Christmas Monster Cookies
Chewy peanut butter oatmeal cookies loaded with chocolate chips and festive red and green M&Ms, baked until golden.
Ingredients
- 1 cup light brown sugar packed, 220g
- 1 cup granulated sugar 200g
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened, 113g
- 1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter 385g
- 3 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 60g
- 4 1/2 cups quick-cooking oats 400g
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips 170g
- 1 cup red and green M&M's candies divided, 200g
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, use an electric mixer on medium speed to beat the brown sugar, granulated sugar, softened butter, and peanut butter until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each one. Mix in the vanilla extract until combined.
- In a separate small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Add this to the peanut butter mixture and mix on low speed until just incorporated. Do not overmix.
- Using a spatula or wooden spoon, stir in the quick-cooking oats until evenly distributed. Gently fold in the chocolate chips and about three-quarters of the M&M's.
- Scoop dough by heaping 3-tablespoon portions (a large cookie scoop works well) onto the prepared baking sheets. Space them about 2 inches apart.
- Gently flatten each ball of dough with your palm or the bottom of a glass. Press the remaining M&M's onto the tops of the cookies.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the edges are set and light golden brown. The centers will still look soft.
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. This step is important to let them set. Then, transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
For a chewy texture, remove the cookies from the oven when the centers are still soft. They will continue to firm up as they cool on the pan.
Using quick-cooking oats is important for the texture of this recipe. Old-fashioned rolled oats can result in a drier, tougher cookie.
These cookies are large and delicate when hot. Allowing them to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes prevents them from breaking when you move them.
For food safety, dishes containing eggs should be cooked until an internal temperature of 160°F (71°C) is reached.