February 10, 2023
Review RecipeNo Bake Monster Cookies
No-bake monster cookies are packed full of simple ingredients that make a sweet treat for the whole family.
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No-bake monster cookies are Frankenstein’s monster of the cookie world – a mashup of peanut butter, oats, chocolate chips, and M&M’s. This recipe is different from other monster cookie bars because these cookies also have a yummy layer of chocolate on the top!
No Bake Monster Cookies Ingredients
Monster cookies are a combination of salty and sweet that’s sure to please both sweet tooths and cookie monsters alike.
For our no bake monster cookie bar recipe, you’ll need:
- 6 tablespoons of butter, softened
- 6 tablespoons of sugar
- ¼ cup of brown sugar
- ¾ cup of creamy peanut butter
- 6 tablespoons of quick cooking oats, pulsed in a food processor
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon of salt
- 1½ cups quick oats, not pulsed in the food processor
- 10 tablespoons of miniature M&Ms, divided
- 1 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 3 tablespoons of heavy cream
Substitutions & Additions for Monster Cookies
QUICK COOKING OATS: You can use old-fashioned oats instead, but the cookies won’t be quite as soft as if you use quick-cooking oats.
CHOCOLATE CHIPS: As these will be melted, you could use regular chocolate broken into pieces rather than chocolate chips.
MINIATURE M&M’S: If you can’t get hold of the mini M&Ms, you could use the full-size ones instead.
SUGAR: The brown sugar makes this recipe softer and moister, but it’s fine to just use white sugar if that’s what you have. Honey would be another good alternative to sugar.
PEANUT BUTTER: Other nut butter such as almond butter or cashew butter would be a good substitute in this recipe if needed.
How To Make This No Bake Monster Cookies Recipe
With its combination of classic flavors and textures – not to mention how easy they are to prepare – these Monster Cookie Bars will become your go-to cookie bar.
Here’s how you make our recipe:
STEP ONE: Line an 8-inch baking dish with foil or parchment paper.
STEP TWO: In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugars. Add the peanut butter and mix well.
OUR RECIPE DEVELOPER SAYS
Make sure your butter is at room temperature and not melted, otherwise, it won’t blend with the sugars properly.
STEP THREE: Place six tablespoons of quick-cooking oats into a food processor and pulse until finely ground.
STEP FOUR: Add the ground oats to the large mixing bowl with the sugar and peanut butter mixture. Add the vanilla and salt.
STEP FIVE: Slowly add one and a half cups of oats and a half cup of M&M’s to the mixture, stirring as you go.
STEP SIX: Press the mixture into the prepared pan.
STEP SEVEN: Melt the chocolate chips and heavy cream in a small bowl in the microwave, stirring every 30 seconds.
Once the chocolate is smooth, spread it over the cookie dough mixture. Sprinkle with the remaining two tablespoons of M&M’s.
STEP EIGHT: Cover and refrigerate for at least two hours or until set. Cut into squares and serve.
PRO TIP:
Make sure you don’t skip the refrigeration step. The cookie bars need time to set, and it will make them much easier to cut once chilled.
How To Serve
Serve monster cookie bars cold, or take them on-the-go.
These treats would also be a great after-school snack. Add a nice, cold glass of milk or a fun Wendy’s frosty to drink.
For the adults, serve with our iced tea, raspberry iced tea, or our strawberry sweet tea on the side.
MORE COOKIE RECIPES
Did you know that there are so many easy recipes to make without an oven? Take a look at our no bake peanut butter bars and our chocolate peanut butter no bake cookies for more ideas for no-bake treats.
Storing Monster Cookie Bars
With just a few simple steps, you can ensure your monster cookie bars are always as delicious as when they were first made.
IN THE FRIDGE: You can store these monster cookie bites in an airtight container – or tightly in plastic wrap – in the fridge for up to two weeks.
Keeping them wrapped tightly will prevent them from drying out, as well as maintaining their flavor. Additionally, this will help keep them from absorbing odors or flavors from other food items in the refrigerator.
IN THE FREEZER: Monster cookies freeze well for up to three months in an airtight container. Thaw overnight in the fridge.
No-bake monster cookie bars are such easy treats to make. Loaded with oats and peanut butter, these monster cookie bites are great for a high-energy snack as well as a great way to satisfy your sweet tooth.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Can I add other ingredients to this recipe?
These no-bake monster cookie energy bites are perfect for customizing with your favorite mix-ins. Try chia seeds, flax seeds, or coconut.
Can I freeze these cookie bars?
These monster cookies will freeze well stored in an airtight container for up to three months.
Could I turn this recipe into cookies rather than bars?
We have not tried making them this way, but I can’t see why you couldn’t scoop them onto a baking sheet as energy balls or flattened into cookies and chilled instead.
More Recipes You’ll Love
- No Bake Pumpkin Pie
- Sheet Pan Quesadillas
- Lasagna Soup
- Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread
- Haystack Cookies
- Homemade Nutter Butters
- Swig Cookies
No-Bake Monster Cookies
No-bake monster cookies are packed full of simple ingredients that make a sweet treat for the whole family.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings 16 squares
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons butter, softened
- 6 tablespoons sugar
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ¾ cup creamy peanut butter
- 6 tablespoons quick cooking oats, pulsed in food processor
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1½ cups quick cooking oats, not pulsed in the food processor
- 10 tablespoons miniature M&M's, divided
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 3 tablespoons heavy cream
Instructions
- Prepare an 8-inch baking dish by lining it with either foil or parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugars. Add the peanut butter and mix well.
- Add in the 6 tablespoons of quick cooking oats (pulsed in food processor), vanilla, and salt. Slowly add the 1½ cups of oats. Fold in ½ cup of M&M’s.
- Press the mixture into the prepared pan.
- Melt the chocolate chips and heavy cream in a small bowl in the microwave, stirring every 30 seconds. Once the chocolate is smooth, spread it over the cookie dough mixture. Sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons of M&M’s.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or until set. Cut into squares.
Notes
- Pulsing the oats in the food processor is optional. If omitting this step, replace these oats with 6 tablespoons of all-purpose flour.
- Make sure your butter is at room temperature and not melted, otherwise, it won’t blend with the sugars properly.
- Make sure you don’t skip the refrigeration step. The cookie bars need time to set, and it will make them much easier to cut once chilled.
Nutrition
Calories: 280kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 17mg | Sodium: 334mg | Potassium: 164mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 319IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 51mg | Iron: 3mg
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Even More Easy Recipes
- Peanut Butter Balls
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Lasagna
- Peanut Butter No-Bake Cookies
- Twix Cookies
- Peanut Butter Brownies
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies
Comments
Gloria says
I made these for my kid’s classes before and they were a big hit. Everyone loved them!
Juliana says
Do you possibly mean 1/2 tsp salt and not 1/2 tbsp??
Layne Kangas says
Hey – that was definitely a typo in the recipe card. Sorry about that – thanks for catching! 🙂