My Grandma’s Monster Cookies are the absolute BEST! One of the best things about visiting her as a kid was knowing there would be a big bowl of Monster Cookies on the counter and another bowl in the freezer. She lived 8 hours away so we only got to visit her two to three times a year and she always made a point to have our favorite foods around.
My Grandma Stronks was such a fun lady. She was a beautician by profession and had a home salon that she worked at well into her seventies. She LOVED to play Yahtzee, eat cinnamon bears, and drink Diet Pepsi. I miss her so much.
She was a great cook and always made my favorite spaghetti when we would visit. At some point during each trip she would make a delicious ham dinner. When she liked something and thought it was delicious she coined the phrase “more-ish” meaning it was so good it made you want to eat more and more!
A few things I consider “more-ish”
- Caramel Corn Puffs
- Crazy Good Whole Wheat Brownies with Fudge Frosting
- Tres Leches Cake
- Magnolia Bakery Blueberry Jamboree
- Creamy Beef and Green Chili Casserole
- Navajo Tacos
- Down Home Biscuits and Gravy
How Grandma made her monster cookies
When grandma made Monster Cookies, she really made Monster Cookies. The recipe she handed down to me calls for 12 eggs, 4 cups each of granulated sugar and regular sugar, 3 pounds of peanut butter, 1 pound of margarine, 1 pound of M&Ms, 1 pound of chocolate, 1 pound of coconut, and 18 cups of oatmeal. WHAT?!?! Can you imagine how many cookies that makes?! Let me tell you, it’s a lot. I’ve done it.
Grandma made the cookies really big. I’m not sure if she used a cookie scoop or just used spoons. I try to make them about the same size she did and I have found that a 1/4 cup size cookie scoop works best.
Grandma said she made them in a special, giant dish washing bin because it was the only container she had that was big enough to make them in. I always assumed the name Monster Cookie was because the batch was so monstrous. When I make the cookies, I do half of the batch grandma did which still makes a ton of cookies. So be prepared to have plenty to eat and plenty to stick in the freezer for later.
Bonus: These cookies don’t have flour in them so as long as you check all the ingredients to make sure they’re gluten free, these are a great option for those with gluten dietary restrictions. Personally, I think they’re a great breakfast food.
Frequently Asked Questions about Grandma’s Monster Cookies:
Can you use butter instead of margarine?
Yes. Sometimes butter makes cookies a little bit flatter but if you’re ok with that, it won’t affect the flavor. In fact, it’ll make it yummier! Another option is using butter flavored shortening.
Which type of oatmeal works best in these cookies? quick or old fashioned?
Actually, either one works great but my grandma always made them with old fashioned oats. As you can see in the pictures, I used quick oats in this batch. When you use old fashioned, they come out a little flatter but really chewy and delicious!
do i have to add the karo syrup?
Good question! I’ve never tried leaving it out. But it’s hard to imagine 1 1/2 teaspoons of Karo syrup can make that big of a difference. My grandma said it helped the sugars break down better, making the cookie more chewy. Honestly, I don’t think it would be a huge problem to make it without it. You can substitute it for honey with similar results.
If you like peanut butter and chocolate, try these!
- 1 cup margarine or butter, softened
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 cups brown sugar, lightly packed
- 2½ cups peanut butter plus 2 tablespoons
- 6 eggs
- ½ tablespoon Karo syrup
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 4 teaspoons baking soda
- 9 cups oatmeal, quick or old fashioned
- 1½ cups coconut, shredded
- 1½ cups milk chocolate chips
- 1½ cups M&Ms
- Preheat oven to 350°
- In a large stand mixer (or with a hand mixer) cream together the butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, peanut butter, and Karo syrup until nice and creamy.
- Add in the eggs one at a time until completely mixed.
- Add the vanilla,oatmeal and baking soda. Mix until well combined.
- Stir in the coconut, chocolate chips, and M&Ms.
- Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or spray it with cooking spray and use a large scoop (about ¼ cup) to place cookies 2 inches apart. If you don't have a large cookie scoop you can use a two spoons to place large ¼ cup size portions of the dough on the cookie sheet. (If you prefer smaller cookies, that is fine too. You can use a regular sized cookie scoop if you prefer.
- Bake at 350° for 8-10 minutes.
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