Valentine Monster Cookies - soft and chewy peanut butter-oatmeal cookies stuffed with chocolate chips and M&M's Milk Chocolate Candies with a Valentine's Day twist.
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I decided this year is going to be the year that I pare down my baking bucket list. As part of this paring-down process, I am going through the seemingly endless magazine articles, cookbooks, and baking idea lists and just hammering out the recipes. One of the recipes I have been desperate to conquer is Monster Cookies.
Monster Cookies are a peanut butter cookie, an oatmeal cookie, a chocolate chip cookie, and an M&M's cookie all rolled into one mother-of-a-cookie monster cookie. I am not sure where this cookie gained its name; IMO it should be a kitchen sink cookie because it's got ALL THE STUFF inside it.
Now let's unpack these delicious cookies!
Monster Cookies are not a simple cookie. Peanut butter cookies don't tend to spread much, and the amount of "stuff" in these cookies can make what has the potential to be a fantastic cookie a crumbly ball that's just not living up to its potential. Fortunately, after several attempts at conquering these bad boys, I found the perfect combination of ingredients to create soft and chewy Monster Cookie perfection.
These peanut butter-oatmeal cookies have the perfect ratio of peanut butter to old fashioned oats to create a delightful soft and chewy not crumbly cookie. The balance of chocolate chips and M&M's candies also ensures that these cookies won't fall apart.
It is not recommended to use natural peanut butter for these cookies as it throws off the marriage of the ingredients.
As a further bonus, this cookie recipe does NOT require the cookie dough to be refrigerated. You'll be able to over indulge in the cookie deliciousness immediately after baking.
The Valentine's Day twist to these Monster Cookies is incorporating M&M's Cupid's Mix Milk Chocolate Candies instead of your standard M&M's Milk Chocolate Candies. This is a fun and colorful way of incorporating any theme or holiday into these Monster Cookies, just change the color of the M&M's candies.
The holiday theme/color possibilities are really endless with M&M's having such a large color palette. That being said, keep to the M&M's Milk Chocolate Candies for this recipe as the other M&M's varieties (e.g. peanut butter M&M's) are too large for these monsters.
As a final trick to perfect Valentine Monster Cookies be sure to use the bottom of a cup to flatten the cookies a bit before you bake them. Peanut butter cookies don't spread much, so flattening with the cup with give them a nice cookie shape and ensure they bake to perfection. If you find your cookie dough sticking to the bottom of the cup then dip it into granulated sugar first; this will alleviate the sticking.
This Valentine's Day give the gift of Valentine Monster Cookies to your sweetheart, especially if your sweetheart is you, because nothing says "I ♥️ you" like a cookie that's four different cookies rolled into one.
Valentine Monster Cookies
Ingredients
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup old-fashioned oats uncooked
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar, packed
- ¾ cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ½ cup M&M's Cupid's Mix Milk Chocolate Candies, plus more for tops of cookies
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F degrees.
- In a medium-size bowl, whisk together flour, old fashioned oats, and baking soda. Set aside.
- In a large bowl using an electric mixer, cream together butter and sugars on medium speed; until light and fluffy. Add peanut butter, vanilla extract, and egg; mix until combined.
- Slowly add flour mixture to wet ingredients; mix just until combined. Fold in semi-sweet chocolate chips and M&M's Milk Chocolate Candies.
- Scoop dough into 2 teaspoon balls, or use a #40 disher to scoop balls of dough. Place dough on an ungreased baking sheet or silicone mat/parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Slightly flatten dough balls with the bottom of a cup and add a few M&M's candies on top.
- Bake 12-14 minutes or until barely golden brown around the edges. Do not overbake. The tops will not brown. Cookies may appear to be soft and undone, but they will set as they cool.
- Cool cookies on baking sheet for 5 minutes; transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Eat & Enjoy!
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