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 cookie to add to your holiday baking platter! Kids and adults love the chocolate and peanut butter, and colorful green and red candies!
Why We Love These Christmas Monster Cookies
This is the season for baking! We love baking delicious desserts for the holiday season, like this easy cranberry cake or the classic Canadian Christmas treat nanaimo bars. And we always love to come up with a creative list of cookies to share for the season.
This year we have added a new cookie to our collection, and we are so excited for you to try them. These Christmas Monster Cookies are decorated with green and red M&M's and holiday sprinkles plus white chocolate chips for a cute and eye-catching pop of color on the cookie platter! Plus the taste cannot be beaten! The flavor of chocolate plus peanut butter is an all-time favorite.
For an added holiday twist on the classic flavors of monster cookies, we added in a touch of cinnamon too which goes so well with the sweet white chocolate and vanilla.
These cookies are very simple to prepare. There is no special technique to roll or cut them, or need to chill the dough so they are a great recipe to make with kids!
Quick Cooking Oats
We like the subtle texture of quick-cooking oats for these Christmas monster cookies. If you like a chewier cookie, or only have old-fashioned rolled oats, they will work, too.
Smooth Peanut Butter
As with our gluten-free peanut butter cookies and our chewy peanut butter cookies, we like to use natural salted peanut butter without any additional emulsifiers, sweeteners, or fats for these monster cookies. Take a look at your jar and the ingredients should just be peanuts and salt. We like Teddy brand for baking.
Dark Brown Sugar and White Sugar
To help make these cookies soft and a little chewy, we used a blend of white granulated sugar and dark brown sugar. We like the rich color and flavor that the dark brown sugar adds to the dough. Brown sugar has molasses in it, which helps baked goods stay tender and moist. The resulting cookies are softer and chewier.
White Chocolate Chips
We love the way the white chocolate chips look and taste in the blend of these cookies. They add sweetness, creaminess, and contrast with the green and red candies.
Red and Green M&M's
As with traditional monster cookies, we used M&M's candies here. Today we chose green and red for a holiday flair. Take note, there are several types of holiday M&M's on the market now. We like the traditional chocolate-filled ones best to contrast with the white chocolate chips and peanut butter cookie dough.
Holiday Sprinkles
Though these cookies work just great without holiday sprinkles, we really love the over-the-top look of the cookies with the addition of red and green candy sprinkles. We found these in the baking aisle of the supermarket. They are also available online and in the baking section of craft or party stores.
Additional Ingredients in Christmas monster cookies
- softened unsalted butter
- eggs
- vanilla extract
- all-purpose flour
- baking powder
- baking soda
- cinnamon
- salt
Step-by-step instructions to make Christmas Monster Cookies
Before you begin, arrange oven racks, so they are evenly spaced in the upper and lower third of the oven. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment.
Step 1: Cream the butter, sugar, and peanut butter
Cream softened butter and both sugars with an electric mixer with the paddle attachment 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.
Step 2: Make the dry mix
Whisk flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl.
Step 3: Combine the mixtures
Add the dry mix to the butter mixture and beat on low until just combined.
Step 4: Add the candies and white chocolate chips
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: Portion the cookie dough
Scoop by 2 tablespoon portions and roll into balls. Arrange on the baking sheets, allowing for the cookies to spread (about 1 Ā½ inch between balls.) We like to use a cookie scoop to do this.
Step 6: Decorate and bake the Christmas monster cookies
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.
Recipe FAQs
Can these be made ahead?
Because these cookies are soft, we found we liked them best within a day or two of baking them. They can also be frozen once they are baked. You can also freeze the unbaked dough. Simply portion them into balls, press them and top them, just as directed, and then freeze the unbaked cookies. Once they are solid, transfer them to a resealable bag and freeze them for up to one month. Let the cookies thaw completely at room temperature (on parchment-lined baking sheets) before baking. They should not be baked from frozen, as they will not spread as well.
Can these be made with maple syrup or honey?
For the best texture, we recommend a granulated sweetener. If you prefer an unrefined sweetener, use Ā¾ cup granulated maple sugar in place of all of the brown and white sugar combined.
What is the best way to store these monster cookies?
Once they are cool, layer them between sheets of wax paper or parchment in cookie tins, and keep them at room temperature. Do not refrigerate. They can be frozen for up to one month.
More Christmas baking recipes to try this season
If you are looking for more baking projects this holiday season, try our Healthy Maple Almond Apple Cake which gets better and better! The maple and apple make the cake so moist and delicious so it is great for entertaining during the holidays because it can be done ahead.
These recipes for Melt In Your Mouth Shortbread are so tender! You will love the texture and buttery taste.
Our recipe for Peppermint Bark Brownies makes a nice contrast for a cookie collection.
We love the combination of white chocolate and cranberry together. Try this White Chocolate Cranberry Mini Cheesecake recipe. Also, these simple White Chocolate Cranberry Butter Cookies are so easy, just slice and bake!
Searching for more ideas? Check out our collection of 25 Holiday Cookies!
Thanks so much for reading! If you make these cookies, please come back and let me know by leaving a star rating and review. Happy Cooking! ~Katie
Christmas Monster Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
- Ā½ cup unsalted butter (softened)
- Ā½ cup brown sugar (preferably dark)
- Ā¼ cup granulated sugar
- Ā¾ cup creamy natural peanut butter
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 Ā¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 Ā¼ cups quick-cooking oats
- 1 Ā½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- Ā½ teaspoon cinnamon
- Ā¼ 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 third of the oven. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 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.Ā½ cup unsalted butter, Ā½ cup brown sugar, Ā¼ cup granulated sugar, Ā¾ 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 Ā¼ cups all-purpose flour, 1 Ā½ teaspoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, Ā½ teaspoon cinnamon, Ā¼ teaspoon salt, 1 Ā¼ 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 Ā½ 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
Make-Ahead Tips
Because these cookies are soft, we found we liked them best within a day or two of baking them. They can also be frozen once they are baked. You can also freeze the unbaked dough. Simply portion them into balls, press them and top them, just as directed, and then freeze the unbaked cookies. Once they are solid, transfer them to a resealable bag and freeze for up to one month. Let the cookies thaw completely at room temperature (on parchment-lined baking sheets) before baking. They should not be baked from frozen, as they will not spread as well.Nutrition
We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.
For more inspiration, check out all of our cookie recipes!
