Gluten-Free Monster Cookies
Published
Monster cookies are one of my all-time favorite desserts! It’s super easy to make homemade gluten-free monster cookies with this tried-and-true recipe. The dough is flourless, so there’s no need to stress! Plus, they’re absolutely packed with rich and creamy peanut butter and chewy oats. What more could you want?!
Gluten-Free Monster Cookies Recipe
These homemade gluten-free monster cookies are a classic twist on my favorite gluten-free oatmeal cookies. The sweet gluten-free peanut butter cookie dough is loaded with gluten-free oats, peanut butter, chocolate chips, and M&M’s– just about everything I could ever want in a cookie. They’re a great treat to enjoy any time of year, but I especially love to make them with leftover Halloween candy!
Ingredients
- Unsalted Butter: Adds richness to the cookies. For a dairy-free option, use Smart Balance butter.
- Sugar: I used a combination of light brown and granulated white sugar to create a sweet cookie base with a rich flavor.
- Eggs: Help bind the cookies together and add moisture.
- Baking Soda: Helps the cookies rise in the oven.
- Salt: Enhances the flavor of the cookies.
- Cinnamon: Adds a warm spiced flavor to the cookies.
- Pure Vanilla Extract: Enhances the sweetness of the cookies.
- Gluten-Free Creamy Peanut Butter: Adds classic peanut butter flavor. Use a no-stir variety. Natural peanut butter is too oily. I used Jiff brand.
- Gluten-Free Quick Cooking Oats: Add a chewy texture to the cookies. If you only have old-fashioned rolled oats, you can pulse the old-fashioned oats in a food processor a few times to make quick oats.
- Gluten-Free Chocolate Chips: Add pops of chocolatey flavor. For a dairy-free option, use Nestle Simply Delicious or Enjoy Life brand.
- Gluten-Free M&M’s: Add extra chocolate flavor and crunch. For a dairy-free option, use an extra cup of dairy-free chocolate chips or dairy-free candy pieces.
Tips and Notes
- Don’t skip the step for softening your butter. Take the butter out of the refrigerator and allow it to soften on the counter for 30 minutes up to an hour. Your butter is soft enough when you touch the butter and can see your fingerprint in the butter.
- I use a greased ice cream scoop to make these extra-large cookies. I use coconut oil cooking spray to grease the ice cream scoop. If you want to make smaller cookies, use a greased cookie scoop and bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes.
- The dough can be made up to 4 days ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator until ready to bake.
- I prefer using parchment paper when baking cookies.
- I like baking these cookies on an extra-large baking sheet.
- Top the flattened cookie balls with the back of the ice cream scoop and top with a few extra M&M’s and chocolate chips before baking them.
- Bake the cookies on the middle rack.
Are Oats Gluten-Free?
Oats are naturally gluten-free, but most oats are processed in facilities that also process wheat, barley, and rye. Cross-contamination can even happen in fields where wheat, rye, or barley are also present.
It is safest to use oats that are certified gluten-free and from purity protocol oats. Certified gluten-free oats are tested for levels of gluten. Purity protocol oats are not only tested for gluten but are also grown in a dedicated gluten-free field.
It is also important to note that not everyone following the gluten-free diet can tolerate gluten-free oats.
Are M&M’s Candies Gluten-Free?
M&M’s candies are not labeled certified gluten-free. They do contain their allergy information on their packaging and there are no gluten-containing ingredients in the plain M&M’s. The “may contain” statement is for peanuts.
Not every flavor of M&Ms is gluten-free. Please be careful if you are not using the plain M&M’s and read the labels with caution. Also, some M&Ms flavors have no gluten-containing ingredients, but then have the statement “may contain.” This may be due to possible cross-contamination.
Storage Instructions
Store homemade gluten-free monster cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before enjoying.
More Gluten-Free Cookie Recipes To Try!
- Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Gluten-Free Snickerdoodles
- Gluten-Free No-Bake Cookies
- Gluten-Free Red Velvet Cookies
- Gluten-Free Breakfast Cookies
- Gluten-Free Thumbprint Cookies
Gluten-Free Monster Cookies
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature, Dairy-free use Smart Balance butter.
- 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1 cup granulated white sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 1½ cups gluten-free creamy peanut butter, Do not use natural peanut butter, it is too oily. I used Jiff creamy peanut butter.
- 4½ cups gluten-free quick-cooking oats
- 1 cup gluten-free chocolate chips, Dairy-free use Nestle Simply Delicious chocolate chips or Enjoy Life mini chocolate chips.
- 1 cup gluten-free M&M’s plain chocolate candies, Dairy-free use an extra cup of dairy-free chocolate chips or dairy-free candy pieces.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line the baking sheets with parchment paper or spray with gluten-free nonstick spray.
- In a large bowl, cream the softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together with a mixer until light and fluffy.
- Mix in the eggs until fully combined.
- Mix in the baking soda, salt, ground cinnamon, and pure vanilla extract until fully combined.
- Mix in the gluten-free peanut butter until fully combined and smooth.
- Mix in the gluten-free oats until the batter is well combined. I poured in half of the gluten-free oats at a time. I mixed together and then continued mixing in the rest of the gluten-free oats.
- Stir in the M&M's and chocolate chips with a spatula.
- Using a greased ice cream scoop, drop the cookie onto the prepared cookie sheets. Take the back of the ice cream scoop and slightly flatten the cookie dough balls. You will have 6 cookie balls per regular-sized baking sheet (9 x 13-inch). If you want to make smaller cookies, use a greased cookie scoop and bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes.
- Top the slightly flattened cookie dough balls with a few extra M&M's and chocolate chips.
- Bake for 18 minutes for softer cookies and 20 minutes for crisper cookies. Do not overbake.
- Cool for 5-10 minutes on the cookie sheets until cookies are set.
- Transfer the cookies to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container.
Notes
- For the dairy-free option, I used Smart Balance butter and two cups of Nestle Simply Delicious chocolate chips.
- Make sure that your quick oats are gluten-free.
- Do not use natural peanut butter. It is too oily for the recipe.
- Store in an air-tight container at room temperature.
- The cookie dough can be made ahead of time and refrigerated for up to 4 days.
- The cookie dough can be frozen for up to 6 months.
- Mama says, “Check all of your labels!”
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Delicious! Still so chewy and soft the next day as well.
These taste great.
Followed the recipe with the exception that I did not use M&M’s just added more Chipits.
However they did not look like yours. They did not flatten, despite pressing them down.
OK Idk why nobody else is calling you out on witchcraft?! Haha Just kidding,just kidding! Nobody would guess these are gf though. I used regular butter and 1/2 c King Arthur flour in place of the last 1/2 cup of oats. Plopped them on a baking sheet and shaped the edges Juuust a pinch and placed them in freezer 10 minutes before baking. We watched through the glass as they turned into these magic giants even the Keebler elf himself would be jealous of! Well done Audrey; I always look forward to your special recipes 😉
EDIT: *Bob’s Red Mill Flour and Oats 😉 Our family of 6 is on our second batch in two days. Fluffy and chewy SO DELICIOUS!!
Quick & easy recipe. Large batch.
My husband has to have gluten free. he’s been buying 2 Monster cookies for $4. Just bought 12 a couple days ago.
I told him to STOP. that’s so expensive.
My daughter and I just made a batch of these
that made 60 cookies (same size as he is buying, I figured the cost of ingredients it came to $10.64.
He won’t be buying them anymore.
These cookies are absolutely fantastic! However… I used a normal sized cookie scoop, and the result was over 50 cookies. Not necessarily a problem, but took longer than I planned to put so many batches in the oven!
Also, I used coconut oil instead of butter, and they worked out well!!
Wow everyone loved them My granddaughter made them with a little help from me. Her first time baking Wonderful recipe
These cookies have become a family favorite.
My sister and her adult daughter ate almost the entire batch in one afternoon/evening. They were so sick that night (unlike me who only ate 1 cookie), that I was told never to make them again. I now make them regular size and freeze half… to save my sister and niece from themselves. LOL!!!
Soo… I deliberately ignored the warning against using natural peanut butter. I only had about 1/4th cup left of normal creamy, so I used that and 1 and 1/4th cup natural peanut butter (Good and Gather brand, if that matters). I was short on time and couldn’t go buy more. I added a little extra oats, just eyeballed not measured, to account for the extra moisture and they turned out great! For the record I also did 2 cups chocolate chips and no M&Ms, as I have a coconut allergy and I know they at least used to be made on shared equipment. It’s so hard to find recipes that are both gluten free, mostly dairy free, and tree nut/coconut free so I’m so happy these turned out well. Now I have something I can make that both me and my gluten free, lactose intolerant friend can eat.
So good. And I love how many cookies the recipe makes.
I have made these cookies with Peter Pan Honey Roasted creamy peanut butter. My husband said they were the best so far.
Hi, can I use SunButter in place of PB? It’s made with roasted sunflowers seeds
Thanks!
Hi Matt! Yes, you can use SunButter in place of peanut butter. I hope you enjoy the cookies.
Soo yummy
This recipe is a win, win, win! Easy, gluten-free, and authentic monster cookie flavor and texture! Thank you!
Will placing the peanut butter with almond butter work?
Hi Sandra! Yes, you can use almond butter in place of peanut butter. I hope you enjoy the cookies!
Just made these cookies. Amazing, good flavor. Excellent as a “regular” cookies for all cookie lovers. Can add craisins for a fruity, slightly .tart extra texture. We found baking for 16 minutes was perfect.
Thank you for being so thorough with each recipe! I just made these delicious cookies, and I can’t wait to make more!
Our family favorite!!!! This cookie recipe is DELICIOUS!!! Our 6 grandchildren request this cookie over any other kind- gluten or gluten-free. I usually make them GF and DF and none of the grands complain at all!!!!
Amazing cookies! My entire family loved them>
These are the absolute best. All 6 of our grandchildren (even those who have no dietary restrictions) request these cookies time they visit.
Best recipe I’ve ever made! Better with peanut m&ms. I tripled the recipe, and put in nestle chocolate chips! 👁❤️👹🍪 -Judah age 10
I am so happy to hear that this is the best recipe you have ever made! Thank you so much for the awesome 5-star recipe review Judah.
Super easy and delicious!
These cookies are so good- however I could have cut the recipe in half. It made a lot. More than we should eat.
My newly gluten-free child and the rest of my gluten eating family loved these cookies! They had a nice, chewy texture to them. When I made them, I got 38 cookies, I baked for 14 mins and they were perfect.
Amazing cookies!!
Great recipe. Turned out great. Everyone loved them. Thanks