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Soft vegan monster cookies loaded with peanut butter, oats, and chocolate that come together in under 30 minutes with no chill time needed! This easy vegan cookie recipe is simple to mix, quick to scoop, and completely dairy-free and egg-free, with a gluten-free option.
You’re going to love these thick, peanut butter-forward, chocolatey cookies!
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If you’ve never had one before, a monster cookie is what happens when a peanut butter cookie, an oatmeal cookie, and a chocolate chip cookie all come together in one fun mash-up… a bit of a monster mash-up, if you will!
It’s mostly a peanut butter cookie with oats and plenty of chocolate mixed in, so if peanut butter cookies are your thing, there’s a very good chance you’ll love these. Peanut butter and chocolate are a classic pair, and the oats add a bit of texture, while the cookies bake up with soft centers and crisp golden edges.
And the best part? These vegan monster cookies come together fast. No chill time, no long waiting, just mix, scoop, and into the oven they go, so you’re on your way to a batch of thick, peanut buttery, oaty, chocolatey cookies in under 30 minutes.
Grab These Ingredients
Notes on Ingredients and Options
(NOTE: Only ingredients with special notes are listed below. The full ingredient list can be found in the recipe card.)
Flour - You'll need all-purpose white flour.
To make vegan gluten-free monster cookies: I tested with Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour in the BLUE bag (NOT their gf flour in the red bag!), and the results were just like the ones made with wheat flour. You'll also need to use certified gluten-free rolled oats. See the recipe notes for the details.
Natural Peanut Butter - Smooth, natural peanut butter with no added sugar or salt is what you need for this recipe. I started testing with processed peanut butter and ran into several issues, so I switched to natural peanut butter and preferred the results.
This recipe has been well tested and is balanced specifically for natural peanut butter, so regular peanut butter should not be used as a substitute because it will change the texture and flavour.
Vegan Butter - Use vegan butter sticks, not the type that comes in containers / tubs, they're not suitable for these cookies. Make sure your butter is at room temperature before starting. Gently press it with your finger. If it leaves a shallow indent, it’s ready. If your finger sinks in, chill it until it firms up.
Rolled Oats - You'll need old-fashioned rolled oats, and if you're making the gluten-free version, use certified gluten-free rolled oats. Steel-cut oats, quick-cooking / instant oats / quick oats cannot be used.
Chocolate Candies - Monster cookies are traditionally made with M&M candies, but they're not vegan. Luckily, there are several vegan substitutes available. I made the cookies you see in the pictures with Unreal Dark Chocolate Crispy Quinoa Gems. I also tested with No Whey Choco No No's and Pure Food Rainbow Candy Coated Chocolate Chips, and every version was perfect, so any of them will work. If you don't want to use chocolate candies, you can replace them with more chocolate chips.
Brown and Granulated Sugar - Both contribute to sweetness and structure, but individually, brown sugar adds flavour, moisture and softness, while granulated sugar creates crisp edges and helps the cookies spread. Don't reduce either of them, and don't leave either out, everything is perfectly balanced.
The Simple Steps
(Note: I’ve outlined the step-by-step here, but find the full recipe, ingredients, and directions in the recipe card at the end of this post.)
Before starting, make sure your peanut butter is stirred very well so no oil is visible and there are no chunks of dry peanut butter. The consistency needs to be perfectly smooth, because this vegan monster cookie recipe really relies on evenly mixed peanut butter to turn out the way it should.
Mix the wet and dry ingredients in separate bowls, then combine them. Add the chocolate chips and candies.
Stir them into the cookie dough, take care not to overmix.
Scoop for Perfect Cookies
Using a medium cookie scoop for this recipe helps keep all the cookies the same size so they bake evenly. It also makes portioning the dough quicker, cleaner, and much easier.
No chilling is required for the cookie dough, so immediately after mixing, scoop it onto your cookie sheet.
Continue scooping until the cookie sheet is filled. Don't space them too close together since they're going to spread while baking.
Keep Your Pans Cool
Never put cookie dough on a hot sheet because it can lead to uneven baking and spreading. Let your pans cool between batches or bake one pan at a time for better texture and even spreading.
Bake the cookies, then carefully remove them from the oven.
After they've rested for a few minutes, transfer them to a cooling rack.
Don't Overbake!
Remove the cookies when the time is up, and the edges are light golden. If you're worried that they're underbaked, they’ll firm up and settle as they cool on the baking sheet for perfectly soft, thick cookies that remain crisp on the outside.
Enjoy your cookies warm or fully cooled with a glass of your favourite plant-based milk.
They also pair well with homemade vegan hot chocolate or a creamy homemade vegan latte.
A Few More Tips to Keep In Mind
- Measure and have all your ingredients ready to go before starting. This will make the process run smoothly, quickly, and easily.
- Measure your ingredients correctly. This ensures perfect texture and taste since any measurement that's a little off can affect the final results. Please read my article about how to measure flour correctly. I highly recommend using a scale and my weight measurements to make this recipe. (See the "Suggested Equipment" section in the recipe card for the scale I use and recommend.)
- Read this post from top to bottom before you start. It took several tries to get this recipe correct, and many lessons were learned along the way! I’ve shared all the tips I learned during testing so you can feel confident as you make them. Be sure to read through the full recipe and the recipe notes before you start.
- Follow the recipe exactly as it’s written, and you can trust it will turn out perfectly every time!
After You Make Them...
Tell me everything! Share your thoughts with a comment and rating below, and/or post a photo of your monster cookies on Instagram and tag me so I can see them. (I'm @delightfuladventures on Instagram).
30-Minute Vegan Monster Cookies (No Chill Recipe!)
Suggested Equipment:
Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon ground flax seeds
- 3 tablespoons water
- 1 cup (125g) all-purpose flour **please see important notes about the gluten-free option below**
- ½ cup (50g) rolled oats (see note below)
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (113g) unsalted vegan butter (softened)
- ½ cup (125g) natural smooth peanut butter (unsalted, no sugar added)
- ⅓ cup (67g) light brown sugar
- ⅓ cup (67g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup (90g) vegan chocolate chips
- ¼ cup vegan chocolate candies (roughly 45-50g depending on the brand you use)
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C).
- Line cookie sheet(s) with parchment paper (if needed), set aside.
- Prepare your flax egg by whisking together ground flax seeds and water. Set aside to thicken for 10 minutes.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, rolled oats, baking soda, and salt together. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, using an electric hand mixer, beat the butter, peanut butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar on medium speed until blended and creamy, about 2 minutes. Stop to scrape down the sides of your bowl when needed. Add vanilla extract, and blend again for 1 minute.
- Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix on low speed with your electric mixer or with a spoon until a soft dough has formed. Don't overmix.
- Add the chocolate chips and the chocolate candies to the mixture and stir until they have combined evenly throughout the dough.
- Using a medium-sized cookie scoop or a tablespoon, scoop the cookie dough onto the baking sheet(s). If you are using a tablespoon, roll the cookie dough into balls before placing them on the cookie sheet. Leave enough space between the cookies so they have room to spread.
- Bake for 12 minutes, don't overbake!
- Remove from the oven and allow the cookies to cool on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes. They will flatten a little and firm up as they cool.
- After the 5 minutes have passed, carefully transfer them to a cooling rack.
Recipe Notes:
- Please read all of the information above, as well as the notes below, before making this recipe.
- This recipe makes 24 cookies if you use a medium-sized cookie scoop (medium scoops are usually 1.5 tablespoons).
- IF MAKING THE VEGAN GLUTEN-FREE VERSION: Use 1 cup (148g) Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1 to 1 Baking Flour (Amazon link) in the blue package, NOT the red package. Also, make sure to use certified gluten-free rolled oats. Everything else in the recipe and process remains the same.
- For the vegan gluten-free version, it's important to know that different gluten-free flour blends use different ingredients and ratios, so results will vary if you substitute. I have never used any other brand of gluten-free flour to make this recipe, so please know that your results may not be the same as mine if you substitute with another blend. This recipe will NOT work with coconut flour or any other single gluten-free flour.
- Storing: Keep your cookies for up to five days in an airtight container at room temperature.
- Freezing Baked Cookies: Freeze the cookies in single layers in a freezer bag or airtight container for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature.
- The nutrition info below is based on 1 cookie made as written. The recipe made with Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free 1 to 1 Baking Flour has a calorie count of 152 per cookie. Nutrition info is only a rough guide. Click here to learn how nutrition info is calculated on this website.
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