A soft and chewy peanut butter-oatmeal cookie studded with chocolate chips and candy-coated chocolate pieces. These Monster Cookies are gluten-free, made all in one bowl and truly the best!
A longtime family favorite recipe.
Why I’m JUST now sharing this recipe after 4 years of this blog’s existence beats me! But lucky for you, because today is the day. These Monster Cookies have been a favorite in my family since I started making them back in high school (a long time ago). Over the years, I’ve tweaked the recipe that I first started with (likely found on allrecipes.com) several times which evolved into what I’m sharing today. My Monster Cookies are a recipe I make all year round – especially during the holidays. They come together quickly and can be made all in one bowl. All you have to do is add the ingredients to a bowl, give them a stir, transfer to a cookie sheet and bake them. In no time at all, you’ll be sinking your teeth into warm, peanut butter-y, oatmeal cookie goodness!
These Monster Cookies can be made peanut- or nut-free with one simple substitution.
Now if you’re looking for a cookie option that’s peanut-free, you can simply substitute almond butter or cashew butter for the peanut butter. Both of these nut butters have a neutral flavor and will work well in this recipe. If you want to make the cookies completely nut-free, you can substitute sunflower seed butter for the peanut butter. This will change the flavor of the cookies a bit, but they’ll still be totally delicious!
A quick note about candy-coated chocolate pieces.
Though this post is not sponsored, I do want to give a quick and well-deserved shout-out to Little Secrets! The makers of the candy-coated chocolate pieces you see used in this recipe. If you’re looking for a dye-free, better-for-you alternative that’s similar to M&M’s, you’ll want to check them out! The chocolate pieces are made with non-GMO, Fair Trade Certified chocolate and no artificial colors (food dyes) or corn syrups. In these Monster Cookies, I like to use a combination of the Little Secrets Dark Chocolate Pieces and Little Secrets Peanut Butter Pieces. So good! You can browse and shop all of the Little Secrets products, here OR see where they’re available in a store near you here.
Add a stash to your freezer.
A cookie stash in your freezer is always a good idea! For many reasons:
- Something delicious to offer to a surprise (or planned) guest.
- The perfect treat to bring to a new mom, a neighbor or a special someone “just because.”
- Something to have on hand for those last-minute situations – a treat to bring to a holiday gathering, birthday party, work potluck, etc.
- You just never know when you’ll have a mad craving for a cookie!
If you plan to add a stash of these scrumptious Monster Cookies to your freezer, I recommend doubling or even tripling the recipe.
A soft and chewy peanut butter-oatmeal cookie studded with chocolate chips and candy-coated chocolate pieces. Monster Cookies are gluten-free, made all in one bowl and truly the BEST! Click To TweetIt’s time to whip up a batch of The Best Monster Cookies! Who’s with me?
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The Best Monster Cookies
A soft and chewy peanut butter-oatmeal cookie that’s studded with chocolate chips and candy-coated chocolate pieces. These Monster Cookies are gluten-free and made all in one bowl! They’re truly the best.
- Prep Time: 10 min
- Cook Time: 10 min
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 18 cookies 1x
- Cuisine: Gluten-Free, Nut-Free option
Ingredients
- 1¾ cup organic gluten-free rolled oats
- ½ cup organic brown sugar, packed (may substitute coconut sugar)
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- ¼ tsp. salt
- ¾ cup organic crunchy or creamy peanut butter* (or nut or seed butter of choice)
- 2 Tbsp. melted butter (may substitute coconut oil for dairy-free)
- 2 whole eggs
- 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- ⅓–½ cup candy-coated chocolate pieces (such as Little Secrets)
- ⅓–½ cup chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven 350ºF. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, combine all of the ingredients except for the candy-coated pieces and chocolate chips. Stir to combine.
- Once combined, fold in candy-coated chocolate pieces and chocolate chips.
- With a small cookie scoop, spoon a heaping amount of dough and place on prepared baking sheets. Repeat until dough is gone. You will end up with about 18 cookies.
- Oil hands and press dough down to flatten slightly (about 3/4-inch thick).
- Bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes or until lightly golden brown.
- Leave on baking sheet for 15 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Store in an airtight container for up to one week. May also freezer for later.
Notes
*Substitute sunflower seed butter for nut-free
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 180
- Sugar: 11 g
- Sodium: 145 mg
- Fat: 10 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 5 g
Pin now to make later!
Photo Credit: The photos in this blog post were taken by Jess of Plays Well with Butter.
Laurel says
These were sooo tasty. A scooper would have worked much better when forming them as suggested, but they still worked out for me! Adding oil to my hands was something I hadn’t thought of. I’ll be making these again soon!
★★★★★
Jessica Beacom says
So glad you loved them! And yes, a scoop is pretty handy for making cookies (and meatballs!)
Alexis Lee says
My mom makes monsters cookies every year and I am obsessed with them. I am going to have to try your recipe out because they look so good and have healthier substitutions! I love them but know all of that butter can’t be good, definitely going to try it with coconut oil. Did you taste a difference?
Jessica Beacom says
The coconut oil does impart a slightly coconutty flavor and the cookies are slightly more ‘oily’ when made with all coconut oil vs. butter.
Nicole says
Quick question: do you use natural peanut butter (stir the oil in, keep in the fridge-type) or shelf-stable, no stir-type? Thank you!
Jessica Beacom says
Hi Nicole,
I’ve used both types in this recipe (including the grind-your-own kind) and both work really well. However, if your natural peanut butter is really runny you may need to add an extra pinch of oats to compensate for that.
Nicole says
Thank you! These are cooling on my counter right now, and they look and smell heavenly. I opted for refrigerated PB and added a spoonful or two of ground flax meal to thicken the batter. I am adding these to my recipe binder – so easy!
★★★★★
Jessica Beacom says
Great to hear! Nut butters are funny – sometimes they’re crazy thick and sometimes they’re almost runny depending on the brand so that was a great fix.
Megan says
These are awesome! I made them with applesauce (1/2 cup) instead of eggs for my allergy kid and they turned out great.
★★★★★
Stacie Hassing says
That’s good to know that they can be made without eggs! Thanks for sharing.
Jill says
Your recipes look delicious! I can’t wait to try some!!
Rachel says
Hi ladies,
trying to limit my trips to the grocery store because of COVID 19. I have everything on hand except for rolled oats. Would steel cut oats work with this cookie? Any adaptations would be much appreciated. I know my boyfriend will love them!
Jessica Beacom says
Hi Rachel,
Unfortunately, steel-cut oats won’t work in this recipe. If you have almond flour on hand you could try these Paleo Almond Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies using peanut butter in place of the almond butter.
Rachel says
I ended up getting some rolled oats from a grocery delivery! These cookies are fantastic. You guys are the best- I’ve been making so many of your recipes and they’re perfect and delicious every time 🙂
Jessica Beacom says
We’re so glad you got some rolled oats and enjoyed these cookies!!