Let’s go back to the beginning. It all begins with peanut butter. Ahh, peanut butter. I can honestly say that I would not want to live in a world without peanut butter. If I go to my pantry and find that peanut butter isn’t there, I become instantly panicky.

As good as peanut butter tastes on bread, crackers, fruit (or straight from the jar), it’s even more exciting when added to baked goods. I was thinking about some creative ways to use peanut butter in baking… peanut butter cookies, perhaps? Gorgeous, but rather simple. Peanut butter and chocolate cupcakes? Delicious and decadent, but a little heavy for the summer. What about peanut butter oatmeal cookies loaded with both M&Ms and chocolate chips? Now you’re talking!

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Thus, my quest to create the perfect gluten-free monster cookie was born. Before attempting to bake them for the first time, I spent some time eagerly researching recipes, both gluten-free and otherwise. After a little bit of trial and error in the kitchen, I can honestly say that I’m very happy with the monster I created (pun intended).

My monster cookie recipe is based on my personal preferences. As you know, I adore peanut butter, so I went for a subtle amount of crunch from the oats, with a more pronounced peanut butter flavor. After baking and tasting, I am happy to say that my version of the monster cookie is a wonderfully balanced cookie, with the oats, peanut butter, and chocolate all complimenting each other beautifully.

And even better, my gluten-free monster cookies are incredibly easy to make. Let’s get started!

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What you will need

First, gather your ingredients. Most of these are common kitchen pantry ingredients, with a few delightful extras thrown in:

• unsalted butter (softened)
• peanut butter (prefferably a commercial brand like JIF or Skippy rather than natural)
• caster sugar (or granulated)
• brown sugar
• vanilla extract
• eggs
• gluten-free flour (I used Doves Farm Freee)
• gluten-free oatmeal (I would recommend using instant oats)
• baking soda
• baking powder
• salt
• chocolate chips
• M&Ms

How to make Gluten-free Monster Cookies

Before you start mixing your dry ingredients together, make sure you have a good gluten-free flour blend. As I live in the Czech Republic, it’s difficult for me to get gluten-free flour brands from the USA. Luckily, Doves Farm Freee from the UK is widely available here, and personally, I’ve had great success baking with this flour blend. But you can use any gluten-free flour blend you like.

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First, sift the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder into a bowl. Sifting isn’t absolutely necessary, but it does help to prevent lumps and clumps in the mixing process. Next, add the oats, give them a good whisk, and set aside. That’s all your dry ingredients done!

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Now add your softened butter into a bowl. Since it’s summertime now, I took my butter out of the fridge for a few hours before baking. In the winter, I usually leave it out overnight to get to the right level of softness. Next, throw in that delicious peanut butter and the two of them become friends.

Beat them together with a stand mixer or an electric mixer for a few minutes. Grab your handy spatula and scrape down the sides of the bowl to reincorporate any butter and peanut butter stuck to the sides.

Now, add the white and brown sugar. Beat on medium speed for 1-2 minutes until pale and fluffy.

Now it’s time to add the eggs and vanilla extract. Reduce your speed to low and beat together for 1 minute more.

Now, add your entire flour/oats mixture into the wet ingredients. Beat together on a low speed until just combined. Be careful not to overmix- you don’t want your cookies to rise and fall.

By this point, you should have a lovely, light brown, sticky cookie dough batter.

Now it’s time for the fun part! Throw in the stars of the show: all of those delicious chocolate chips and M&Ms. Gently mix them into the batter until evenly dispersed (I used a wooden spoon for this).

Now, the waiting begins. The cookie dough will need to chill for at least 30 minutes to firm up (you can also chill it overnight if you wish). Cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate.

Before you take out your cookie dough, don’t forget to preheat your oven! Set the oven temperature to 375⁰F / 190⁰ C / 170⁰ C fan. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Once your cookie dough is nice and chilled, remove it from the fridge and start rolling the dough into balls approximately 2 inches (5 cm) in diameter.

If you have some extra M&Ms leftover, you can press a few extra on the top of each ball for decoration. Don’t hold back, it will make your finished cookies even more chocolatey and delicious. Also, it makes the cookie dough balls look adorable.

Finally, these beauties are ready to bake! Put them in the oven for 12-14 minutes until the top is a nice golden brown color.

Check for doneness, and remove your cookies from the oven. Let them cool on the baking tray for a few minutes. Then remove them and let the cookies cool completely on a drying rack.

Mmm. They look monstrously good, don’t they?

Your gluten-free monster cookies are ready to eat! They make a perfect snack with an afternoon coffee or tea, or can be enjoyed as a light dessert with a glass of cold milk.

Eat these cookies however you like. That’s good enough for me.

Tips for success!

• I recommend weighing your ingredients for better accuracy. Since I bought a kitchen scale, I find it so much easier and faster than measuring by cups.
• Make sure your oats are gluten-free. I know, this is a little confusing! While oats are naturally gluten-free, they are often contaminated with gluten during the farming process. So just check the label to be certain.
• If possible, use a commercial peanut butter (like Skippy or JIF) rather than natural peanut butter. Natural peanut butter has a more runny consistency and the oil can separate from the peanuts.
• Chill that cookie dough! The dough will be very sticky after you make it, and chilling it helps it firm up so you can easily roll it into balls. It also helps the cookies stay crispy on the outside but soft and gooey on the inside. So don’t skip this step!

This nutritional information is based on the brands and ingredients I used for this recipe. They may not be 100% accurate for you. Please check your nutrition labels for more precise information.