So…Halloween. I don’t really know what to say. Like everything else, it’s not going to go the way it has in the past. If you’re a parent with small kids, I’m sure this is a tough time. Sure, in the larger scheme of things there are lots more worrisome issues, but explaining to them why you can’t just do the normal trick or treating routine can’t be easy. Still, we can make the night special and one easy way is by baking up a batch of these super duper delicious and very Halloween-ish Monster Cookies!

In all my many, many (ahem) many years of baking, I don’t think I’ve ever made a monster cookie. And now I’m kicking myself because these are seriously amazing, both in looks and taste! If you’re wondering where they got their spooky name, I believe it’s because they’ve got a monstrous amount of different ingredients in them. Traditionally, they’re made with a peanut butter oatmeal base and then the sky’s the limit on the number of add-ins, including coconut, M&M’s, pretzels, chocolate chips and more!

The ones I’m sharing with you today actually don’t have peanut butter in the batter—instead we’re using Reese’s Pieces—a whole lot of ‘em— both in the mix and on top of the cookies, to get that peanut buttery vibe, as well as a generous amount of chopped pecans for extra nuttiness.

Major, major yum!

If you ❤️ Reese’s Pieces you are going to adore these monsters!

And the fact that they come together so quickly and easily.

Once you form them into large dough balls, you flatten and then press more of the Reese’s pieces on top right before they bake, ensuring that you get one in every single bite!

Big, soft, thick, chewy and loaded with candy, chocolate chips, oatmeal and pecans, they’re scarily good!!

The perfect addition to whatever you’re planning for Halloween this year!🎃🎃

Monster Cookies

Makes about 1 dozen

Prep Time: 15 minutes, Bake Time: 15-18 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 cup unbleached, all-purpose flour

• ½ teaspoon baking powder

• ½ teaspoon salt

• 1 cup old-fashioned oats (not instant)

• 9 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

• ½ cup light brown sugar, packed

• ½ cup superfine sugar (just whiz regular sugar in a food processor to make it extra fine)

• 1 large egg

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• ¾ cup chopped pecans (you could use walnuts or omit them altogether too)

• ½ cup chocolate chips

• 1 cup Reese’s pieces, divided (you could sub in M&M’s or any other candy like that that you prefer)

The Recipe

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.

2. In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt and oats and set aside. Use an electric mixer to beat together the butter and both sugars until creamy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Then beat in the egg and vanilla until the mixture is smooth.

3. Add the flour mixture and on low speed, mix it in until the mixture is smooth. It will be thick. Remove the bowl from the beaters and use the rubber spatula to fold in the pecans, chocolate chips and ½ cup of the Reese’s pieces.

4. Roll ¼ cup size balls of the dough and place 6 of them, spaced evenly apart on the prepared baking sheet. Use the flat of your hand to flatten them into thick disks (about ½ inch thick) and press additional Reese’s pieces onto the tops of them.

5. Bake one sheet at a time for about 15-18 minutes. Cookies will rise and look dry and get just the tiniest bit browned. You don’t want them to overbake or they won’t be chewy. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet on a wire rack for a few minutes to firm up and then transfer to the wire rack to finish cooling completely.

Enjoy!

Note: Recipe adapted from Nigella Lawson. I added extra chocolate chips and more Reese’s Pieces (of course!)