I may or may not have created a monster (heh, get it?) when it comes to holidays and celebrating with Isla. She’s getting old enough to know what holidays are coming next, and inevitably that means more decorating and fun activities. She has been asking about Valentines Day since December 26, so we made some of these Valentine Monster Cookies the other day to try and hold off some of her Valentine’s Day excitement.
A monster cookie is one of my favorites. It’s got a little bit of everything and always hits the sweet tooth spot. Even better, all you have to do is swap out the candy pieces to make it festive for any holiday!
Traditionally, a monster cookie recipe calls for oatmeal, but I have always used crispy rice cereal. Oatmeal gives it a smoother, albeit lumpy, texture, but the cereal gives it that same texture with a bit of a crunch too.
Plus, peanut butter. I’ve never met something with peanut butter in it that I didn’t love.
One note I wanted to point out to make your Valentine Monster Cookies perfect. Make sure you mix the candy pieces in by hand. An electric mixer will spin too quickly and crush the pieces. It wouldn’t alter the taste, but it would change the presentation of the cookie.
Valentine Monster Cookies
This cookie has it all and it's festive to boot!
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ½ cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1½ cups crispy rice cereal
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup M&M candies
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Cream butter and brown sugar together. When mixed well, mix in peanut butter, followed by the egg and vanilla.
- In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking soda, cornstarch, baking powder and salt. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix well.
- Add the cereal and chocolate chips to the dough.
Mix in M&Ms by hand. An electric mixer may be too fast, breaking the shells. The dough will be slightly sticky. - Scoop dough into 1/4 cup sized balls and arrange on a cookie sheet, flattening slightly. This will give you the “monster” sized cookie the recipe is named for, but will yield a softer cookie and will need another minute or two of baking. If you prefer a slightly crispier cookie without a soft center, scoop the dough into 2 tablespoon sized balls.
- Arrange a few M&Ms on top to add color to each cookie.
- Bake 11-13 minutes depending on size desired.
Notes
The candy pieces can easily be swapped out to suit whatever holiday is nearest, or for traditional colors for any occasion.
What kind of Valentines Day treats do you plan to make with your kids? Last year we made Ombre Valentine Rice Krispie Treats!
Looking for more cookies? Check out these posts!
[…] Valentine Monster Cookies || Printable Valentines & An Announcement […]