These gluten-free monster cookies are studded with chocolate chips, M&Ms, and loads of peanut butter for a treat everyone will love! No flour needed, these flourless cookies come together in about 30 minutes and they’re incredibly chewy.
I love how simple these are. Just cream the peanut butter and butter together, mix in the oats and candy, then bake. The hardest part is waiting for them to cool before eating them warm off the pan (which I never manage to do).
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
Ingredients
Ingredient Notes
- Creamy Peanut Butter – Use creamy peanut butter for best results. I use Skippy. Do not use natural peanut butter as it will make these cookies spread too much and a bit too oily.
- Gluten-Free Oats – Not all oats are considered gluten-free because they are often grown in fields that co-mingle with wheat. I used purity protocol oats, which have very strict standards and are grown in fields that have not grown gluten for a specific amount of years.
- M&Ms – Plain milk chocolate M&Ms don’t contain wheat and are considered safe for those with celiac disease, though Mars doesn’t officially label them gluten-free.
Use a kitchen scale for this recipe!
Measuring sticky ingredients like peanut butter and butter with cups is messy and inaccurate. Place your mixing bowl on a scale, tare it to zero, and add each ingredient by weight. No more scraping peanut butter out of measuring cups or guessing if you packed the brown sugar enough. Weighing is faster, more accurate, and means fewer dishes to wash. Once you start weighing ingredients, you’ll never go back to measuring cups.
Expert Tips
Recipe FAQs
To make this recipe dairy-free, use vegan butter, dairy-free chocolate chips, and dairy-free chocolate candy pieces instead of M&Ms.
No, you don’t need to chill the dough. These cookies bake up perfectly straight from mixing. Since this recipe is flourless, there’s no gluten-free flour that needs time to hydrate. The combination of peanut butter and oats gives the dough enough structure to hold its shape without chilling. Just scoop and bake immediately.
Storage Instructions
Store monster cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. They stay soft and chewy without refrigeration.
For longer storage, freeze baked cookies between sheets of parchment paper in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Let them thaw at room temperature for about 30 minutes before serving, or eat them straight from the freezer for a firmer texture.
You can also freeze unbaked dough. Scoop the dough into balls, flash-freeze them on a baking sheet for an hour, then transfer to a freezer bag. Bake from frozen, adding 1-2 extra minutes to the bake time.
Serving Suggestions
These monster cookies are perfect with a cold glass of milk or scooped on top of vanilla ice cream for an indulgent sundae.
If you’re putting together a cookie platter, set out a variety for guests to choose from. My gluten-free chocolate chip cookies and gluten-free sugar cookies pair perfectly with these.
For more gluten-free peanut butter treats, try my gluten-free peanut butter cookies or flourless peanut butter blossoms for a classic combination.
More gluten-free cookies to try
Did you make this recipe?
I’d love to know! Please rate it and leave a comment below. You can also share your pictures and tag @adashofmegnut on Instagram.
Gluten-Free Monster Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup (250 g) creamy peanut butter - I used Skippy
- ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter - at room temperature
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (110 g) brown sugar - packed
- 2 (100 g) large eggs
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 3 cups (255 g) gluten-free oats - use purity protocol or gluten-free certified oats
- 1 cup (180 g) chocolate chips
- 1 cup (240 g) M&Ms
**Use the toggle button above to turn the instruction photos on and off!
Instructions
- Preheat and prep. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Cream the butter and peanut butter. In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to cream together 1 cup (250 g) creamy peanut butter, ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar, and ½ cup (110 g) brown sugar. Beat on medium speed for a full 2 minutes until light and fluffy. The mixture should look pale and airy.
- Add the eggs. Add the 2 (100 g) large eggs, one at a time, mixing after each addition until fully incorporated. The mixture should look smooth and creamy.
- Add vanilla and baking soda. Mix in 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract and 2 teaspoons baking soda until just combined, about 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure everything is mixed evenly.
- Mix in the oats. Add 3 cups (255 g) gluten-free oats and mix on low speed until they're fully coated and distributed throughout the dough.
- Stir in the mix-ins. Switch to a spatula or wooden spoon and stir in 1 cup (180 g) chocolate chips and 1 cup (240 g) M&Ms by hand. This prevents breaking up the candies. Mix until evenly distributed throughout the dough.
- Scoop the dough. Using a 1.6 fl oz/3 tablespoon (#20) cookie scoop, place dough balls onto the prepared baking sheets. Leave at least 2 inches between each cookie.
- Bake. Bake at 350°F for 10-12 minutes, swapping the position of the baking sheets halfway through (move top sheet to bottom rack and vice versa) for even baking. The cookies are done when the edges are golden brown. The centers will still look slightly underbaked.
- Cool. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. Then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy warm or at room temperature!
Video
Notes
- Gluten-Free Oats: This recipe is only safe for celiac disease if you use certified gluten-free or purity protocol oats. Regular oats are contaminated with wheat during growing and processing.
- Storage: Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Freeze baked cookies for up to 3 months, or freeze unbaked dough balls and bake from frozen.
Nutrition
I couldn’t believe how easy these cookies were to make! I made them exactly as directed. They took no time at all and taste so darn good. I will definitely be making these again… maybe even next week!