Halloween Monster Cookies

Monster cookies get their moniker because of their size not because they hide under someone’s bed. A true monster cookie is a mix of oatmeal and peanut butter usually featuring M&M’s. It’s neither an oatmeal cookie nor a peanut butter version, but a nicely balanced combination of each with candy wedged inside. So while their name may speak to Halloween, they’re a great cookie for all year. It’s why you’re going to want keep this recipe handy.

Halloween Monster Cookies

Not just a monster of a cookie because of the size but for its peanut buttery flavour. They also have great texture with the addition of oats and your favorite candy bits. These cookies have everything but the glass of milk.

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Servings: 18 cookies

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 1/2 cup 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup peanut butter or seed butter
• 1 large egg
• 2 tsps real vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups quick cook oats
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp corn starch
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 cup chopped Halloween candy mix
• 1 cup smarties

Method

 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer) cream together the butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and peanut butter until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes
3. Mix in the egg and vanilla, scraping down the sides as necessary.
4. In a separate medium size bowl, whisk the oats, flour, baking soda, cornstarch, baking powder and salt.
5. With your mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients to the wet in two additions.
6. Stir in chopped Halloween candy and Smarties.
7. Place dough in the refrigerator for 10 minutes. (This step will make creating the balls easier if you’re using your hands. If your dough gets too warm, it will also keep the cookies from spreading during baking.)
8. Using an ice cream scoop or your hands, form golf ball-size rounds and place on prepared baking sheets.
9. Bake cookies for 7-9 minutes or until edges start to brown but middle looks slightly under-baked. Allow cookies to cool for 5 minutes before transferring to wire rack to cool completely. 

Notes

You can store cookies in an airtight baggie or container for 7 days.

You can store balls of dough in the freezer for treats on another day. To do, roll balls and set on cookie sheet. Place cookie sheet in the freezer for 30 minutes and then transfer balls into freezer bags. Allow balls to defrost 20 minutes on the counter before baking. 

My version here is a monster candy bomb because, in addition to Smarties, I also add a cups worth of chopped Halloween candy. I cut up two mini Snickers, a regular store-size Kit Kat and even added some mini chocolate chips. You can use whatever candy your family wants in their cookie. I won’t be bossy about that detail. However, I will insist that you try these. I also recommend you bake half the dough and freeze the other half. You don’t know how good it is to have cookies ready to roll in the freezer until it’s January of a pandemic. I can speak from experience (except it was an April) of how lifesaving this stash can be.