These gluten monster cookies only use a couple of ingredients and are So delicious and easy to make! As someone who doesn’t tolerate peanut butter well, it’s a bonus that these monster cookies are made without peanut butter, too. (Please note that the candy gems used in this recipe ARE made in a facility with peanuts, so see recipe notes below for options free of cross contamination.) They may be gluten-free and have no flour in them, but I promise they are the perfect amount of sweet, soft and crunchy. Perfect to bring to a gathering, pack in a lunch bag, or eat as an after dinner treat.
For a fun cookie the whole family will enjoy, enter the Monster Cookie. What is a monster cookie? Monster cookies typically include ingredients like oats, peanut butter, chocolate and m&ms. They also may have ingredients like chopped nuts or coconut
Traditional monster cookies have rolled oats mixed into them, but I prefer blitzing rolled oats in a blender to make a coarse oat meal or flour instead. In lieu of traditional M&Ms, I use dark chocolate quinoa candy gems from Unreal Snacks which give them great texture, but you can use your favorite candy here!
How to make monster cookies without peanut butter*
While peanut butter is a staple in a traditional monster cookie, we use tahini paste in this recipe. Tahini is made from ground sesame seeds, which taste pretty similar to peanuts in this cookie! If you don’t have tahini, of course you can use peanut butter. You can also use almond butter.
*Please note that candy gem options like M&Ms and UnReal are made in facilities that have peanuts. If you have a peanut allergy, I came across a chocolate shop that is a completely nut/peanut-free facility called Vermont Nut-Free Chocolates. Their “Skippers” candy looks just like M&Ms and the UnReal candy gems. Note that I am not a nutritionist nor a doctor and can not provide medical information nor can be held liable for those with allergies. Please read all labels and defer to your doctor for information on allergies and nutrition.
Can you freeze monster cookies?
If you’d like to freeze these monster cookies, pack them in a plastic baggie and squeeze out as much air as possible. They can be stored in the freezer for 2-3 weeks (or more, if you can go that long without eating them all!)
Ingredients to make Monster Cookies
- Unsalted Butter – You can sub a vegan butter for dairy-free
- Coconut Sugar – I haven’t tried to sub out the coconut sugar but I’d assume brown sugar or regular cane sugar will work here too
- Vanilla Extract
- Tahini Paste – Acts as the peanut butter sub
- Almond Flour – make sure you use a fine almond flour
- Oat Flour – you can grind your own oats or use a store-bought oat flour. I prefer grinding mine a little on the coarser side for a cookie with more texture
- Egg – bind everything together!
- Baking Soda
- Salt
- Mini Chocolate Chips – I used semisweet chips from Enjoy Life. You can use regular-sized chips too
- Candy Gems – I used UnReal brand as they naturally color their candy, but you can also use regular M&Ms. Please note that the Candy Gems I used ARE made in a facility that has wheat and peanuts. If you have a gluten or peanut allergy, please use whatever items that are safe for you and your allergy. I provide a peanut free sub in the recipe card.
How to make Monster Cookies
To make these monster cookies, first you’ll cream together the butter, coconut sugar and vanilla with a hand mixer. If you are okay with working up a sweat, you can also whisk together with a whisk.
Next you’ll add the tahini and egg and mix until combined. Mix in the oats that you pulsed into a flour and the almond flour as well as the coconut flour, baking soda and salt.
Last, fold in the mini chocolate chips and candy gems. Use a regular-sized ice cream scoop to scoop out dough and place them on a baking sheet.
Bake at 350 degrees for 8 minutes, then take the sheet pan out of the oven and tap it on the stovetop. This is *key* as it will help deflate the cookies slightly so they get crunchy on the edges but soft in the middle. Bake for another 5-8 minutes, or until the cookies are just slightly golden on the edges. The more golden the cookies are on top, the more crunchy they will be once they cool. Tap the pan on the countertop once or twice more, then let the cookies cool.
Wait, are oats gluten-free?
You can purchase rolled oats or oat flour that are processed in a gluten-free facility. I like Bob’s Red Mill rolled oats. Keep in mind that some people with celiac disease or non celiac gluten sensitivity can still have issues with oats as some of the components in the oats cross react with gluten. If this is you, you could try to use a gluten-free flour blend in lieu of the oats, but I personally haven’t tested this recipe with GF flour and can’t promise the results will be the same.
For more chocolatey goodness, you can also try these:
Gluten-Free Monster Cookies
Ingredients
- 7 tablespoons unsalted butter room temperature and soft
- 3/4 cup + 1 tablespoons coconut sugar
- 1.5 tablespoons vanilla extract
- 5 tablespoons tahini paste
- 1 large egg
- 1.5 cups fine almond flour
- 3/4 cup oat flour or ground up oats (measure after grinding)
- 1 tablespoon coconut flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup candy gems (I used UnReal brand)
- 1/3 cup mini chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Using a hand mixer, cream together the soft butter, coconut sugar and vanilla extract for about 45 seconds, or until fluffy.
- Add the tahini paste and egg and mix together using the mixer.
- Grind your rolled oats in a blender until a coarse flour forms. You can also use storebought oat flour if you'd like.
- Add half of the almond flour and oat flour and mix with the mixer until combined. Mix in the remaining almond flour and oat flour, as well as the coconut flour, baking soda and salt.
- Fold in the candy gems and mini chocolate chips.
- Use an ice cream scoop to scoop the dough into balls and place them on a parchment-covered cookie sheet about 2" apart from one another. The dough should make 16-18 cookies. Place the cookies in the oven for 8 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the oven and gently tap the pan on the stovetop or countertop a few times. Place the cookies back in the oven and bake for an additional 6-8 minutes, or until the edges are slightly brown. Tap the pan on the stovetop or countertop once more when they come out of the oven to help them deflate slightly.
- Allow the cookies to fully cool before enjoying. They will be slightly soft when they come right out of the oven but firm up as they cool.
