Soft peanut butter oatmeal Monster Cookies that are easy, delicious, and made with a handful of pantry staples.
You might be wondering why I put HHB behind some of my recipes. The answer is simple: it’s my version of a recipe that has been done before, perhaps quite frequently before, and although the amendments are many and the recipe is my own, it pays due credit in a way to the many other recipes that have gone before mine. These soft and chewy Monster Cookies, HHB Edition, are just that. I’ve inserted the key ingredients (IE, the peanut butter, oats, and m&m’s) into my own base cookie recipe and I love the result: a soft, thick, incredibly satisfying cookie that is salty + sweet. I hope you love it too!
What you’ll need to make these Soft and Chewy Monster Cookies:
Salted Butter
Dark Brown Sugar (light or golden would work too)
Granulated Sugar
A Large Egg
All Natural Creamy Peanut butter (no sugar added)
Baking Soda
Salt
Pure Vanilla Extract
All Purpose Flour
Old Fashioned Oats, Uncooked
Chocolate Chips (I used these Nestle semi-sweet ones, but use your favorites!)
M&M’s
The Base Recipe
Cookies are largely made with the same base ingredients: butter, sugar, eggs, flour, baking powder, salt, and more often than not, vanilla. The quantities of each ingredient varies greatly per recipe and can drastically affect the outcome of your cookies, or have little to no effect at all. For example, if you add more butter, your cookies will spread more. If you add more flour, they will be more solid, but probably not as soft and pillowy. The base measurements are important to nail before experimenting with alternates, but that’s the fun part!
The Add-In’s
Monster cookies historically have the same add-ins: peanut butter, oats, chocolate chips, and m&m’s. This is really a fantastic combo with the richness of the oats, the saltiness of the peanut butter, the candy crunch of the M&M’s, and the tried and true flavor of the chocolate chips. I always use completely natural peanut butter in all of my bakes. Why? Because not only is the flavor the best, but the additives are zilch. My peanut butter, this Adams brand that I’ve enjoyed since my mother bought it when I was a child, is simply peanuts and salt. Nothing else, and nothing else is needed. I used old fashioned oats, not quick oats, although there isn’t a huge flavor difference if you happen to use quick oats. Quick oats have been known to produce a softer cookie at times, but old fashioned oats create a heartier texture and can be a bit chewier as well. I much prefer old fashioned in my cookies, but you can absolutely use whatever you have on hand.
The Substitutions
You can always make my recipes gluten free or dairy free with a couple of simple subs. I love Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1:1 Baking Flour, and Miyokos plant based butter is the best dairy free butter in brick form. These are both 1:1 ratio subs, which means you use the same measurements as you would the full gluten or full dairy alternatives. The flavor on both is so similar, I doubt anyone would even realize you subbed out either! You will also want to ensure that you choose gluten free oats, like this Bob’s Red Mill one, as even though oats are naturally gluten free, some brands do not ensure that cross contamination hasn’t happened. If you are sensitive to trace gluten, it’s best to be sure and pick a brand that boasts no cross contaminants.
I hope you love these cookies, and tag me if you make them! -> #HHBBAKES
XO,
Heather
Other Favorite Cookie Recipes
Browned Butter Double Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
Dark Chocolate Espresso Chip Cookies
The Best Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies
Monster Cookies, HHB Edition
Ingredients
- ½ cup, 1 stick, salted butter, softened
- ½ cup packed dark brown sugar (light or golden would work too)
- 2 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- ¼ cup all natural creamy peanut butter
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 ¼ cups all purpose flour
- 1 cup old fashioned oats, uncooked
- 1 cup chocolate chips of choice
- 1 cup M&M’s
Instructions
- Combine butter, sugars, peanut butter, and eggs. Mix for about 15 seconds.
- Add remainder of ingredients except for chocolate chips and m&m’s, and mix well. Gently fold in chocolate chips and m&m’s.
- Drop by 2 tablespoon cookie scoops onto a nonstick baking sheet, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 375°. Bake cookies for 10-12 minutes.
- Allow cookies to cool for five minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to four days at room temperature. Makes about 14 cookies. Enjoy!
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