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You’ll love this Giant Monster Cookie recipe that bakes in a tart pan! Thick, chewy, soft-baked, and loaded with all the good stuff – chocolate chip, mini m&m’s, oats, and peanut butter. Finish it off with a chocolate buttercream for a giant cookie that’s perfect for celebrations, parties, and even as a ‘birthday cookie cake’.
Giant Monster Cookie Recipe (With Chocolate Frosting)
It’s no secret that my family are BIG fans of all things monster cookies. Monster cookies are typically a combination of oats, peanut butter, chocolate chips, and m&m’s. Sometimes you can switch it up and use different types of chips like butterscotch chips or peanut butter chips. Basically, monster cookie anything is the absolute best because they’re loaded with all of the good stuff.
Wether it’s stuffing a Reese’s inside these Reese’s Stuffed Monster Cookies, or these classic Monster Cookies, or try this delicious twist and make my Monster Cookie Dough Cheeseball. If you prefer bars then you don’t want to miss my #1 recipe (for 5+ years now) which are these No Flour Monster Cookie Bars.
This giant monster cookie is actually the cookie that I make every year for a first day of school after treat celebration. It’s our family tradition that the kids come home to a giant cookie after the first day of school. No one can be sad when they’re eating a giant cookie!
Ingredients Needed
- Butter : I use salted butter but if you prefer baking with unsalted butter then that can be used as well.
- Creamy Peanut Butter : It’s best to not use any peanut butter that’s labeled as ‘all-natural’ or ‘no-stir’. These peanut butters are usually drier and give baked goods a dry, chewier texture. However, I have had several readers comment and say it turns out just fine so you can experiment if you wish and see what you think.
- Light Brown Sugar
- Large Egg
- Vanilla Extract
- All-Purpose Flour : I prefer using all-purpose unbleached flour for all my baking and cooking.
- Baking Soda
- Cornstarch : The best addition to any cookie recipe! It makes the cookie so soft and gives it that really tender texture.
- Salt : Use kosher salt, sea salt, or table salt. If using unsalted butter you may want to increase the salt to 1/2 teaspoon.
- Quick Oats
- Mini Chocolate Chips
- Mini M&M’s
How To Make A Giant Monster Cookie Cake (Printable Full Recipe)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 11″ tart pan with cooking spray. Set aside.
In a large bowl using an electric hand mixer (or bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment) cream together the butter, brown sugar, and peanut butter until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.
Add in the egg and vanilla and beat just until incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, as needed, with a rubber spatula to ensure everything gets combined together.
In a separate smaller bowl, add the flour, baking soda, cornstarch, and salt and whisk to combine.
Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and beat on low speed just until combined.
Add the oats, chocolate chips, and M&M candies. Beat on low speed just until dough is combined.
Spread the cookie dough into the prepared tart pan and press evenly with your fingers. Sprinkle a few extra chocolate chips and m&m’s on top and gently press down.
Cook for 16-20 minutes or until lightly golden brown. The edges will be lightly golden brown and the center should look cooked without looking like it is raw wet dough. It will cook more as it cools so you don’t want to overcook it. Mine is done at 16 minutes.
Remove the cookie from the oven and let it cool completely on a cooling rack.
Make The Chocolate Frosting (optional) : Beat the butter in a bowl with a handheld blender until light and fluffy. Add cocoa powder, powdered sugar, and heavy cream and beat again until combined and creamy. Use more or less powdered sugar and heavy cream depending on the desired consistency. Pipe onto edges of cooled cookie and decorate with additional m&m’s.
Can I Make Any Substitutions?
- Butter : Use salted butter or unsalted butter, whichever you prefer. I prefer using salted butter, and if using unsalted butter, I would recommend increasing the salt to 1/2 teaspoon if wanted.
- Creamy Peanut Butter : Some people have used crunchy peanut butter with good success, so that is an option. However, when I tested this recipe with crunchy peanut butter I thought that the cookie turned out drier than when using creamy peanut butter.
- Chocolate Chips : Try using peanut butter chips, butterscotch chips, white chocolate chips, dark chocolate chips, etc.
- M&M’s : Any variety of m&m’s can be used but I really do think the minis are the best!
Recipe FAQ’s
What Is A Tart Pan?
A tart pan is a baking pan that has a circular base that detaches from the sides. Similar to a springform pan (what you use to make cheesecake with) where the sides of the pan come away from the cookie and the base of the pan. A tart pan has really pretty crimped edges that make the finished giant cookie look gorgeous!
Do I Need To Frost The Cookie?
No, you do not need to add the chocolate buttercream frosting. I prefer the cookie without frosting but my kids love it, so I usually end up adding it. Feel free to pipe the frosting along the outer edge (as pictured) or spread and even layer over top the cookie. You could also make it really easy and use store-bought chocolate frosting instead of making it homemade.
Can I Make This For Different Holidays?
Yes! Simply change out the color of M&M’s that you are using in the cookie to match it to any Holiday – Valentine’s Day, Fourth of July, Halloween, Christmas are all Holidays that M&M’s are specifically made for using the coordinating colors.
What If I Don’t Have a Tart Pan?
I have only ever made this recipe using an 11″ tart pan. However, you could try using a 12″ pizza pan, but make sure it has the higher sides on it. A tart pan is really simple to buy on Amazon and it makes the best baking base for giant cookies and cookie cakes.
More Monster Cookie Inspired Treats
- Triple Peanut Butter Monster Cookies
- Monster Cookie Energy Balls
- No Flour Monster Cookies
- Monster Cookie Dough Bars
- Monster Cookie Brownies
- No Flour Triple Peanut Butter Monster Cookie Bars
Giant Monster Cookie
Equipment
Ingredients
Giant Monster Cookie
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1½ cups quick oats
- 1 cup mini chocolate chips
- 1 cup mini m&m’s
Chocolate Buttercream Frosting (Optional)
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter softened
- 1½ cups powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- 2-3 tablespoons heavy cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉. Spray an 11" tart pan with cooking spray. Set aside.
- In a large bowl using an electric hand mixer (or bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment) cream together the butter, brown sugar, and peanut butter until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. *The 2-3 minute beat time is important. You want this mixture to get light & fluffy which will help the texture of the baked cookie.1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter, 1 cup light brown sugar
- Add in the egg and vanilla and beat just until incorporated.*Scrape down the sides of the bowl, as needed, with a rubber spatula to ensure everything gets combined together.1 large egg, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- In a separate smaller bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cornstarch, and salt.3/4 cup all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon cornstarch, ¼ teaspoon salt
- Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and beat on low speed just until combined.
- Add the oats, chocolate chips, and M&M's. Beat on low speed just until dough is combined.1½ cups quick oats, 1 cup mini chocolate chips, 1 cup mini m&m’s
- Spread the cookie dough into the prepared tart pan and press evenly with your fingers.* If wanted, sprinkle a few extra chocolate chips and m&m's on top and gently press down. This will make for a prettier presentation.
- Bake for 16-20 minutes or until lightly golden brown.* The edges will be lightly golden brown and the center should look cooked without looking like it is raw wet dough. It will cook more as it cools so you don't want to overcook it.
- Remove the cookie from the oven and let it cool completely on a cooling rack.
Chocolate Buttercream Frosting (Optional)
- In a mixing bowl, using an electric hand mixer, beat the butter until light and fluffy. Add powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and heavy cream and beat again until combined and creamy.* Use more or less powdered sugar and heavy cream depending on the desired consistency. If using a lower-fat milk than heavy cream, you won't need as much of it in order to get the right frosting texture. Start with 1 tablespoon and go from there.1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, 1/4 cup cocoa powder, 1½ cups powdered sugar, 2-3 tablespoons heavy cream
- Place the frosting into a piping bag with a large 1A tip and pipe it onto the outside of the cookie cake. You can also place the frosting into a Ziploc bag, snip the bottom corner off, and pipe it onto the giant cookie. Or make it really easy and spread a layer of frosting over top the giant cookie!
Nutrition
Did You Make This Recipe?
I’d love to see it! You can share it with me on @togetherasfamilyblog and follow on Pinterest @together-as-family-blog-recipes or Facebook @togetherasfamilyblog for more!
I love the first day of school tradition idea! I made this today because my kids (kindergarten & 3rd grade) had their first day of school here in Texas. They were happily surprised with it when they got home. My kids, husband and I loved it! Delicious! It will also become our new tradition. I made the cookie exactly as written. I did not get to do the chocolate frosting but may try next time. Instead I just used some leftover frosting I had to pipe “Happy 1st Day.” I have recently discovered your blog on Pinterest and look forward to making more of your recipes. So many recipes look good and your photography is amazing. Thank you Jessica!
This recipes sounds delicious. I was wondering instead of using a tart pan, can you use a springform pan? I’ve made a cookie cake before using that type of pan & it worked great! Thanks for the help & I’m excited to try this recipe!
A springform pan would work great. Just make sure it’s the same width as the tart pan called for (I believe it’s 8″ or 9″).
Will this work on a 12″ Pizza pan?
You need the tart pan because it has the sides on it. You could try the pizza pan but I am afraid the cookie will spread too much.