Description
These flourless peanut butter monster cookies are thick, chewy, and packed with all the good stuff: creamy peanut butter, rolled oats, mini chocolate chips, and plenty of Reese’s Pieces (if you’re going for a Halloween / fall theme). They bake up with crisp edges, soft centers, and just enough salt to keep all that peanut butter and chocolate in check. They’re hearty and so satisfying.
Ingredients
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup (256 grams) creamy peanut butter, such as Jif or Skippy
- 3/4 cup (160 grams) packed light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup (75 grams) old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 cup (85 grams) mini semisweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup (about 85 grams) peanut butter candies, such as Reese’s Pieces, plus a few more for topping
- Flaky sea salt, for topping, optional but highly encouraged
Instructions
- Place racks in the upper third and center of the oven and preheat to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk the eggs until well combined and just a little frothy.
- Add the peanut butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and vanilla. Use a whisk then asturdy spatula or wooden spoon to stir everything together until smooth, glossy, and thoroughly combined. The mixture will be thick and sticky.
- Add the oats, baking soda, and salt and stir until evenly incorporated.
- Fold in the mini chocolate chips and peanut butter candies. Try not to eat all the Reese’s Pieces before they make it into the cookies. I say this knowing full well what we’re all capable of.
- Let the dough rest in the fridge for 20 minutes. This gives the oats a chance to soak up some of the moisture from the dough and helps the cookies bake up thick and chewy.
- Scoop the dough into generous 2-tablespoon portions and place them about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. The dough will be sticky, so a cookie scoop is ideal here.
- Gently press a few extra peanut butter candies and chocolate chips into the tops of each cookie.
- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through baking, until the edges are set but the centers still look slightly soft.
- Don’t wait for these cookies to look completely done in the oven. That’s how we lose the chewy center. They’ll continue to set as they cool.
- Sprinkle the warm cookies with flaky sea salt, if using, and allow them to cool on the baking sheet for at least 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
- The cookies will be soft while warm and settle into a chewy, peanut buttery situation as they cool.
Notes
Use conventional creamy peanut butter. A natural peanut butter that separates into oil and peanut solids can make these cookies spread unpredictably. Jif or Skippy is exactly what we want.
For gluten-free cookies: Use certified gluten-free rolled oats and double-check the labels on your candies and chocolate chips.
Storage: Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. The dough can also be scooped and frozen, then baked straight from the freezer with an extra minute or two in the oven.