Halloween is almost here and I’m so excited. I moved into my new house last February, so I finally have a porch to decorate. Plus, judging by the number of neighborhood kids running around, I think there’s a good chance I’ll actually have trick-or-treaters this year! And even though my first jack-o-lantern in decades ended up becoming squirrel food (if you’ve seen my Instagram stories, you’ve seen the results 🎃 🐿️), I’m not daunted. I picked up some more decorations and Halloween candy, and came up with this delishhh Soft and Chewy Monster Cookies recipe to drown my sorrows in.
Soft, Chewy, Peanut Buttery…a Classic Monster Cookie
I’m going to keep this short and sweet because really, what is there to say about Monster Cookies? I know they’re great, you know they’re great…why belabor the conversation? But I guess I do need to say something about this particular Monster Cookies recipe, or it’ll get lost in the Googlesphere. So here goes…
These beauties have peanut butter, oats, chocolate chips, and M&Ms, like any good Monster Cookies recipe does. To that I added a little molasses and malt powder to deepen the flavor and ramp up the chewiness. I also added some roasted peanuts for extra crunch. But other than that, these are a classic Monster Cookie recipe.
Quick To Make (No Chilling!)
I wanted this to be a quick recipe to whip up for your spooky season gatherings or to feed your little goblins after school. So even though I love adding browned butter to cookies, I skipped that step this time around. For this recipe, you just:
- Cream the butter and sugars
- Add the eggs, vanilla, and molasses
- Add the dry ingredients
- Fold in the chocolate chips, M&Ms, and peanuts
- Bake!
…and you’ll be ready to smash cookies into your face just like Cookie Monster. No chilling, no extra steps — easy peasy!
Ok y’all, that’s all I have to say about these Soft and Chewy Monster Cookies. Grab a bag of M&Ms, preheat that oven, and bake some cookies!
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Soft and Chewy Monster Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 c all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 c Old-fashioned oats
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 T malt powder, optional
- 1/2 c butter, softened
- 1/2 c creamy peanut butter
- 1 c brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 c granulated sugar
- 2 tsp molasses
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tsp milk or nondairy milk
- 2 large eggs
- 3/4 c plain M&Ms candies
- 3/4 c semisweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 c roasted salted peanuts
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- In a mixing bowl, combine flour, oats, salt, baking soda, and malt powder (if using). Mix well.2 c all-purpose flour, 1 1/2 c Old-fashioned oats, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp baking soda, 1 T malt powder,
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or a large mixing bowl using a hand mixer), cream butter, peanut butter, and both sugars until well combined and starting to get fluffy, about 2 minutes.1/2 c butter,, 1/2 c creamy peanut butter, 1 c brown sugar,, 1/2 c granulated sugar
- Add molasses, vanilla extract, milk, and eggs, and mix until light and fluffy, about 1-2 minutes.2 tsp molasses, 2 tsp vanilla extract, 2 tsp milk or nondairy milk, 2 large eggs
- Add dry ingredients and mix just until combined. Then fold in M&Ms, chocolate chips, and peanuts.3/4 c plain M&Ms candies, 3/4 c semisweet chocolate chips, 1/2 c roasted salted peanuts
- Using a large cookie scoop, or a spoon and your hands, form dough into about 3T balls and place 2" apart on a cookie sheet. Bake for 13-15 minutes, or until beginning to brown around the edges and set in the middle.
- Remove from oven and let cool on cookie sheet for about 10 minutes, then move cookies to a cooling rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days, or freeze for up to a month.
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