Monster Cookies

posted by Andrea | 04/4/2019

Today’s post is an updated repost from July, 2010.

Our family loves almost any type of cookie, but Monster Cookies are our all-time favorites — probably because they combine all our favorite things into one cookie (chocolate chips, M&M’s, peanut butter, and oatmeal!)

I’ve tried several different recipes in the past, but so far, this one is my favorite. It was given to me from a woman at church many years ago (with permission to share).

This recipe makes 12 dozen LARGE cookies — it’s a biggie, one might even say it’s a “monstrous batch” of cookies! 🙂

I was never able to make a full batch before as I didn’t have a stand mixer — so I’d make a half (or even a quarter) batch at a time and call it good. 

HOWEVER, when I got the NutriMill Artiste Stand Mixer a few months ago, I knew exactly what recipe I wanted to make first — a FULL batch of monster cookie dough! 

The mixer combined this ginormous batch of dough with ease — it was SO fun for the kids (and for me) to watch it mix everything so quickly and perfectly, with NO effort from me! 

Maybe I waited a little too long to finally get a stand mixer! 🙂

Of course, if you don’t have a stand mixer that can accommodate 12 dozen cookies, you can easily cut the recipe in half. If you’re feeling ambitious, make all 12 dozen (or even double it and go for 24 dozen!)

I dare ya! 

Recipe for Monster Cookies

makes 12 dozen cookies

{print recipe}

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 c. (2 sticks) softened butter
  • 1.5 c. peanut butter
  • 2 c. brown sugar
  • 2 c. white sugar
  • 6 eggs
  • 1 T. vanilla extract
  • 1 T. light corn syrup
  • 4 t. baking soda
  • 9 c. oats 
  • 1.5 c. semisweet chocolate chips
  • 1.5 c. M&M’s
  • 1 c. nuts (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

  • Preheat oven to 350ºF degrees.
  • In a VERY large bowl, cream butter, peanut butter & sugars until well blended
  • Add eggs and mix well
  • Mix in the vanilla, corn syrup, and baking soda until well blended
  • Mix in the oats (two cups at a time)
  • Mix in chocolate chips, M&M’s, and nuts 
  • Cover cookie sheets with parchment paper (this is essential to thick, chewy cookies)
  • Place large scoops of dough on the cookie sheets 2 inches apart
  • Bake for 12-14 minutes or until set and edges are slightly brown
  • Let cool for 2-3 minutes on cookie sheets, then slide parchment paper off sheets and onto a cool counter for another 10 minutes
  • Transfer cookies to cooling rack until completely cooled. Then freeze or store in airtight container. 

I rarely ever bake all 12 dozen cookies at one time — maybe 3 or 4 dozen right away, and then I freeze a bunch of cookie dough for later. 

For freshly-baked cookies at a moment’s notice, I flash-freeze balls of cookie dough on parchment paper, then put them into a ziptop bag in the freezer. I can simply pull out 6 balls and bake them with dinner for a fresh-from-the-oven dessert with no hassle or clean-up!

Another option to use up ALLLLL these cookies is to make Monster Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches by spreading slightly softened ice cream between two cookies, and then rolling the cookies in chocolate chips, M&M’s or sprinkles.

They are AMAZING!!

In my opinion, this recipe for monster cookies is definitely worth the effort, but if you’re looking for a quicker (and smaller) recipe, click here for my “Simple Monster Cookie” recipe.

What are your favorite cookies?

Visit my virtual recipe box for more simple, delicious, family friendly, recipes!

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28 comments

  1. Robyn Norbeck

    04/14/2019

    Made these this weekend! The only thing i can’t figure out is my batch only made 70 cookie dough balls for the freezer. A far cry from your 144! I didn’t even feel like I made the dough balls very big, maybe 2 tbsps? I know your recipe even says to place large scoops on the tray-I am just wondering if you know how big they are. I can’t believe I only got half the amount you got.

    [Reply]

    Andrea Reply:
    April 15th, 2019 at 9:06 am

    crazy — your scoop must be bigger than mine! I was actually thinking I should change the post to say exactly what scoop I use. Now that I have kids, I no longer use a “large scoop” but rather a smaller scoop since they can’t eat as big of cookies!

    my scoop is probably only 1″ in diameter — and I regularly get 11-12 dozen cookies from that (I just made another batch on Saturday and put almost all of the cookie dough balls in the freezer)

    hope this helps!

    [Reply]

  2. Tracy

    04/04/2019

    My mom made these when I was little! I’d lost the recipe!

    [Reply]

    Andrea Reply:
    April 5th, 2019 at 8:21 am

    well now you “found” the recipe again — yay!!! make them soon!

    [Reply]

  3. Christina

    04/04/2019

    Looks delicious! I noticed in a couple pictures that you have cookie dough in a storage container. Do you store dough in the fridge to use through the week? Does it hold up? I typically flash freeze cookie dough balls, but the thought of sometime just storing the dough in the fridge to make through the week would be great!

    [Reply]

    Andrea Reply:
    April 4th, 2019 at 9:12 pm

    I freeze containers of dough for making cookie bars and big batches of cookies, but I also freeze dough balls for making just a few cookies at a time.
    However, you could definitely keep it in the fridge for a week!

    [Reply]

  4. Allison

    04/04/2019

    I was going to make regular chocolate chip cookies with my kids today but this post just changed my mind! Can’t wait to try these, thanks for the recipe!

    [Reply]

    Andrea Reply:
    April 4th, 2019 at 9:13 pm

    hope you loved them!

    [Reply]

  5. Donna

    04/04/2019

    My husband and I love monster cookies with coffee or hot chocolate. They hold up so well to dunking. I use the mini chocolate chips and mini M&M’s. I usually bake a dozen and freeze the rest like you do.

    [Reply]

    Andrea Reply:
    April 4th, 2019 at 9:13 pm

    YES! they are the best for dunking! My beverage of choice is milk though 🙂

    [Reply]

  6. Kim

    08/29/2016

    What’s the difference in the oats and do you have a suggestion for the peanut butter? My son hates it.

    [Reply]

    Andrea Reply:
    August 29th, 2016 at 11:35 am

    wow — how do you “hate” peanut butter 🙂
    I guess try another type of “nut butter” or even biscoff spread.
    As for the oats, if you use traditional oats, the cookies will be more “flimsy” and more easily fall apart in your hand. They still taste amazing, but in my experience, the quick oats help to hold the cookies together much better!

    [Reply]

  7. Erin Sayes

    11/28/2015

    Hello! I’ve been enjoying your site for a few years now off and on…I am a fellow Michigander over here on the East side of the state 🙂

    I would love to try this recipe. Any idea on a substitute for the corn syrup?

    Many thanks
    Erin

    [Reply]

    Andrea Reply:
    November 28th, 2015 at 8:28 pm

    well, I’d probably just leave it out — but why do you need a substitution? Can you not find it at your grocery store?

    Hope you love them as much as we do 🙂

    [Reply]

    Erin Reply:
    November 29th, 2015 at 6:43 pm

    I am just picky about using as much whole unprocessed food ingredients and corn syrup is on that list! I’ll let you know how they turn out without the syrup.

    [Reply]

    Barbara Reply:
    April 4th, 2019 at 12:26 pm

    I would use honey in place of the corn syrup. I would be tempted to try maple syrup, keeping in mind that it has a different consistency than honey or corn syrup. I’m with you, on avoiding high fructose corn syrup !

    [Reply]

    Andrea Reply:
    April 4th, 2019 at 9:11 pm

    good idea!

    [Reply]

  8. Lynne

    12/22/2014

    Have you frozen the dough or only the baked cookies? 12 dozen is a lot of cookies! Can’t wait to try them!

    [Reply]

    Andrea Reply:
    December 22nd, 2014 at 7:21 pm

    Yes I freeze cookie dough ALLLLL the time 🙂

    Also, you can easily make a 1/2 batch or even a 1/4 batch if you’d prefer to make fewer cookies

    [Reply]

  9. Tara

    03/11/2014

    We are making these today! How do you freeze them? Thanks for the awesome recipes!

    [Reply]

    Andrea Reply:
    March 11th, 2014 at 11:26 am

    no instructions… just put them in some type of bag or container and pop into the freezer!

    [Reply]

  10. Tanya

    03/11/2014

    I made these for a wrestling tournament and the became the team favorite. No tournament was complete without monster cookies! Great recipe.

    [Reply]

    Andrea Reply:
    March 11th, 2014 at 11:26 am

    I can believe that!! The Monster Cookies really are THAT good 🙂

    [Reply]

  11. janet

    08/08/2013

    I thought you might find it interesting that this recipe is in the Southern Living 1984 annual recipe book that I have. It is written up for a smaller batch otherwise the same and says use a 1/4 cup of dough for each cookie

    [Reply]

  12. Julie Hinds

    04/15/2013

    I use the same recipe! A simple change in texture is to grind the oats in the blender, pulse till like course flour, it really changes the recipe, taste is more intensified, also helps for kids who don’t like the oat texture. It’s a great gulten-free recipe, or at least no flour!

    [Reply]

  13. Recipe: M&M Candy Cookies

    02/26/2013

    […] I like my cookies sweet and simple, but if you’re looking for a little bit more to yours, Simple Organized Living has a yummy looking recipe for Monster Cookies. […]

  14. Richelle vanderwal

    03/26/2011

    Which blade do you use to mix the cookie dough?

    [Reply]

    Andrea Reply:
    March 26th, 2011 at 1:27 pm

    I just use the “normal” blade — not the dough hook or the whisk.

    [Reply]