of chocolate and peanut butter in various forms (chips, candies, and straight-up PB).
- They’re incredibly versatile. Change up the mix-ins as you please, or swap in a different nut butter.
Perfect for kids and adults alike, this cookie recipe is a keeper!
5 Star Review
“These are the BEST monster cookies I have ever made! They are crunchy and soft at the same time and have the perfect amount of peanut butter. I will be making these for years to come!”
— Jessie —
About These Monster Cookies
While the true origin and inventor of monster cookies are unknown, I like to think that monster cookies are called monster cookies because they’re the most epic, monstrous mashup of every cookie you love in one tasty little package.
Also, they’re scarily delicious!
I was introduced to these best-ever monster cookies by my “work friend,” Lindsey.
They’re one of her family’s most treasured recipes, and you can tell. They’re perfect in that special way that tastes of the fine-tuning of generations.
Once you try them, I know you’ll be baking them for decades to come yourself.
How to Make Monster Cookies
These chewy monster cookies are made of classic cookie ingredients (flour, butter, sugar, vanilla), oats, peanut butter, and an array of fun mix-ins.
I made a few tweaks to put this recipe above the nutritional profile of other not-so-healthy cookies (the Pioneer Woman monster cookies, for example), such as using whole wheat flour.
The Ingredients
- Butter. The key to a perfectly textured monster cookie. It’s 100% worth it to use the butter in this recipe, I promise.
- Sugar. A combination of brown sugar and granulated sugar creates just the right texture and makes the cookies moist and chewy.
- Peanut Butter. Critical to any original monster cookie recipe. Creamy peanut butter (shelf-stable or natural peanut butter) adds oodles of rich flavor and complements the oats and other mix-ins. Peanut butter is also rich in protein and potassium.
- Pure Vanilla Extract. One of my favorite ingredients to add to any cookie recipe. The flavor is delicious here!
- Whole Wheat Flour. I swapped in whole wheat flour to make these cookies slightly better for you, and the change is imperceptible.
- Rolled Oats. Not only do the oats add a slightly chewy texture and nutty flavor, but they also bring in some protein and fiber. Plus, they’re naturally gluten free. (Love oats in cookies? Don’t miss my Oatmeal Cookies.)
- Mix-ins. As far as mix-ins go, monster cookies traditionally call for chocolate chips and M&M candies, but I love adding peanut butter chips to the mix too. The double hit of PB is the secret to making these the best, most addictive cookies you’ll try. For another fun cookie with lots of mix-ins, check out Trail Mix Cookies.
The Directions
- Cream the butter and sugars until fluffy with a hand mixer.
- Beat in the peanut butter and other wet ingredients.
- Add the baking soda and salt, then slowly add the flour.
- Beat in the oats. Stir in your mix-ins, and chill the dough.
- Scoop and bake the monster cookies at 350 degrees F for 10 minutes. You can tell if monster cookies are done by checking if they’re golden brown.
- Let them rest on the cookie sheet for a few minutes (letting them sit on the sheet to firm up a bit will make sure your monster cookies don’t fall apart). DIG IN!
Storage Tips
- To Store. Store leftover cookies in an airtight storage container for up to 1 week. (Also, how did you make them last that long??)
- To Freeze. Place cookies in an airtight freezer-safe container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then transfer to room temperature.
Meal Prep Tip
You can freeze monster cookie dough. Portion the dough into cookie dough balls and arrange them on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Place the sheet in the freezer until the dough is firm, then transfer to an airtight freezer-safe storage container and freeze for up to 3 months. Bake directly from frozen, adding to the baking time as needed. You’ll love yourself for having these on hand.
What to Serve with Monster Cookies
Recommended Tools to Make this Recipe
- Cookie Sheet. Tons of space for making big batches of monster cookies or Candy Bar Cookies!
- Silicone Baking Mats. These (or parchment paper) are great for keeping cookies from sticking.
- Cookie Scoop. For perfectly-portioned cookies.
Frequently Asked Questions
While I prefer using rolled, old fashioned oats, you could use quick oats for this recipe. The oat pieces won’t be as prominent, but the cookies will still be delicious.
If you’d like to add some additional mix-ins to your soft monster cookies (or don’t have some on hand), you could try white chocolate chips, pretzels, chopped nuts, granola (like my Granola Cookies), or shredded coconut.
While I’ve used a few healthy swaps in this recipe, they are not what I’d consider a “healthy” food. If you’re looking for a more wholesome cookie recipe, I’d suggest trying my Healthy Peanut Butter Cookie, Healthy Oatmeal Cookies, or these Peanut Butter Protein Cookies.
Monster Cookies
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Ingredients
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter softened
- ¾ cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 large egg at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup white whole wheat flour or whole wheat pastry flour
- 1 cup old fashioned rolled oats
- ¾ cup dark chocolate M&Ms
- ½ cup semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips
- ½ cup peanut butter chips
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, cream butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- Add peanut butter and beat until fluffy again, about 2 minutes, scraping down the bowl as needed. Beat in egg and vanilla until combined.
- Sprinkle the baking soda and salt over the top. With the mixer on low, gradually add the flour, mixing just until the flour disappears.
- Slowly beat in the oats. By hand, stir in the M&Ms, chocolate chips, and peanut butter chips. If time allows, chill dough for 30 minutes or overnight.
- When ready to bake, place racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Drop cookies onto the sheets by rounded tablespoons. Bake for 10 minutes in the upper and lower thirds of the oven, until lightly golden brown (cookies may appear underdone).
- Let rest on cookie sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool. Serve with a big glass of cold milk.
Video
Notes
- TO STORE: Store cookies in an airtight container for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then transfer to the counter.
- TO FREEZE: Portion the dough into balls and arrange on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Place the sheet in the freezer until the dough is firm, then transfer to an airtight container or freezer-grade ziptop bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Bake directly from frozen, adding to the baking time as needed.
Nutrition
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eek! my comment disappeared! it SHOULD have said this:
LOVE these, the recipe is awesome, no substitutes or adjustments needed and, I have to say, it’s a relief that this recipe is scaled down in servings from back in the day (70’s) when we made enough for an army and us kids would gather around the BIG mixing bowl and all 4 of us would mix the final ingredients by hand all at once. :) Thank you!
YAY! Thank you for sharing this kind comment, Tawna! I’m so happy to hear that this recipe was a hit!
In a blizzard it’s fun to bake. It was between this or Paula Dean’s recipe. This one was my choice, so glad I did. These are very easy and super delicious!!! Thanks for sharing ;)
YAY! I’m so happy to hear that you enjoyed this recipe, Norma! Thank you for taking the time to share this kind review!
those look scrumptious!!!!
Thank you, Barbara! They’re definitely one of my favorites!
For those with peanut allergies and with “no nut” warnings in schools, what do you suggest using in place of the peanut butter? Thank you.
Hi Cynthia! You could try using sunflower butter, but it may turn them a greenish color. Any other type of nut butter would work as well. I hope this helps!
Could I substitute Namaste gluten free flour for the whole wheat four?
Hi Tania! I have not tried this swap before, so unfortunately, I can’t vouch for the results. If you decide to experiment, I’d love to hear how it goes!
I was expecting to like these, but what I didn’t know was how much I’d LOVE these!! Easy to make, tasty, perfect texture, delicious all around! The only issue is trying not to eat them all at once :)
YAY! I’m SO pleased that you enjoyed them, Heidi!
During this q, I have been baking different cookies about every week, for my children, their wives and grandchildren and our household of two. A dozen people total. Requests for family recipes & exploring new options has been deliciously fun! MONSTER COOKIES were a great choice for the kid in all of us! Colorful with M&Ms, peanut butter & dark chocolate chips! EVERYTHING to love and devour ❤️ There are already requests for a repeat of them! “Q Delivery Service” is eagerly anticipated & thriving ???
Thank you for sharing this kind review, Debbie! I’m so pleased that the recipe has been a hit!
These are absolutely the BEST cookies! I didn’t have the candies or peanut butter chips on hand, so I suppose I didn’t actually make “Monster” cookies. I used about a cup of chocolate chunks for the add ins and chunky peanut butter instead of creamy, but otherwise followed the recipe. They are the perfect texture, perfect taste, and I can’t get enough of them. This will now be my go to cookie recipe.
I’m so happy that you enjoyed them, Samantha! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
I made these for Christmas this year and turned out delicious. My kids and my wife loved them. Definitely will be making these a lot more often.
I’m so happy that you enjoyed them, Bobbi! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
Delicious! These were super popular back in the 1970s when I was a young elementary teacher. Kids loved them!
I’m so happy that you enjoyed them, Stephanie! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
My 6 year old and I turned these into a Valentine’s Day recipe by using pink, red and white M&Ms. They turned out delish!!!!! So cute and chewy and flavorful! We did add an extra egg at the end right before the chips & M&Ms to soften the dough a bit so it would be easier to fold in the mixins.
I’m so happy that you enjoyed them, Lizzy! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
These are the BEST monster cookies I have ever made! They are crunchy and soft at the same time and have the perfect amount of peanut butter.
I will be making these for years to come!
Hi Jessie! So glad you enjoyed the cookies! Thank you for this kind review!
Great cookie for tomorrow’s track meet at Bosque School! As per your comment under your Healthy Oatmeal Cookie recipe, I “healthified” these a bit by using raisins, nuts, and dark chocolate chips as the mix-ins. Used whole-wheat pastry flour, which I’ve always thought is great. Oh and cut the sugar by 1/3. But definitely used ALL the butter! Thanks so much for the recipe!
Hi Julie! So glad you enjoyed the cookies! Thank you for this kind review!
Fabulous! Made these for a friend, she went “ Gaga “😂. On that note, making her a batch today, plus a batch for her freezer. Thank You so much for sharing!
Hi Brenda! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
It’s a gloomy, cold & rainy day here, so what better way to brighten things up than with cookies! We are big fans of monster cookies, so I was excited to try this recipe. Absolutely delicious! You’d never know they were made with white whole wheat flour. Definitely a 5 star recipe! Yummy!
Yay!! So happy to hear, thank you Rachel!