Easy Halloween Monster Cookies Recipe (2024)

By Rebecca Hubbell on | Updated | Rate Recipe

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Halloween Monster Cookies are scary delicious! These treats are made with chocolate cake mix, quick oats, and peanut butter, then loaded with M&Ms and chocolate chips. Decorated with Halloween sprinkles and candy eyeballs, this is a festive recipe to make with the kiddos!

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Halloween Monster Cookies are scary delicious! These treats are made with chocolate cake mix, quick oats, and peanut butter, then loaded with M&Ms and chocolate chips.

Decorated with Halloween sprinkles and candy eyeballs, this is a festive recipe to make with the kiddos! Plus everyone will love their thick and chewy texture!

Easy Halloween Monster Cookies Recipe (2)

Ready to get into the Halloween spirit? This chocolatey, peanut buttery Monster Cookie recipe is as fun to make as it is to taste!

These are sort of like double monster cookies. They have the makings of traditional monster cookies, but the adds ins give them that fun Halloween monster vibe!

Try making this sweet treat with your family and get excited for the spookiest holiday. Even your littlest helpers will love shaping dough balls and decorating their own little “monsters”!

Table of Contents

Why You Should Make These Cookies!

  1. They are insanely easy! The cake mix takes a lot of the extra measuring out of the equation making the prep time minimal!
  2. No chilling required! Unlike a lot of my cookie recipes, this dough can go straight from the mixing bowl to the oven!
  3. They are delicious! The texture is chewy and soft and they taste like baked no bake cookies!

So grab your ingredients, measuring cups, and aprons, it’s time to get baking!

Monster Cookie Ingredients:

  • Chocolate cake mix – The secret to moist, chocolatey cookies!
  • Brown sugar – For a flavor that’s deeper and richer than granulated sugar.
  • Butter – Make sure it’s at room temperature (but not melted) so it’s blendable.
  • Creamy peanut butter – Because what goes better with chocolate?
  • Whole milk – You’ll only need a couple of tablespoons but it makes a big difference to the dough and final cookie texture.
  • Eggs – A binding agent that keeps everything together.
  • Vanilla extract – For flavor.
  • Minute oats – These make the cookies nice and dense. Be SURE to use 1-minute quick oats.
  • Halloween M&M’s – Regular is fine, but Halloween is better!
  • Semi-sweet chocolate chips – For more intense chocolatey flavor.
  • Candy eyes – These really make the treats come alive.
  • Halloween sprinkles – Fun and festive for all your Halloween recipes!

How To Make Halloween Cookies:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set it aside.

Easy Halloween Monster Cookies Recipe (4)

Mix together the cake mix, brown sugar, butter, peanut butter, milk, egg, and vanilla extract in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until fully combined.

Easy Halloween Monster Cookies Recipe (5)

Stir in the oatmeal, M&Ms, and chocolate chips until just combined. The dough is going to be thick.

Easy Halloween Monster Cookies Recipe (6)

Portion out the cookie dough with a medium cookie scoop and place the balls at least 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. Then, top the cookie dough balls with sprinkles and extra M&Ms.

Bake the cookies, after the baking time is complete, add the candy eyes immediately after removing from the oven.

Expert Tip: For best baking results, bake these cookies one batch at a time on the middle rack in the oven.

Easy Halloween Monster Cookies Recipe (7)

Frequently Asked Questions:

Can I use melted butter instead of softened butter?

No – melted butter will completely change the texture of your cookies!

Can I use old-fashioned oats or steel-cut oats?

No, only quick (1-minute) oats should be used in this recipe! This ensures they’ll cook quickly so you’re not left with cookies filled with hard, uncooked oats.

How long are these Halloween Monster Cookies good for?

Keep these in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 to 3 days.

Easy Halloween Monster Cookies Recipe (8)

Substitutions & Variations:

  • Chocolate chips: You can use milk chocolate, dark chocolate, white, or even peanut butter chips instead. Or, get crazy and add ¼ cup of two different kinds!
  • Cake Mix: Feel free to swap out the chocolate cake mix for another flavor! I personally like chocolate, but you could use a yellow or vanilla cake mix for a more traditional monster cookie flavor.
  • Reese’s Pieces: Feel free to swap the M&Ms for Reese’s Pieces for even more peanut butter flavor!
Easy Halloween Monster Cookies Recipe (9)

More Halloween Recipes:

  • Spider Cookies – This twist on Peanut Butter Blossoms is made with a Lindt chocolate “spider”!
  • Mummy Cupcakes – These are so cute and surprisingly easy to decorate.
  • Goosebumps Punch – A sherbet punch garnished with gummy worms is as creepy as it is fun!
  • Melted Witch Cupcakes – A creative treat for novice decorators!
  • Halloween Jello Shots – This recipe is just for the grown-ups. 😉
  • Halloween 7-Layer Bars – Kids will love helping make these over the top cookie bars!

Halloween Monster Cookies

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Easy Halloween Monster Cookies Recipe (10)

Easy Halloween Monster Cookies Recipe (11)

5 from 4 votes

Halloween Monster Cookies


Author Rebecca Hubbell

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Halloween Monster Cookies are scary delicious! These treats are made with chocolate cake mix, quick oats, and peanut butter, then loaded with M&Ms and chocolate chips. Decorated with Halloween sprinkles and candy eyeballs, this is a festive recipe to make with the kiddos!

Ingredients

  • 1 box chocolate cake mix
  • ½ cup light brown sugar packed
  • ¾ cup butter softened
  • ½ cup peanut butter
  • 2 tablespoons whole milk
  • 1 large egg beaten
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 cups minute oats
  • ½ cup Halloween M&M’s
  • ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 3 tablespoons Halloween sprinkles
  • candy eyes

Instructions

  • Heat oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.

  • In a large bowl or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix together the cake mix, brown sugar, butter, peanut butter, milk, egg, and vanilla on medium speed until fully combined.

  • Stir in the oats, M&Ms, and chocolate chips just until combined.

  • Use a medium cookie scoop, drop balls of dough 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet.

  • Add sprinkles to the tops of the cookie dough balls, gently pressing them into the dough.

  • Bake for 12 to 15 minutes. Immediately after coming out of the oven, gently press candy eyes into the cookies (don't add them before baking or they will melt).

  • Cool for 5 minutes on the cookie sheet before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Notes

  • Keep these in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 to 3 days.
  • Substitutions & Variations:
    • Chocolate chips:You can use milk chocolate, dark chocolate, white, or even peanut butter chips instead. Or, get crazy and add ¼ cup of two different kinds!
    • Cake Mix:Feel free to swap out the chocolate cake mix for another flavor! I personally like chocolate, but you could use a yellow or vanilla cake mix for a more traditional monster cookie flavor.

Nutrition

Calories: 158kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 15mg | Sodium: 155mg | Potassium: 94mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 131IU | Calcium: 31mg | Iron: 1mg

Did You Make This Recipe?

Don’t forget to share it with me on Instagram @sugarandsoulco and follow on Tiktok @sugarandsoulco and Pinterest @sugarandsoulco for more!

Adapted from Betty Crocker.

Easy Halloween Monster Cookies Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Will candy eyes melt in the oven? ›

Wilton Edible Eyeballs

A: This product comes with the following recommendation: Not recommended for baked applications. So yes, they would probably melt in the oven. If you are using them for baked goods, you would want the baked good to cool completely before using.

What are Cookie Monster's cookies made of? ›

The recipe, roughly: Pancake mix, puffed rice, Grape-Nuts and instant coffee, with water in the mixture. The chocolate chips are made using hot glue sticks — essentially colored gobs of glue. The cookies do not have oils, fats or sugars. Those would stain Cookie Monster.

Why are my monster cookies crumbly? ›

3. Why are my Monster Cookies falling apart? If Monster cookies are removed from the baking sheet too soon after coming out of the oven, they are prone to cracking and crumbling. Let the baked cookies stand for 3 minutes on the baking sheet before removing them to a rack to cool completely.

What temperature does candy melt in the oven? ›

Step 2: Arrange the hard candy onto a parchment-covered baking sheet. Create different sizes and color combinations by placing candies near each other in groups. Step 3: Place the baking sheet in a 300°F oven for 8 minutes. Step 4: Remove the candy from the oven as soon as it melts.

What's the deal with Cookie Monster cookies? ›

Lara MacLean, who started as an intern at the Sesame Workshop in 1992, currently bakes around two dozen cookies for each episode at her home and described them as “kind of like a dog treat,” revealing they're made from pancake mix, puffed rice, Grape-Nuts, instant coffee, and colored glue.

What was the original Cookie Monster? ›

First, some history: The Muppet that would eventually become known as Cookie Monster was first developed by Jim Henson in the mid-1960s for a snack commercial, where he was unofficially referred to as a “wheel stealer” due to his penchant for stealing wheel-shaped cheese crackers.

What color was Cookie Monster originally? ›

Cookie Monster´s appearance through years

In first commercials, concretely for IBM training film Coffee Break Machine and The Ed Sullivan Show in 1967, the monster had his teeth and his fur was dark green with a few brown-black patches. Later, his fur was even light purple in commercials.

What is Snoop Dogg cookies? ›

Snoop Dogg's peanut butter chocolate chip cookie recipe - His original cookie features creamy peanut butter and semisweet chocolate morsels, making it the perfect indulgence this holiday season. #

What is a Dillon cookie? ›

Dillon Cookies

This flagship cookie combines freshly milled whole wheat with oats, loads of chocolate chips and just the right amount of walnuts for a buttery finish. They are the perfect treat for kids and adults alike!

What is Alabama State cookie? ›

These Alabama state sandwich cookies are irresistible, no matter where you're from. Simply Recipes / Ciara Kehoe. As of June 2, 2023, Alabama gained an official state cookie–it's even been signed into law. If you're from Alabama and you've never heard of yellowhammer cookies, you're in for a treat.

Is cold butter better for cookies? ›

There is a reason why bakers recommend room temperature butter. Butter is a solid fat, but it's also able to be whipped at room temperature. The whipping process will create air pockets, resulting in a fluffier, even-textured cookie.

What makes cookies fluffy and not flat? ›

Room temperature butter is just the right consistency to incorporate air when it's creamed with sugar. These trapped air pockets result in risen, fluffy cookies. If the butter is any warmer, it won't incorporate enough air and your cookies will have less rise.

What is the secret to soft cookies? ›

Baking cookies quickly in a hot oven – at 375 degrees F as opposed to a lower temperature – will make for soft results. They'll bake fast instead of sitting and drying out in the oven's hot air. Ever so slightly underbaking your cookies will give you softer results than cooking them the full amount the recipe says.

Does candy melt in heat? ›

Some types of candy can melt, including chocolate, caramels, marshmallows, and gelatin-based gummies. The product page of each heat-sensitive item includes a Warm Weather Shipping notice so you'll know which ones are at higher risk of melting. Chocolate is the most heat sensitive.

What candy doesn't melt in hot weather? ›

The best candies to enjoy in the summer won't melt in your hand, and will be supremely delightful and refreshing. We recommend bringing a selection of our licorice, hard candies, salt water taffy, and gummi candies to your next day at the beach, poolside, or park.

Will crystallized sugar melt in the oven? ›

It is a crystal, so when heat is applied, it melts.

Can you melt candy coating on the stove? ›

Low heat is key to melting the candy. Place the bowl on top of the pot, then add the candy melts. Make sure that the bowl is made from glass and heat-safe. A metal bowl will generate too much heat, and a plastic bowl may warp.

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