Monster Cookies
- Total Time
- 45 minutes
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
Yield:12 3½- to 4-inch cookies
- 1cup flour
- ½teaspoon baking powder
- ½teaspoon salt
- 1cup rolled oats
- 9tablespoons butter, at room temperature
- ½cup light brown sugar
- ½cup superfine sugar
- 1large egg
- 1teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾cup chopped pecans
- 1cup M&M's or other sugar-coated candies like Reese's pieces
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (14 servings)
279 calories; 16 grams fat; 7 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 5 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 32 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 19 grams sugars; 4 grams protein; 130 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Powered byPreparation
- Step 1
Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl combine flour, baking powder, salt and rolled oats. Set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer combine butter, light brown sugar and superfine sugar. Beat until creamy. Add egg and vanilla, and beat again until smooth.
- Step 2
Add flour mixture to butter mixture, and beat until smooth. By hand, fold in chopped pecans and M&M's.
- Step 3
Roll quarter-cup measures of dough into balls and flatten them into fat disks (about ½ inch thick). Place on a parchment-lined or greased baking sheet, about 6 at a time, so they have room to spread.
- Step 4
Bake until cookies are risen, dry on surface and very lightly browned, 15 to 20 minutes. They will be too soft to lift from baking sheet. Set aside to harden for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool.
Private Notes
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Cooking Notes
Jake Wagman
These were awesome! I’m eight years old and I made them without any help.
NYC Chef Mama
the photo above does not honestly represent this recipe. the MnMs in the photo have been pressed into the cookie by hand after, or near the end of, baking. If you follow the recipe above, and fold the candies into the dough, as told to, the MnMs will be covered in dough and the colors will bleed into the dough as they bake.
Catherine
Actually, I just made these, as directed, using Reese's Pieces instead of M&Ms and they turned out exactly as pictured.
Jean Laughlin Miller
Made them smaller and used what I had on hand. I switched out regular sugar for superfine, walnuts for pecans and kosher salt for regular. I was a bit short for M&M's so topped the cup off with chocolate chips. Hands down, the best cookies I've ever made and I'm a sixty-seven year old who has been making cookies since I was eleven. Good job, Nigella!
Emi
I made these cookies and they turned out nicely. I used peanut M&Ms (sorted through to pick out fall/Halloween colors) and omitted the pecans. I did have to reduce the cooking time to around 12 minutes. Definitely important to flatten the cookies by hand, and make sure none of the M&Ms in your dough ball are directly touching the cookie sheet, otherwise they'll melt and the bottom of the cookie will fall apart. Overall, I'd make them again.
hcg
Worked beautifully. For the bold, add softened vanilla ice cream between two and freeze for a couple hours to get a top-tier chipwich.
Gmama
Made these pressing the M&M"s into tops of dough as recommended and also reduced cooking time to 12 minutes- they came out Great! Will use this cookie recipe again and again-
Jesse
I don't see the real need for superfine/caster sugar in here. It's not a souffle, we're not going for refined dessert here. Regular granulated works perfectly well!
Sara
A recipe made with shortening, rather than butter, is likely to be crispier.
Naz
This is similar to oatmeal cookies found on the Quaker can so I'm sure you can go without nuts.
MN-Andrea
I used generic M&M-type candies bought in bulk at my co-op, and I mixed them into the dough. Had no problem with the color seeping out into the cookies.
Bake them?
I love these cookies! I have substituted mint chocolate chips for the pecans - Rave reviews! I sometimes make them smaller as well and bake them for less time. a keeper!
Deb
Made this for Christmas with red and green m and m’s and about half the size (22 grams) and got 40 cookies. As sn afterthought, thought they would be really good with coconut also.
Kristina
Not a nut fan.how necessary are the pecans?
Kate
Make with heaping tablespoons. About seven/eight to a sheet.
Dorian
Whipped up 3x this recipe twice to get 80 cookies. Love how easy this recipe is to multiply and it made a delicious cookie. I subbed out the nuts for choco chips, 1/2 cup of those per batch instead of 3/4.
Sarah
For regular-sized cookies, bake about 12 minutes. Makes about 40.
Anne Marie Peterson
My mom and I LOVE this recipe. We have made multiple batches, some with M & Ms and some with chocolate chips instead. The cookies are a fav with us!
Liz
They’re good. Not great. Followed recipe as written. Converted to grams so I could be accurate. A little too sweet- and yes I realize it’s a cookie so it should be sweet, but this was a bit too much for my taste. I prefer my monster cookies with peanut butter for sure. Will go back to my original monster cookie recipe.
IK
Made a double batch with smaller cookie for my son’s class party. Used ~1 tbsp less butter, halved white sugar (actually course turbinado sugar). Melted the butter in microwave, whisked in wet ingredients then folded in dry, no mixer needed. Because of all the nut allergies I used sunflower seeds (raw) instead of nuts, thank you for that tip! Used TJ brand plain “M&Ms” to avoid artificial food colors. Candies paled from baking but cookies taste amazing. Love the texture from oats &seeds!
Mary
Everyone loved these. I used peanuts in place of pecans because I had them!
H.B.
I used Reeses Pieces and made these into much smaller cookies. They were a hit with all my co-workers!
John
Followed the recipe exactly, they were perfect. Love the soft center and slight chewy crust, perfect combo in a cookie. can't wait to make these again, would make a great gift!
Sylvia
I followed recipe to a tee and the cookies are delicious. However, within two or three days they become dry and hard. The cure is to microwave 20 seconds which restores their chewy goodness.
Madison
Made with Reese's pieces and no stand mixer. Only needed 15 minutes in the oven
Katharine
These worked wonderfully gluten free. Reserve a few candies to place on top for prettier cookies.
Christine VB
Made with 3/4 cup of Reeses Pieces and 1/4 cup white chocolate chips that I wanted to use up. A stick of butter instead of 9 tablespoons. After reading the comments, I used half a cup of turbinado sugar instead of the other sugars. Made them a bit smaller than called for, coming out with 17 cookies. Yummy!
whitt911
I used Peanut Butter M&Ms - no nuts. Turned out amazing!
Annis
Baked with 3 different kinds of m&ms (regular, peanut & crispy) for 13 mins. I reduced the total sugar by a fifth and subbed allulose for half. Lovely, chewy cookies with great flavor!!
Danvillerose
Made these a few times, trying different tactics. Each batch was made without pecans, using regular not super fine sugar, and normal cookie-size, not “monster.” Used mini M&M’s. First batch - added the M&M’s on top before baking. M&M’s cracked. Cookies were bland. Second batch - added M&M’s to batter AND chocolate chips. M&M’s on tops before baking. Still cracked but much tastier. Third batch - added only choc chips to batter, no M&M’s; put M&M’s on tops AFTER baking. Bingo!
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