Christmas Monster Cookies
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These Christmas monster cookies are made with peanut butter, oats, M&Ms, and white chocolate chips. They are the perfect addition to your holiday baking platter. Kids and adults love the chocolate and peanut butter, as well as the colorful green and red candies!
This is the season for baking! I love baking delicious desserts for the holiday season, like this easy cranberry cake or my maple almond apple cake. I always enjoy creating creative cookie lists to share for the season.
This year, I’ve added a new cookie to my collection, and I’m excited for you to try it. These Christmas monster cookies are decorated with green and red M&M’s and holiday sprinkles, along with white chocolate chips, for a cute and eye-catching touch on the cookie platter! Plus, the taste is unbeatable. The flavor of chocolate plus peanut butter is an all-time favorite.
- Quick-Cooking Oats: I like the subtle texture of quick-cooking oats in these Christmas monster cookies. If you prefer a chewier cookie or only have old-fashioned rolled oats, they will work too.
- Smooth Peanut Butter: I prefer using natural, salted peanut butter without any added emulsifiers, sweeteners, or fats for these cookies. Take a look at your jar, and the ingredients should be peanuts and salt. I like the Teddy brand for baking.
- Dark Brown Sugar and White Sugar: To make these cookies soft and slightly chewy, I use a blend of white granulated sugar and dark brown sugar. I like the rich color and flavor that the dark brown sugar adds to the dough. Brown sugar contains molasses, which helps baked goods stay tender and moist. The resulting cookies are softer and chewier.
- Red and Green M&M’s: Like traditional monster cookies, I use M&M candies here. Today, I chose green and red for a holiday flair. Take note, there are now several types of holiday M&M’s on the market. I like the traditional chocolate-filled ones best, as they contrast nicely with the white chocolate chips and peanut butter cookie dough.
Step-by-step instructions
Before you begin, arrange oven racks so they are evenly spaced in the upper and lower thirds of the oven. Preheat your oven to 350°F and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
Step 1: Using an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on high speed, cream the softened butter and both sugars until smooth. Add in peanut butter and beat until smooth. Scrape the sides, and with the motor running, add the eggs one at a time. Beat in vanilla.
Step 2: Make the dry mix: Whisk flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl.
Step 3: Add the dry mix to the butter mixture and beat on low until just combined.
Step 4: Stir candies and white chocolate chips into the dough (reserve a small handful of each for decorating the tops of the cookies if desired).
Step 5: Scoop the mixture into 2-tablespoon portions and roll into balls. Arrange the cookies on the baking sheets, leaving about 1 ½ inches of space between each cookie. I prefer to use a cookie scoop for this.
Step 6: Press the balls down slightly and decorate with the reserved candies, chips, and holiday sprinkles. Bake, rotating the pans once until the cookies are just barely set (they will look undercooked), 12 to 14 minutes. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 3 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Christmas Monster Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter (softened)
- ½ cup brown sugar (preferably dark)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¾ cup creamy natural peanut butter
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ¼ cups quick-cooking oats
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup red and green M&M candies
- 1 cup white chocolate chips
- 1 tablespoon holiday sprinkles
Instructions
- Arrange oven racks so they are evenly spaced in the upper and lower thirds of the oven. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line two large baking sheets with parchment.
- Cream butter and sugars with an electric mixer on high until completely smooth. Add in peanut butter and beat until smooth. Scrape sides and with the motor running, add in eggs, one at a time. Beat in vanilla.½ cup unsalted butter, ½ cup brown sugar, ¼ cup granulated sugar, ¾ cup creamy natural peanut butter, 2 large eggs, 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- Whisk flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in a medium bowl.1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour, 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon salt, 1 ¼ cups quick-cooking oats
- Add the dry mix to the butter mixture and beat on low until just combined.
- Stir candies and white chocolate chips into the dough (reserve a small handful of each for decorating the tops of the cookies if desired.)1 cup red and green M&M candies, 1 cup white chocolate chips
- Scoop by 2 tablespoon portions and roll into balls. Arrange on the baking sheets, allowing for the cookies to spread (about 1 ½ inch between balls.)
- Press the balls down slightly, and decorate with the reserved candies and chips and holiday sprinkles. Bake, rotating the pans once until the cookies are just barely set (they will look undercooked), 12 to 14 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheets for three minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool.1 tablespoon holiday sprinkles
Notes
Nutrition
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Oh wow…these are so colorful, vibrant and yum. Perfect for the festive season and these will make the perfect edible gift to loved ones.
My kids LOVED these! Will definitely make again. Thank you! 🙂
Delicious cookies, loved this recipe and will definitely make again!
These cookies are fun: fun to make and fun to eat!! And I don’t see that we should make them for Christmas. So I made them with my nieces this morning: they turned out perfect!!