Loaded Flourless Monster Cookies (Gluten Free)

When you see the words ‘flourless’ or ‘gluten free’ I sure hope you’re not thinking flavorless. These chewy flourless monster cookies come absolutely loaded with all your fave cookie ingredients.

Every flavor, every texture, every thing you want lives in this cookie.

Yup, these little darlings are pretty much the cookie version of the Everything Bagel.

What makes cookies Monster Cookies anyway?

They are essentially peanut butter oatmeal cookies (which is obviously, like, hello yum). They’re then amped up liberally with, well… that’s where the gajillion variations come in.

While most recipes I see are stuffed with things like M&Ms and butterscotch chips, and occasionally raisins, we’ve gone off the beaten path just a wee bit here…

I added coconut, TWO kinds of chocolate, and dried cranberries to the peanut butter/oat combo. While all those flavors in one recipe might not, initially, seem wise, I promise you it absolutely works. Did I mention there’s cinnamon, too?

I’m kinda in love with them, as is evidenced by that corny picture up there. I’ve already made them twice this week, and all signs point to thse little lovelies being my go-to healthy-ish choice of bakes <– influenced by another ♥, the Great British Baking Show 😉

If you haven’t got those exact add-ins, you can of course mix it up…

→Looking to finally rid yourself of those Kit Kats leftover from Halloween? Add some in.

→Got leftover trails mix you want to use up? Yes, that would be fabulous.

→You really dig anything with white chocolate? Go for it.

Basically, you can stick with this recipe as is for a totally chewy, delicious, and flavor-packed cookie. Or, you can go crazy and make it your own unique version of monster cookies.

A few Monster Cookies recipe notes:

I like to add the dark chocolate chips after they come out of the oven so they really show. You can mix them right into the batter if you’d rather.

While I normally chill cookie dough before baking, it’s not necessary here since there’s so little butter in the batter to cause over-spreading.

If you only have sweetened peanut butter, keep in mind the cookies will be higher in sugar and sweetness in the finished product. Try reducing the brown sugar by 2 tablespoons to adjust.

I used a 1.5 tablespoon cookie scoop, slightly over-filled, to portion these cookies out. That allowed for 20 equally-sized cookies.

Have I mentioned recently how strongly I feel about getting your kids in the kitchen?? Here’s my faithful sous chef scooping out the batter.

5 from 1 vote

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Loaded Flourless Monster Cookies

Flourless monster cookies loaded with so many of your cookie favorites! They're packed with peanut butter, coconut, dried cranberries, and chocolate. They're chewy and lightly sweet and guaranteed to disappear quickly. Easily made as a gluten free cookie, too!

Course Breakfast, Dessert

Servings 20 cookies

Author Julia Robarts

Ingredients

• 1 cup old fashioned oats gluten free,if necessary
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 cup natural unsweetened peanut butter creamy or chunky
• 2 tablespoons butter melted
• 2 whole eggs lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup brown sugar packed
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
• 1/4 cup miniature semi sweet chocolate bits
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries (I used Ocean Spray blueberry craisins)
• 1/4 cup dark chocolate bits add after baking!

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line 3 cookie sheets with parchment or prepare with a light coating of spray oil. 

2. Combine oats and baking soda in a small bowl. Set aside. 

3. In a separate bowl, combine the peanut butter, butter, eggs, brown sugar, and vanilla. Add the oat mixture and stir until well combined.

4. Fold in the mini chocolate bits, coconut, and cranberries. (Save the dark chocolate bits to add to the tops of the cookies once they're out of the oven.)

5. Using about 2 tablespoons of batter for each cookie, portion them out onto the cookies sheets, leaving about 2 inches in between each. Pat down each mound of batter a little bit, into the cookie shape you want. (They do not spread much while cooking)

6. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until they're lightly golden. Remove from the oven and give the pan a little bang to settle the cookies. Then, dot the tops of each cookie with a few dark chocolate chips. Allow cookies to cool on pan for 2 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. 

7. After cooling completely, cookies will stay fresh and chewy in an airtight container for 3-4 days.

Recipe Notes

I like to add the dark chocolate chips after they come out of the oven so that they really stand out. You can mix them right into the batter if you'd rather.

While I normally chill cookie dough before baking, it's not necessary here since there's so little butter in the batter to cause over-spreading. 

If you only have sweetened peanut butter, keep in mind the cookies will be higher in sugar and sweetness in the finished product. Try reducing the brown sugar by 2 tablespoons to adjust.

I used a 1.5 tablespoon cookie scoop, slightly over-filled, to portion these cookies out. That allowed for 20 equally-sized cookies.