Chewy Monster Cookie Recipe
This monster cookie recipe is your ticket to soft, chewy, peanut butter-packed cookies loaded with chocolate chips, M&M’s, and oats! If you’re craving a fun, colorful cookie that’s bursting with flavor, these monster cookies are about to become your new favorite. What makes them special? They achieve that perfect chewiness without corn syrup, relying instead on pantry staples and a crucial chilling step. Refrigerating the dough for at least 1 hour (12 hours is ideal!) lets the flour and oats absorb the wet ingredients, resulting in thicker, chewier cookies with incredible flavor. Let’s bake up a batch of these irresistible treats together!
Why You’ll Love These Monster Cookies
- Soft and Chewy: Perfectly chewy centers with slightly crisp edges, no sticky corn syrup required.
- Fun and Loaded: Chocolate chips, M&M’s, and optional peanuts make every bite exciting.
- Make-Ahead Magic: Chilling the dough enhances texture and makes baking prep a breeze.
- Beginner-Friendly: Clear steps and precise measurements ensure success for all bakers.
Success Tips for Monster Cookies
- Why Chill the Dough? Refrigerating for 12 hours is ideal because it allows the flour and oats to fully absorb the wet ingredients, preventing spreading and enhancing chewiness. If you’re short on time, 1 hour works, but longer is better!
- Quick Oats vs. Old-Fashioned: Quick-cooking oats (240 g) give a softer, more cohesive texture. Old-fashioned oats (~270 g for 3 cups) work but make cookies slightly heartier.
- Don’t Overbake: Pull cookies when the centers look soft to lock in that chewy bite. Overbaking leads to crunchier cookies.
- Mix-In Fun: Swap regular M&M’s for some peanut M&M’s, white chocolate, dark, or peanut butter chips to customize your cookies. Keep total mix-ins around 2 1/2 cups to maintain dough balance.
Storage & Freezing
- Room Temperature: Store cookies in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Pop a slice of bread in the container to keep them soft and chewy.
- Freezing: Scoop dough into balls and freeze on a tray, then transfer to a ziplock bag for up to 3 months. Bake from frozen, adding 1-2 minutes to the bake time. Baked cookies also freeze well for up to 3 months; thaw at room temperature.
Why No Corn Syrup?
Unlike some recipes, this monster cookie recipe relies on the natural moisture of peanut butter and brown sugar for their chewy texture. The chilling step enhances this, making corn syrup unnecessary. It’s a simpler, more wholesome approach that delivers big on flavor!
Final Thoughts on this Monster Cookie Recipe
These chewy monster cookies are a must-try for anyone who loves a loaded, peanut buttery treat. The chilling step and precise measurements make this recipe foolproof, whether you’re a baking newbie or a seasoned pro. I can’t wait for you to try them—your kitchen will smell amazing, and your cookie jar won’t stay full for long!
Baked these monster cookies? Share your favorite mix-ins in the comments below. Chocolate chip cookies are my ultimate favorite cookies! I have my best recipes posted such as my sourdough discard chocolate chip cookies, chocolate chunk cookies, or oatmeal chocolate chip cookies – check them out for more sweet inspiration!
Chewy Monster Cookie Recipe
Print Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup salted butter, softened to room temperature 226g
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter (regular or natural) 240g
- 1 cup light brown sugar, packed 200g
- ½ cup granulated sugar 100g
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled 180g
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 3 cups quick-cooking oats 240g
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips 170g
- 1 cup M&M’s candies 180g
- ½ cup chopped peanuts (optional, for extra crunch) 60g
Instructions
- Cream Wet Ingredients: In a large bowl, use a hand mixer or stand mixer with paddle attachment to cream butter, peanut butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Beat in eggs one at a time, then add vanilla extract.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, salt, and oats. Add to wet ingredients on low speed, mixing until just combined.
- Add Mix-Ins: Stir in chocolate chips, M&M’s, and peanuts (if using) with a wooden spoon or spatula until evenly distributed.
- Chill Dough: Cover dough and refrigerate for 1 hour (or ideally 12 hours) to enhance chewiness and flavor. Alternatively, scoop balls with a cookie scoop and chill balls on a tray.
- Preheat Oven: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
- Shape Cookies: Place chilled dough balls on baking sheets, 2 inches apart. Gently flatten each ball with your palm.
- Bake: Bake for 12-14 minutes, until edges are lightly golden but centers look slightly underdone. Rotate trays halfway if baking multiple sheets. See Notes section for baking time for different scoop sizes
- Cool: Cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Chilling is Key: Refrigerate dough for at least 1 hour (12 hours ideal) to prevent spreading and ensure chewy texture.
- Oats: Quick-cooking oats (240g) yield a softer cookie; old-fashioned oats (270g for 3 cups) make them heartier.
- Scoop Size:
- #40 cookie scoop (1.5 tbsp) for 30-36 small cookies. Bake 9-11 min;
- #30 cookie scoop (2 tbsp) for 24 large cookies. Bake 10-12 min;
- #20 cookie scoop (3 tbsp) for 18-20 larger cookies. Bake 12-14 min.
- Storage: Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days; add a bread slice to keep soft. Freeze dough balls or baked cookies for up to 3 months. Bake frozen dough balls with 1-2 extra minutes.
- Customizations: Swap regular M&M’s peanut M&M’s, dark, or peanut butter chips, butterscotch chips. Just keep total mix-ins at ~2.5 cups.
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