Recipe for Monster Cookies - Dessert for Two (2024)

When you can't decide what type of cookie you want, I hope that you come to me. If you want a thick, chewy bakery-style cookie with rounded edges, a slightly gooey center and so many add-ins, start here. My Monster Cookies are full of chocolate chips, peanut butter, oats, and M&M's. They're a cross between a chewy oatmeal cookie with chocolate chips, and a rich peanut butter chocolate chip cookie. Truly, the best of both worlds!

I like to think of Monster Cookies as the ultimate cookie. They're for the people who love lots of chunks in their dough. And they're for people who love a thick, chewy cookie.

If you love my chocolate chip cookies but want to work in peanut butter to make them chewier, this is a great place to start.

My recipe for monster cookies is something I hav been making for over 10 years, and everyone loves it. Since the recipe has been on this site, so many of you have said that you love it, too! You can read the comments below, but this one sums it up best:

These are my new favorite cookies! So good! And I love how the recipe makes just enough for me and a few for hubby.

-Ursula

This recipe makes just 12 cookies, because I find that one dozen cookies is the perfect serving size. Whenever I make more cookies than that, I find myself giving them all away. If you want to double the recipe, you absolutely can. Double it exactly as written, without any other changes, including baking time.

The Ingredients

• Butter. Four tablespoons of room temperature unsalted butter. To soften it faster, slice it into 6-8 pieces and leave it on the counter for at least one hour. We're using unsalted butter because we're adding salt to the dough.
• Peanut Butter. One-quarter cup of your favorite peanut butter or nut butter. I recommend using the regular nut butters, not the ones that require stirring because they separate so easily. This is the time for Jif or Skippy! If you're looking for a recipe that uses the natural style of peanut butter, try my 2 ingredient peanut butter cookies.
• Brown Sugar. You can use light or dark brown sugar, whatever you have in your pantry.
• Egg. One whole egg, both the egg yolk and egg white!
• Vanilla Extract. My cookie recipes have a higher portion of vanilla than most other recipes, and I know that's what makes them so rich and taste like they came from the bakery. Three-quarters of a teaspoon for 12 cookies.
• Flour. All-purpose regular flour, not cake flour or pastry flour. To measure it, fluff it in the bag or container. Scoop it into the cup, intentionally over the top, and then use a knife to level off the surface.
• Oats. There are only two types of oats that work for this recipe: rolled oats (also called old-fashioned oats) or quick oats.
• Baking Soda. Yes, the recipe only requires baking soda, not baking powder.
• Salt. A small amount of salt balances the sweetness in any dessert recipe.
• Chocolate Chips. You can use semisweet, dark, or even milk chocolate chips in this recipe. White chocolate chips are fine, too, but semisweet (70% dark) are traditional.
• M&M's. Just a small portion of a bag of M&M's--one quarter cup. This is a great recipe to use seasonal or specialty colored M&M's for a party.

The Instructions

Monster Cookies Recipe Tips and Tricks

• Room Temperature Ingredients - When your butter and eggs are at room temperature, the sugar melts into the mixture more easily, which creates air pockets in the dough. This light, fluffiness translates into a dense but chewy cookie with crisp edges. The technique to mixing cookie dough absolutely matters!

Monster Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe Variations

• Chocolate - Any type of chocolate chip that you like is great in this recipe.
• Candy - Besides M&M's, you can use chopped up candy bars here. You might like my Kit Kat Cookies!

Storing leftover Monster Chocolate Chip Cookies

If you have leftover dough, cover it and store it in the fridge for up to 3 days. You can scoop and bake right from the fridge, but be sure to add an extra 1-2 minutes to the bake time.

Once your monster cookies are baked, place them in an airtight container, and store them on the counter for up to 3 days.

How to freeze Monster Cookies Dough

To freeze raw cookie dough, it's best to scoop it into balls first. Place the dough balls on a cookie sheet, not touching, to freeze solid. Once they're frozen, you can move them to a plastic freezer bag for longer term storage.

To freeze already baked cookies, stack them between pieces of wax paper in a freezer bag or freezer storage container and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost at room temperature and serve.