Description

These festive Christmas Monster Cookies combine the chewy goodness of oats, peanut butter, and chocolate chips with colorful red and green holiday M&M’s for a fun and delicious treat perfect for the holiday season. Softened butter and sugars create a light and fluffy base, while chilling the dough ensures perfect texture. With a quick 9-minute bake time, these cookies are easy to make and sure to delight any holiday gathering.

Ingredients

Scale

Base Ingredients

1/2 cup Unsalted Butter (softened)
1/2 cup Brown Sugar
1/2 cup Sugar
1/2 cup Creamy Peanut Butter (like Skippy’s or Jif)
1 large Egg
2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract

Dry Ingredients

3/4 cup Rolled Oats
1 cup Flour
1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
1/4 teaspoon Salt

Add-ins

1 cup Red and Green Holiday M&M’s (divided: 3/4 cup in dough, 1/4 cup for topping)
3/4 cup Chocolate Chips

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Instructions

Cream Butter and Sugars: In a large mixing bowl, cream together the softened unsalted butter, brown sugar, and sugar using a mixer for about 4 minutes until the mixture is light and fluffy, ensuring a smooth texture for the cookie dough.
Add Wet Ingredients: Incorporate the creamy peanut butter, one large egg, and vanilla extract into the creamed mixture. Beat everything together for an additional 1 minute to blend all ingredients uniformly.
Fold in Dry Ingredients and Add-ins: Gently fold in the rolled oats, flour, baking soda, and salt into the wet mixture until just combined to avoid overmixing. Then fold in 3/4 cup of red and green holiday M&M’s and all of the chocolate chips, reserving 1/4 cup of M&M’s for topping after baking.
Chill the Dough: Tightly wrap the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes. This step helps to firm up the dough, making it easier to handle and improving cookie texture.
Preheat and Scoop: Once chilled, preheat the oven to 365°F (185°C). Use a cookie scoop or spoon to place dough mounds onto a light-colored baking sheet, spacing them at least two inches apart to allow for spreading.
Bake: Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 9-10 minutes or until edges are lightly golden and centers are set but still soft.
Add Toppings and Cool: Immediately upon removing the baking sheet from the oven, lightly press the reserved 1/4 cup of holiday M&M’s into the tops of the warm cookies for a festive appearance. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5-10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack or serving.

Notes

Using light-colored baking sheets helps prevent cookies from browning too quickly on the bottom.
Chilling the dough is essential for thicker, chewier cookies and easier handling.
Feel free to substitute peanut butter with almond or cashew butter for a different flavor.
For crispier cookies, bake an extra 1-2 minutes but be cautious not to overbake.
Ensure the butter is properly softened to achieve the right creaming consistency.