These monster cookies are filled with peanut butter, oats, chocolate chips, and M&Ms. These monster cookies are easy to make and produce a soft and thick cookie. And there's no dough chilling!
Welcome to day 2 of the Cookie Extravaganza!
I started my 1st annual cookie countdown yesterday with Cranberry Almond White Chocolate Chip Cookies. Today I'm sharing a BIG festive cookie.
Let's make Soft & Thick Monster Cookies!
If there's a serious lack of peanut butter in your life, you should make these. There's always a time and a place for peanut butter cookies, especially during the holiday season.
Why You'll Love These Monster Cookies
- Not only quick, but also easy to make
- This dough requires zero chilling
- Extra thick
- Studded with M&Ms and chocolate chips
- A strong peanut butter flavor
Ingredients For Monster Cookies
- Flour: Just like most cookies, the flour is the base of the cookies.
- Oats: The oats provide a chewier texture to the cookie. We're using quick oats which are thinner and more powdery. See the recipe notes if you don't have quick oats.
- Cinnamon: Can you even have any type of oatmeal cookie without cinnamon? Didn't think so!
- Peanut Butter: Would these be monster cookies without peanut butter? NOPE.
- Butter: Make sure that you are using room temperature butter. Using too warm of butter will cause the cookies to spread too much while they bake.
- Salt & Vanilla Extract: Both provide flavor.
- Brown Sugar: I like to use more brown sugar than white sugar because brown sugar has more flavor from the molasses and more moisture than granulated sugar. This ensures a softer cookie.
- Granulated Sugar: Helps add to the sweetness.
- Eggs: We're using 1 egg and 1 egg yolk. Both help bind the cookie ingredients together while keeping them chewy.
- M&Ms & Chocolate Chips: These are basic add-ins for monster cookies. To keep things festive I used holiday M&Ms, but feel free to use any combination or add-ins. Keep the add-ins to 1.5 cups or less.
How To Make Monster Cookies
Let me show you how easy it is to make these cookies.
- Cream the Butter & Sugars: Using a hand-held or stand mixer with the paddle attachment, you'll cream the butter and sugars together on medium speed until light and fluffy- about 2-3 minutes.
- Add the Peanut Butter, Egg & Vanilla Extract: Continuing on medium speed, you'll add in the peanut butter, egg and vanilla extract until well combined. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
- Add the Baking Soda & Flour: With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the baking soda and flour until just combined.
- Add the Quick Oats, M&Ms & Chocolate Chips: Still on low speed, add in the quick oats, M&Ms and chocolate chips until just incorporated.
- Roll Into Balls: Carefully roll balls of dough, about 2 Tablespoons of dough per ball, without compacting the dough. Place on the baking sheet and top with a few additional M&Ms and chocolate chips, if desired.
- Bake: Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the edges are slightly browned. The cookies will still look slightly soft- this is how they should look.
- Press Down & Cool: Slightly press down on the baked cookies with the back of a spoon since the cookies only spread a little bit while cooking. Allow the cookies to cool for 10 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack.
No Chilling Required!
Like I mentioned earlier, this is a quick cookie recipe. This cookie dough doesn't require any chilling. The dough is thick enough to bake right away which means that this is a cookie recipe that's done in 30 minutes!
I'm 100% sure that these cookies will be gone before you sit the plate out.
Cookie Extravaganza
This recipe is part of Cookie Extravaganza. The first of an annual tradition where I share 5 new cookie recipes just in time for the holidays.
Soft & Thick Monster Cookies
Description
These monster cookies are filled with peanut butter, oats, chocolate chips, and M&Ms. These monster cookies are easy to make and produce a soft and thick cookie. And there's no dough chilling!
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter, 1 stick, softened to room temperature
- ¼ cup light or dark brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ cup quick oats
- ¾ cup M&Ms
- ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- In a large bowl, using a hand-held mixer or stand mixer with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugars together on medium speed- about 2-3 minutes.
- Continuing on medium speed, you'll add in the peanut butter, egg and vanilla extract until well combined. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
- With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the baking soda and flour until just combined. Still on low speed, add in the quick oats, M&Ms and chocolate chips until just incorporated.
- Carefully roll balls of dough, about 2 Tablespoons of dough per ball, without compacting the dough. Place on the baking sheet and top with a few additional M&Ms and chocolate chips, if desired. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the edges are slightly browned. The cookies will still look slightly soft- this is how they should look.
- Slightly press down on the baked cookies with the back of a spoon since the cookies only spread a little bit while cooking. Allow the cookies to cool for 10 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack. The cookies stay fresh at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: Baked and completely cooled cookies freeze well for up to 3 months. The cookie dough balls freeze well for up to 3 months. Bake the frozen cookie dough balls for an extra minute, no need to thaw.
- Peanut Butter: I do not recommend natural style peanut butter for this recipe. You want something processed such as Jif or Skippy.
- M&Ms: Any type of M&Ms work in this recipe.
- Quick Oats: If you don't have quick oats, pulse whole oats in the food processor or blender a few times to break them down.
Nutrition
Calories: 223kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 27mg | Sodium: 90mg | Potassium: 106mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 156IU | Vitamin C: 0.04mg | Calcium: 22mg | Iron: 1mg
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Kristin says
Wow! These are so yummy! The oats give a hearty even healthy taste to them, and the peanut butter is the perfect amount not overpowering adding a nice underlying flavor & moisture. There’s also something magical that happens when m&ms are baked. The shell remains crispy but they become creamier inside.
Definitely try these out! I even made them with whole wheat flour and they were excellent. Also, I do recommend sticking with the shorter baking time. I was nervous and did the extra time but think they would have been a tad better with a shorter bake. The peanut butter will keep these cookies moist so you may think they’re under cooked when really they’re just right.
Happy baking! Can’t wait to try more recipes!
Christina says
I'm so glad that you loved these Kristin!