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    Home » Recipes » Desserts

    By Kaleigh McMordie - October 26, 2016, Updated October 26, 2021

    Small Batch Monster Cookies (Naturally Gluten Free!)

    Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe
    overhead view of monster cookies on a round cooling rack with text overlay.

    Bring out your inner kid with these chewy, flourless monster cookies! This smaller batch recipe loaded with m&ms, chocolate chips, oats and peanut butter is naturally gluten-free and made with no corn syrup.

    overhead view of monster cookies with no corn syrup on a round cooling rack with a bottle of milk beside it.

    When I was a kid, my mom used to make the most glorious monster cookies. They were the size of your face and stuffed with everything a good cookie should have (peanut butter, chocolate, oats, and m&ms) and nothing it shouldn't (raisins). The recipe made about 80 of these monstrous cookies, hence the name monster cookies. Though the batch never made its full potential of cookies, because we'd always sneak some of the dough and eat it raw (salmonella be damned). This is my take on the famous monster cookie recipe - but scaled down to make not quite so many cookies, and without the Karo syrup.

    What Are Monster Cookies?

    There are as many different recipes for monster cookies as there are bakers, but the recipe I grew up with was for a mega batch of the most delightfully chewy peanut butter oatmeal cookies with chocolate chips and m&m candies. I recall the recipe using a full dozen eggs and an obscene amount of peanut butter. The cookies were huge and delicious.

    Why You'll Love This Version

    My recipe for monster cookies is just as delicious as the one I remember as a kid, but it's scaled back to a reasonable size, still offering plenty of big cookies, but not an overwhelming amount. It only uses two eggs and one cup of peanut butter, so hopefully a grocery run won't be necessary. This recipe also uses no corn syrup, like the original recipe calls for, just in case you don't keep any around. Made with just oats and no flour of any kind, they are naturally gluten-free!

    monster cookie broken in half and stacked on a cooling rack with other monster cookies.

    The Ingredients

    • Butter - Salted or unsalted, it doesn't really matter. Make sure it's softened to room temperature.
    • Brown Sugar and Granulated Sugar
    • Creamy Peanut Butter - I use the natural, drippy kind that's made with just peanuts and salt. It has the best flavor.
    • Eggs
    • Vanilla - I always use a heavy hand with vanilla.
    • Baking Soda
    • Rolled Oats (also called old fashioned oats)
    • Chocolate Chips Semisweet or dark both work well
    • M&Ms - The plain kind. Or mix it up with peanut if you'd like!

    How To Make Them

    8 image collage showing steps for making monster cookies in a glass stand mixer bowl.
    1. Cream together the softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar.
    2. Add the peanut butter, eggs, vanilla and baking soda and mix until fluffy.
    3. Stir in the oats, chocolate chips and m&ms until mixed in evenly.
    4. Use a large cookie scoop (3 tablespoons) onto a baking sheet lined with parchment or a silicone baking mat.
    5. Bake for 10 minutes at 350°F, or until golden on top and not-quite-set.
    6. Remove from the oven and let cool for 5-10 minutes before moving cookies to a cooling rack or eating.

    Pro Tips For The Best Monster Cookies

    • Room temperature eggs and butter ensure even mixing fo the dough. If you don't have time to wait around, pop the butter in the microwave for 5-10 seconds at half power, and place the eggs in a bowl of warm water for about 5 minutes.
    • The cookies don't spread a whole lot in the oven, so you may need to press them down gently before baking. OR you can do a fun little trick where you bang the pan (literally pickup the pan and bang it down) halfway through baking to make them a little flatter.
    • Don't over-bake the cookies. They'll turn out hard. Take them out before they appear done, with just lightly golden tops and still looking just a little jiggly. They will set up as they cool and stay chewy for days!
    • If you're making them for Halloween, you can add little eyeball sprinkles to the top of each cookie to make them festive!
    • The dough can be refrigerated in an airtight container for a few days. If you're baking from the fridge, gently flatten each ball of dough before baking and add about 2 minutes to the bake time.
    overhead view of monster cookie broken in half with melted chocolate strings holding it together.

    More Delicious Oatmeal Cookies

    • Fall Harvest Oatmeal Cookies (With Easy Gluten Free Option!)
    • Best Ever Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
    • The BEST Gluten Free Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
    • Carrot Apple Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies
    • Healthy Zucchini Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies

    Did you make this recipe? Please leave a star rating in the comments!

    Print

    Monster Cookies

    overhead view of monster cookies on a round cooling rack lined with parchment.
    Print Recipe

    ★★★★★

    5 from 1 reviews

    Bring out your inner kid with these chewy, flourless monster cookies! This smaller batch recipe loaded with m&ms, chocolate chips, oats and peanut butter is naturally gluten-free and made with no corn syrup.

    • Author: Kaleigh McMordie
    • Prep Time: 10 minutes
    • Cook Time: 10 minutes
    • Total Time: 20 minutes
    • Yield: about 18 4" cookies 1x
    • Category: dessert
    • Method: baked
    • Cuisine: American

    Ingredients

    Scale
    • 5 tbsp butter, room temperature
    • ¾ cup brown sugar
    • ⅔ cup granulated sugar
    • 2 large eggs
    • ½ tsp vanilla
    • 1 cup smooth natural peanut butter
    • 1 ½ tsp baking soda
    • 3 cups rolled oats
    • ½ cup plain m&ms
    • ½ cup dark or semisweet chocolate chips

    Instructions

    1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment or a silicone baking mat.
    2. In the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large bowl with a hand mixer), cream together butter and sugars until smooth.
    3. Add eggs, vanilla, peanut butter, and baking soda and mix on medium speed until smooth.
    4. Stir in oats, m&ms and chocolate chips until well combined.
    5. Scoop mixture using a large scoop (I used a 3 tablespoon scoop) onto prepared baking sheet. Gently press the dough down to flatten each cookie slightly.
    6. Bake cookies for 10-11 minutes (or 8-10 minutes for smaller cookies).  If the cookies haven't spread at all, you can pick up the pan and firmly bang it down halfway through cooking and resume baking. Once lightly golden on top, remove the cookies from the oven.
    7. Allow cookies to cool 5-10 minutes to set up before removing.

    Notes

    • Room temperature eggs and butter ensure even mixing fo the dough. If you don't have time to wait around, pop the butter in the microwave for 5-10 seconds at half power, and place the eggs in a bowl of warm water for about 5 minutes.
    • The cookies don't spread a whole lot in the oven, so you may need to press them down gently before baking. OR you can do a fun little trick where you bang the pan (literally pickup the pan and bang it down) halfway through baking to make them a little flatter.
    • Don't over-bake the cookies. They'll turn out hard. Take them out before they appear done, with just lightly golden tops and still looking just a little jiggly. They will set up as they cool and stay chewy for days!
    • If you're making them for Halloween, you can add little eyeball sprinkles to the top of each cookie to make them festive!
    • The dough can be refrigerated in an airtight container for a few days. If you're baking from the fridge, gently flatten each ball of dough before baking and add about 2 minutes to the bake time.

    Keywords: monster cookies without corn syrup, small batch monster cookies, gluten-free monster cookies, peanut butter oatmeal cookies with m&ms

    Did you make this recipe?

    Tag @livelytable on Instagram and hashtag it #livelytable

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    This post may contain affiliate links, which means I earn a small commission off of your purchase with no extra cost to you. Please read my affiliate disclosure for more information.

    About Kaleigh McMordie

    Kaleigh McMordie, MCN, RDN, LD, is a Registered Dietitian and Licensed Dietitian in Abilene, Texas, as well as a member of the Baby Led Weaning Dietitians Network. Kaleigh can be found at kaleighmcmordie.com.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Nicole says

      November 13, 2021 at 7:49 pm

      These are absolutely awesome! Thanks from a satisfied stomach!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Kaleigh says

        November 14, 2021 at 9:11 am

        So glad you loved them!

        Reply
    2. Lauren says

      October 26, 2016 at 8:56 am

      These look like perfect monster cookies! Pinning now!

      Reply

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