Patriotic Monster Cookies (Printable)

Chewy oat and peanut butter cookies studded with chocolate chips and tricolor candy pieces.

# What You Need:

→ Wet ingredients

01 - 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
02 - 1 cup granulated sugar
03 - 1 cup packed light brown sugar
04 - 1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter
05 - 3 large eggs
06 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

→ Dry ingredients

07 - 4 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
08 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
09 - 2 teaspoons baking soda
10 - 1/2 teaspoon salt

→ Add-ins

11 - 1 1/2 cups red, white, and blue chocolate candies
12 - 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
13 - 1 cup mini pretzels, lightly crushed

# How To Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
02 - In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to cream together butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
03 - Mix in peanut butter thoroughly. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each. Stir in vanilla extract.
04 - In a separate bowl, whisk together oats, flour, baking soda, and salt.
05 - Gradually add the dry mixture to the wet mixture, mixing until just combined. Avoid overmixing.
06 - Fold in chocolate candies, chocolate chips, and crushed pretzels, using a spatula to distribute evenly.
07 - Scoop rounded tablespoons of dough onto prepared baking sheets, spacing each portion two inches apart.
08 - Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until edges are golden and centers appear slightly underbaked.
09 - Allow cookies to cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • If you sneak a taste of the dough, you might find it’s as good as the baked cookies—just don’t tell anyone I told you.
  • They stay chewy for days, so you can prep ahead and still offer bakery-fresh treats at any gathering.
02 -
  • Over-baking is the quickest way to lose that soft chew, so always pull them out when the centers still look a little glossy.
  • Pressing a few candies on top of each dough mound right before baking makes the cookies bakery-beautiful every time.
03 -
  • If dough feels sticky, a quick 15-minute chill in the fridge makes it easy to scoop.
  • Don’t skip the parchment paper—nothing ruins a batch faster than cookies stuck tight to the tray.

Go Back