Gluten Free Monster Cookies (Flourless)

These Gluten Free Monster Cookies are a soft, chewy, flourless version of the beloved classic cookie. Full of peanut (or almond!) butter, oats, chocolate chips, and M&Ms, they’re sure to be loved by the whole family – gluten free or not!

gluten free monster cookies cooling on a black cooling rack

Why You’ll Love These Gluten Free Monster Cookies

  • Because they’re flourless they’re super low-maintenance (especially for gluten-free cookies!)
  • They can easily be customized for different preferences, holidays, and food allergies.
  • Monster cookies are super fun, packed with loads of mix ins – oats, chocolate chips, M&Ms, and any others your heart desires.
  • Both the cookies themselves and the cookie dough freeze well.
ingredients to make gluten free monster cookies flourless

Featured Ingredients:

The ingredients that make a monster cookie a monster cookie are peanut butter, oats, chocolate chips, and M&Ms.

  • Peanut Butter: Use your favorite creamy peanut butter (the recipe hasn’t been tested with crunchy peanut butter!). If peanuts aren’t your thing, the recipe has been tested with almond butter and sunflower seed butter. As long as it’s creamy (whether traditional creamy or more natural, drippy creamy) it’ll work!
  • Oats: Oats are very important in this recipe because there’s no flour. You can use quick oats or old fashioned oats, as long as you’re using certified gluten-free oats should you need it.
    • Quick Oats: Quick oats are a little more processed/ cut down into smaller pieces compared to rolled oats. They’re a little more flour-like and I found made the cookie a little flatter and crisper.
    • Rolled Oats: These are a little sturdier, offering a little more bite and chew to the cookie.
  • Chocolate Chips: Semi-sweet is my preference, but feel free to use dark chocolate or milk chocolate.
  • M&Ms: Whether you use mini or regular-sized M&Ms, this candy makes these cookies so much more fun (and kids will love them!). And when it comes to both M&Ms and chocolate chips – measure with your heart. 😉

Other Ingredients You’ll Need:

  • Dark brown Sugar
  • Eggs
  • Vanilla extract
  • Baking soda
  • Cinnamon
  • Salt
stack of gluten free monster cookies with one broken open on top

Ingredient Swaps:

  • Peanut Butter: You can use traditional creamy peanut butter, crunchy peanut butter, or thinner, natural peanut butter. These cookies have also been successfully tested with almond butter and sunflower seed butter.
  • Oats: make sure to use certified gluten-free oats if needed! You can use old-fashioned oats or quick oats, both have been tested and work well (quick oats = a slightly flatter, crisper cookie).
  • Chocolate Chips: I prefer a classic semi-sweet chocolate chip in monster cookies, but you can also use dark chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, milk chocolate chips – whatever you prefer!
  • M&Ms: M&Ms are a classic component of monster cookies! You can use regular or mini (regular or more traditional, but I used mini in the pictures shown here). If M&Ms aren’t your thing, you can substitute any other mix-ins, like butterscotch chips, nuts, craisins, raisins, pumpkin seeds, chopped candy pieces, etc.
  • Eggs: These cookies have NOT been tested without eggs, and I don’t recommend doing so as the eggs are integral part of the cookie’s structure.
  • Brown Sugar: I love the flavor of dark brown sugar (I feel it gives slight richer, caramel-like undertones to the cookie), but you can easily substitute light brown sugar.
  • Cinnamon: Omit if you’re not a fan, just adds a tiny bit more flavor!

Lower Sugar Swaps

If you’re looking for a lower sugar option, try using a sugar-free brown sugar substitute, like Truvia Sweet Complete Brown Sweetener. You can also use chocolate chips with no added sugar. I love Lily’s Stevia-Sweetened Chocolate Chips!

Recommended Baking Equipment:

This recipe just needs simple equipment!

step by step picture instructions for how to make gluten free monster cookeis

How to Make Gluten Free Monster Cookies:

  1. Combine wet ingredients (peanut butter, brown sugar, vanilla, and eggs) and stir until incorporated.
  2. Add dry ingredients (oats, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt) and stir until evenly combined.
  3. Mix in chocolate chips and M&Ms (reserve 1-2 tablespoons of each to press on top of cookies if you want a more decorated or “pretty” cookie).
  4. Use a cookie scoop to scoop 2 tablespoon-sized scoops onto a cookie tray lined with a silicone baking mat.
  5. Press reserved chocolate chips and M&Ms into the tops of the cookie dough (or skip this step if you don’t want to!).
  6. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes. When cookies are slightly golden brown on the outside, they’re done!
  7. Let cookies rest on the tray at least 5-10 minutes so they continue to firm up.

Top Tips for the Best Flourless Monster Cookies

  • Expect the cookie dough to be very glossy and sticky. It’s supposed to be that way!
  • I know it’s tempting to dive into the cookies when they first come out of the oven, but I’ve got to reiterate – let them rest on the cookie sheets at least 5-10 minutes! These are soft cookies and need that time to firm up and be transferable!
  • This cookie recipe is so simple you don’t even need a hand or stand mixer. A simple bowl and spoon works for this recipe!
gluten free monster cookie dough with spatula in a metal bowl

Holiday Monster Cookies

Change up the M&M colors and even add other fun mix-ins for holiday monster cookie variations:

  • Halloween Monster Cookies: Use the Halloween colored M&Ms (usually it has orange, brown/ black, green, and purple). Before baking, top your scooped cookie dough with extra colored M&Ms and candy eye sprinkles for an extra monster-flair!
  • Christmas Monster Cookies: Use red and green Christmas M&Ms. For extra festive flair, you can add Christmas sprinkles on top, or roll the cookie dough balls in red or green sugar before baking.
  • Valentine’s Monster Cookies: Use red, pink, and white Valentine’s M&Ms.
  • Chanukah Monster Cookies: Use these blue, white, and silver M&Ms. And if you want to change up the chocolate chips, too, you can sub white chocolate chips or a mix of white and semi-sweet chocolate chips.
  • Gender Reveal Cookies: There are a lot of fun gender reveal M&M options! You can use these mixed blue and pink M&Ms, pink M&Ms, shades of pink “It’s a Girl!” M&Ms, blue M&Ms, shades of blue “It’s a Boy!” M&Ms.

Dairy Free Monster Cookies

With no butter, these monster cookies are nearly dairy-free as it is. The only substitutions you need to make are for the mix-ins.

For dairy-free chocolate chips, I like Enjoy Life Dark Chocolate Morsels and Hu Dark Chocolate Gems. Both are made in dedicated gluten and dairy-free facilities (although please always double check – processing practices can change!)

There are no dairy-free M&Ms, but Choco No No’s are a similar vegan, dairy-free, nut-free, gluten-free candy coated chocolate. UNREAL makes Dark Chocolate Peanut Gems and Dark Chocolate Crispy Quinoa Gems. But head’s up: they are not made in a dedicated dairy-free, nut-free, or gluten-free facility.

You could also use double the dairy-free chocolate chips instead of the M&Ms, too.

gluten free monster cookies on a cooling rack

Monster Cookies Without Peanut Butter

Need monster cookies without peanut butter? Me, too! We have a peanut allergy in my house, so I exclusively make these monster cookies without peanut butter for my family.

I’ve personally tested this recipe with both almond butter and sunflower seed butter, and both work beautifully. (Fun fact: due to my son’s peanut allergy, I had other recipe testers test this recipe with peanut butter!)

Also, please note that plain M&Ms are not made in a dedicated nut-free facility. If you avoid foods not made in nut-free facilities, use an allergy-friendly chocolate chip (like Enjoy Life Dark Chocolate Morsels) as a substitute for both the chocolate chips and M&Ms.

How to Store the Cookies

These cookies can be stored in an airtight bag or container at room temperature for 5-7 days. They can also be stored in the fridge or freezer to make them longer lasting (or if you just like cold cookies).

Because these cookies are so soft and chewy, I recommend storing them in a single layer (or with a piece or parchment paper between layers), as they can get a little sticky (especially in humid environments).

frozen balls of gluten free monster cookie dough

How to Freeze Cookie Dough

Freezing cookie dough is one of my favorite cookie tricks. We love cookies, but often don’t want to make a full recipe at once. Especially because fresh baked cookies are always the best!

So freeze your extra cookie dough, and then you can easily have fresh baked cookies whenever you want them!

To freeze cookie dough, line a rimmed baking sheet (or even a plate!) with parchment paper or silicon baking mats (this helps with easier removal and clean up). Scoop cookie dough onto the lined baking sheet. The cookie dough scoops shouldn’t be touching, but they can be much closer than if you were going to put them in the oven.

Then place cookie dough balls in the freezer for a couple hours, or until firm to the touch. Transfer frozen cookie dough balls into an airtight, freezer-safe bag or container.

How Long Does Frozen Cookie Dough Last?

Frozen cookie dough will last 3-6 months in a regular freezer, or 6-9 months in a deep freezer.

How to Bake Frozen Cookie Dough

When you’re ready to bake frozen cookie dough, transfer frozen cookie dough balls to a lined baking sheet while your oven is preheating. Then add 2 minutes to the total baking time when baking from frozen.

So these flourless monster cookies will bake 12-14 minutes.

And that’s it! Easy peasy freshly baked cookies without actually having to make cookie dough every time.

stack of flourless gluten free monster cookies

Are These Healthy Monster Cookies?

I’m a registered dietitian and these are gluten-free monster cookies — so are these healthy monster cookies?

These monster cookies do have a few generally healthier substitutions than others:

  • Healthier Fats: Peanut butter (or other nut butter) replaces butter entirely in this recipe. No butter cuts down on saturated fat. Using all nut butter adds more heart healthy fats, a small amount of protein, and a small amount of fiber.
  • Whole Grains: With no flour in this recipe, all the grains are from the oats, making them 100% whole grain. Whole grains offer additional vitamin and mineral variety, more fiber, and a little more protein compared to more processed flours.
  • Sugar: While these cookies are not low sugar by any means, they do have less sugar than some other monster cookie recipes.

Reminder: All Foods Fit in a Balanced Diet

On the topic of healthy cookies, I just want to share a reminder that “healthy” is actually very subjective. Instead of zeroing in on a single food, I like to encourage my clients to eat in a balance that feels good to them. Of course this includes plenty of vegetables, fruit, whole grains, lean protein, and healthy fats — but it also includes all of your favorite foods, too.

All foods fit in a balanced diet (even regular, not-healthified cookies).

Flourless Monster Cookies

More Gluten-Free Desserts

If you like these Gluten Free Monster Cookies you HAVE to try my wildly popular Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies. Some have called them the best gluten free chocolate chip cookies on the Internet, and well…they’re not wrong.

Other delicious gluten-free desserts include these Almond Flour Oat Cookies, Healthy Chocolate Popsicles, Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pie Crumble Bars, Grain-Free Skillet Brownies with Raspberries, and Chocolate Avocado Truffles.

Did you make this recipe? Give it a 5★ rating below! For more balanced nutrition and no fuss, balanced recipes, be sure to follow me on Instagram!

gluten free monster cookies cooling on a black cooling rack

Gluten Free Monster Cookies (Flourless)

Gluten Free Monster Cookies are a soft, chewy, flourless cookie full of peanut butter, oats, chocolate chips, and M&Ms.
5 from 3 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: American
Diet: Gluten Free
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 30
Calories: 106kcal
Author: Lindsey Janeiro, RDN

Ingredients

  • 1 cup creamy peanut butter
  • â…” cup dark brown sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup oats
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teapsoon cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • â…“ cup chocolate chips
  • â…“ cup mini M&Ms

Instructions

  • Combine wet ingredients (peanut butter, brown sugar, vanilla, and eggs) and stir until incorporated.
    mixed wet ingredients for gf monster cookies
  • Add dry ingredients (oats, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt) and stir until evenly combined.
    wet and dry ingredients mixed to make gf flourless monster cookies
  • Mix in chocolate chips and M&Ms (reserve 1-2 tablespoons of each to press on top of cookies if you want a more decorated or "pretty" cookie).
    Gluten Free Monster Cookie Dough
  • Use a cookie scoop to scoop 2 tablespoon-sized scoops onto a cookie tray lined with a silicone baking mat.
    scoops of gluten free monster cookie dough on a baking sheet
  • Press reserved chocolate chips and M&Ms into the tops of the cookie dough (or skip this step if you don't want to!).
    topping gluten free monster cookie dough balls with more m&ms and chocolate chips
  • Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes. When cookies are slightly golden brown on the outside, they're done!
    gluten free monster cookies on baking sheet
  • Let cookies rest on the tray at least 5-10 minutes so they continue to firm as they cool. Enjoy!

Notes

Use old fashioned oats for chewier or quick oats for crisper. And choose certified gluten-free oats if necessary.

Nutrition

Calories: 106kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 12mg | Sodium: 101mg | Potassium: 69mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 26IU | Vitamin C: 0.03mg | Calcium: 17mg | Iron: 0.4mg

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