Monster Cookies are thick delicious cookies packed with common ingredients like peanut butter, oatmeal, m&m's and chocolate chips. These Spooky Halloween Monster Cookies are so fun to make, eat, display, and serve to a crowd.
Perfect for Halloween, these cookies may appear to have a lot of ingredients, but don't be intimated because they whip up quickly and this Monster Cookie recipe does not require any chilling!
You can add nearly anything you want in Monster Cookies - all different kinds of m&m's, chocolate chips, and more. In this case, I made them a little unique and spooky by adding in some Halloween sprinkles, Halloween m&m's and even some sprinkle eyeballs!
Monster Cookies are good to make anytime of year, but making them spooky with extra chocolate and sprinkle eyeballs makes them perfect Halloween cookies! Be sure to check out more cookie recipes here, as well as more of my Halloween recipes.
Jump to:
Halloween Monster Cookie Ingredients and Substitutions
These Halloween Monster Cookies include a couple different fun mix ins while still using traditional monster cookie ingredients.
Monster Cookie Ingredients
- All Purpose Flour: You can also use a 1:1 gluten free flour. Be sure to use a 1:1 mix that includes xanthan gum. Gluten free flour mixes are not always created equal. You want the mix that advertises 1:1, so that it is formulated to mimic an all purpose flour.
- Old Fashioned Oats: Must use old fashioned. Quick oats will provide a much different texture.
- Unsalted Butter: Softened, at room temperature. You can also use salted butter, but if you do then be sure to omit the added salt in the recipe.
- Creamy Peanut Butter: Be sure to use creamy peanut butter and not crunchy peanut butter. I would also recommend not using a peanut butter that is super liquidy like the unsweetened natural kind. Stick with traditional creamy peanut butter for the best consistency and flavor. I use JIF Natural Peanut Butter and it works great!
- Pure Cane Granulated Sugar
- Brown Sugar: Adds sweetness and chewiness. Light or dark brown sugar works here.
- Large Eggs: Use one large egg plus one large egg yolk. Be sure to use LARGE eggs.
- Vanilla Extract: You can also use equal amounts of vanilla bean paste. Be sure to use REAL vanilla extract. It truly makes all the difference in desserts.
- Cornstarch: Helps to add softness and thickness. The cookies will still work without this ingredient but they will not have the same soft texture and thickness that these cookies are intended to have.
- Baking Soda
- Salt
Add Ins/Mix Ins:
- Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips: Semi-Sweet is a must for the best flavor! You could also use dark chocolate chips but I would not use milk chocolate chips because it will be too sweet and you already have milk chocolate with the added m&m's.
- White Chocolate Chips: It is not traditional to include white chocolate chips in monster cookies, but I loved the addition of them in this spooky version!
- Halloween m&m's: Feel free to use any m&m's you'd like! For these, I used the black and orange Halloween m&m's. The green/orange/purple ones would be cool too!
- Halloween Sprinkle Mix: You do not need to include these if you do not want to. Remove any hard candies if they are in the spinkle mix. Stick with sprinkle mixes that contain jimmies, confetti rounds, and/or nonpareils for the best result.
- Sprinkle Candy Eyeballs: Perfect for Halloween! However, I recommend adding them AFTER you bake the cookies. They are firmer to bite into and would not be good mixed in the cookie. Also, depending on the sprinkle brand, they can melt and not look good. If you push them in the baked cookie immediately after baking they will stick and turn out super cute - just one or two monster eyeballs per cookie does the spooky trick!
How to Make Halloween Monster Cookies
The best part about these cookies is they come together quickly and this recipe requires NO chilling!
First: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare two large baking sheets by lining them both with parchment paper. Then move on to making the monster cookie dough.
- Step 1: Whisk all of the dry ingredients together in a bowl and set aside. In a separate large mixing bowl, use an electric mixer fitted with a beater blade attachment(s), and cream together the softened butter, sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy - transforming into a clumped sand like texture.
- Step 2: Add in egg and egg yolk, mixing until combined. Add in the peanut butter and vanilla extract. Turn the mixer up to medium speed and ensure the wet ingredients are thoroughly mixed.
- Step 3: Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients bowl and mix on low speed until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Step 4: When just a few streaks of flour remain, add in all of the mix ins - chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, sprinkles, and m&m's. Fold in with a sturdy silicone spatula or wooden spoon until combined evenly.
Note: If using sprinkle candy eyes, I recommend NOT mixing them into the dough and instead placing one or two on the top of the freshly baked cookies as soon as they come out of the oven. This is because some of the candy eye sprinkles may melt in the oven and they won't look good, nor taste great.
5. Step 5: Scoop the cookie dough with a 2 tablespooon cookie scoop or large spoon onto the prepared cookie sheets spaced 2 inches apart.
Optional: Add a few more sprinkles on top of the cookie dough balls for aesthetics!
6. Step 6: Bake for 11-13 minutes. Push one or two candy eyeballs on top of the freshly baked cookies immediately out of the oven. If you do this immediately, they will stick in the cookie. If you wait until the cookies cool, they will not stick!
Let cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet, then immediately transfer cookies to a cooling rack. Avoid overbaking.
Equipment Needed to Make Monster Cookies
Equipment needed to make these Halloween Monster Cookies is pretty straightforward as far as what supplies you need to make cookies.
- large baking sheets/cookie sheets
- 2 large mixing bowls
- electric mixer fitted with beater blades (hand mixer or stand mixer)
- 2T cookie scoop/ice cream scoop or large spoon
How to Store Monster Cookies
Store baked Monster Cookies in an airtight container for up to one week at room temperature. Do not refrigerate or it will dry and harden the cookies. If you'd like to store them longer, you can freeze the cookie dough and bake from frozen.
Monster Cookies Freezing Instructions: I'd recommend scooping cookies out on a parchment lined baking sheet and flash freezing them in the freezer for around 20-30 minutes before packing away. Once firm/lightly frozen, place the monster cookie dough balls in a freezer safe bag that is sealed airtight. Flash freezing stops the cookie dough balls from sticking together.
You can easily take just a few cookies out at a time here to bake on command! Keep in mind that if baking from frozen, the cookies may not spread as much and you may need to push them down a bit to flatten a little after baking if desired. The flavor will still be amazing!
Top Tip
If using candy eyeball sprinkles, I recommend NOT mixing them into the dough and instead placing one or two on the top of the freshly baked cookies as soon as they come out of the oven.
This is because some of the sprinkle eyes may melt in the oven and they won't look or taste good. I tested this both ways - baking with the spinkle eyeballs and without. Interestingly enough I placed two candy eyeballs on one cookie prior to baking, baked the cookie and the result ended with one melted candy eyeball and one that did not melt at all and looked perfectly fine. It seriously confused me!
Due to inconsistencies I recommend baking without the eyeball sprinkles and adding them on the freshly baked cookie afterwards. Push one or two candy eyeballs on top of the freshly baked cookies immediately out of the oven. If you do this immediately, they will stick in the cookie. If you wait until the cookies cool, they will not stick!
Caution: Be careful - cookies will be hot immediately out of the oven.
FAQs
Do I put the sprinkle candy eyeballs on the Monster Cookies before baking or after?
As mentioned above, it is recommended to push one or two eyeball sprinkles on top of each freshly baked cookie immediately out of the oven. If you do this immediately, they will stick in the cookie. If you wait until the cookies cool, they will not stick and instead just fall out - which we don't want! Caution: Fresh baked cookies will be hot.
Can I use different mix ins in Monster Cookies?
Yes! Monster cookies can be versatile with what you add to them. You can use different variations of chocolate mix ins such as different kinds of m&m's, sprinkles, chocolate chips, etc.,. I would avoid hard candies and stick to a chocolate mix in. Also regardless of what add ins you use in these Halloween monster cookies, stick to similar ratios in the recipe. You could also make different Holiday versions of these cookies by changing the sprinkle mix and add ins to match the theme of the Holiday.
More Fall Recipes...
Looking for other fall recipes like this? Try these:
More Cookie Recipes...
Check out more delicious cookie recipes below:
If you made this recipe, BE SURE TO tag me on Instagram @bakingguilty AND please leave a comment OR star rating below! We so greatly appreciate it and hope you love this recipe!
Halloween Monster Cookies (easy no chill recipe!)
Equipment
- large baking sheets/cookie sheets
- mixing bowls
- measuring cups and spoons, or a scale ***
- whisk and silicona spatula or wooden spoon for mixing
- electric mixer fitted with beater blade(s)
- cookie scoop or large spoon
Ingredients
Cookie Dough
- ½ cup unsalted butter (1 stick or 113g) (softened, room temperature)
- ½ cup creamy peanut butter (use a sweetened no stir kind)
- ¾ cup brown sugar (160g)
- ¼ cup granulated cane sugar (50g)
- 1 large whole egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1¼ cups all purpose flour (150g)
- 1 cup old fashioned oats (89g)
- 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Mix Ins
- ⅔ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ⅓ cup white chocolate chips
- 1 cup Halloween colored m&m's
- 3 Tablespoons Halloween Sprinkle Mix (avoid sprinkles mixes with super hard candies - use a mix of sprinkle jimmies, confetti rounds, or non pareils for the best result.)
- sprinkle candy eyeballs (optional - to be added on cookies immediately AFTER baking)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare two large baking sheets by lining them both with parchment paper.
- Whisk all of the dry ingredients including all purpose flour, old fashioned oats, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt together in a mixing bowl and set aside.1¼ cups all purpose flour (150g), 1 cup old fashioned oats (89g), 1 Tablespoon cornstarch, 1 teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt
- In a separate large mixing bowl, use an electric mixer fitted with a beater blade attachment(s), and cream together the softened butter, sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy - transforming into a clumped sand like texture.½ cup unsalted butter (1 stick or 113g), ¼ cup granulated cane sugar (50g), ¾ cup brown sugar (160g)
- Add in the egg and egg yolk, mixing until combined. Add in the peanut butter and vanilla extract. Turn the mixer up to medium speed and ensure the wet ingredients are thoroughly mixed.1 large whole egg, 1 large egg yolk, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, ½ cup creamy peanut butter
- Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients bowl and mix on low speed until just combined and a cookie dough forms. Do not overmix.
- Add in semi-sweet chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, sprinkles (***excluding eyeball sprinkles), and m&m's. Fold in with a silicone spatula or large wooden spoon until combined evenly.⅔ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, ⅓ cup white chocolate chips, 1 cup Halloween colored m&m's, 3 Tablespoons Halloween Sprinkle Mix
- Scoop the cookie dough with a 2 tablespooon cookie scoop or large spoon onto the prepared cookie sheets spaced 2 inches apart.Optional: Add a few more sprinkles on top of the cookie dough balls for aesthetics!
- Bake for 11-13 minutes. Check at 11 minutes to see if they're done. They will be slightly golden, spread out a bit and thick.***Optional: As soon as the cookies are done baking and pulled from the oven, push one or two candy eyeballs on top of the freshly baked cookies immediately out of the oven. Be careful as the freshly baked cookies will be hot! If you do this immediately, they will stick in the cookie. If you wait until the cookies cool, they will not stick!sprinkle candy eyeballs
- Let cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet, then immediately transfer cookies to a cooling rack. Enjoy!
Notes
Be sure to check us out on all social platforms to stay up to date on our newest content and delicious recipes! Follow on Instagram, Follow on Pinterest, Like on Facebook, Follow on TikTok, Follow on YouTube. We love connecting and are so appreciative of your support and friendship!
Let us know if you made this recipe!