‘Tis the season for Christmas Monster Cookies that are not just soft and chewy but also bursting with festive flair! For these cookies, a delightful oatmeal batter is studded with vibrant red and green M&Ms, peanut butter chips, and chocolate chunks — they add a touch of holiday spirit to every cookie platter.
Whether you’re planning cookie exchanges, holiday gatherings, or giving these as a gift, these Christmas monster cookies are sure to spread joy and cheer. Get ready to add a splash of colorful fun to your celebrations with these sweet treats!
Table of Contents
What Are Monster Cookies?
Monster cookies are considered to be the Frankensteins of the cookie world. Similar to everything but the kitchen sink cookies, they contain an array of ingredients to satisfy all your cravings.
Traditional monster cookies feature an oatmeal cookie dough batter. Then, they’re stuffed with peanut butter chips, butterscotch chips, chocolate chips, and candy pieces.
This easy Christmas monster cookies recipe contains all the ingredients you expect to see in the original – just with an added splash of festive colors!
Ingredients
- Salted Butter – If unsalted butter is all you have, add extra salt to the dough.
- Sugar – A combination of dark brown sugar and granulated sugar (white sugar) helps sweeten the cookies while keeping them soft and chewy.
- Large Egg – We use a large egg and two egg yolks to add structure and create a rich flavor.
- Vanilla Extract – Use high-quality pure vanilla extract.
- All-Purpose Flour – This forms the base of the batter. If needed, use a 1:1 all-purpose gluten-free flour instead.
- Baking Soda and Baking Powder – These help create tender, fluffy cookies. Make sure they’re both fresh!
- Kosher Salt – Used to enhance the flavor of the rest of the ingredients.
- Quick-Cooking Oats – Don’t substitute rolled oats or steel-cut oats! The texture won’t be the same.
- Mix-Ins – Holiday-themed M&Ms, peanut butter chips (or butterscotch chips), dark chocolate chunks.
Flavor Variations
- Chocolate – Use semi-sweet, milk chocolate, or white chocolate chips. You could even mix a teaspoon or so of cocoa powder into the batter!
- Nuts – Add extra crunch with chopped nuts like almonds, pecans, or walnuts.
- Toffee Bits – Fold toffee bits into the batter for added flavor.
- Caramel – Replace or add to the peanut butter or butterscotch chips with caramel bits.
- Coffee – Mix in a tablespoon of espresso powder for coffee-flavored cookies.
- S’mores – Fold in mini marshmallows for a s’mores-inspired recipe.
- Fruit – Add fruity flavor with dried fruits like cranberries or raisins.
- Sprinkles – Sprinkle the top of your cookies with holiday sprinkles for an extra fun touch.
How to Make the Best Christmas Monster Cookies
- Prepare. Preheat your oven, and line baking sheets with
parchment paper or silicone mats. - Combine the wet ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, cream the softened butter, dark brown sugar, and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Then, beat in the egg, egg yolks, and vanilla until well combined.
- Whisk the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk all the dry ingredients except the mix-ins until smooth.
- Combine the wet and dry ingredients. Working slowly, add the dry ingredients to the bowl of wet ingredients, and mix just until combined. Fold in the mix-ins.
- Portion. Use a cookie scoop or spoon to portion the dough into balls. Place the cookie dough balls on the prepared baking sheets, leaving space in between.
- Bake. Transfer the cookies to the oven, and bake just until the edges are lightly golden.
- Cool. Allow the cookies to cool slightly. Then, transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Tips for Success
- Press M&Ms on top. For a pretty, bakery-worthy appearance, press a few M&Ms on top of each cookie as soon as they come out of the oven.
- Chill the dough. If you’re having trouble shaping the dough or find it’s too soft, chill it in the fridge for 30 minutes. This is also a great way to prevent the cookies from spreading!
- Avoid overbaking. Keep a close eye on your oven, and remove the cookies as soon as the edges are golden brown. The centers may look a little underdone, but they’ll continue to bake and solidify as they cool.
- Cool the cookies. Allow your cookies to cool slightly on the baking sheet before transferring them to a wire rack. Then, be sure to let them cool completely. Otherwise, they may fall apart!
Make Ahead, Storage, and Freezing
- Make Ahead: Prepare the cookie dough, and store it covered in the fridge for up to two days. To bake, allow the dough to come to room temperature, and proceed with the recipe as normal.
- Store: Once cooled, leftover cookies can be transferred to an airtight container and stored at room temperature for up to five days.
- Freeze: Freeze baked Christmas monster cookies in a freezer-safe container for up to three months. Place a sheet of
parchment paper between each layer to prevent them from clumping together.
Or, freeze your cookie dough for up to three months! To do so, portion the cookie dough balls, and arrange them on a baking sheet. Transfer them to the freezer until solid, and place them in a sealable bag. Bake from frozen, adding a few minutes as needed.
More Christmas Dessert Recipes
In the mood for more festive and fun handheld holiday treats? Take a look at more of our Christmas cookies and treats!
- Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies
- Easy Pecan Sandies Recipe
- Pecan Snowball Cookies
- Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
- 5-Ingredient Chocolate Peppermint Bark
- Easy Christmas Crack
Christmas Monster Cookies
Make these Christmas monster cookies with holiday M&M's, peanut butter chips, and chocolate chunks to satisfy all your sweet tooth cravings!
Ingredients
- 1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter, softened at room temperature
- 1 cup dark brown sugar
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg plus 2 egg yolks
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup quick-cooking oats
- 1 1/4 cups holiday-themed M&Ms
- 1/2 cup peanut butter chips OR butterscotch chips
- 1 cup dark chocolate chunks
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees Celsius). Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter, dark brown sugar, and granulated sugar until light and fluffy.1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter, softened at room temperature, 1 cup dark brown sugar, 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- Beat in the egg, egg yolks, and vanilla extract until well combined.1 large egg, 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, and kosher salt.2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined.
- Fold in the quick-cooking oats, holiday M&Ms, peanut butter chips (or butterscotch chips), and semi-sweet chocolate chunks until evenly distributed throughout the dough.1 cup quick-cooking oats, 1 1/4 cups holiday-themed M&Ms, 1/2 cup peanut butter chips OR butterscotch chips, 1 cup dark chocolate chunks
- Using a cookie scoop or spoon, drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving space between each cookie for spreading.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes or until the edges are lightly golden.
- Remove from the oven, and allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Equipment
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Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 592kcal | Carbohydrates: 75g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 120mg | Sodium: 446mg | Potassium: 212mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 48g | Vitamin A: 636IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 93mg | Iron: 4mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this recipe?Please leave a comment!
Hi! I wanted to ask, I don’t understand the butter?
Is it one cup or 2 sticks?
How many gram?
Love,
Maxime
Hi Maxime!
Sorry for the confusion. It’s one cup, which equals two U.S. sticks, or 227 grams. Hope this helps!
Xo,
Alia & Radwa