Flourless Monster Cookies

Before you start

Monster cookies are big, loaded drop cookies from the American Midwest that use rolled oats in place of flour, bound by peanut butter, eggs and both brown and white sugar. They are studded with chocolate chips and colorful candy-coated chocolates. Because there is no wheat flour, they are gluten-free as long as the oats are certified gluten-free.

The oats need time. A 20-minute rest after mixing lets them absorb moisture, which makes the dough less sticky and keeps the cookies thick instead of greasy and flat. Use a regular, stabilized creamy peanut butter; natural peanut butter separates and makes the dough oily. Take them out while the centers still look slightly underdone. They finish setting on the hot sheet and stay soft for days.

Ingredients

• 115 g (½ cup) unsalted butter — softened
• 260 g (1 cup) creamy peanut butter — regular, not natural-style
• 165 g (¾ cup packed) light brown sugar
• 100 g (½ cup) granulated sugar
• 2 large (about 100 g) eggs — room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ¼ tsp fine salt
• 270 g (3 cups) old-fashioned rolled oats — certified gluten-free if needed
• 130 g (¾ cup) semisweet chocolate chips
• 130 g (¾ cup) candy-coated chocolate pieces — plus extra for pressing on top

Method

1. Beat the butter, peanut butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar on medium speed for 2 minutes, until creamy and well combined.
2. Add the eggs one at a time, then the vanilla, baking soda and salt, beating until smooth and scraping the bowl.
3. Add the oats and mix on low until evenly combined. Stir in the chocolate chips and candy-coated chocolates by hand or on the lowest speed.
4. Cover the bowl and let the dough rest at room temperature for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 175°C (350°F) and line the sheets with parchment.
5. Scoop 50 g balls (3 tablespoons) and place them 6 cm (2½ in) apart, twelve per sheet. Press a few extra candies into the tops for color, and flatten each ball slightly.
6. Bake one sheet at a time for 11 to 13 minutes, until the edges are golden and set and the centers look puffed and slightly soft.
7. Let the cookies cool on the sheet for 10 minutes, as they are fragile when hot, then move them to a rack.

Tips for success

• Do not use quick oats; they absorb liquid differently and make a pasty, dense cookie. Old-fashioned rolled oats give the chewy texture.
• For extra-thick cookies, chill the scooped dough balls for 30 minutes before baking.
• Swap in any mix-ins you like, such as butterscotch chips or raisins, keeping the total around 260 g.

Substitutions

Creamy peanut butter

Sunflower seed butter works for a peanut-free version. It can turn the cookies slightly green inside from a harmless reaction with baking soda.

Butter

Use the same weight of plant-based baking sticks for dairy-free cookies; check that the chocolates are also dairy-free.

Candy-coated chocolates

Use more chocolate chips, chopped peanut butter cups or dried cranberries. Keep the total mix-ins near 260 g so the dough still holds together.

Variations

Monster cookie bars

Press the dough into a parchment-lined 23 x 33 cm (9 x 13 in) pan and bake for 20 to 25 minutes until golden at the edges. Cool fully before cutting.

Butterscotch monsters

Replace half the chocolate chips with butterscotch chips and add 60 g chopped roasted peanuts.

Troubleshooting

Cookies spread and look greasy

The dough skipped its rest, the butter was too warm or natural peanut butter was used. Rest the dough for 20 minutes and use regular creamy peanut butter.

Cookies are dry and crumbly

They were overbaked or the oats were over-measured. Weigh the oats and pull the cookies while the centers still look soft.

Candies cracked and colors bled

The candies were mixed too long or baked too hot. Stir them in last on low speed and keep the oven at 175°C.

Storage

Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Freeze baked cookies for up to 3 months, or freeze scooped dough balls and bake from frozen, adding 2 minutes.

Safety notes

Contains peanuts, egg, milk and soy (in many chocolates). Oats are often cross-contaminated with wheat unless labeled gluten-free. The raw dough contains raw egg; bake before eating.