Monster Cookies are a favorite around our house, and quite possibly my favorite cookie of all time. They’re the perfect cookie to serve after school with a tall glass of milk, or when you’re in charge of soccer team snacks. We call them “Monster Cookies” for three reasons: 1) This recipe makes a MONSTROUS amount of cookies.2) The cookies themselves are HUGE.3) They are a monster mash-up of EVERYTHING! Oats, peanut butter, M&M’s and, of course, chocolate chips. And with a chewy texture, lots of candies, and oatmeal, even your pickiest monsters will gobble these up!In addition, people are going to start calling you the Cookie Monster because you will NOT be able to stop snacking on these!
Ingredients in Monster Cookies
These giant cookies really do have everything but the kitchen sink, all mashed into one giant cookie recipe. Here’s what you need:
Butter – use two sticks of butter equaling one cup. Eggs – six whole eggs.Sugar – two cups, regular white sugar.Brown sugar – you’ll need about two and a quarter cups of brown sugar for this monster cookies recipe.Peanut butter – you can use all natural peanut butter, crunchy or creamy peanut butter, any kind of nut butter you have on hand.Vanilla extract – again, note the quantity. This recipe calls for a half tablespoon instead of the usual teaspoon. Karo syrup – just a half tablespoon of light Karo syrup gives the cookies a nice sweetness and helps the dough hold its shape.Baking soda – 4 teaspoons to help those cookies rise. Oats – you can use old-fashioned oats or Quaker quick oats for this recipe. Oatmeal cookies generally use old fashioned oats, but for this recipe you can use either.Chocolate chips – I usually use regular semi-sweet chocolate chips, but you could throw in mini-chocolate chips too.M&Ms -Regular, milk chocolate M&M candies are perfect here!Flour – notice this only calls for one and a half cups, which doesn’t seem like a lot in relation to the other ingredient quantities. But with the amount of oatmeal, you don’t need as much flour.
Additions/Substitutions to Monster Cookies
There are no wrong answers when it comes to adding or switching out ingredients in these monster cookies. Here are some ideas to add:
White chocolate chipsButterscotch chipsNuts – chopped pecans, peanuts, walnuts, etc.Crushed pretzelsSprinkle kosher salt on top of each cookie dough ball before baking.
Where Did Monster Cookies Come From?
According to houseofnasheats.com, Monster cookies were invented by Mr. Dick Wesley, a University of Michigan photographer, in 1971. As the father of six children, he tried to find creative ways to use up food they had on hand. His original recipe included chocolate coated candies as well as leftover jam that wasn’t being eaten fast enough. For me, they originated in Las Vegas. I took voice lessons in high school and every Christmas my teacher would bake these cookies and hand them out to her students. It was truly the most wonderful time of the year! This recipe is everything you need for holiday baking — its easy, it makes a TON for all your friends and neighbors, and the cookies are SO GOOD!
A Few Baking Tips
Make sure to scrape the sides of the bowl after mixing. Such a big batch of dough can be difficult to handle, so use a scraper to incorporate all of the ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer.Use a large cookie scoop or ¼ measuring cup to measure out each cookie so they bake evenly.Space the cookie dough balls out really well on the baking sheet so they don’t run into each other while they bake. Typically, 6-8 cookie dough balls for a standard baking sheet. Make sure you don’t over-bake these cookies; they’re best when they are soft! Check them at twelve minutes; you only want golden brown edges and they will continue baking while they cool on the sheet.If you’re looking for a smaller batch, simply cut the recipe in half and the recipe will still turn out great!Use some extra M&M’s to push on top of the scooped cookies before baking. This will make them more colorful and who doesn’t love a little extra chocolate.
Frequently Asked Questions about Monster Cookies
Read More:The Best Homemade Christmas Cookies
More Holiday Cookies to Make with Your Family
If you’re anything like us, the holidays mean lots and lots of baking! We love to make all kinds of treats for our family and friends to enjoy! We hope these other holiday cookie recipes will fill your kitchen not only with amazing aromas, but with memorable moments as well!
Chocolate Orange CookiesDipped Ritz CookiesAndes Mint CookiesElf CookiesMolasses CookiesThe Best Christmas Sugar Cookies Ever – and How to Decorate Them3-Ingredient Pumpkin Chocolate Chip CookiesGingerbread Man Cookies
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