Just over a year ago on a rather warm spring afternoon, I wandered up and down the aisles of Target, soaking in the free air conditioning and testing my willpower in the kitchenware and baking aisles. I swear that half of the colorful bowls and chocolate bars I end up buying fall into my basket on their own when I’m not looking!
Before walking to the registers at the front of the store, I turned down a freezer aisle on a whim, convinced that the quickly rising temperatures warranted a cold, creamy treat. (Here in my part of the world, we hit 90° by the end of March and wear shorts clear through November. Pools and popsicles are summer necessities!)
I scanned the cartons of ice cream, my indecision taking its sweet time figuring out which flavor sounded best while my toes threatened to go numb. On the very top shelf, almost out of sight for a short person like me, I spotted pumpkin pie ice cream—in April. Score!
Before pulling open the freezer door, I glanced over the rest of the cartons to make sure I wasn’t missing anything. With my fingers on the handle, I paused when I saw another flavor: monster cookie ice cream.
Confused, I leaned in closer to look at the picture. What exactly is a monster cookie? One with googlie eyes? Although the container lacked a description, I deduced that monster cookies included M&Ms… And that was about it.
So I reached for the pumpkin pie and made a mental note to research “monster cookies” when I arrived back at home.
For those of you imagining sharp teeth and buggy eyes like me, monster cookies are anything but that! They’re harmless treats of peanut butter oatmeal cookies full of chocolate chips and M&Ms. And finally, one year later, I created my own Healthy Classic Monster Cookies recipe for you!
This dessert combines three of my favorite recipes into one irresistible treat.
♥ the ultimate healthy oatmeal raisin cookies
♥ the ultimate healthy peanut butter cookies
♥ the ultimate healthy chocolate chip cookies
So let’s talk a little bit about what each recipe contributes!
When it comes to oatmeal cookies, I want mine chock full of oats. One fleck of oatmeal here and another one there just doesn’t cut it—those are just “cookies with oats” to me. So in these oatmeal cookies, just like my other clean-eating ones, we use more oats than flour! Instant oats (aka quick-cooking or minute) are the best, but you can make your own in a pinch by grinding old-fashioned oats in a food processor for a few seconds.
I think it’s pretty obvious what the peanut butter cookie recipe contributes: the peanut butter! To keep these cookies lighter than traditional versions, we’ll use creamy peanut butter as the main source of fat, while eliminating the egg yolk and reducing the butter to just ½ tablespoon. That shaves off quite a few calories—and packs a big punch of peanut butter flavor!
Finally, the last cookie recipe contributes the ratio of chocolate to cookie dough. We’ll use half mini M&Ms and half mini chocolate chips. I prefer to use the mini versions because their small size ensures you get chocolate in every bite! I hate the disappointing feeling of biting into a chocolate chip cookie only to end up with a mouthful of cookie… And no chocolate. Why bother? But these fun cookies are the exact opposite!
After chilling, baking, and cooling, these Healthy Classic Monster Cookies didn’t stand a chance. I ate three in one sitting! No shame, no guilt. My life’s motto is “I run for cookies,” and these were worth every single mile the next day!
| Healthy Classic Monster Cookies | | Print |
- 1 cup (100g) instant oats (gluten-free if necessary and measured correctly)
- ¾ cup (90g) whole wheat or gluten-free* flour (measured correctly)
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- ⅛ tsp salt
- ½ tbsp (7g) unsalted butter or coconut oil, melted and cooled slightly
- 1 large egg white, room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ cup (64g) creamy peanut butter
- ½ cup (106g) light brown sugar
- ¼ cup (60mL) nonfat milk
- 2 tbsp (21g) mini M&M candies, divided
- 2 tbsp (28g) mini chocolate chips, divided
- Whisk together the oats, flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the coconut oil or butter, egg white, and vanilla. Mix in the peanut butter until smooth. Stir in the brown sugar and milk. Add in the flour mixture, stirring just until incorporated. Fold in 1½ tablespoons of M&Ms and 1½ tablespoons of chocolate chips. Chill for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 325°F, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Drop the cookie dough into 15 rounded scoops onto the prepared sheet, and flatten to the desired thickness and width. Gently press the remaining M&Ms and chocolate chips into the tops. Bake at 325°F for 10-13 minutes. Cool on the pan for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack.
Instant oats are also known as quick-cooking or minute oats. They come in large canisters, just like old-fashioned oats. They are not the ones in the small flavored packets of oatmeal. To make your own, add the same amount of old-fashioned oats to a food processor, and pulse 10-12 times.
For a gluten-free version, use gluten-free instant oats and a gluten-free flour blend. I recommend the following blend: ½ cup (60g) millet flour, 2 tablespoons (15g) tapioca flour, 2 tablespoons (17g) brown rice flour, and ½ teaspoon xanthan gum.
I used Skippy Natural Creamy Peanut Butter in this recipe. Any brand of creamy peanut butter will work, and although I haven’t tried it, I believe that homemade should work as well.
Any milk may be substituted for the nonfat milk.
If you prefer, ½ cup of honey, maple syrup, or agave may be substituted in place of the brown sugar and milk.
For more help and tips, watch my video.
{gluten-free, low fat, low calorie}
More monster cookie recipes from other food bloggers…
♥ Gluten-Free Monster Cookies by Crazy for Crust
♥ Reese’s Monster Cookies by Oh Sweet Basil
♥ Peanut Butter Cup Surprise Monster Cookies by Sally’s Baking Addiction
♥ Monster Cookies by Baker’s Royale
Amy, these look yummy! Thank you for sharing! I cannot wait to try more of your recipes…need more time in my day…have the willing taste testers!
Thanks Donna! I really hope you enjoy the recipes that you try!
Could you use PB2 and how would you adjust the recipe to incorporate it?
I haven’t tried these cookies with PB2 Mary, and I’d probably warn against it since cookies generally require a certain percentage of fat in order to taste chewy like cookies (instead of cakey like muffins). If you did want to try PB2, I’d suggest preparing it according to the jar’s directions and adding more milk to the cookie dough as necessary. I hope you enjoy the cookies!
Love your motto! There’s a really great blog called “Runs for Cookies, ” ever heard of it?..fun and inspirational too. Love the recipe, one of my fave cookies! Thanks!
Thanks Steph! Life is all about balance. 😉
Oh my gosh Target is such a test of willpower! That is the kind of store you go in to buy one thing and end up leaving the store with ten!
It is SO true Shelby! I never get out of there with “just” what’s on my list. It’s a blessing and a curse!
Any cookies with oatmeal and chocolate chips are my favorite! Sometimes we call monster cookies “everything but the kitchen sink” cookies! So good friend!
I love that name for the cookies Beth! I definitely wouldn’t be imagining sharp teeth if that’s what they were called… 😉
The beauty of a regular monster cookie is that there isn’t any flour – oatmeal only
you are killing it with your healthy cookies, but these by far are the BEST!!
Aww, thank you so much Heather! You’re so sweet! ♥
These cookies are perfect, I am always hesitant to give treats to my toddler, and I would feel very comfortable sharing this with him!
Thanks Katalina! Your son is lucky to have such a sweet and caring mother!
You had me at peanut butter and M&Ms. These look so so good!
I wish I could send you some to celebrate your graduation Rachel! 🙂
I wouldn’t mind snuggling with a batch of these on the couch right now!
That sounds perfect GiGi, especially with a fuzzy blanket and mug of coffee or hot chocolate!