Monster cookie bars are so much easier to make than cookies! This monster cookie bars recipe includes oatmeal, peanut butter, M&M’s and chocolate chips.
When I get a craving for cookies, I take out the ingredients, mix up the cookie dough (usually a double batch) and start forming the cookies, one cookie sheet at a time.
But it doesn’t take long before I am sick of making cookies and ready to leave the kitchen with a couple of warm, fresh cookies and a steaming cup of coffee to enjoy while reading a magazine.
Has this ever happened to you? My solution is to make cookie bars instead. You get the delicious homemade cookies and they are done all in one pan! This past week, I switched up my usual Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars for these Monster Cookie Bars.
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How To Make Monster Cookie Bars
Start by mixing together the baking soda and water in a small bowl, set aside. In a stand mixer with a large bowl (I used my Kitchen Aid mixer), cream together butter, shortening, peanut butter, and sugars.
Add the eggs, vanilla, and salt. Mix in the baking soda/water mixture. Add flour, one cup at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add the quick oats, mix well. Stir in M&M’s and chocolate chips.
Spread the dough in a greased jelly roll pan measuring about 15×10 or half a sheet pan measuring about 16×12 (I use a Wilton cookie pan with sides.) and bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown.
Cut into bars. If you are patient, wait for them to cool first, if you love warm, gooey cookies as much as I do, cut a piece as soon as you can!
These bars are perfect for serving at a party. Watch them disappear when there is a group of hungry teenagers around! My husband brought this pan of Monster Cookie Bars to work to share with his coworkers and they loved them.
Monster Cookie Bars Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoon water
- ½ cup butter
- ½ cup shortening
- 1 cup peanut butter
- 1 ½ cups brown sugar
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 2 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 teaspoon salt
- 3 cups flour
- 2 cups quick oats
- 1 cup M&M's
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350˚F.
- Start by mixing together the baking soda and water in a small bowl, set aside.
- In a stand mixer with a large bowl, cream together butter, shortening, peanut butter and sugars.
- Add the eggs, vanilla and salt.
- Mix in the baking soda/water mixture.
- Add flour, one cup at a time, mixing well after each addition.
- Add the quick oats, mix well.
- Stir in M&M’s and chocolate chips.
- Spread the dough in a greased, rimmed half-sheet pan measuring at least 17x12-inches and bake at 350˚F for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown.
Nutrition
Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Bars | Brown Butter Snickerdoodle Blondies | S’mores Bars
Denise Moss says
My favorite go to cookie bar recipe!!
janet says
if I wanted to cut the recipe in half, what size pan would I use? These look so good, but our family is small! Could I freeze these? Thank you!
Cassie says
Could I leave out the peanut butter? We have peanut allergies!! THanks!!!!
Laura says
I don’t have a stand mixer can i just mix with regular hand,mixer
Lyn Olson says
These are delicious! However, a 15×10 pan is TOO small!!! I had dough falling over the sides onto the bottom of my oven and burning on the heating coil!! Next time, I will use the larger size. Might want to take that size pan off the recipe.
Tonia says
Oh dear! Sorry about the messy oven! I will make a note in the recipe for others. Thanks Lyn!
Llamb says
I just made them and wish I had read the comments first, yep baking over and have a mess in the bottom of my stove.
Tonia says
I’m very sorry to hear that! I’ve never had an issue with it baking over. What are the measurements of your baking pan? I wonder if the pan sizes vary a lot depending on what brand you have.
happy,happy,happy sitter says
can I use all quick oats and elimanate the flour ? I dont really want too use flour if possable and if so would it be 5 cups of quick oats? Thanks for what looks like a nice recipe.
Tonia says
Hello! I’ve never heard of a baked oatmeal cookie recipe with only oatmeal in it. Maybe if you finely ground the oats into flour, it would work but I would suggest doing a little research before trying it. Best of luck! ~Tonia
Beth Holt says
I love your recipes! Any cookie in bar form is a beautiful thing!
Rhonda says
Delicious! Making cookies into bars is a perfect thing to make for last minute company!
ty says
Can you substitute shortening for anything?
Tonia says
You can use butter instead of shortening. Best of luck! ~Tonia
Dorothy @ Crazy for Crust says
The texture in these looks absolutely perfect. Pinned!