Soft & Chewy Monster Cookies

Soft & Chewy Monster Cookies are loaded with peanut butter, oats, chocolate chips, and m&m’s. These classic cookies are thick, filling, and irresistible. They’re sure to become your new favorite cookie.

If you need a yummy treat for the weekend, these Monster Cookies are the perfect dessert to whip up. They are one of our very favorite cookies and we make them at least once a month. For more yummy chocolate peanut butter treats try my Peanut Butter Blossoms and Scotcheroos.

Monster Cookies

These cookies are so easy to make and take just 20 minutes. Also, no chilling is required and they still come out super thick.

What are Monster Cookies?

These cookies contain no monsters nor look like a monster. Monster cookies are a mash up of a few different kinds of cookies- chocolate chip, peanut butter, oatmeal, and M&M. The result is something beautiful, delicious, irresistible, and addictive.

Monster Cookie Ingredients:

• Butter– The best kind of fat to use when making cookies. It provides the best flavor and texture. I always use salted butter but unsalted works too.
• Peanut Butter– Use creamy! I recommend using a brand like JIF or Skippy.
• Brown Sugar– Adds a depth of flavor and makes the cookie chewy.
• Granulated Sugar– This helps the cookie crisp on the outside edges.
• Eggs– Binds the ingredients together so the cookie doesn’t fall apart into crumbs. It also adds moisture.
• Vanilla– Adds flavor. Use extract, not flavoring.
• Oats– Old fashioned oats work best in this recipe and help give the cookie texture.
• Flour-Needed to give structure to the cookie. All-purpose flour is used in baking because it gives the baked good a soft and tender crumb.
• Baking Soda– The leavening agent most often used for cookies because it results in a chewy texture. Baking powder would give you a cake like texture.
• Salt– This is added to almost every baked good because it helps to enhance the other flavors in the recipe.
• Cinnamon– The tiniest bit of cinnamon adds a warm flavor to these cookies.
• Chocolate Chips– I prefer semi-sweet chocolate in my cookies but feel free to use what you have or prefer.
• M&M’s– The hard coating on these candies makes these cookies even better than regular chocolate chips cookies. Use various holiday colored m&m’s to match the season!

HOW TO MAKE MONSTER COOKIES:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In the bowl of an electric stand mixer (or with an electric hand mixer), cream butter, peanut butter, and sugars together until light and creamy (2 minutes).
3. Mix in the eggs and vanilla until combined. Scrape down sides of bowl as needed.
4. Whisk the flour, soda, and cinnamon together in a small mixing bowl. Add it to the butter mixture along with the oats. Mix until combined.
5. Stir in 1/2 cup chocolate chips and 1/2 cup m&m’s by hand with a wooden spoon.
6. Use a 1/4 cup trigger scoop to portion dough onto a baking sheet leaving 3 inches between each. (I fit 8 onto a half-sheet pan.) Press remaining m&m’s into the top of each mound of dough.
7. Bake for 10 minutes. (They won’t look done but trust me, do NOT cook them any longer!)
8. Press remaining chocolate chips into the top of the cookies as soon as they come out. Let cookies cool 5 minutes on the pan and then move them to a cooling rack.

How to Soften Butter:

The best way to do this is to leave it on the counter for 20-30 minutes until it is still cool to the touch but leaves an indent when pushed with pressure. It is too soft if it makes an indentation without much pressure.

How to Soften Butter Quickly:

• Cut butter into cubes on a plate and let sit at room temperature for 10 minutes.
• Run a glass under hot water. Place it over the whole cube and let sit for 5 minutes.
• Place the cube in the microwave at 50% power and cook for 7 seconds, flip the butter over and cook another 7 seconds.

How to bring eggs to room temperature:

Set eggs on the counter for 30 minutes.

How to bring eggs to room temperature quickly:

Fill a bowl with warm water and let the eggs sit in it for 5 minutes. (Bath water temperature is perfect. If too hot you’ll accidentally start cooking the eggs.)

Why do I need to mix the dry ingredients separately?

Mixing the flour and leavening agents together before adding to the wet ingredients insures that the baking soda is evenly distributed throughout the dough.

TOOLS USED TO MAKE THESE COOKIES:

• Kitchen Aid Mixer– I’ve had mine for 10 years, use it regularly and it’s still going strong. I use it for cookies, cakes, frosting, bread, whipped cream… LOVE IT!
• Half-Sheet Pan– I LOVE these pans. I’ve had the same 4 pans since I got married (10 years ago) and they are in great condition. I use them all the time for sheet cakes, cookies, roasting vegetables, baking chicken… For these big Monster Cookies, I can fit 8 cookies on each sheet.
• Trigger Scoop– I love all three of these! The large is great for portioning this cookie dough or muffin and cupcake batter. The medium is perfect for smaller cookies and the small is great for truffles.

LOOKING FOR MORE COOKIES? CHECK OUT THESE:

• Chocolate Chip Snowball Cookies
• Sea Salt Butter Scotch Pretzel Cookies
• Rocky Road Cookies
• Bakery Style Chocolate Chip Cookies