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“Monster Cookies” are peanut butter oatmeal chocolate chip M&M cookies.
For as much as I love peanut butter and oatmeal cookies, it’s quite surprising to see no basic peanut butter oatmeal cookie recipe in my archive. To be honest, the reason I’ve never shared one with you is because it’s taken me almost 3 months to develop one I’m proud enough to publish.
Too flat, too puffy, falling apart, rock hard, too dry, and too sweet peanut butter oatmeal cookies have all made their way in and out of my kitchen lately. But not this one. Oh my heavens. I’ve finally found that “perfect” one. I am so excited to show you!
Like I mentioned above, “monster cookies” are peanut butter oatmeal cookies stuffed to the brim with colorful M&Ms and chocolate chips. Today’s recipe is unlike most traditional monster cookie recipes though. It’s more like a peanut butter cookie with oats, rather than an oatmeal cookie with peanut butter. Still with me?
Also putting these monster cookies apart from the rest is that they are “soft-baked.” My favorite cookie term. Soft, tender, chewy, and moist in every bite. Quite unlike the crunchy hard peanut butter cookies you are used to.
And finally, my version is stuffed with a variety of M&Ms. Peanut Butter M&Ms, classic M&Ms, and mini M&Ms all paid a visit to my monster cookie dough.
Also good to know ahead of time is that my recipe doesn’t make 5-6 dozen cookies like most monster cookie recipes I’ve seen out there that use 3 eggs, 4 cups of flour, 4 cups of oats, 1 pound of butter, etc. Rather, my recipe uses a fair amount of ingredients and yields just 2.5 dozen medium-sized cookies, so they aren’t actually “monster” in size, but feel free to make them larger. Oh and bonus: it can all be mixed up in ONE bowl.
It’s an easy peasy, manageable, and quick recipe. Let’s begin!
You’ll start with the same step a lot of my cookie recipes begin with: cream your butter and sugars together. Like usual, I’m using more brown sugar than white sugar in this cookie recipe. Brown sugar gives the cookies a much softer, chewier, & moist consistency while the white sugar induces spreading. It’s important to use both in today’s recipe.
What I particularly love is that the total amount of sugar is only 3/4 cup in the entire batch. Quite low compared to most other peanut butter oatmeal cookie recipes you’ll find.
Next, mix in the peanut butter, egg, and vanilla. The recipe uses a ton of peanut butter. Like I said, it’s more of a peanut butter cookie with oats rather than an oatmeal cookie with peanut butter. Each bite packs intense peanut butter flavor. In my world, the more peanut butter, the merrier. 
Next on the list is to add your dry ingredients. Add the flour and baking soda to the same bowl in which you creamed the wet ingredients. No extra dishes to dirty, here. One bowl and you’re done. I love recipes like this!
Finally, mix in the oats. Please use quick oats here. Why? You need the slightly finer size from the quick oats in order to give the cookies a more uniform texture. Quick oats will act more as a binder in this recipe than whole oats would, since the consistency is more powdery and the oats are smaller in size. I actually did not have quick oats at the time, so I ground up my oats in a food processor for a quick 10 seconds to break them down.
I prefer whole rolled old-fashioned oats in my granola and granola bar recipes, but find using quick oats in this cookie recipes works best.
Last up is your add-ins, 3/4 cup of M&Ms and 1/2 cup of chocolate chips. I keep a candy jar of M&Ms on my counter and it currently has a variety of all different kinds. I used a mixture of peanut butter, mini, and regular M&Ms in this recipe. Get crazy! Or just use all regular. The chocolate chips? Just your regular semi-sweet version. I want to try these with white chocolate chips next!
Bake time! That’s right, no dough chilling for this recipe. The dough is quite manageable as is. However, should you bake these cookies with a thinner peanut butter or on a particularly humid day, be sure to chill for up to 30 minutes in the refrigerator. Cookie dough can be testy. Go by how your dough feels. If it’s too sticky, chill for 30 minutes. If not, just bake.
Roll into balls – about 2 Tablespoons of dough each (1 ounce – standard large cookie scoop). Some of mine ended up being a tad smaller than 1 ounce to get 2.5 dozen cookies. Really, you may roll the dough between 1.5 – 2 Tbsp each. I pressed a few mini M&Ms and chocolate chips into the tops of the balls before they baked. To make them look pretty, of course.
Bake for a precise 9-10 minutes. Do not overbake. The cookies will appear undone when you remove them from the oven. That is OK, I promise. The cookies will firm up as they cool on the cookie sheet. I allowed my batches to cool for 10 minutes on the sheet before transferring them to a cooling rack.
The cookies spread just slightly while baking, so you’ll need to press them down a bit with the back of a spoon once you remove them from the oven. That’s what gives the cookies their crinkled tops.
Let’s discuss their texture. Wow. I baked these on a Saturday and by Wednesday, they were STILL so soft. Why did they last that long? I forgot I had one sitting around in a little baggie (whoops). So, yes. These cookies remain exceptionally soft for days and days. I also found that their peanut butter flavor is enhanced after day 1, too. Just wait until you taste these!
The oats make them unbelievably chewy, the M&Ms give them a pop of color, and we obviously love the combination of chocolate chips and peanut butter. And I love how thick they are! Even after slightly pressing down after they come out of the oven, the cookies are still so thick and hearty.
In a world where there can never be too many peanut butter cookies, I’m happy to have a peanut butter oatmeal cookie I can use again and again. Especially ones that took me a several batches to develop and perfect. It was worth the wait!
Do you like oatmeal cookies? Peanut butter cookies? Any favorite recipes I need to try?
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makes 2.5 dozen cookies
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) salted butter, softened to room temperature*
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 and 1/4 cups all purpose flour (are you measuring flour the correct way?)
- 1/2 cup quick oats (not instant or whole-rolled oats)*
- 3/4 cup M&Ms (any size or variety - I used peanut butter, plain, and mini M&Ms)
- 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat.
- In a large bowl, using a hand-held mixer or stand mixer with paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugars together on medium speed, about 3 minutes. Mix in the peanut butter, egg, and vanilla (in that order). Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Slowly mix in the baking soda and flour. Do not overmix. Fold in the quick oats, M&Ms, and chocolate chips. If the dough is very soft and unmanageable by hand, chill the dough for 30 minutes before rolling.
- Rolls balls of dough, about 2 Tablespoons of dough per ball, onto prepared baking sheet. Press a few extra M&Ms on top for looks, if preferred. Bake for 9-10 minutes - do not bake past 10 minutes. The cookies will appear undone. I too mine out at 9 minutes, which is recommended. Slightly press down the baked cookies with the back of a spoon, since the cookies only slightly spread in the oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. Cookies will firm up as they cool. Store cookies covered at room temperature for up to 1 week. Cookies freeze well.
Notes
*You may use unsalted butter in this recipe. If so, add 1/4 tsp salt with the flour.
* Please use quick oats in this recipe. You need the slightly finer texture from the quick oats in order to give the cookies a more uniform texture. Quick oats will act more as a binder in this recipe than whole oats would, since the consistency is more powdery and the oats are smaller in size.
Recipe Source: SALLYSBAKINGADDICTION.COM
© Sally’s Baking Addiction. All images & content are copyright protected. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If you want to republish this recipe, please re-write the recipe in your own words, or link back to this post for the recipe.
Let’s talk peanut butter & oats. And see where today’s recipe came from!
Today’s cookies are based off of my Soft-Baked Peanut Butter Lovers Cookies, Rolo-Stuffed Peanut Butter Cookies, & Bite-Sized Peanut Butter Pretzel M&M Cookies, among others. All three cookies are the same peanut butter cookie base, which is my go-to peanut butter cookie recipe. These cookies do not have oats in them. I tried for weeks and weeks to develop a NEW peanut butter cookie with oats, with terrible results. Then, I came back to my go-to peanut butter cookie recipe and added oats (with a few other slight changes). Simple as that!
Soft-Baked Peanut Butter Lovers Cookie
Rolo-Stuffed Peanut Butter Cookies
Bite-Sized Peanut Butter Pretzel M&M Cookies
My super-soft Honey Roasted Peanut Butter Oatmeal Scotchies are technically a peanut butter oatmeal cookie. However, they contain whole wheat flour and flax. Baking powder makes them rise and coconut, butterscotch, and honey roasted peanuts give them lots of texture. They are a favorite of mine! And I don’t have to feel too guilty eating them. 
And how could I forget my Healthy Peanut Butter Chunk Oatmeal Bars? Loaded with peanut butter, oats, whole wheat flour and very little else – these are healthy snack bars I never feel guilty about eating. I make them all of the time.
{ 175 comments… read them below or add one }
This isn’t the original monster cookie recipe since it uses flour and very few oats, but I’ll going to try them – picture is making my mouth water . Anything with pb and m&m’s can’t be bad! But I love the original all oat version that I’ve been baking for years. It’s a large recipe so it’s great for sharing. Thanks for the post!
Hi Becky, thanks! I mentioned quite a few times in the post that they are peanut butter cookies with oats and my own variation of monster cookies. But thank you for the correction. I also wanted a smaller batch recipe, so this small batch recipe works for my family & I. I’m sorry it may not be similar to yours. Let me know if you try them!
I’m sure they will be delicious either way! How can it be bad? Pb & Choc! I was just thinking about the original monster cookie recipe since I baked them at Christmas for gifts. I love the smaller batch idea. Lots of peanut butter in these babies – same as my large batch recipe.
PB and chocolate can do no wrong, agreed! Thanks Becky!
I love monster cookies.
That is all.
Sally all your hard work shows with these, testing, trialing, and perfecting. They look soft, chewy, hearty, with a balance of both oats and PB. I have a few recipes that are oats + PB in cookies…and ironically those recipes take on much more of a ‘neutral’ dough like your standard choc chip cookie dough, with just a touch of texture from the oats and a smidge of PB flavor as well as softness to the dough. I can tell your dough is both plenty of oats AND robustly flavored. I love both those things. GREAT job on this dough base!
Averie @ Averie Cooks recently posted..Soft Buttery One Hour Pretzels
Thanks Averie! I was looking for a peanut butter base recipe and the amount of oats added gave the perfect texture. I am very pleased and can’t wait to try different variations.
Peanut Butter cookies rock today!! I love the soft-baked kind, Sally! My kids will go crazy for these monsters
Anna @ Crunchy Creamy Sweet recently posted..Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies
Thanks Anna! I see that you posted peanut butter cookies today too! Can’t wait to check them out
These sound good and are beautiful! I will try them. I am interested in a monster cookie that I got at an Amish store while travelling. It had all oats, no flour. There was peanut butter, mix-ins included items such as raisins, walnuts, and M&Ms. It was a sturdy soft cookie, not too sweet. I ended up eating most of them, one at a time, as breakfast as I drove to work. They were filling, with no sugar rush or resulting sugar low. Delicious! I have looked on the web, but not seeing anything that quite hits this. Thanks for all you do. Eldonna
Hi Eldonna! Traditional monster cookies are so good! I was going to add walnuts and raisins to mine as well, but I stopped after the M&Ms and chocolate chips. There isn’t too much sugar in these, considering the 2.5 dozen cookies it makes. Let me know if you try these Eldonna, I know you’d love them – especially if you love peanut butter.
I plan to make them after I get over this flu. They look great! I will follow the recipe exactly when I make them.
I really appreciate your efforts to get things just right before you post. That saves us so much grief and ingredients.
The next time i make them I will experiment a bit. I might even divide the dough in half and experiment with that part of the dough. I have some small bags of Reese’s Pieces, I might add a few of those and cut down on the M&Ms a bit. Then I could try some walnuts and raisins in a few.
I will LYK how things turn out. Hugs.
Love the idea of using reese’s pieces here! and I’ll try raisins in my next batch, for sure.
These look great Sally! I had a tried and true oatmeal recipe, but last year I made Sunny Anderson’s Peaches and Cream oatmeal cookie recipe and it has just a nice dense, soft, chewy texture and more depth of flavor than my “go to” that I now use it as my new oatmeal cookie base (without the peaches and white chocolate, of course.) It was fine with the add ins though not nearly as peachy/creamy as expected , but the real discovery was the cookie base with which I can create so many new recipes! Oh, and I love the fact that you took monster cookies and made them more peanut buttery…I know I will prefer them to the standard! I can’t wait to try them!
Thank you! peaches and cream oatmeal cookie – now that sounds fantastic. I love finding new “go-to” cookie bases like that. They are a wonderful jumping off point for so many different variations. And more peanut butter the better, right? Thanks so much rmd!
Becky, would you be willing to share your recipe? I love cookies. That is why I enjoy Sally’s recipes do much!
You really never can have enough peanut butter cookies. They are so utterly irresistible – the “I’ll have just one” mindset never works, for me at least. These monster cookies look wonderful. I love the pop of color from the M&Ms, and the texture looks spot on. I have actually never made a peanut butter oatmeal cookie, but I do make chocolate chip almond butter oatmeal cookies quite often. I must share the recipe soon! I’m sure I could sub in peanut butter for the almond butter (of course I’ve never thought of that before, either)!
jodye @ chocolate and chou fleur recently posted..Protein Packed Apple Cinnamon Quinoa Muffins
Hi Jodye! Yes, I can never stop at just one – especially if a cookie has so many tastes/textures. You must try a peanut butter cookie with oats next time. Although I am so intrigued by a chocolate chip almond butter cookie! you have to share that recipe, I will be all ears… or eyes! Even if you sub the pb for almond butte,r i’m sure it would still be wonderful. Thanks Jodye!
Yum, these look so colourful and yummy, Sally! I’ve never used oats before but I can’t wait to get started!
To clarify, if you have regular oats, you just put them in the food processor and crushed them up to make them into quick oats, correct?
Ikhlas recently posted..Dreams
You must try a peanut butter cookie with oats Ikhlas! Yes. That is how I made quick oats – I put the whole rolled old-fashioned oats into the food processor for 10 seconds to chop them up into a finer consistency. It does the trick nicely.
Thanks, Sally! I’ve only recently discovered oatmeal cookies so I’m feeling like I need to make all your oatmeal cookie recipes…especially the ones with M&Ms.
Ikhlas recently posted..Highly Anticipated YA Titles of 2013 (or Books I Needed Yesterday)
Monster cookies are my favorite of all cookies ever created! I just love that each bite is filled with a variety of flavors
I can’t wait to try your recipe!
Becky @ Olives n Wine recently posted..Homemade {Salt-Free} Taco Seasoning
I love monster cookies too, I can’t believe I hadn’t made them myself yet. Thanks Becky! Let me know if you try these out.
The best combination in the world in these cookies!
I’m so jealous that you get peanut butter M&M’s in the US…however I’ve discovered the town my sister-in -law has just moved to has got an American Sweets supplies shop…I may have to restrain myself from spending far too much money! 
Joy @ Baking-Joy recently posted..Peanut butter raspberry cake bars
Thanks Joy! And if you get your hands on M&Ms, you must make these! Or even use this cookie recipe as a base for your favorite add-ins that you do have.
I made these this evening after work and they were gorgeous
Joy @ Baking-Joy recently posted..Peanut butter raspberry cake bars
that was quick, Joy! so glad you loved them!
Hey Sally! Another recipe I can’t wait to try. Quick question….can you explain the difference between light and dark brown sugar, in terms of baking? I’ve used them interchangeably, which is probably a mistake, which is why I love your blog because you explain these things. Thanks!
Hey Meredith! Typically, I prefer to use dark brown sugar and in most of my non-peanut butter cookie recipes. I like using dark brown sugar because it gives my cookies a much more moist and soft texture – more so than light brown sugar. The molasses flavor is more pungent since there is more molasses in dark than light. If any of my recipes simply say “brown sugar” – you could use either interchangeably. And with most recipes, yes you can use them interchangeably without super huge difference in flavor. These cookies could be fine with either since the peanut butter overpowers the dough’s flavor regardless which you use. I have peanut butter cookies on my site calling for dark brown sugar, but light brown would be fine. My gingersnaps need dark brown sugar and so do my perfect chocolate chip cookies – both rely on the extra moisture and flavor from the extra molasses. I hope this helps!
Thanks! Mine came out SO pretty! Thanks for telling us to flatten them when they come out of the oven. BTW, thank you also for pointing out that they will look undone. I’m notorious for putting cookies back in the oven when they don’t look finished, forgetting the fact that they’ll still cook a bit while cooling.
So glad you made them already Meredith! Yes, they will look uncooked and not really “set” after baking time but they continue to bake and set up as they cool on the sheet for 10 minutes.
Thanks for letting me know how much you like these cookies!
These are stunning Sally! I am a sucker for monster anything.
Dorothy @ Crazy for Crust recently posted..Butterscotch Pecan Magic Bars
Yummo! Those are some awesome looking cookies. You make the best cookies!
Jocelyn (Grandbaby Cakes) recently posted..Blood Orangesicle Frozen Yogurt
I love all the m&m’s you used Sally! Something different in every single, delicious bite. Me thinks it time I revisit the monster cookie – these are irresistible looking!
Reeni recently posted..Hot Cocoa Cupcakes
You are a cookie genius. That is all.
Oh, and PS – I am drooling over these pics! Gorgeous!
Ashley @ Kitchen Meets Girl recently posted..Bakery-Style Banana Muffins
Love how soft and thick these look! I’m all about soft pb cookies. So cool that you used all those different kinds of M and Ms too.
Laura Dembowski recently posted..Kale Chips
may or may not be making these this weekend!! i’m totally craving something pb in cookie right now!!
I could eat a million of these. I love soft cookies.
Meg @ Sweet Twist recently posted..Turkey/Chicken Pot Pie
Ok FINE you got me again. I’m going to buy my oven thermometer tomorrow and these cookies will be made by the end of the week. You’ve turned me into a baker. You are amazing. Xoxo
i love you dearest baker katy! remember when you alphabetized my mom’s spice rack? lol i think of you everytime I open it at home. you will LOVE these cookies!! hope you’re feeling better today
I’ve never made monster cookies. I can’t wait to make them. Maybe Valentine’s Day with pink and red M&M’s?!
Luv What You Do recently posted..9 Degrees
love that idea! that’s another reason why i love M&Ms so much… color coordinate with the holidays.
trouble.
well, actually trouble with a capital T.
yes i am in BIG TROUBLE! i just found your blog.
i want to make E.V.E.R.Y.T.H.I.N.G!!!
oh. em. gee. where do i start?!?!?
Lisa @hooplapalooza recently posted..valentine heart container sticks
Hey Lisa! I’m so glad you found my website and are liking what you see! Let me know where you do start though, I love hearing about recipes made by others.
:)
YUM! These look delicious..your photos are always great and make my mouth water!! Looks like I need to get some M & M’s in the morning so I can whip these babies up! Just made a peanut butter/ chocolate chunk cookie tonight from the Martha Stewart archives that turned out very yummy , here’s the link -
http://www.marthastewart.com/349092/peanut-butter-chocolate-chunk-cookies#
Peanut butter cookies are my favorites , but going through a little rice crispy treat phase right now as well
Hey Maggie! Thanks so much. You have to try these, I know you’d just love them. I’m going to check out those cookies now, you can’t go wrong with a martha stewart recipe! They sound right up my alley. Thank you for linking to them! And rice krispies are another weakness of mine.
I think I am currently experiencing a soft cookie-deficiency. It’s so bad. I think I need these!
Stephanie @ Eat. Drink. Love. recently posted..Corn Salsa
These look delish Sally! I am currently trying my best to be on a health kick. Im going to give these a go with some raisins and nuts this weekend…….and maybe some chocolate ones
All in moderation and all that jazz lol 
I can’t wait to try them with raisins! let me know how yours turn out Shirley, thank you!
Oh wow, I looked at the first couple of pictures (especially the second one) before I read any of your explanation and I totally thought I was hallucinating because some of the m&ms looked so small…what is wrong with my eyes?!?! Minis. Wow, Caley.
Your peanut butter cookie recipes are the only ones I would try because I just associate peanut butter cookies with crunchy, hard, boring sameness. You are making me rethink my definition! 
Haha! Caley, I love it. This made me laugh today. mini M&Ms, yes! You must try this cookie, I know that you will love them as much as I do. And report back after you’ve stuffed your face with peanut butter M&M oatmeal goodness.
Wow-ee! Peanut butter and chocolate monstrosity! Love it!
Madison recently posted..Tone-It-Up Tuesday: Shoulder Style
Hey Madison! You know it. Can you really go wrong with peanut butter and chocolate? especially if M&Ms are involved…
M&M’s make me smile!… and these cookies make me hungry! YUM!
Laurie {Simply Scratch} recently posted..Salt Crusted Baked Potatoes
Love that you used peanut butter M&M’s in your monster cookies! You know that I love the peanut butter and oat combination. . .these will be making an appearance in my kitchen soon!
Jessica@AKitchenAddiction recently posted..Maple Glazed Cinnamon French Toast Donuts
Woo hoo! I love it when my cookies are remade. Jessica, you would LOVE these! Thank you so much.
Hooooly cow girl. Monster cookies RULE and now that you’ve made your own spectacular version (featuring 3 KINDS!! of M&M’s) I must hop on this bandwagon and give it a try. Amazing!!
Hayley @ The Domestic Rebel recently posted..Oatmeal Creme Pie Truffles
I’m always tempted to play the cookie monster version of Call Me Maybe when I hear the words “monster cookie”…think it’ll get me extra credit if I brought these to my monsters and deformity literature class?
Ala recently posted..Insanely Fudgy Deconstructed Twix Brownies
hahahahaha Ala I just laughed for a good minute there. extra credit = YES.
I see these ALL over the interwebs and have been dying to try them. I love m&ms in cookies, just makes them look so pretty!
claire @ the realistic nutritionist recently posted..The Great Wild & Wonderful Washington State [Part 1]
Hi Claire, if you try these you have to report back and let me know how you like them! thank you!
So many words I love in this post: soft-baked, one bowl, m&ms….gah if only I liked peanut butter! Please don’t judge me – I’ve tried it over and over but still to no avail. Ooo just had a thought though: do you think it’d work with Nutella??
Jess @ OnSugarMountain recently posted..Chocolate Lovers’ Cupcakes
Hi Jess! I won’t hold it against ya. No worries! You could try these with Nutella, definitely. But maybe my Oatmeal M&M cookies would be perfect for you as well: http://sallysbakingaddiction.com/2012/03/08/chewy-oatmeal-mm-cookies/
They look perfectly puffy. I want to bite into one right now!
Katrina @ In Katrina’s Kitchen recently posted..Introducing the NEW In Katrina’s Kitchen!
Yeah, these pretty much look like perfection. The dough base, the peanut butter, the add-ins… just EVERYTHING. Your hard work paid off FOR SURE on these lovely cookies, Sally!
Meagan @ Scarletta Bakes recently posted..Mixed Vegetable Skillet Pasta
Meagan!! Thank you so much. I happily enjoyed all the work finding the right recipe, chewing away into peanut butter oblivion with each cookie.
Oh my, peanut butter oatmeal chocolate chip cookies are hands down my very favorite cookie ever… and then you went and added in M&Ms. I have a whole bag of them in my pantry at the moment… coincidence? I think it’s a sign I need to go make these… haha
Ashley recently posted..Crockpot Stuffed Pepper Soup
i think it’s fate, Ashley! Make these!
I love and appreciate how much effort you put into sharing the best recipes with us. These cookies, as always, look perfect!
Kayle (The Cooking Actress) recently posted..Easy Cinnamon Roll Muffins
I cant just wait to try this one. Looks fantastic…am sure my picky little daughter would love to see M&M’s in her cookies. Great recipe:)
Nina recently posted..Figgy Buckwheat Scones
My boys are such cookie monsters and I bake cookies just nearly everyday. These are next on the list!
Miss @ Miss in the Kitchen recently posted..Raspberry Balsamic Glazed Smoked Sausage with Peppers & Onions
We seem to both bake cookies all the time! Let me know how these turn out, I think your boys would love them.
HELP!!! I’m drowning in my own drool, and I don’t think I’ll make it out alive. I need one of these to save my life. Seriously Sally. These look so freaking good–that thick, chewy texture–Can.not.get.enough. Monster cookies are one of my very favorite things, and these look absolutely perfect!
Ari @ Ari’s Menu recently posted..Black & White Cookies {vegan}
can.not.get.enough of you Ari! You are too sweet. I want a vegan black and white cookie right now. Send me some?
It is a cold, gray, blech kind of day and seeing these big, chewy, COLORFUL cookies on your blog totally made me smile. I think I need a dozen of these right now.
Kiersten @ Oh My Veggies recently posted..Super Easy No-Knead Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread
Hi Kiersten!! Thank you so much – that is exactly why I’ve been making so many monster cookies this winter, trying to perfect this recipe meant a lot of colorful happy cookies.
I try to stick to healthier desserts most of the time, but these cookies definitely look like a recipe to keep away for a special occasion. Another great recipe!
P.S. I nominated your blog for an award. Read more here:
http://mouthwateringfoods.blogspot.com/2013/01/inspiring-blog-award.html
Hi Ruta! I like to think that peanut butter is good for my sole… so that’s healthy right? regardless, thank you so much!
You have a crazy cool site here and LOVE anything with “monster” in ‘em =)
Thank you so much! I’m a cookie monster.
Holy heavens above, these cookies… these cookies are killing me, girl! I need some asap!
ashley – baker by nature recently posted..Apple, Arugula, Cream Cheese, and Prosciutto Bruschetta
You and your soft-baked cookies Sally! Monster cookies are something that my sister and I love to make together and I love how you used the quick oats so that they are more subtle. And you read my mind with THREE different types of M&M’s!!! Perfection, as usual!
Mercedes recently posted..Whole-Grain Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Power Bars
CAn you go wrong with M&Ms? ESpecially three different kinds? And an overload of peanut butter? I love these cookies and you and your sis would too. Thanks Mercedes!
I know what cookies I’m making next. I’ve never made monster cookies – and I am not a fan of the typical hard as a rock PB cookies – these look absolutely
perfect!
Heather @French Press recently posted..Banana Almond Pancakes
my fav fav thing about these cookies is that you used different variations of m&m – that is the funnest cleverest idea! and thank you for the reminder if measuring flour the correct way…you asked why no i am not doing it the correct way for many of the items on your list…i dip and scoop and dump…ok ok i will get my spoon and knife and scoop with spoon and level with knife- love these tidbits of info! only makes us better bakers
angela @ anotherbiteplease recently posted..asian cabbage rolls with spicy ground pork
i learned how to measure flour the correct way after many, many failed recipes! and all the different m&ms just make the cookies so fun! i want to try peanut m&ms next time or pretzel m&ms!
Oh my goodness – can you please send me a dozen of these? Oatmeal cookies are my absolute favorite and you know I can’t turn down the M&M’s in here either!
Chung-Ah | Damn Delicious recently posted..Philly Cheesesteak with Garlic Aioli and a Giveaway!
Wow, they look amazing:) I love M&Ms and this is a great use of them.
Ella-Home Cooking Adventure recently posted..Crispy Oven Fries
So many fabulous cookie recipes to chose from.. which one do i try first? lol
it’s a hard choice, maybe you should just make all
my jaw dropped when i saw this post. monster cookies are one of my favorite cookies, if not my favorite of all time! Will be trying these soon! YUM.
Awesome Marti! I can’t wait for you to make them. Let me know how you like them!
Baked these tonight and used peanut butter m&ms…reeses pieces…regular m&ms aand dark choc chips s my mix ins…seriously amazimg!! Keeper of a recipe…and they are so soft! Thanks!!!
Woo hoo! SO glad, Marti! I’m trying them with dark chocolate chips and reese’s pieces next time. Sounds incredible!
Sally, these sure do look perfect. I wouldn’t mind piling a few into my face. Yum!
Always a great cookie to make! These sound lovely!
Katrina @ Warm Vanilla Sugar recently posted..Egg Salad Sandwich with Crispy Leeks
I originally came across “monster” cookies when trying to find a good cookie recipe that would hold up for the trip overseas to Afghanistan… I know this recipe is a little different but I like that it has less oats and makes less cookies.. Think they will still hold up okay? He usually doesn’t get packages for 5-7 days after I send them.. Also, any other recipes you have that might be good to send ?? THANKS!
Hi Jen – yes, these will be fine to ship. In the few times I’ve made them, I’ve found that they remain soft past day 5. They are remarkably thick and soft for days. A few others to send: http://sallysbakingaddiction.com/2012/03/29/peanut-butter-banana-chocolate-chip-oatmeal-bars/ http://sallysbakingaddiction.com/2013/01/05/caramel-snickers-7-layer-bars/ http://sallysbakingaddiction.com/2012/11/29/holiday-confetti-cake-batter-cookies/ http://sallysbakingaddiction.com/2012/04/06/take-2-funfetti-cake-batter-blondies/ http://sallysbakingaddiction.com/2012/01/13/caramel-pretzel-mm-blondies-2/
THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!
Just made these last night and they are SO good! Best monster cookie ever, in my opinion. My kids say the recipe is a “keeper”.
These are *the* fattest cookies I’ve ever seen. I think I’ve said that before here but then you went and outdid yourself. So fat!
And so colorful! What happy cookies.
I don’t think I’ve ever tried peanut butter oatmeal cookies. I’m not the hugest fan of adding oats to cookies unless it’s an oatmeal raisin cookie. But I have no idea why. If you’re making a whole grain cookie, oats will just make it taste less healthy. Hmm. That’s something to think about.
My visits to Sally’s Baking Addiction are what I imagine it’s like to go to a psychiatrist. Yup.
Erin @ Texanerin Baking recently posted..Peanut Butter Chocolate Oat Balls + Albion Fit $100 Giveway
Erin, you would LOVE these and unlike my chocolate chip muffins – I’m sure these can easily be made whole wheat. I love oats in my cookies! You have to try peanut butter + oats in cookies soon Erin. I love you’d love it. Psychiatrist. hahahahah oh Erin I love ya.
These cookies just came out of the oven. OMG! Love these! Can’t get enough of your recipes!
I’ve made these cookies… 3 times in 2 weeks. I’m obsessed.
Glad you like them too!
i just made these yesterday with my twin boys. it was easy to make and they are so delicious. my husband can’t stop eating them!
Becca, thanks for letting me know! I can’t keep my hands away from them either, they are addicting.
Wow, Sally! As usual, you’ve taken what’s good about a classic cookie and made it better! I love that there’s way more pb in these…That is never a mistake, is it? Plus, multiple kinds of M&M’s…Puts them right over the edge!
Loretta | A Finn In The Kitchen recently posted..Raspberry Mousse
thanks Loretta! I can never get too many M&Ms.
And M&Ms and peanut butter are a match made in heaven. They are so good in cookies!
Sally, I am seriously ashamed to say that I had never seen your blog!!! Where have I been?! Whenever I am introduced to a new blog, I make a recipe, sort of like a test for whether or not my taste is the same as the bloggers’. I made these cookies. I halved the recipe….and I ATE ELEVEN cookies all by my lonesome! My poor husband only got to eat three. So I am POSITIVE that I will be coming to your blog for more
I am making the oatmeal lemon bars tonight perhaps. Ps- Beautiful photography! Your pics look so good, I could lick my screen 
http://www.thebatchmaker.com/2013/01/peanut-butter-oatmeal-cookies.html
thanks Cristina! I am so glad you found my blog – and I loved seeing these cookies on your blog yesterday. They looked wonderful! I don’t think I could stop stuffing these in my mouth when I made them last week either. They are SO good! Thank you for the photography compliment!
Oh my goodness! Just took these out of the oven and they are Aaaamazing! Hopefully some are left for my boyfriend to try by the time he gets home from work! I have found my new favorite homemade cookie plus they all came together and dishes done in less than a hour! Thank you!
Hi Trisha! I know, I love how EASY these are to make and with so little dishes used. A blessing! And I can never keep my hands away from them. They are so soft and peanut butter-y. So glad you are enjoying them Trisha! Thanks for letting me know.
Since the quick oats are used because of their texture, you could run old-fashioned oats in the food processor. Many bakers, including myself, have made this substitution successfully. The difference is the smaller oats, but no binder – which is exactly what the quick oats are doing in the recipe.
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Hi Mary Ellen, I’m not sure if you read the post: “I actually did not have quick oats at the time, so I ground up my oats in a food processor for a quick 10 seconds to break them down.” So yes, that worked for me here. Thanks!
I like monster cookies but I don’t love them. For Valentine’s Day this year, I thought I would try a monster cookie with Valentine’s M&Ms. I checked out Pinterest and YOUR RECIPE WAS EXACTLY WHAT I WAS LOOKING FOR! A peanut butter oat cookie far superior to any monster cookie I have ever had. And a smaller, more manageable quantity. Love. This. Thanks so much for sharing!
That is GREAT to hear Jessica! Thank you so much for reporting back and letting me know how much you love these! They are a favorite cookie of mine for sure.
Lots of peanut butter!
I am SO excited I found your website! as a baking explorer myself, I am constantly trying to make my cookies richer, or fluffier, or lighter, or more peanut buttery (my fave)! and this recipe is right up my ally! I have to wait until this weekend to make them, when I will be in the company of my boyfriend and his three roommates- otherwise I will eat them ALL myself! eek! can’t wait to try, and thank you!
Hi Kelsy! Thank you so much for the comment and for reading. “more peanut buttery” – I like your style.
If you make these this weekend, be sure to let me know how you like them. If you love peanut butter like I do – you are going to go nuts for these!
Okay. So I finally made these and they didn’t quite turn out like I expected. Although they were fully baked, they had more of an unbaked cookie texture than I thought they would. I used quick oats but strangely, I could still sort of taste their dry texture even though the cookie was soft and not dry. I thought the peanut butter would lend a creaminess and the oats would add some chewiness, so maybe I just expected the wrong thing. I checked to make sure I didn’t miss any ingredients…and I did use Smart Balance peanut butter, which could have had an effect, although I haven’t had issues using it with other recipes. So, all that being said…I would say they were good, but not a make again although they did grow on me by day 2. I will also say that my kids loved them regardless and asked for them everyday as an afterschool snack….and that my husband, who said they tasted and looked like storebought cookies (I had to ask him, what does THAT mean? Is that good or bad? lol) had quite a bit more than his fair share and HE said he didn’t like the texture at all. Riddle me that. I had to make sure after his last pass by the container that he left 2 for the kids and 1 for me. So what does that all mean? No idea, except possibly just more validation that when peanut butter and chocolate are involved, all is good. Thanks, Sally. I’ll look forward to trying some of your other soft cookie recipes!
Hi Sally,
I love your website and recipes. I have tried a few – started out healthy with homemade PB, oat granola bars and quickly slid to the dark side. I made PB hearts (AMAZING) earlier this week and just finished baking a batch of the monster cookies. Just wanted to let you know how much fun I am having trying your recipes. My kids are loving it too! I really like the quantity – each recipe makes just enough to enjoy and share. The quality is over the top – I can tell that you are very thoughtful in putting together your recipes. Keep up the great work! By the way – I have told LOTS of friends about your website. Sarah
Hahaha “the dark side” – you are too funny Sarah. That’s how I started my blog as well. I made a lot more healthy treats last year, which I’m trying to get back into.
Thank you so much for the comment and I’m glad you and your kids are loving my recipes and my blog. And thank you for spreading the word! Wow, that is amazing to hear and you are too kind. All of this makes my day. PS: I love these cookies! And the PB Sweethearts! And the homemade peanut butter. 
I am looking forward to giving this recipe a try! I love the texture of cookies that have been squashed down after being removed from the oven
We only bought regular M&m’s because I knew I’d eat the pb ones if they weren’t baked into a cookie right away lol
Hey Katie! I’m not sure how the peanut butter M&Ms made it into the cookie dough because I LOVE snacking on peanut butter M&Ms as they are.
You’re going to LOVE these!
okay these really are so amazing! I may have also consumed a fair amount of delicious cookie dough as well lol
)
I will add the mini and the PB m&m’s the next go around because I like the idea of all crazy texture and will also remember to save some m&m’s for the tops of the cookies (my 4 yr old helper ate all of the remaining candy as we were scooping dough
Thanks for sharing such a great cookie!!!
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SO glad to hear that Katie!!
I’ve been a fan of your recipes and blog for awhile… I made these at work today. I work in a kitchen and love baking cookies and they were so yummy! And crazy soft!! Thanks for the delicious recipe!!
Hey Cassie! That’s so wonderful to hear. Thank you so much! I LOVE love love these soft monster cookies. Let me know if you bake any other recipes from my site. Thanks Cassie!
Baking these today for my cookie-loving (borderline cookie-obsessed…but who isn’t?) friend. SO excited, and you better believe I’ll be blogging about them sometime soon! : )
Pooja @ Running the Body recently posted..The Paleo Diet and Hidradenitis Suppurativa: My Paleo Essentials
Hi Pooja! You picked a good one. These are one of the best cookies I’ve ever made!
Just blogged about these bad boys! They turned out GREAT and I couldn’t wait to share them!
Pooja @ Running the Body recently posted..Monster Cookies (AKA “Forgive Me” Cookies)
I just made these tonight and they are amazing! Wish I hadn’t filled up on M&M’s while I was making these – I am stuffed just after two of these bad boys. I don’t usually like soft cookies but these are the exception! Thank you for explaining about taking them out of the oven even though they wouldn’t look done. I would have definitely kept them in too long if you hadn’t explained and promised that they would be ok! Oh I also ground up the quick oats because my husbands doesn’t like oatmeal cookies (I think its the texture) so I “hid” them. He just said these are way better than any Monster cookie he has ever had. Yay! Thank you!
I also love that the oats are hidden in the cookies Danielle! You can only really taste them slightly. Yes, the key to the cookies is to underbake them. They will not look “done” when they really are done! Thank you for reporting back about them. They are, without a doubt, my latest favorite cookie!! Thanks again Danielle!
funny story. I actually pinned this on pintrest about 4 weeks ago, and decided to bake them a week ago. I just happen to find this blog, and found that you were the author. Anyways. These cookies were the best things than sliced bread. Everyone raved about them. Very impressive!
Hey Kristin! That is so funny! Well, I’m glad you found my blog AND found my cookie recipe. I love Pinterest.
I’m so excited to hear how much you love these cookies! they have been a HUGE hit with my family and friends and with all of my readers too.
Hi Sally! Do you know if this recipe works with natural peanut butter (the one that is a little runny)? I only have that type at home and I’m wondering if it will affect the cookies.
Thank you!
Hey Diana! I’ve never tried these with natural style peanut butter. You need a thicker peanut butter in order for the structure of the dough to hold. I fear a runny peanut butter would not allow the dough to set up properly. If you try it though – the cookies will not be as thick as the ones you see here. Let me know how it goes if you try them out.
I loved these cookies. They were so good, I almost didn’t share them. Thanks!
Hey Krissy! I’m so glad you loved the cookies. Thanks for reporting back about them!
Found this recipe when I was searching for a good monster cookie recipe. Made them over the weekend, and let me just say, these cookies are dangerous! My husband and kids love sweets, so there was no hope of the cookies lasting! They are some of the best I’ve ever put in my mouth! Thanks for doing the research to come up with this fabulous recipe, and rest assured, I’ll be keeping an eye out on your blog for other goodies
WOW! What a statement – the best cookies ever.
That makes my day to read, so thank you very much Susan! Let me know any other treats you make for you and your family. I hear hearing about it!
I’m in L-O-V-E with your recipes girl!! Your monster cookies are my new favorite cookie and I can’t quit making them! I also adore your ccc recipe……so yummy! Keep up the great work creating and I’ll keep baking
My sister found you on Pinterest and I’ve shared you with my Mom so when we go to Arizona in a few weeks to visit her, we will be in the kitchen together baking up some of your other yummy goodies……I can’t wait to see what you come up with next!!!
Hey Susan! Thanks for the super sweet comment. I’m so glad your sister found me on Pinterest. I am obsessed with Pinterest! A trip to Arizona to bake and visit your sis sounds like so much fun. I would love a weekend baking with my sisters and mom. Have so much fun, let me know what recipes you make! PS: I love these monster cookies too!
We are making the soft-baked monster cookies. Can you tell me if the 2 Tablespoons of dough is a missprint? Should it be 2 Teaspoons? How do you get 2.5 dozen from this recipe. What am I missing?
Thanks,
Cindy
Hi Cindy! It is not a misprint. The batch makes roughly 2 – 2.5 dozen cookies. Some of my cookies ended up being a bit smaller than 1 ounce each.
These cookies are excellent! The only difference was that I used mini choc chips. They looked perfect and tasted so good. I got right at 2 1/2 dozen= 30 cookies. The tip you gave of flattening them with the back of a spoon after they are taken out of the oven is so important. I’m going to use that for other cookie recipes, I didn’t know that trick. ;0 Thanks so much.
Hey Jackie! I’m glad to hear it. I love these cookies so much! They are definitely a winner. And flattening them always helps since they are so puffy. Thank you for reporting back about them!
Yum! I added pretzel m&ms and peanuts to mine and used mini chocolate chips since that was what I had and next time I might add crushed potato chips, but these were fantastic. Really fantastic flavor. And super versatile.
I love that you added pretzel M&Ms! I’m going to try that next time instead of peanut M&Ms! Crushed potato chips – genius! I made potato chip chocolate chip cookies if you’d like to check them out Shannon! Thank you so much! http://sallysbakingaddiction.com/2012/09/18/sweet-salty-potato-chip-toffee-cookies-2/
I’m just pulling a batch out of the oven now. They smell great! Thank you for sharing! :0)
Sounds good Danielle, hope you enjoy! Glad you made them.
They’re wonderful! They remind me of my mother’s soft cookies from when I was little. :0) The cookie jar won’t stay full for long! Thank you again!
So glad to hear it. Thanks Danielle!
Made these! Incredible! My only regret is that I used M&Ms that I stored in the deep freezer. They tasted fine, but they were bland “fall” mix colors. A good pop of blue and would’ve been really nice to celebrate spring with!
I did have some Peanut Butter M&Ms to add in there — such a wonderful addition!!!
jayme @ No Regrets Living recently posted..Big day at our house!
Any color of M&Ms is always delicious, though! I’m glad you made and loved these Jayme! Thanks for reporting back about them.
I made these last night and doubled the batch so I’d have plenty to share with our friends who were over last night and with my coworkers today and they were DELICIOUS! I didn’t have eggs so I used egg beaters instead and I used whole wheat pastry flour instead of allpurpose to save a little bit of calories and make it a little healthier and they were amazing! I used mini m&ms and reeses pieces (only because I didn’t have enough m&ms with the doubled recipe) along with the chocolate chips called for in the recipe – oh my word were they amazing! Everyone is raving about them and I agree. SOOO good! Thanks for sharing your recipe!
Hey Julie! I’ll have to try these with whole wheat flour next time – thanks for reporting back about that successful switch. And I definitely need to add reese’s pieces to the next batch. That sounds fabulous. Thank you!
OMG!!! Just baked the Soft Monster Cookies for my husband to take to work. These cookies are to die for. Great recipe. Next time I am going to double the recipe.
~deb
Hey Deb! That’s great to hear, so glad. Thanks for reporting back!
I’m not a huge chocolate fan (I know, I know!), but these were really yummy! I’m a sucker for chewy, soft cookies
Thanks for another marvelous recipe wonderful lady!
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Yum! I just finished baking a batch of these and had my first taste…heavenly! So smooth and creamy, just the right amount of sweetness, and they turn out just like your pix! Perfect instructions, esp loved the tip to flatten them a little out of the oven b/c it makes that great crinkly texture. I made these for Easter so used Easter M&Ms and white choc chips. So cute they practically have bunnies hopping out of them!
Thanks for another keeper recipe, Sally!
So glad my instructions were helpful Markie! And white chocolate chips – I have to do that next time! Thank you so much for reporting back and I’m happy you loved them!
Sally, just wanted to let you know that I made another batch to bring to work (OK, OK, I also made them so I could have more) and they were a huge hit! Everyone loved them, and especially raved about the soft texture. Gave you a little Tweet shout out.
Thanks again, can’t wait to keep trying more of your delicious recipes! I think Monkey Bread is up next, if I’m brave enough…
hi. I made these, and they look good and smell good. Haven’t tasted yet. Anyways, how do you mix in the big m&m’s? I was thinking of doing m&m pretzel or pb, but they were way to big. I could fit maybe 1 m&m in each ball if I’d tried. I ended up sticking some chocolate chips in them after I rolled. Could I make these bigger and perhaps make 12-15 cookies instead?
Yep, go ahead and make them bigger if you’d like! I was able to fit a few good sized m&ms in the cookie dough balls. Thanks Ida and enjoy!
I am not a cookie baker at all, but I attempted these cookies today, after reading your extremely helpful advice on measurements, these cookies turned out amazing. They are the best monster cookie I have ever had. Yum. They don’t spread at all and I pushed some down with a spoon, but realized that just leaving them alone was super yummy too.
Thank you for sharing this, it is now my new staple recipe for cookies.
Hey Charlene! That is amazing to hear- I’m glad! These are wonderful cookies, I make them very often!
My search is finally over for the perfect peanut butter cookie recipe! This is exactly the kind of consistency that I have been looking for in a peanut butter cookie. My 8 year old son said these were the ‘bestest cookie he ever had’.
I did have an issue with ‘flattening’ the cookies once out of the oven. Pressing down on the cookies ‘schmucked’ the chocolate chips and mini m&m’s that were at the top of the cookies, which in turn made them look messy. My first batch out of the oven certainly didn’t look like yours. Taste was not a problem, however.
I was really surprised no one else spoke of this…which makes me think that I must have done something wrong. With my second pan, I flattened them slightly prior before baking to avoid the ‘schmucking’ of the chocolate yet again. That seemed to work just fine!
Thanks for another great recipe. I’ve become a big fan of your website!
So glad flattening them before the oven time worked for you! Thanks for reporting back and I love how much you guys adore this recipe. So great to hear!!
I made them yesterday, they are just delicious !!! Although I´m from Argentina, and we don´t commonly have peanut butter, so I had to pulverize some peanuts (and it did not turn out as a creamy mixture at all), they were great just the same. Thank you !!
That’s great Vicky! So glad they still worked out for you.
These were great. We loved them!
Wow do these look good!!! I love the idea, my only problem is I get sick from peanut butter and chocolate together…(I know. Believe me. I know. :/ ) So I think I may substitute the peanut butter for Nutella! They look great!
Wow, that sounds amazing, Allie! Let me know how you like the Nutella Cookies.
I know this is an older recipe but I just tried it today, pinterest
, and they are FABULOUS! Thanks so much for a quick, easy, soft cookie recipe that taste just as delicious as they look!
So, so glad you liked them Mandi! They are a favorite of mine.
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