halloween monster cookies
The spooky eyes are back and begging you to bake this weekend.
These cuties, ahhhhh. They are squee worthy. I have an odd weakness for googly eyes on baked goods around Halloween – I don’t bake elaborately for the holiday since it’s not really my forte, but if I can pop some eyeballs on shit, I will.
I seriously love these dudes. They’re precious. And delicious, not to mention. A real treat for your parties, coworkers, or yourself.
Cookies are an easy entertaining mainstay, since most recipes make a fuckton, and a well-baked cookie is one of the most appreciable treats out there. Monster cookies, to take it further, are another level of enjoyment. Bless whoever thought to combine peanut butter, chocolate, and oats into an already fabulous baked good. I hope whoever it was had a great existence.
These Halloween Monster Cookies, once the shock of adoration wears off, are a tasty option for the season. The marriage of peanut butter and chocolate is pretty fucken perfect. One bowl, no chill, simple ingredients. Dope as hell.
The Monster in Me
The big note I usually mention when baking with peanut butter is to use a non-natural variety. Some brands use “natural” in their titling, like Jif Natural, and those are fine – I’m talking about the ones that are aggressively separated when you buy them and you need to manhandle a fucken knife for 10 minutes trying to slip those oils back into the solids.
And for real, who the fuck puts an entire jar of peanut butter into a blender in order to reconstitute the shit? I dunno about ya’ll, but the cleaning process afterwards sounds like a real nightmare.
Okay, soapbox moment aside, let’s start. Beat butter with the peanut butter, brown sugar, and sugar, until nice and creamy. Whip in a couple room temp eggs, then some vanilla.
Mix in flour, baking soda, and salt. Once the dry is incorporated into the wet, fold in dark chocolate chips and Reese’s Pieces with a spatula. Do not overmix your shit.
Puppy Eyes
Scoop out globs of dough and roll into a ball. And by “globs” I mean about 2 heaping tablespoon’s worth. I just prefer the professionalism of the word “glob.”
Press a few more Reese’s Pieces into your dough balls, then a couple googly eyes. You can keep it traditional and give your monsters a pair of eyes, or you can do three, or four, or five, however many you wish. Who knows, maybe folks on Mars boast more than two eyes. You’re just paying homage.
Pop the cookies in the oven for a bit. Remove and tap the sheet on the counter firmly to flatten the tops, then bake again for another few minutes to set up those edges.
Resist the cookies for about 10 minutes, then you can dig in. They’ll still be warm. Or, if you’re prebaking for your Halloween party, wait until they cool completely, then store in a covered container. I prefer the fridge, but they’ll be fine at room temperature for about 5 days depending on the humidity level.
If you can get yourself to munch something so precious, save a few of your batch for yourself. Hide them far away from prying hands. After a day of baking – or just a day – you deserve a sweet treat.
Tried this recipe out? Leave a rating and comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!
Halloween intensifies:
Lil Monster Double Chocolate Espresso Cookies
Butterscotch Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies
Creepy Crawly Pumpkin Patch Chocolate Cupcakes
halloween monster cookies
Ingredients
- 2 sticks butter, softened
- 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
- 3/4 cup dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 1/2 cups old fashioned oats
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 1/2 cups dark chocolate chips
- 1 cup Reese's Pieces
- googly eyes
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment.
- In a large bowl, beat the butter, peanut butter, brown sugar, and sugar until creamy, about 2-3 minutes. Whip in the eggs, one at a time, until each is fully incorporated, then the vanilla. Add the flour, oats, baking soda, and salt. Mix until just combined. Use a spatula to fold in the chocolate chips and the Reese's Pieces.
- Scoop heaping 2 tablespoon sized portions of dough and roll into a ball. Speckle with a few more Reese's Pieces and googly eyes (you can certainly add more than 2 if you want an extra spooky cookie). Place the cookies about 2 inches apart on the baking sheet.
- Bake for 8 minutes. Remove and tap the baking sheet firmly on the counter to flatten the cookies. Return to the oven for 4-5 minutes longer until the edges are set but the centers still gooey. Cool the cookies on the baking sheet to set.
- Serve a few warm, or transfer to a wire rack, cool completely, and store in a covered container.
