Have you ever heard of a monster cookie? They are soft and chewy cookies made with oats, peanut butter, chocolate, and M&M’s. Many of the monster cookie recipes I have come across don’t call for flour, but I have tried them both ways, and I think that adding flour gives them a softer texture and thicker appearance.
The recipe that I am sharing below, is the best monster cookie recipe I have ever tasted. The cookies are soft, chewy, and chocolatey. With each bite, you get a bit of dark chocolate, tiny, crunchy M&M’s, and peanut butter. To me, they feel a bit more filling than your average cookie from the peanut butter and oats, which is why I like that they are on the smaller size - 3 - 4 bites per cookie. If you prefer a larger cookie, you could always double up and make them larger, 3 tbsp of dough per cookie versus 1 1/2 tbsp.
Every time I make a batch of these cookies, I have to hide half of the cookies in the freezer to stop myself from eating them all in one sitting. They are everything I want in a cookie plus more. I’m not kidding, they are probably one of the best cookies I have had in a while, and I love cookies, so this is saying a lot.
MONSTER COOKIES
MAKES: 37 COOKIES | DIFFICULTY: EASY | PREP TIME: 10 MIN | BAKING TIME: 20 MIN
INGREDIENTS
• 3/4 cups (150 g) of brown sugar
• 1/4 cup (50 g) of granulated sugar
• 8 oz of smooth peanut butter, preferably Jiffy or Skippy (do not use all-natural)
• 1/2 cup (120 g) of unsalted butter, room temperature
• 3 large eggs
• 1 tsp (7 g) of vanilla
• 2 1/2 cups (240 g) of Quick Oats
• 1/2 cup (70 g) of all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp of baking soda
• 1/2 cup (115 g) of M&M’s + additional for topping
• 3 oz (85 g) of semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
2. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or Silpat baking mats.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the brown sugar, granulated sugar, peanut butter, and butter on medium speed until smooth.
4. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix until combined.
5. Add the oats, flour, and baking soda and mix until combined.
6. Add the M&M's and chopped chocolate and combine.
7. Using a 1 1/2 tbsp cookie scoop, measure each cookie and roll it into a ball. Place them onto the baking sheet spaced two inches apart. Take a few M&M's and press them into the top of each cookie.
8. Place the baking sheets into the oven and bake for 10 minutes. When you remove the cookies from the oven you still want them to be fairly soft. They will firm up once cooled.
9. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack and let cool.
10. The cookies can be stored in a container with a tight-fitting lid for a week or in the freezer for 3 months. Tip - store the cookies in the freezer and then remove one when you want to enjoy it. Just let it thaw on the counter for 10 minutes.
