Monster Cookies

5 from 6 votes
18 Comments

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These Monster Cookies are GIANT, and loaded with oats, peanut butter, M&M’s, and chocolate chips. A hearty cookie with big flavor in every bite!

Hand holding a single Monster Cookie.
Featured with this recipe
  1. Meet the Giant, Chewy Cookies Everyone Loves
  2. Monster Cookie Ingredients
  3. How to Make Monster Cookies
  4. A Bit of Monster Cookie History
  5. Tips for the Perfect Cookie
  6. Questions about Monster Cookies
  7. Storing Your Monster Cookies
  8. More Cookies Recipes to Love
  9. Monster Cookies Recipe

Meet the Giant, Chewy Cookies Everyone Loves

I’m so excited to tell you about the most amazing cookies ever: Monster Cookies. These cookies are GIANT, chewy, and packed with everything you love — oats, peanut butter, M&Ms, and chocolate chips. They’re hearty, flavorful, and just plain irresistible! Whether you’re baking for your family, a party, or just to treat yourself, these cookies will be the star of the show.

Monster Cookies have a special place in my heart. They’ve become a go-to in my kitchen for after-school snacks, team parties, or just because I can’t resist a good cookie. I call them “Monster Cookies” for three fun reasons:

  1. This recipe makes a MONSTROUS batch of cookies. Seriously, be ready to share!
  2. The cookies themselves are HUGE, just like a monster.
  3. They’re a mash-up of all the best ingredients — oats, peanut butter, chocolate chips, and M&Ms — creating a “monster” combination of flavors.

Oh, and fair warning: these cookies are so good, your friends might start calling you the Cookie Monster!

Cooling rack and table with baked Monster Cookies and Monster Cookies on the side.


These cookies are loaded with goodies, making every bite an explosion of flavor. Here’s what you’ll need:

  • Butter: 2 sticks (1 cup). Let it soften for easy mixing.
  • Eggs: 6 large eggs to bind everything together.
  • Sugar: 2 cups of white sugar for sweetness.
  • Brown Sugar: 2¼ cups for that rich, molasses-like flavor.
  • Peanut Butter: 2 cups of creamy or crunchy — your choice. Even natural peanut butter works great.
  • Vanilla Extract: 1½ tablespoons for extra flavor.
  • Karo Syrup: Just ½ tablespoon of light syrup for structure and sweetness.
  • Baking Soda: 4 teaspoons to help these monsters rise.
  • Oats: 9 cups! Use old-fashioned or quick oats — both work beautifully.
  • Flour: Only 1½ cups. The oats do most of the heavy lifting here.
  • Chocolate Chips: 1 cup (or more if you love extra chocolate).
  • M&Ms: 1 cup of colorful milk chocolate M&Ms.
Bowl of Monster Cookie dough with unmixed chocolate chips and M&Ms on top.

Customizing Your Monster Cookies

Feel like switching things up? Go for it! Here are some ideas to make your Monster Cookies uniquely yours:

  • Add white chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, or Reese’s Pieces.
  • Mix in crushed pretzels or chopped nuts for a salty crunch.
  • Sprinkle flaky sea salt on top for a sweet-and-salty twist.
  • Make them festive with red and green M&Ms or holiday sprinkles.

How to Make Monster Cookies

  1. Prep Your Dough: Cream together butter, sugars, peanut butter, and vanilla. Add the eggs and mix until smooth. Gradually add dry ingredients, followed by the chocolate chips and M&Ms.
  2. Scoop Generously: Use a large cookie scoop or ¼ cup to measure out the dough. These cookies are meant to be big! And the measured scoop will help them look even.
  3. Bake with Space: Place the cookie dough balls on a baking sheet, leaving plenty of room for spreading. Bake at 350°F for 12-14 minutes, just until the edges are golden brown. (Pro tip: Don’t overbake! They’ll continue to cook as they cool.)
  4. Cool and Enjoy: Let the cookies rest on the sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack. Then, dig in!

Did you know Monster Cookies date back to the 1970s? According to legend, they were created by Dick Wesley, a University of Michigan photographer and father of six, who combined pantry staples into one epic cookie. For me, they bring back memories of holiday baking with my high school voice teacher in Las Vegas — she’d gift these cookies to her students every Christmas, and they were the highlight of the season.

Lots of Monster Cookies on a table and plate.
  • Use a Stand Mixer: This dough is thick, so a stand mixer can make your life easier. 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.
  • Chill the Dough: If the dough feels sticky, refrigerate it for 30 minutes before baking.
  • Extra M&Ms: Press a few extra candies on top of each dough ball before baking for picture-perfect cookies.
  • Half the Dough: If you’re looking for a smaller batch, simply cut the recipe in half and the recipe will still turn out great! Here is the measurements for a half batch:
    • ½ cup butter
    • 3 eggs
    • 1 cup sugar
    • 1 ⅛ cups brown sugar
    • 1 ¼ cups peanut butter
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla
    • 1 teaspoon light Karo syrup
    • 2 teaspoons baking soda
    • 3 ¾ cups Quaker quick oats
    • ¾ cup chocolate chips
    • ¾ cup M&M’s
    • ¾ cup flour
  • Freeze for Later: You can also make the full amount and save half for later. The dough can be refrigerated or frozen and made later. Make a big batch, then freeze some dough balls for fresh cookies anytime. See our tips for how to freeze cookie dough.

Questions about Monster Cookies

What are monster cookies made of?

Monster cookies are a mash-up of the ingredients found in chocolate chip cookies, peanut butter cookies, oatmeal cookies, and M&M cookies.

Why are my cookies going flat?

Use parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Your oven also might be too hot, causing the butter to melt too quickly. Try lowering the temperature slightly.

Why are my Monster Cookies falling apart?

Let the cookies sit on the cookie sheet after baking for at least five minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack. Moving them too early will cause them to fall apart.

Can I make these gluten-free?

Yes! Just sub the flour for a gluten free cup for cup flour blend. I like the Namaste brand at Costco.

Storing Your Monster Cookies

To keep your Monster Cookies fresh and delicious, here’s how to store them:

  • Room Temperature: Store baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week. Add a slice of bread to the container to keep them soft.
  • Freezing Cookies: Cool the cookies completely, then layer them in a freezer-safe container with parchment paper between layers. They’ll stay fresh for up to 3 months.
  • Freezing Dough: If you want to bake fresh cookies later, freeze the dough balls on a baking sheet until firm, then transfer them to a freezer-safe bag. Thaw them slightly before baking.

With these tips, you’ll always have a stash of chewy cookies ready to go!

Stack of five Monster Cookies with a plate of cookies and glass of milk in the background.

More Cookies Recipes to Love

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!

Plate of five Monster Cookies with cookies covering the table around the plate.

Monster Cookies

5 from 6 votes
These Monster Cookies are GIANT, and loaded with oats, peanut butter, M&M’s, and chocolate chips. A hearty cookie with big flavor in every bite!
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Total Time 27 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American, Dutch
Servings 40

Ingredients

  • 1 cup butter
  • 6 eggs
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 2 1/4 cups brown sugar
  • 2 1/2 cups peanut butter
  • 1/2 tablespoon vanilla
  • 1/2 tablespoon light Karo syrup
  • 4 teaspoons baking soda
  • 7 1/2 cups Quaker quick oats
  • 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
  • 1 1/2 cups M&M's
  • 1 1/2 cups flour

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350. In a large bowl, cream the butter, eggs, sugar, and brown sugar.
    Wet ingredients combined in a large bowl for Monster Cookie Dough. Wooden spoon and M&Ms on the side.
  • Add peanut butter, vanilla, Karo syrup, baking soda, and oats. Mix until combined.
    Bowl of Monster Cookie dough mixture with oats and wet ingredients combined. Wooden spoon and M&Ms on the side.
  • Add chocolate chips and M&M's. Mix until combined.
    Bowl of Monster Cookie dough with unmixed chocolate chips and M&Ms on top.
  • Add flour. Mix until combined.
    Bowl of Monster Cookie dough with a wooden spoon and M&Ms on the side.
  • Scoop onto a greased cookie sheet using a ¼ cup cookie scoop.
    Cookie Sheet with Monster Cookie dough balls and a measuring spoon.
  • Bake for 12-14 minutes. Allow to cool 5 minutes. Use a spatula to move cookies to a cooling rack to finish cooling.
    Cooling rack and table with baked Monster Cookies and Monster Cookies on the side.

Notes

  • Make sure to scrape the sides of the bowl after mixing. Such a big batch of dough can be difficult to handle, so make sure you’re incorporating all of the ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer.
  • Use a large cookie scoop 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.
  • Make sure you don’t over-bake these cookies; they’re best when they are soft! 
  • If you’re looking for a smaller batch, simply cut the recipe in half (or even fourth) and the recipe will still turn out great!

Nutrition Information

Calories: 379kcalCarbohydrates: 50gProtein: 8gFat: 18gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 39mgSodium: 239mgPotassium: 177mgFiber: 3gSugar: 33gVitamin A: 210IUVitamin C: 0.1mgCalcium: 48mgIron: 2mg

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Happy baking, and don’t forget to share your Monster Cookie creations with me. I’d love to see how they turn out! Cheers to big, bold, and beautiful cookies!



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About the author

Echo Blickenstaff

Echo lives in Spanish Fork, Utah with her husband, Todd, who works in advertising. She has four kids: two girls and two boys. She deploys her accounting degree as the blog’s resident problem solver. In her time outside the kitchen, Echo loves to get away from the phones and busy schedules and spend quality time with the family. Anywhere’s great – but getting out into nature in the mountains or on the beach – is the best kind of getaway.

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Comments

  1. 5 stars
    These were delicious though they were a challenge to make with the kids around because they kept stealing all of the m&m’s! Sneaky kiddos!

  2. 5 stars
    Whipped up a batch of these to satisfy my sweet tooth and they did not disappoint! Easily, my new favorite treat; yum!

  3. Will these hold up if baked & frozen ahead of time to be wrapped up later to put in Xmas stockings? I do most of my baking right after Thanksgiving and freeze for a month with perfect results for gift giving.
    Thanks,
    Mary

    1. They should freeze as well as any other cookie. What a great idea to get all that Christmas baking done ahead of time. You are on top of it!

    1. I’m sorry this is being answered so late! If you’ve already made the cookies you know this recipe makes a ton of cookies! It really depends on the size of cookie. If you make the cookies extra large as in the recipe (1/4 cup dough per cookie), it will make about 14 dozen cookies.

  4. Are the measurements correct for the oats? 42 oz is closer to 5 cups not 15. I just want to make sure before I go buy everything.

  5. 5 stars
    Hi,
    I LOVE your recipe.
    Could you give me the recipe for a smaler batch please ? Maybe with 2 or 3 egs, the easier one.
    I am froh germany and to Baker with lbs and cups,…….
    That would be really Kind.

    King regards

    Michaela

    1. We are currently re-doing our recipes so you can easily adjust and change amounts and measurements. Keep checking back and we will have that all fixed up for you soon!

  6. By chance have you ever made these with Stevia or another sugar substitute? Thank you for all the wonderful recipes you share

    1. You are welcome, Carrie. I haven’t tried these cookies with a sugar substitute. Because this recipe makes a huge batch of cookies, I would quarter the recipe when trying a substitute for the sugar. It would be a lot of waste if it didn’t turn out. I have tried Swerve in some of my baking as a sugar substitute and I’ve liked it.

    2. Keep in mind that Stevia doesn’t replace sugar in equal amounts or ratios. I think Splenda can be substituted in equal amounts. It would be nice if the company that makes Stevia would publish some recipes in their ads.

  7. It would be super helpful if the ingredients were ALL listed in cups instead of some being referred to as lbs or oz. i have big cans of brown sugar, oats and peanut butter so I’m not sure how to figure the weight.

    1. Hi Rebecca, I’ve included the cup measurements in the recipe. The pounds and ounces are also listed because you can buy peanut butter, oats, and brown sugar in those sizes of containers. I hope this helps!