It’s atrociously windy and cold Cold COLD outside here this weekend. Though, I think with the massive winter storm over the states, most of the country is in the same situation! Cold weather always means it’s time to do some baking. After a trip to a new local bakery this past weekend, I’ve had cookies on my mind. Those chocolate chip cookies there were some of the BEST cookies I’ve ever eaten. Seriously. The BEST.
That is… until I decided to try my hand at making these lightened up Monster Cookies. So what is a ‘monster cookie’ anyway. Welp. It’s basically a monster of a cookie that has a little bit of everything in it. Usually they are peanut butter based and loaded with oats, chocolate chips, and candy-coated chocolates.
I kept with the standard classic here with just a few substitutions to make them better-for-you. The first thing I did was to use some all-natural no artificial anything candy coated chocolates. Another thing I did was to use a SIMPLE clean peanut butter. Not one that’s junked up with any garbage that we don’t need. I also used a brown sugar/stevia blend in place of regular brown sugar. Why? Because I LOVE the brown sugar blend and can never tell the difference between it and the real deal. Plus, less sugar is always nice.
Even with all of the changes, these cookies turned out perfectly soft and chewy. That’s the peanut butter in there and the low cook time working together in there.
Even my daughter, who is completely AGAINST peanut butter and oatmeal right now, likes these cookies! She said they reminded her of a chocolate peanut butter cup, which I’m pretty okay with. I even sent her with a snack bag of these to her sweet teacher!
TheSkinnyFork.com A classic 'monster cookie' that's lightened up and still loaded with peanut butter, oatmeal, chocolate chips, chocolate candies! Prep Time: 10 Minutes • Cook Time: 9 Minutes
Servings: 20 • Serving Size: 1 Cookie • Calories: 207 • Fat: 13 g • Saturated Fat: 6 g • Carb: 23 g • Fiber: 1 g • Protein: 4 g • Sugar: 11 g • Sodium: 43 mg
• 1/2 C. Light Unsalted Butter
• 1/4 C. Brown Sugar/Stevia Blend
• 1/4 C. Sugar
• 3/4 C. Creamy/Smooth Peanut Butter
• 1 Whole Large Egg
• 1 Tsp. Vanilla Extract
• 1/2 Tsp. Baking Soda
• 1 1/4 C. All-Purpose Flour
• 1/2 C. Quick Oats
• 3/4 C. Candy Coated Chocolates (Like M&Ms)
• 1/2 C. Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. and line a baking sheet or two with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
In the base of a stand mixer, beat together the 1/2 C. butter, 1/4 C. brown sugar, and 1/4 C. sugar on medium speed for about 3 minutes.
Mix in the 3/4 C. peanut butter, egg, and 1 Tsp. vanilla.
Slowly add in the 1/2 Tsp. baking soda and 1 1/4 C. flour. Do NOT over mix.
Fold in the 1/2 C. quick oats, 3/4 C. chocolate candies, and 1/2 C. chocolate chips.
Scoop the dough out into 2 tbsp. balls of dough and roll before placing onto the prepared baking sheet.
Place in the oven and bake for 9-10 minutes.
Once done, remove from the oven and press down slightly with the back of a spoon.
Allow the cookies to cool slightly before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Step-by-Step Photos:
Nutritional Claims: Low Sodium • Low Potassium • Kidney Friendly • Vegetarian • Pescatarian • Tree Nut Free • Fish Free • Shellfish Free • Pork Free • Red Meat Free • Crustacean Free • Celery Free • Mustard Free • Sesame Free • Lupine Free • Mollusk Free • Alcohol Free • Kosher
