Soft, chewy, and filled with chocolate and peanut butter flavor, these gluten-free monster cookies are mouthwateringly delicious! They use classic baking ingredients and are ready in just 30 minutes.
If you've never had monster cookies, they're basically a cross between peanut butter cookies and oatmeal cookies with a bunch of add-ins. My recipe uses chocolate chips, pretzels for a kick of saltiness, butterscotch chips, and M&Ms.
These peanut butter monster cookies are accidentally gluten-free because they're made using rolled oats and oat flour.
Recipe features
- Quick & easy: ready in just 30 minutes with no chill time needed
- Texture: Soft, thick, and buttery
- Gluten-free: flourless cookies made with rolled oats and oat flour
- Easy to customize
I'm usually not much of a gluten-free baked goods person, but these gluten-free monster cookies are a winner! I adapted this recipe from my mom's monster cookie recipe, which she makes every Christmas share with a gluten-intolerant family member.
They're so good that even our gluten-loving family requests these gluten-free cookies year-round! This year I also made a Christmas monster cookie that is also a huge hit.
Ingredients
- Creamy peanut butter: I've made these with Jif natural creamy peanut butter and Jif regular peanut butter.
- Unsalted butter makes up the base of the buttery cookies.
- Eggs bind everything together.
- Rolled oats are the "flour" in this recipe. I blend half of the rolled oats in my blender to make oat flour. This helps the cookies bind.
- Chocolate chips and M&Ms are the chocolate-y componenet. I like to use dark chocolate chips and dark chocolate M&Ms but semisweet would be just as good. Double check ingredient labels to ensure they are gluten-free.
- Butterscotch chips add a touch of sweetness to balance out the peanut butter and chocolate.
- Crushed pretzels add crunch and saltiness. I like Snyder's gluten-free mini pretzels. I just use my hands to crush the pretzels into smaller pieces.
- White sugar and light brown sugar create a golden cookie and add chewiness.
Step by step instructions
Before you begin: Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Let butter and eggs come to room temperature.
- In a large mixing bowl, use a hand mixer to cream together the butter, white sugar, and light brown sugar on medium speed until smooth and fluffy.
- Add the vanilla extract, eggs, and peanut butter. Mix until smooth and cohesive.
- Add the rolled oats, oat flour, and baking soda. Mix until just combined.
- Fold in the chocolate chips, M&Ms, butterscotch chips, and crushed pretzels. The dough should easily hold together. Add extra oat flour 2 tablespoons at a time, as needed.
To make 12 cookies, use a 2-ounce cookie scoop to measure out 6 cookies on the baking sheet. Leave at least 2 inches between each cookie. Bake at 350F for 11-13 minutes, until golden around the edges. The center should appear soft but not raw.
To make 24 cookies, measure out twelve 2 tablespoon-sized cookies. Bake at 350F for 9-11 minutes.
Let cookies cool at least 10 minutes before enjoying. The cookies firm up and are easy to handle once cooled.
Expert tips and recipe FAQ
- Add-ins: This recipe uses a total of 2 cups of add-ins (crushing the pretzels reduces them to ½ cup). Feel free to try an equal amount of different ingredients like chopped nuts, white chocolate chips, etc.
- Cookie size: I use a 2-ounce cookie scoop (about 4 tablespoons) to make 12 large cookies. Use a 2-tablespoon measure to make 24 normal sized cookies.
- Puffiness: These are super puffy cookies with almost underdone insides. For a flatter cookie with more uniform baking, press the cookie dough into a disk instead of leaving as a scoop.
Yes, all ingredients used in this recipe can be gluten-free. Pretzels are not gluten-free but gluten-free options are available and taste just as good. Make sure to grab rolled oats, M&Ms, chocolate chips, butterscotch chips that are labeled as gluten-free.
I have not tested a vegan version of this recipe. You can use dairy-free butter like Earth Balance or Miyoko's brand, as well as dairy-free chocolate chips. Since I haven't tested this myself I can't say how well a vegan/egg-free monster cookie would come out.
I only tested this recipe with creamy peanut butter so I can't say for sure whether another kind of nut butter works.
These cookies are best stored in an airtight container at room temperature and enjoyed within 3-4 days. They can be frozen as needed.
To freeze the baked cookies, let cool to room temperature before transferring to an airtight container. Freeze for up to 3 months. They will thaw quickly at room temp, or you can pop in the microwave for 20-30 seconds to warm.
To freeze the cookie dough, you can either freeze the entire batch or freeze individual balls. Let the cookie dough thaw overnight in the fridge before using. Individual cookie dough balls can be baked immediately, just add an extra minute to the bake time.
If you're looking for a healthier gluten-free cookie option, you might like these peanut butter breakfast cookies.
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Peanut Butter Monster Cookies (Gluten-Free)
Ingredients
- 3 cups gluten-free rolled oats divided
- ½ cup unsalted butter room temperature, equal to 1 stick
- ¾ cup light brown sugar
- ½ cup white sugar
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ cup semisweet chocolate chips
- ½ cup M&Ms
- ½ cup butterscotch chips
- 1 cup gluten-free pretzels crushed into smaller pieces
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Add 1 and ½ cups rolled oats to a blender. Blend on medium speed until a fine oat flour forms.
- In a large mixing bowl, use a hand mixer to cream together the butter, light brown sugar, and white sugar on medium speed until smooth and creamy.
- Add the peanut butter, eggs, and vanilla extract. Mix until smooth and cohesive.
- Add 1 and ½ cups rolled oats, oat flour, and baking soda. Mix until just combined.
- Fold in the chocolate chips, M&Ms, butterscotch chips, and crushed pretzels.
- To make 12 cookies, use a 2-ounce cookie scoop to measure out 6 cookies on the baking sheet. Leave at least 2 inches between each cookie. Bake at 350F on the middle oven rack for 11-13 minutes, until golden around the edges. The center will still look soft but not raw.
- To make 24 cookies, measure out twelve 2 tablespoon-sized cookies. Leave at least 2 inches between each cookie. Bake at 350F on the middle oven rack for 9-11 minutes, until golden around the edges. The center will still look soft but not raw.
- Allow cookies to cool at least 10 minutes before enjoying.
Video
Notes
- Peanut butter: I tested this recipe with Jif natural peanut butter and Jif regular peanut butter.
- Gluten-free options: These cookies are gluten-free if you use gluten-free rolled oats and gluten-free pretzels. Check labels to ensure the chocolate chips, M&Ms, and butterscotch chips are gluten-free.
- Storage: Keep at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- To freeze the baked cookies, let cool to room temperature before transferring to an airtight container. Freeze for up to 3 months. They will thaw quickly at room temp, or you can pop in the microwave for 20-30 seconds to warm.
- To freeze the cookie dough, you can either freeze the entire batch or freeze individual balls. Let the cookie dough thaw overnight in the fridge before using. Individual cookie dough balls can be baked immediately, just add an extra minute to the bake time.
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