This post may contain affiliate links. See my disclosure policy.
These healthy monster cookies are naturally sweetened, crisp, and golden brown around the edges while soft and chewy in the middle. They are easy to make and make a wholesome snack or dessert.
Table of Contents
I bake these healthy monster cookies when the family has a cookie craving, but I want them to have something a little more wholesome. They are soft and chewy and use wholesome pantry staple ingredients like oats, banana, and peanut butter. The texture reminds me of a cross between my healthy oatmeal raisin cookies and oatmeal chocolate chip bars, and they have enough M&M’s to make them a little more special.
Recipe Highlights
- 4 main ingredients: Oats, bananas, peanut butter, and candy buttons. There are a couple of optional extras, but they are just that- optional.
- Quick and easy: I like making these cookies for my family when they want something sweet, healthy, and delicious.
- Actually wholesome: These cookies are easy to make vegan, gluten-free, and dairy-free. They also have no butter, refined sugar, or oil.
Key Ingredients
- Rolled Oats. Gives the cookies a chewy texture, while remaining soft and tender on the outside. I tried these cookies using quick oats and found them to be a little too soft. You can also use certified gluten-free rolled oats.
- Peanut Butter. Smooth and drippy peanut butter, with no added sugar. You can use any smooth peanut butter of your choice.
- Banana. Mashed, overripe bananas hold the cookies together and give them extra sweetness. The riper the bananas, the sweeter the cookies will be.
- M&Ms. My go-to candy. If you need these to be vegan, I’ve successfully made them with dairy-free candy buttons.
How to make healthy monster cookies
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
Step 1- Mix the oats, banana, and peanut butter in a bowl.
Step 2- Add the M&M’s. Mix until combined.
Step 3- Form 12 balls of dough. Place them on the lined cookie sheet and press into a cookie shape. Top with extra chocolate chips or M&Ms.
Step 4- Bake the cookies for 12-15 minutes or until firm around the edges. Let the cookies cool completely.
Recipe tips for success
- Do not overbake the cookies as they will continue to bake as they cool down. I recommend removing the cookies from the oven once the edges are golden brown.
- Use wet hands when shaping the dough balls. It makes them so much easier to work with and prevents the batter from sticking to your fingers.
- These cookies will not spread at all, so they will bake in whichever shape you choose. I press them down into the shape I want them to look like.
Storage instructions
To Store: Monster cookies can be kept at room temperature, but to maintain freshness, they’d be best kept refrigerated. Refrigerate leftover cookies once they have cooled completely. Keep them in a sealed container, and they will keep for at least a week.
To Freeze: These cookies are freezer-friendly and will keep frozen for up to 2 months.
Healthy Monster Cookies
Video
Ingredients
- 2 cups rolled oats gluten-free, if needed
- 3 large bananas mashed
- 1/2 cup peanut butter can sub for any nut or seed butter of choice
- 1/4-1/2 cup Candy buttons M &M's, vegan M&M's, or sugar free candy buttons
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 175C/350F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine the rolled oats, peanut butter, and mashed banana and mix well. Fold in the chocolate buttons or M&Ms.
- Form 12 large balls of dough and place on the lined sheet. Press each ball into a cookie shape and top with extra M&Ms.
- Bake the cookies for 12-15 minutes or until slightly golden brown.
- Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Adjust the sweetness: These cookies aren’t super sweet, relying on the banana for sweetness. Add maple syrup or honey if you prefer sweeter cookies.
- Mix-in ideas: Change up the base of the cookies by adding some fun mix-ins. I sometimes like to add chopped nuts, raisins, or candy pieces.
- Storage: Monster cookies can keep at room temperature, but to maintain freshness, you’d be best to keep them refrigerated. Refrigerate leftover cookies once they have cooled completely. Keep them in a sealed container, and they will keep for at least a week.
Nutrition
Frequently asked questions
Different sizes of bananas would yield different amounts. If you find your monster cookie dough falling apart, add a little extra mashed banana to give it moisture and hold it together. Alternatively, you can add applesauce or even mashed pumpkin.
Unfortunately, you cannot freeze this particular monster cookie dough. It doesn’t contain flour or butter and will dry out and become brittle. However, you can freeze the completed cookies!
These turned out great and we’re so easy to make! This was the first time my child had monster cookies. I used Unreal brand vegan chocolate buttons and dark choose chips, bananas and almond butter along with GF oats. Thanks for sharing!
These are so simple and so good! Saving this recipe!! Thank you!!
Just made these and they’re delicious. It gives me chewy, crunchy and sweet all in one. Not a conventional cookie with flour but that is precisely why these are yummy.
Hi, loooove the recipe!!
What can I use as substitute for peanut/ nut butter as I can not have those?
Sunflower seed butter or smooth tahini!
Awesome!!!!thanks so much!
While I’d love to use bananas I don’t have any fresh ones. I would use the substitute of applesauce and add a little sweetener of maybe monk fruit, question is, how much will I need roughly? I have bananas frozen for smoothies but I don’t know how much to use if I thawed those out. Thanks and I love your recipes and always refer people to your site!!
Hi! Try with 1.25 cups of applesauce and if it is too much, add some extra oats to it.
Yes, thanks so much, Arman, for creating and sharing the recipe! ❤
Loved these! Simple to make, tasty, nice chewy texture and I love that they are flour free. This is definitely going to be a go-to recipe for me when I am in a cookie mood!
🙂 That’s what I like to hear!
These were great! My daughter made a goof and we had to double the recipe. Since I didn’t have enough to account for doubling, we also used some substitutions listed in the post.
I was curious about the calorie content? With my double batch making 16 cookies, I keep coming up with about 210 calories per cookie. Every calorie was worth it, by the way. These were great snacks for the family, thank you so much for the treat!
That’s what I like to hear! Yep, the nutritional content has been calculated and is listed there- enjoy!
Failed they are not gluten free as you have made them with oats and can contain wheat
Clearly didn’t read the post, used certified gluten free rolled oats, if you choose not to eat them, no worries but this recipe is gluten free. enjoy!
Your pictures show quite a lot of chocolate, it appears that choco chips have been added, and chocolate on top as well. Why is this not in the recipe?
Hi Roseann, it’s included in the post, the option to mix it with chocolate chips. Enjoy