These super easy, chewy and delicious Gluten Free Monster Cookies come together in less than 15 minutes using just one bowl and 5 ingredients. They are also dairy free, refined sugar free, oil free, and vegan friendly! You'd never guess it though; this the best Monster Cookie recipe I have made.
Read on to find out the Origins of Monster Cookies, tips for making this recipe, or to see some mouthwatering cookie photos!
What are Monster Cookies?
Monster Cookies were originally invented by Dick Wesley, a photographer at the University of Michigan in the 1970s. I found this newspaper clipping from the original Monster Cookie recipe when I was researching more about the history - super cool!
Mr. Wesley initially intended to make Peanut Butter Cookies. He found himself out of flour, so subbed in oats instead. And then, he continued adding in whatever he was finding around the house!
He had some M&Ms and chocolate chips and just like that, the Monster Cookie was born!
This version of a Dairy Free and Gluten Free Monster Cookies has some tweaks from the original version, but the main ingredients of peanut butter, oats, and multiple types of chocolate are the same. Essentially, its a easy peanut butter oatmeal cookie with no flour.
There are 4 main components in a Monster Cookie:
- Peanut Butter
- Old-Fashioned Oats (or Quick Oats)
- Chocolate Chips
- Candy Covered Chocolate (like M&Ms)
Reasons to be in love With This Gluten Free Monster Cookies Recipe
- They are super easy to make and require no fancy equipment like a stand mixer or food processor, even your kids could make them. And we love healthy cookies for kids!
- This recipe uses up leftovers so they don't need to go to waste! You can use any leftover candies or chocolates you have in your kitchen regular or mini m&m candies, regular or mini chocolate chips, even peanut butter chips; you can get creative and adapt to what you have on hand. Nuts and seeds are welcome, too!
- When you can't decide between a Chocolate Chip Cookie or a Peanut Butter Cookie or an Oatmeal Cookie, this is all of them in one- a gluten free peanut butter oatmeal cookie!
- Its made in One Bowl with simple ingredients and the whole thing takes less than 15 minutes, including bake time AND clean up time.
- You can easily adapt the recipe to make a nut free monster cookie version if you have any nut allergies in the house. Use Sun Butter instead of peanut butter.
- This recipe is super easy, relatively inexpensive to make, and is a massive crowd pleaser the whole family will love!
Ingredients in Flourless Monster Cookies
Peanut Butter. I prefer to use all natural peanut butter, with only one ingredient: peanuts! But any peanut butter you have will work in this recipe. I prefer to use smooth, but you can use crunchy peanut butter for even more texture. For nut free cookies, you can use sunflower seed butter instead.
Eggs. Eggs help with binding and keeping the cookies together. To make Vegan Monster Cookies, simply sub out the eggs for 2 Flax Eggs.
Coconut sugar. I prefer to use Coconut Sugar in this recipe as it has a lower glycemic index than brown sugar or white sugar, plus I love the subtle coconut flavor in these cookies. BUT, you can use any type of sugar you like! These cookies have less sugar than typical cookies to keep the overall sugar low, but you can always add more if you want a sweeter cookie.
Vanilla Extract. Cookies just wouldn't be the same without it! I recently purchased this brand and have been loving it.
Rolled oats. You can also use quick cooking oats, but I think old fashioned rolled oats give these cookies the perfect texture. Make sure your oats are Certified Gluten Free if you have a gluten allergy or celiac disease! Fun fact: Oats are a naturally gluten free food, but you will need the extra certification if you are sensitive to potential gluten contamination.
Candy covered chocolate. You can use M&Ms or any candies here. I used the Unreal Milk Chocolate Gems in mine. I love that they are Fair Trade certified and gluten free. The best deals are on Amazon - like this package here!
Chocolate chips. I mean, duh!
You'll notice there is no flour listed - these flourless monster cookies get their delicious chewy texture from Rolled Oats!
Tips for Making The Best Monster Cookies
Start by adding your wet ingredients - peanut butter, eggs, vanilla, and coconut sugar - to a large mixing bowl.
The mixture will be extremely thick! I find using a silicone spatula and a bowl with a grip on the bottom - like this one - is best for thick batters like this.
Next, add all your dry ingredients to the same bowl. Again, elbow grease and your silicone spatula will be your friends here!
If the mixture is really too thick to mix, you can add some almond milk or water to thin things out; start with 1 Tablespoon.
Make sure you mix until everything is combined and incorporated, and then stop! You don't want to overmix this cookie dough.
Once the mixture is all combined, use a cookie scoop (recommend this one!) or an ice cream scooper to create cookie dough balls on your baking sheet.
Pro tip: Spray your cookie scooper with some cooking oil before scooping out the cookie dough balls. This will ensure they pop out smoothly and don't stick to the scoop!
Top your cookies with some extra chocolate chips or candies on top, so they look amazing when they are done! These monster cookies look so beautiful!
This recipe makes roughly 14 cookies. You can easily halve all the ingredients to make a small batch of monster cookies.
Bake for 8 - 10 minutes! The cookies are done when the edges are golden, the bottom is beautifully crisped up, and the middle is no longer raw.
Let the cookies cool! You can enjoy them warm, but wait at least 5 minutes so you don't burn your mouth. Waiting is the hardest part!
Q+A About Healthy Monster Cookies
Can I make this recipe for cookies dairy free?
It already is! Just make sure your candy-covered chocolate and chocolate chips are dairy free as well. Note that M&Ms are not dairy free - they contain milk chocolate! I used Unreal Chocolates.
How many calories are in a gluten free monster cookie?
The caloric information is in the bottom of the recipe card. Please note this will vary slightly depending on your ingredients (like what type of peanut butter you use) and how small or large you make your cookies!
What was the Original Monster Cookie Recipe?
Scroll back up to the top of the blog post!
Are M&M's Gluten Free?
Yes! M&M's are Gluten Free. So are Unreal Chocolate Gems that I used in this recipe.
More Gluten Free Dairy Free Cookie Recipes
These gluten free peanut butter oatmeal chocolate chip cookies might be my favorite, but The Granola Diaries features tons of amazing gluten free cookie recipes!
Vegan Banana Bread Cookies
Flourless Chocolate Chip Cookies
The Best Peanut Butter Cookies You'll Ever Eat
Almond Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
Beet Cocoa Cookies
Save this recipe for later!
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?
Please tag me on Social Media @thegranoladiaries (Instagram / Facebook / Pinterest), and leave a rating/comment below! I always repost your creations on Instagram!
Leaving a rating helps other readers see that the recipe is delicious and easy, and I would love your feedback!
Gluten Free Monster Cookies
Ingredients
Wet Ingredients
- 1 Cup Peanut Butter
- 2 Large Eggs
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- ½ Cup Coconut Sugar
Dry Ingredients
- 1 Cup Rolled Oats
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ C Chocolate Chips
- ¾ Chocolate Covered Candies
Other
- 1 tablespoon Almond Milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a baking tray with parchment paper or a Silpat mat.
- In a large bowl, whisk all the wet ingredients together. The mixture will be THICK.
- Add the dry ingredients to the thick, sticky dough and start to fold everything to combine. If the mixture is too thick/sticky, add 1 tablespoon of Almond Milk (or any milk). Use a silicone spatula to continue folding all the ingredients.
- Use a cookie scooper to scoop cookie balls onto your baking sheet. For flatter cookies, press down the balls slightly. For more domed cookies, keep them in a ball. Top with more candies if you like.
- Bake for 8 - 10 minutes, until the bottom is golden and edges are slightly golden. Allow to cool for at least 5 minutes before diving in!
Notes
Nutrition
NOTE: THIS POST CONTAINS AFFILIATE LINKS. AS AN AMAZON AFFILIATE, I EARN FROM PURCHASES YOU MAY MAKE, AT NO ADDITIONAL COST TO YOU. I NEVER RECOMMEND PRODUCTS I DO NOT FULLY STAND BEHIND. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SUPPORTING THE GRANOLA DIARIES!
Robbie
So easy and the best monster cookie recipe I have made