Description
These festive Christmas Monster Cookies are loaded with holiday M&M’s, crunchy pretzels, and a mix of semi-sweet and white chocolate chips for a perfect balance of sweet and salty. Soft and chewy, with a delightful oat texture, they make a fun and colorful treat ideal for holiday celebrations.
Ingredients
Scale
Wet Ingredients
- 2 sticks (1 cup) salted butter at room temperature
- 1 cup dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 cups old fashioned oats
Add-ins
- 1 1/4 cups holiday M&M’s
- 1 cup mini pretzel sticks, crushed
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips or chunks
- 1/2 cup white chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Baking Sheet. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper to prevent sticking and ensure even baking.
- Cream Butter and Sugars. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the softened butter, dark brown sugar, granulated sugar, and vanilla extract until the mixture is smooth and creamy, which helps create a tender cookie texture.
- Add Eggs. Incorporate the eggs and additional egg yolk one at a time, beating each in thoroughly to ensure the ingredients are well combined and contribute to cookie richness and structure.
- Mix Dry Ingredients. Add the all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, and kosher salt to the wet ingredients. Beat until just combined to avoid overmixing, which can make cookies tough.
- Stir in Oats and Add-ins. Beat in the old fashioned oats, then fold gently with a spatula or spoon the holiday M&M’s (reserve 1/4 cup), crushed pretzels, semi-sweet chocolate chips, and white chocolate chips to distribute them evenly throughout the dough.
- Shape Cookie Dough. Roll the dough into approximately 1/4 cup sized balls. Place the dough balls on the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 3 inches apart to allow spreading during baking.
- Initial Bake. Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 8 minutes. This step begins cooking the dough while maintaining a chewy texture.
- Rotate Pan and Continue Baking. Rotate the baking sheet to ensure even heat distribution and bake for an additional 2 minutes.
- Add Reserved M&M’s. Remove the pan from the oven, press the remaining M&M’s into the tops of the cookies to decorate and add extra color and crunch, then return to the oven.
- Final Bake. Bake for another 2 to 3 minutes until cookies are set but still soft in the center.
- Cool Cookies. Remove from oven and let the cookies cool on the baking sheet. They will continue to cook slightly as they cool, solidifying the texture.
- Serve and Store. Enjoy the cookies warm for the best taste and texture, or let cool completely and store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Notes
- For best results, use room temperature butter to ensure it creams properly with sugars.
- Do not overmix the dough after adding flour to keep cookies tender.
- Spacing dough balls adequately helps prevent cookies from merging during baking.
- Pressing extra M&M’s on top after partial baking gives a festive look and added texture.
- Store leftover cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
