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Irresistible Gluten Free Monster Cookies are packed with peanut butter flavor, hearty oats, nuts, mini M&M’s, dark chocolate chips, and coconut. This healthier treat is a more nutritious version of the beloved classic! A favorite for kids and adults!
Easy Monster Cookies are like a combination of our favorite cookies! They have peanut butter, chocolate chips, and M&M’s, and they are so delicious, you won’t be able to stop eating them! They’re easy to make too… you only need one bowl, and no chill time is required, plop them onto a cookie sheet and they’re ready to bake! They are perfectly soft, with melty chocolate and a hearty texture!
This irresistible treat is perfect for the holidays, parties, cookie cravings, or an after-school snack. They’re also easy to change up for the holidays with different colored M&Ms!
Why you’ll love these cookies
- Fun mix-ins: Peanut butter, oats, chocolate chips, coconut, nuts and M&M’s come together for the BEST monster cookies!
- Easy to make: These require common baking ingredients with no chill time. They can be ready to enjoy in just 30 minutes.
- Freezer-friendly: These store well, and you can even freeze the dough or the baked cookies. Keep a stash in the freezer for homemade cookies anytime!
Ingredients needed
This gluten-free monster cookies recipe is a fun twist on your everyday chocolate chip oatmeal cookies! Packed with texture, from the tender cookies to the hearty oats and crunchy candies and nuts, these are perfection. Here’s everything you’ll need to make them:
- Peanut butter: Use natural peanut butter for that classic flavor, or change it up and use almond butter or cashew butter.
- Eggs: Two eggs will ensure these cookies bake properly.
- Coconut oil: Provides the perfect amount of moisture.
- Sugar: Use either coconut sugar or brown sugar for the perfect amount of sweetness.
- Rolled oats: Old-fashioned rolled oats provide such wonderful texture.
- Baking essentials: Baking powder and baking soda for the perfect rise and chewy texture.
- Cinnamon and vanilla: Will add extra delicious flavor.
- Mini M&M’s: We like using the mini M&M’s because they get dispersed throughout the dough better than the regular size. However, you may use chopped up regular M&M’s.
- Chopped nuts: Chopped pecans, walnuts or almonds add a nutty crunch.
- Chocolate chips: We like mini dark chocolate chips, but any chocolate chips will work great.
- Unsweetened shredded coconut: Adds extra texture and flavor. If you’re not a fan of coconut, feel free to omit it.
How to make this recipe
This M&M monster cookie recipe is simple and you only need one bowl! Plus, there’s no need to chill the dough! Here are the easy steps on how to make these m&m cookies:
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 350ºF and line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
- Mix wet ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, add the peanut butter, eggs, coconut oil, coconut sugar, and vanilla. Mix to combine.
- Add dry ingredients: Next, add in the oats, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon. Mix them together until they are well incorporated.
- Add mix-ins: Fold in the M&M’s (only 1/4 cup-half the amount), nuts, dark chocolate chips, and shredded coconut. Mix again to combine.
- Scoop dough: Using a large spoon or a cookie scoop, scoop even amounts of dough and evenly space them out on the prepared sheet pan.
- Bake: Top the each with the remaining M&Ms. Place the sheet pan in the oven and bake for 11-13 minutes or until they are slightly golden brown.
- Cool: Allow the cookies to cool for about 5-10 minutes and then transfer them to a wire rack to continue cooling for another 10 minutes. Enjoy!
Expert tips
- Bake on parchment: To ensure even baking and nice, thick cookies that don’t spread, we recommend baking on parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- Cookie thickness: Once you place the dough on the pan, you can press then down with your fingers or a spoon before baking for a thinner cookie. If you like your cookies to be more on the thick side, do not flatten the dough.
- Gluten free oats: Oats are naturally gluten free, but sometimes during farming, transportation and storage, they come in contact with gluten-containing grains. To ensure these cookies are gluten free, be sure that your oats have a label indicating they are gluten free.
- Double the recipe: This recipe makes 16 cookies. If you’re feeding a crowd or serving these during the holidays, consider doubling the recipe.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, regular chocolate M&M’s are gluten-free. Most of the other flavors of M&M’s are also gluten-free, except pretzel M&M’s and crispy M&M’s.
This particular cookie recipe makes 16 cookies and each cookie has approximately 235 calories. You can decrease the calories by omitting the nuts and the coconut. See the recipe card for additional nutrition information.
It is important to allow the cookies to set and cool for 10-15 minutes on the cookie sheet before transferring them to a wire rack to cool for another 10 minutes before enjoying. If they do not set completely, the heartiness of the oats and the other add-ins will cause them to easily fall apart.
Variations
We love this monster cookie recipe as written, but feel free to get creative and experiment with your favorite ingredients! Here’s some options:
- Different baking chips: You can sub the dark chocolate chips with white chocolate, semi-sweet chocolate chips, milk chocolate chips or even peanut butter chips.
- M&M’s: Use a different variety of M&M’s. Peanut butter M&M’s would be delicious!
- Nuts: If you’re not a fan of nuts, feel free to omit them. Or use any favorite nut! Pecans, walnuts, almonds or peanuts are all great.
- Oats: You can use 1 cup rolled oats, or for a slightly less oat-y texture use 1/2 cup instant oats and 1/2 cup rolled oats.
Storage recommendations
- To store: These can be kept at room temperature for the first day or two, then store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 to 7 days.
- To freeze: Allow the cookies to completely cool, and then transfer them to an airtight container lined with wax or parchment paper or freezer-safe bag before storing them in the freezer for up to 2 months. Once ready to eat, simply thaw at room temperature.
More cookie recipes to try
- Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies
- Brownie Cookies
- Apple Oatmeal Cookies
- Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies
- Carrot Cake Cookies
- Easy Peanut Butter Cookies
- Healthy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
- Gluten Free Snickerdoodle Cookies
If you try a recipe and you like it, leave us some feedback in the comment section below, and don’t forget to rate it! We would love it if you shared it with friends and family.
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Gluten Free Monster Cookies
Equipment
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Sheet Pan
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Parchment paper
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Bowl
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Scooper
Ingredients
- 1 cup natural creamy peanut butter, or another nut butter like almond butter
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- 1/2 cup coconut sugar or brown sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup rolled oats, or use 1/2 cup instant oats and 1/2 cup rolled oats
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp cinnamon
Add ons:
- 1/2 cup mini M&M’s, divided
- ¼ cup chopped pecans, or you may use walnuts or crushed almonds
- ¼ cup mini dark chocolate chips
- ¼ cup unsweetened shredded coconut
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 350ºF and line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
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In a large mixing bowl, add the peanut butter, eggs, coconut oil, coconut sugar, and vanilla. Mix to combine.
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Next, add in the oats, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon. Mix them together until they are well incorporated.
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Fold in the M&M’s (only 1/4 cup-half the amount), nuts, dark chocolate chips, and shredded coconut. Mix again to combine.
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Using a large spoon or a cookie scoop, scoop even amounts of dough and evenly space them out on the prepared sheet pan.
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Top the each with the remaining M&M’s. (see note)
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Place the sheet pan in the oven and bake for 11-13 minutes or until they are slightly golden brown.
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Allow the cookies to cool for about 5-10 minutes and then transfer them to a wire rack to continue cooling for another 10 minutes. Enjoy!
Notes
- Once you place the dough on the pan, you can press then down with your fingers or a spoon before baking for a thinner cookie. If you like your cookies to be more on the thick side, do not flatten the dough.
- Please allow the cookies to cool before transferring and eating, or else they will break and fall apart.
- If you do not have mini M&Ms you may chop regular M&Ms into smaller sizes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
