These monster cookies are the classic oatmeal peanut butter cookies all dressed up for Christmas with red and green M&M’s, white chocolate chips and holiday sprinkles. A fun and festive treat for cookie exchanges and gift giving!
It’s Christmas cookie time again, and along with my stained glass cookies and spritz cookies, these Christmas monster cookies are on my must-make list every year.
You’ve heard of monster cookies, right? Those oatmeal-peanut butter-M&M-chocolate chip delights? This is a holiday version of the popular classic and I have to say, I like it even better than the original version.
How do you make monster cookies?
This is a pretty standard cookie dough with flour, two types of sugar, peanut butter and rolled oats. It’s the add-ins that make this recipe special. I’ve used holiday colored M&M’s and white chocolate chips to get these little guys ready for Christmas!
The cookie dough gets scooped out into balls and then topped with holiday sprinkles for another layer of festivity before they head to the oven. The end result is a soft and chewy cookie that’s packed with amazing flavors. You won’t be able to eat just one!
Tips for monster cookies
- For the prettiest cookies, press some extra M&M’s and white chocolate chips into the tops of the balls of dough before baking. It’s a bit of a tight fit with the sprinkles in the mix too, but it’s totally worth it for a beautiful end result.
- Not a fan of white chocolate chips? Feel free to substitute the more traditional semisweet chocolate chips.
- Use a cookie scoop or a tablespoon measure to make sure all of your cookies are the same size
- The cookie dough can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days before baking. If you’re planning to make your dough ahead of time, you may want to omit the M&M’s and add them just before baking so that the color from the candies doesn’t stain the dough if it’s in the fridge for a while.
Can you freeze baked cookies?
These monster cookies are a great candidate for the freezer. Simply place the cookies in a single layer in a resealable bag, then freeze until solid. When you’re ready to eat your cookies, take the from the freezer and let them sit at room temperature until they’re soft.
These Christmas monster cookies are the perfect thing to take to a cookie exchange because they’re so unique. I also like to package them up in gift tins or cellophane bags to give to teachers, friends and family. Everyone who tries these cookies asks me for the recipe!
More holiday treats
Monster Cookies Video
Monster Cookies (Christmas Version)
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter softened
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 1/4 cups rolled oats
- 1 cup holiday M&M's plus more for tops of cookies
- 1/2 cup white chocolate chips plus more for tops of cookies
- 1/3 cup holiday sprinkles
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Line a sheet pan with a piece of parchment paper or silicon baking mat
- Place the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar in the bowl of a mixer. Beat until light and fluffy, 1-2 minutes.
- Add the egg, peanut butter and vanilla to the bowl and mix until combined
- Add the flour and baking soda to the bowl and mix until just combined. Stir in the oats.
- Add the M&M's and white chocolate chips to the bowl and gently fold them into the dough.
- Make 2 tablespoon sized balls of cookie dough and place them 2 inches apart on the prepared sheet pan. You will need to bake the cookies in batches.
- Press the top of each cookie dough ball into the sprinkles.
- Press a few M&M's and white chocolate chips onto the top of each cookie dough ball.
- Bake for 11-13 minutes or until edges are lightly browned.
- Cool the cookies on the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack
- Repeat the process with the remaining cookie dough. Cool all cookies completely then serve.
- Store any leftover cookies in a sealed container for up to 5 days, or you can freeze the cookies for up to 2 months.
Becky says
In the video it shows you added sprinkles to the cookie dough. The recipe says to press them into the ball of dough. Which is it? I plan on making them for Christmas gifts. They look awesome and super easy to make!
Sara says
Thanks for catching that! They come out prettier if you press the tops in sprinkles but either way produces delicious cookies.
Cathy Corell says
can you do the receipe without peanut butter
Sara says
You’d have to substitute almond butter or sunflower butter which is nut free.
Donnie LeBlanc says
Wanted something festive for table and WOW – they are. Thank you.
Sara says
So glad you like them, happy holidays!
Courtney says
Omg can we say yum?!?! I just love Christmas cookies! Must give this recipe a tty!
Ann says
How many cookies does this make
Sara says
24!
Ann says
Thank you for your timely reply. I actually found the answer when I printed the recipe. Looking forward to making these. Happy Holidays and Happy baking.
Jen says
Does this recipe use salted or unsalted butter? Light or dark brown sugar??
Sara says
I used salted butter and light brown sugar!
Justyna Butler says
Anything oatmeal peanut butter will be so worth the drool over ! Yummy!
Romy says
These cookies are super fun & festive. They are totally perfect for a holiday cookie exchange
Vanessa Delia says
My husband and I go back and forth over what the best kind of cookies are. He likes flat and crispy. I am more the fluffy and loaded kind myself. These are right up my alley.
Sam says
These look so yummy! I like how festive they are. It would be hard to stop at one!
Surekha Busa says
These cookies looks so great! I love tmthe idea of green and red m&m’s making it looks like a Christmas cookies! I love peanut butter and oatmeal individually. But baking them together to form a wonderful cookie is a great idea indeed! Love it!
Christa says
Um…if licking phone screens were a thing, I’d be doing that right now. These cookies look absolutely delicious. I love that they’re fun and festive, too!
Annette, 3 Little Buttons says
Mmmm I’ve not heard of these before. I like how they look like little festive baubles 😊 perfect for Christmas!
Shar says
Oh my goodness these are so cute and look absolutely delicious! My kids would go crazy over them 🙂
Terri Steffes says
These are such fun cookies! I love making monster cookies and these holiday ones have me all festive. I cannot wait to share them with our family!
Katie says
These look yummy and so colorful! I’ve been making a few rounds of holiday treats with the kiddos, they love helping too!
Phil says
These look so fantastic! I might have to make some just for me….and maybe not share them 😉
Stacie says
Those look so good! Chunky cookies are my jam. They have SO MUCH good stuff inside them. I can’t wait to make these!
Catherine says
I love how loaded these are! They look fantastic and so pretty with the festive colors!
E-world Cooking says
I like this dish and especially to learn from your article thanks to introducing this great dish. I made it my home and enjoy with my family, they also loved it.