Patriotic Monster Cookies (Printable Version)

Chewy oat and peanut butter cookies studded with chocolate chips and red-white-blue candies.

# 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 (optional)

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
02 - In a large bowl, beat together unsalted butter, granulated sugar, and packed light brown sugar until mixture is light and fluffy.
03 - Mix in creamy peanut butter. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in vanilla extract.
04 - In a separate bowl, whisk together old-fashioned oats, all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt.
05 - Gradually add the dry mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined.
06 - Gently fold in red, white, and blue chocolate candies, semisweet chocolate chips, and mini pretzels if using.
07 - Using a cookie scoop or tablespoon, drop rounds of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing each about 2 inches apart.
08 - Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until edges are golden and centers remain soft.
09 - Let cookies cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • Each cookie feels like a celebration with gooey centers and pops of color, perfect for parties or just a pick-me-up.
  • The oats and peanut butter make them ridiculously thick and chewy, so they never go dry or crumbly—even if you sneak one the next day.
02 -
  • If you bake them until they look ‘done,’ they’ll be hard by the time they cool—trust the soft centers.
  • Switching in gluten-free flour and oats works beautifully, but let the dough rest 10 minutes before baking so it hydrates properly.
03 -
  • Add a tablespoon of cornstarch to the dough for even softer cookies—this saved me the first time I overmixed.
  • For Instagram-worthy cookies, press a few candies and chocolate chips on the dough balls right before baking—the pops of color won me over!

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