Easy {Healthier} No-Flour Monster Cookies with Peanut Butter and Walnuts
Easy Healthier No-Flour Monster Cookies with Peanut Butter and Walnuts combine all the best flavors of dark chocolate, peanut butter, crunchy walnuts, and oatmeal. And even though they have no M&Ms, no corn syrup, and no flour, they don’t taste like a sacrifice in any way. This healthier holiday cookie recipe has become our ultimate favorite!
Peanut Butter Monster Cookie Recipe without M&Ms
Colorful bits of M&M candy dotting the tops of monster cookies like little bits of colorful holiday cheer…and unnecessary food dye.
If you haven’t gathered this yet from reading my cooking blog, my family loves flavor, with as little of the nasty stuff in our food as possible.
And food dye and artificial flavors definitely are NOT my preference for serving to my children anytime–and especially not during the already-sugar-laden holiday season.
So one simple exchange we make in this recipe is to take out the M&Ms and add in extra dark chocolate. (Not going to complain at all about that!)
We also mix in chopped walnuts to give these cookies that little crunch they usually gain from the M&M candy shells.
The result is extra-gooey chocolate, with the perfect crunch.
Monster Cookie Recipe without Corn Syrup
Growing up surrounded by Mennonite and Amish community, I read my fair share of monster cookie recipes filled with corn syrup. Inevitably, those cookies were the sweetest, and my childhood self naturally gravitated toward them.
But, as an adult (and especially as a mom), I don’t keep corn syrup in my pantry or kitchen cupboard for anything.
And there is absolutely no reason why monster cookies need to rely on corn syrup to gain the proper sweetness.
As part of my attempt to make healthier monster cookies, this recipe uses no corn syrup.
Monster Cookie Recipe without Flour
Classically, monster cookies rely on both flour and oats for their shape and texture.
Gluten-free friends don’t need to miss out, however, because there is thankfully an easy substitute: oat flour.
Easy Gluten-Free Monster Cookies
Making these healthier no-flour monster cookies is super easy!
The key step in this gluten-free recipe is to make our own oat flour from organic quick oats. Using a food processor, we simply blitz the oats until they form a fine flour.
Don’t have a food processor? A good-quality blender can also make homemade oat flour.
Because we use oat flour, we cannot skip eggs in the ingredients list. If that is a problem for your diet, then you will need to use an appropriate substitute for the egg.
If you prefer to use all-purpose flour instead of oat flour in this recipe, then use 3 cups flour instead of 3 3/4 cups.
What is in This No-Flour Peanut Butter Monster Cookie Recipe?
Organic quick oats — We make our own homemade oat flour to replace all-purpose flour for a delicious monster cookie recipe with oatmeal. The oats serve to bind together the cookie dough and result in a gluten-free monster cookie.
Walnuts — Walnuts are a powerhouse nutrient boost for the brain and heart, according to the University of California Davis Health. And because we omit M&Ms in this recipe, the walnuts add the missing crunch factor that monster cookies normally gain from the candy coating.
Dark chocolate chips — Dark chocolate pairs perfectly with the peanut butter and walnuts in these flourless monster cookies. Plus, its health benefits make it preferable to milk chocolate or even semi-sweet chocolate chips.
Pure vanilla extract — Skip the caramel coloring and “natural” flavors by using real vanilla extract.
Peanut Butter — A binding agent that doubles as a protein source in this recipe.
Egg — Our other great binding agent.
Recipe Variations
It’s easy to personalize this recipe! Our favorite version is the one in the recipe card, but feel free to comment and let us know about other delicious variations that you whip up in your kitchen!
Here are some ideas:
- Add dried fruit. Dried cranberries are always a great option.
- Use a different type of nut or a mix of nuts. If you are allergic to walnuts, try using pecans or peanuts instead.
- Trade the peanut butter for a different type of nut butter or seed butter, if necessary.
- Use cacao nibs instead of dark chocolate. Or make your own dark chocolate chunks by chopping up a bar of dark chocolate, if you don’t have dark chocolate chips on hand.
Tools You Need to Make This Recipe
Here are all the tools we like to use to make these flourless monster cookies. If you have other tools, feel free to use them, as success with this recipe is not heavily dependent on the tools.
- two cookie sheets
- grease/butter for cookie sheets or (our favorite) reusable silicone baking mats
- a stand mixer (highly recommended! This makes creaming the butter and peanut butter together very easy.)
- a food processor (or blender)
- a knife or food chopperfor chopping the walnuts
Ingredients and Measurements for Healthier Monster Cookies without Flour
Find the full recipe in the printable recipe card below.
- 1 cup salted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
- 3/4 cup white sugar
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 2 eggs
- 1 Tbsp. pure vanilla extract
- 3 3/4 cups organic quick oats (358 g.)
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1/4 tsp. sea salt
- 1 cup organic quick oats
- 1 1/2 cups dark chocolate chips
- 3/4 cup chopped walnuts
How to Make Healthier Flourless Monster Cookies (Step-by-Step)
Step 1: Preheat oven to 350F. Grease two cookie sheets or line them with reusable silicone baking mats. Set aside.
Step 2: In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the salted butter, peanut butter, white sugar, and brown sugar until fluffy.
Step 3: Add eggs and vanilla extract to the mixer and mix well.In a food processor, pulse 3 3/4 cups organic quick oats to make a fine flour. (The weight of the flour should be 358 g.)
Step 4: Mix together the oat flour, baking soda, and sea salt.
Step 5: Add the oat flour mixture, quick oats, dark chocolate chips, and walnuts to the stand mixer and mix until all ingredients are fully incorporated.
Step 6: Shape the cookie dough into 20 balls. Place on the prepared cookie sheets. This dough does not usually spread much, so flatten the cookies slightly (though still keeping them rather thick).
Step 7: Bake for 8 minutes for soft-baked cookies or 10 minutes (for chewier cookies). (If baking for 8 minutes, the cookies might appear slightly underdone or soft.) Let sit for 10-15 minutes before removing from the cookie sheet to a wire rack to cool. (I love to eat these warm, so they don’t last long on our countertop!)
How to Store No-Flour Monster Cookies
Store in an airtight glass container at room temperature for up to a week.
Can You Freeze Monster Cookies?
Yes, you can store homemade monster cookies in the freezer. After cooling them completely, freeze them in an airtight Ziplock bag for up to 3 months.
To thaw the cookies, set them out at room temperature for several hours, or until defrosted. If desired, warm them in a microwave for a few seconds right before consuming.
Other Holiday Recipes to Try
Satisfy your holiday cravings with these favorite holiday dessert recipes:
More Favorite Cookie Recipes
This recipe is our family’s all-time favorite cookie recipe. However, we also love to fill our cookie jar with these other delicious recipes:
- The Best Small-Batch Lemon Sugar Cookies {with Almond Extract}
- Healthy No-Bake Cookies (a close second in the race for favorite cookies)
Healthier No-Flour Monster Cookies Recipe Card
Healthier No-Flour Monster Cookies With Peanut Butter and Walnuts
Healthier No-Flour Monster Cookies with Peanut Butter and Walnuts combine all the best flavors of dark chocolate, peanut butter, crunchy walnuts, and oatmeal. And even though they have no M&Ms, no corn syrup, and no flour, they don't taste like a sacrifice in any way. This healthier holiday cookie recipe has become our ultimate favorite!
Ingredients
- 1 cup salted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
- 3/4 cup white sugar
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 2 eggs
- 1 Tbsp. pure vanilla extract
- 3 3/4 cups organic quick oats (358 g.)
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1/4 tsp. sea salt
- 1 cup organic quick oats
- 1 1/2 cups dark chocolate chips
- 3/4 cup chopped walnuts
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Grease two cookie sheets or line them with reusable silicone baking mats. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the salted butter, peanut butter, white sugar, and brown sugar until fluffy.
- Add eggs and vanilla extract to the mixer and mix well.
- In a food processor, pulse 3 3/4 cups organic quick oats to make a fine flour. (The weight of the flour should be 358 g.)
- Mix together the oat flour, baking soda, and sea salt.
- Add the oat flour mixture, quick oats, dark chocolate chips, and walnuts to the stand mixer and mix until all ingredients are fully incorporated.
- Shape the cookie dough into 20 balls. Place on the prepared cookie sheets. This dough does not usually spread much, so flatten the cookies slightly (though still keeping them rather thick).
- Bake for 8 minutes for soft-baked cookies or 10 minutes (for chewier cookies). (If baking for 8 minutes, the cookies might appear slightly underdone or soft.) Let sit for 10-15 minutes before removing from the cookie sheet to a wire rack to cool. (I love to eat these warm, so they don't last long on our countertop!)
- Store in an airtight glass container at room temperature or freeze in an airtight Ziplock bag after cooling completely.
Notes
Flour Substitute:
You can make this recipe with all-purpose flour. For the sake of nutrition, I choose to make this gluten-free version with homemade oat flour. However, if you have trouble with crumbly dough and don't need to avoid gluten, try the recipe with 3 cups all-purpose flour instead of the homemade oat flour.
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