Flourless Gluten-Free Monster Cookies (Extra Soft!)
Gluten-free Monster Cookies are a flourless soft and chewy cookie, loaded with oats, peanut butter, chocolate chips, and M&M candies. They are the ideal bakery-style cookie that appeals to all!
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper, silicone baking mats, or leave ungreased.
In a large bowl cream together the softened butter, peanut butter, and both sugars. Mix on high for 2 minutes so it's nice and creamy.
Add the eggs, vanilla, and baking soda. Mix well then add the oats. Mix on low until all combined. Add ¾ cup M&Ms and ¾ cup chocolate chips. Mix on low or stir by hand.
Use a large cookie scoop or trigger ice cream scoop to portion out large balls (see recipe notes for smaller cookies) and place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. Press down slightly with the back of the scoop. Use the remaining chocolate chips and M&Ms to press down slightly on top of the unbaked cookies.
Bake for 11 minutes, rotating pans halfway through. Be careful to not over bake (edges will be set and middle will be slightly underdone). Cool on baking sheets 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool.
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Notes
Smaller cookies
To make smaller cookies use a medium cookie scoop (1.5 tablespoons) and bake for 1-2 minutes less. This will yield 44 cookies.
dairy-free modifications
Replace the butter with plant-based butter sticks, such as Earth Balance. They may spread a bit more, though. To offset this, chill the dough for 1 hour before baking.
Instead of chocolate chips use dairy-free chips, such as Enjoy Life.
M&Ms are not dairy-free, so they will need to be replaced with something else. Add an additional 3/4 cup chocolate chips (regular or mini) in their place, or try another dairy-free mix-in, such as dried cranberries, coconut, chopped nuts, or another flavor of vegan baking chips.
make-ahead tips
You may make gluten-free monster cookies ahead of time and you have a couple options to choose from.
Baked Cookies - Bake and cool the cookies completely before storing. Stack in an airtight container and store at room temperature up to four days. To store longer, wrap stacks of 2-3 cookies in plastic wrap and store in a ziplock freezer bag and freeze up to 3 months.
Unbaked Cookies - Make the monster cookie dough and portion out the cookie balls on parchment paper lined baking sheet. Flash freeze until the balls are hard to touch. Transfer the unbaked balls to ziplock freezer bag and freeze up to 3 months. Do not thaw the dough before baking, but they will have to bake for 1-2 minutes longer.
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expert tips and tricks
If you forget to set out your butter to soften, place it in the microwave at 20% power for 45 seconds.
Creamy peanut butter, rather than natural, is necessary for best results. Natural peanut butter is too oily and will not mix cohesively.
Using cookie scoops portions the dough faster and makes the cookies uniformly sized for consistent baking.
Mix up the add-ins. Replace some of the chocolate chips or M&Ms with butterscotch chips, white chocolate chips, gluten-free pretzels, coconut, or dried cranberries. Read all the labels to make sure all ingredients are gluten-free.
For a festive Christmas cookies use red and green Holiday M&Ms.