Next Post
Frosted Spicy Ginger Moscow Mule.
This post may contain affiliate links, please see our privacy policy for details.
Christmas Monster Cookies for your December weekend baking…festive, easy, and sweet. Homemade chocolate chip cookies, made with oats, pretzels pieces, plenty of chocolate chunks, white chocolate, and plenty of holiday M&M’s. There’s nothing not to love about these sweet chocolate (crunch) cookies. Each bite is slightly crisp on the edges but soft and gooey in the center…with just a little salty pretzel crunch and milk chocolate throughout.
Fridays in December are just better! There are holiday parties, searching for the perfect gift for someone you love, and baking the nights away with family and friends. Well, at least that’s the “Hallmark” version I have in my head.
The reality is a little less picture-perfect for sure, but I’m definitely doing the baking! It’s one of the reasons we love this season the most. I mean there are so many cookies! As I said on Tuesday, this year I’m really focusing on all of the holiday cookies I haven’t made before.
My list of cookies is a mile long, but I only have a handful of days to share them. So, I’m trying to pick the very best on my list. It’s tricky, but I always knew these cookies needed to be shared. The combination of ingredients is just too good.
The steps are easy
One: gather your ingredients. You’ll need the basics…butter, sugar, flour, etc. Simple, simple, nothing fancy, but all good.
Two: the stir-ins, they’re are the most important part. You’ll need old fashioned oats, salted pretzel twists, semi-sweet or dark chocolate chunks, and white chocolate chips. And then plenty of red and green holiday M&M’s, which really make these cookies.
Three: beat, mix, stir, bake.
Four: eat these cookies warm, just out of the oven, because these are those kind of gooey delicious cookies.
A couple notes
It’s important to note that these cookies do spread, so be careful when cooking the cookie dough! They’re meant to have slightly crisp edges and perfectly soft gooey centers, just like in the photos. My favorite type of cookie…totally delicious.
If you want a bit of a thicker cookie, simply omit the additional egg yolk and use only two eggs. This will give you a thicker cookie without as much spreading.
To get the M&M’s to really pop, my trick is to add in a few just before the cookies finish baking completely. This way each cookie has a bit of the festive M&M’s right on top.
What I love about these cookies is that they’re so easy to make. They require no chilling and they really are completely no fuss. Especially when it comes to Christmas cookies.
These cookies have perfectly crisp edges, yet soft and gooey centers. They’ve got a nice crunch plus a little saltiness from the pretzels – the best kind of cookie.
I’m excited to include these in the year’s Christmas cookie box. They’re perfect for packing up and gifting to friends for the holidays!
Looking for other Christmas cookies? Here are my favorites:
Easy Vanilla Bean Christmas Lights Cookies
Easy Hot Chocolate Lace Cookies
Lastly, if you make these Christmas Monster Cookies, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Christmas Monster Cookies
Servings: 20 cookies
Calories Per Serving: 364 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Watch the How-To Reel
Ingredients
- 2 sticks (1 cup) salted butter at room temperature
- 1 cup dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, plus 1 egg yolk
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 cups old fashioned oats
- 1 1/4 cups holiday M&M’s
- 1 cup mini pretzel sticks, crushed
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips or chunks
- 1/2 cup white chocolate chips
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.2. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and vanilla until combined. Beat in the eggs and 1 egg yolk, 1 at a time, until combined. Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Beat in the oats. 3. Fold in 1 cup of the M&M's, the pretzels, chocolate chips, and white chocolate. 4. Roll the dough into 1/4 cup size balls. Place 3 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. 5. Transfer to the oven and bake for 8 minutes, then rotate the pan and bake another 2 minutes. Pull the pan out and push the remaining M&M's into the cookies. Bake 2-3 minutes. Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool on the baking sheet. They will continue to cook slightly as they sit on the baking sheet. 6. Eat warm (highly recommended) or let cool and store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
This post was originally published on December 3, 2021
These cookies exceeded my expectations. They are absolutely delicious! Totally worth the crazy long grocery store line and the time it took to hand-sort red and green M&M’s (because the holiday bags were nowhere to be found). I used dark chocolate chips instead of semi-sweet and butterscotch chips instead of white chocolate chips. Otherwise I followed the recipe exactly and they turned out perfect! These will now be an annual Christmas cookie staple. Thank you for another fabulous recipe Tieghan!
Hey Colleen,
Awesome! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for making it. Happy Holidays!❄️ xT
The cookies themselves after cooking were pretty good, but the DOUGH of this batter is amazing. I would honestly prefer to just make the dough (egg and flour safe) and serve that with dipping pretzels. I couldn’t get enough of it. Also, I used mini Christmas m&ms instead of the regular sized and I think the texture is really nice that way.
Hey Athena,
Awesome! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for making it. Happy Holidays!❄️ xT
Hello! Can I make the dough a couple days ahead and refrigerate until ready to bake? These look amazing
Hi Lindsay,
Yes, that will work well for you. I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
Huge hit at work Christmas party!
Hey Julia,
Awesome! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for making it. Happy Holidays!❄️ xT
I make several Half Baked Harvest recipes a week, every single one delicious and perfect… And this one is another winner! Made exactly as instructed, such a happy and festive cookie! Happy Holidays to you and your family!
Hi Taylor,
Happy Sunday!! Thanks a lot for giving this recipe a try, I am so glad to hear it was enjoyed. Happy Holidays!? xx
These are delicious and easy!
Hi Kelly,
Happy Sunday!! Thanks a lot for giving this recipe a try, I am so glad to hear it was enjoyed. Happy Holidays!? xx
Would you recommend chilling the dough before baking?
I didn’t need to chill the dough and they turned out amazing
Hi Casey,
No need to chill this dough:) Please let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xTieghan
My family loved these! They are now part of our favorite Christmas cookies!
Hey Pat,
Happy Sunday!! Thanks a lot for giving this recipe a try, I am so glad to hear it was enjoyed. Happy Holidays!? xx
My cookies spread so much and the pretzel pieces tasted stale after baking. So bummed they didn’t turn out anything like the photo 🙁
Hey Katie,
So sorry to hear this. Was there anything you adjusted in the recipe? Let me know how I can help! xTieghan
I did switch the flour for 1:1 gluten free flour
Unfortunately, that could have been the issue. Next time, you could pop the dough in the fridge to prevent the spreading.
I just made my mix and the dough is way too sticky/wet to even roll. I am putting in the fridge to see if getting it chilled will help. I followed the recipe exactly, just ommitted the white choc since we don’t like that. Wonder if I should add more flour? Worried about them spreading too thin and burning… will update!
Hi Jennifer,
I would not add more flour. I mean, it should be pretty sticky like a classic chocolate chip cookie dough. xTieghan
Hello H.B.C.
Made these today & switched up the recipe just slightly. Added dark chocolate chips instead of the white. Accidentally bought mini semi sweet instead of regular. These cookies turned a none oat eating kid into an oat lover! Great recipe. They hit the spot & are quite pretty to look at, loving all the textures & speckled green & red candies.
P.S. I have turned your Pumpkin Beer Pretzels with Queso into a fall tradition. This past October makes 4 years. They are so beautiful & tasty! I pass along the recipe each time they are made.
Christmas hugs from the “Mitten” (mi.). Steph
Hey there,
Happy Sunday!! Thanks a lot for giving this recipe a try, I am so glad to hear it was enjoyed. Happy Holidays!? xx
How to do these cookies freeze? I’m planning on baking them in advance for my Christmas cookie boxes.
Hi Haleigh,
That will work just fine, just be sure they are in an airtight container. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
These are wayyyy too delicious! Wow! Perfect soft but crispy cookie and the flavor is just right. And they are super easy and festive!! I used two eggs and omitted the yolk and had no issues with spread. Thanks for such a great recipe!
Hey Andrea,
Happy Sunday!! Thanks a lot for giving this recipe a try, I am so glad to hear it was enjoyed. Happy Holidays!? xx
Just finished baking a batch of these for gifts and they turned out perfectly! I ended up forgetting the white chocolate chips, so I substituted additional semi-sweet chips, and I also forgot to hold back some M&Ms, so they were all baked in. Perfect balance of sweet and salty and the oats give the texture a little something extra. Thank you!
Hey Suzanna,
Happy Sunday!! Thanks a lot for giving this recipe a try, I am so glad to hear it was enjoyed. Happy Holidays!? xx
Does anyone know if these freeze well, either before or after baking?!
Hi Kristin,
You could freeze these before or after baking. Please let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xTieghan
Perfect Friday night baking project with my daughter. Just pulled them out of the oven and they are big & beautiful. First bite was delish!
Hey Audra,
Fantastic! Thank you so much for making this recipe, I am so glad to hear it was enjoyed! Happy Holidays!? xx
These were so fun to make!! I substituted the regular Christmas M&Ms for Mint Christmas M&Ms and they’re so tasty! Like a chocolate chip cookie and an after 8 had a baby! Thanks for the recipe!
Hey Marlee,
Fantastic! Thank you so much for making this recipe, I am so glad to hear it was enjoyed! Happy Holidays!? xx
Quick question, is this recipe set for those baking at a specific altitude? I’m at around 5,000 feet so I usually have to adjust.
I am at 7500 feet and did not have to make any adjustments. They spread out just like they were supposed to.
Thank you!
Hey Kendall,
No need to adjust anything, you can follow the recipe as is! Please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan