Gluten-Free Dairy-Free Monster Cookies (Soft and Chewy)
Let’s be honest — my kids will eat just about any cookie I make. Even the ones that don’t quite work out. Even the ones that bake up flat as a pancake. (True story.)
So when my very honest children take a bite and tell me a cookie is spot-on? That means something.
These gluten-free dairy-free monster cookies got that seal of approval. My kids thought they were store-bought — like something out of a mix. When I told them nope, this is my own recipe, they were impressed.
Which is a little full-circle, because a store mix is exactly where this started. We first tried monster cookies from a gluten-free, dairy-free boxed mix, and my kids loved them. My wallet did not — that little box was NOT cheap. So I knew I could make a version at home for a fraction of the cost. And when I asked y’all what recipes you wanted next, monster cookies came up again and again.
Good news for my family, because we are a peanut-butter-and-chocolate house through and through.
This one came together faster than most of my recipes (I’ll tell you why in a minute). Everyone loved them, and my third son called them a new favorite right out of the gate. They’re soft, with the peanut butter flavor coming through without taking over — and the oats, chocolate chips, and candy-coated chocolates make every bite a little different.
They’re a kid favorite, but not just for kids. I love these too. With the peanut butter and oats, they’ve got a little more staying power than your average cookie, so they’re headed straight for our lunchboxes. And they’re good enough that I’d hand a plate to a neighbor.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Gluten-free and dairy-free — Made with King Arthur Measure for Measure flour and dairy-free chocolate, so kids with gluten and dairy needs don’t get left out.
- Soft, never dense — A couple of small tweaks keep these soft and tender instead of heavy (more on that below).
- That peanut butter and chocolate combo — Peanut butter, chocolate chips, AND candy-coated chocolates. A lot of good in one cookie.
- A little more staying power — The peanut butter and oats add some protein, so they hold my kids over better than a plain sugar cookie.
- Lunchbox and sharing friendly — Sturdy enough to pack, good enough to share with friends and neighbors.
- A fun one for kids to make — Scooping the dough tall and pressing candies on top is a perfect job for little hands.
Ingredients
You’ll find the full amounts in the recipe card below. Here’s what goes in and why it matters.
- Vegan butter sticks — Use a vegan stick butter like this Country Crock one I love from Walmart. Partially melt them so they still cream up but hold structure.Vegan butter is a big component of what makes these cookies dairy-free and allergen-friendly. However, it has a high water content and there are some steps like chilling the dough we have to do to work around it.
- Creamy peanut butter — Use a no-stir type, not the natural drippy kind. Natural peanut butter separates and can throw off the texture.
- Brown sugar and white sugar — Brown sugar keeps them soft and a little chewy. White sugar helps the edges set.
- Eggs — For structure and lift. I sadly do not have an egg-free option for this recipe. Please let us know in the comments if you find one you tried and love!
- Vanilla — Rounds out the flavor.
- King Arthur Measure for Measure gluten-free flour — Not all gluten-free 1:1 flours are built the same — they use all kinds of different flour blends — and King Arthur is the one that gives me a reliable, soft cookie every time. I love and recommend King Arthur Measure for Measure flour, which I get at Walmart or on Amazon.
- Certified gluten-free rolled oats — The heart of a monster cookie. If gluten is a real concern for your family, use certified gluten-free oats, since regular oats are often cross-contaminated. Use ones like these from Bob’s Red Mill at Walmart.
- Cornstarch — A little helps with that soft, tender texture. Can also sub arrowroot or tapioca starch.
- Baking soda and baking powder — You need both. The baking powder is what gives these just enough lift to stay soft instead of dense.
- Salt — Bump it up a little if your peanut butter is unsalted.
- Dairy-free chocolate chips — Your favorite brand works here, though I love the mini chips in cookies. For dairy-free mini chocolate chips, I use Enjoy Life Foods, as they are easy to find at Walmart, Target, and Amazon.
- Dairy-free candy-coated chocolates — The fun part, and the trickiest to shop for. I got the Unreal Gems from Walmart, which you can also find on Amazon. You can use just additional chocolate chips, but they aren’t as fun and I love the texture with the m&ms.If you only need gluten-free (not dairy-free), regular M&M’s work great — I actually love the minis in this recipe.
How to Make It
- Partially melt the butter. Just 20–25 seconds — half melted, half soft. You want it soft enough to whip air into, but not fully liquid.
- Cream it longer than you think. Beat the butter, peanut butter, and both sugars for a good 75–90 seconds, until it looks visibly paler and fluffier. This is the step that whips air into the dough and keeps these from turning out dense. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat a little more.
- Whisk the dry ingredients separately, then combine. Whisk the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together first so the leaveners spread evenly. Mix into the wet, then stir in the oats. Fold in the chocolate chips and candies — holding back a handful of candies for the tops.
- Rest the dough 20 minutes. Don’t skip this. It lets the oats and flour hydrate so the cookies bake up soft.
- Scoop them tall. Use about 3 tablespoons of dough per cookie and shape them taller than they are wide. Press two or three reserved candies on top so they look bakery-pretty.
- Chill the shaped dough. About an hour in the fridge, or 20–25 minutes in the freezer until firm to the touch. Cold dough means less spreading and a thicker cookie.
- Bake at 350°F for 13 minutes on parchment. Pull them when the centers still look slightly underdone — they keep cooking on the pan.
- Cool 5–10 minutes on the pan. For clean, round edges, swirl a round cookie cutter or glass around each cookie right when they come out of the oven.
FAQ
Can I make these just gluten-free and not dairy-free? Yes. Use regular butter, regular chocolate chips, and regular mini M&M’s. Everything else stays exactly the same.
What’s the best gluten-free flour for these? King Arthur Measure for Measure. Period. I’ve baked with a lot of gluten-free 1:1 flours and they are NOT interchangeable — every brand uses a different flour blend. King Arthur is the one that gives me a soft, reliable cookie, so I don’t recommend swapping it here.
My cookies came out dense. What happened? Usually one of two things: the butter and sugars weren’t creamed long enough, or you overmeasured the flour. Cream that mixture a full 75–90 seconds until it’s pale and fluffy. Gluten-free flour gets incredibly packed down and is hard to measure correctly. I highly recommend buying a $12 kitchen scale and weighing your flour every time (the 160g) for consistent delicious results.If you don’t have a kitchen scale, fluff the flour with a fork, and then SPOON the flour into the measuring cup then level. If they’re still a touch dense, you can pull the flour back slightly next time.
Do I really have to chill the dough? I’d keep it. Chilling firms up the fat so the cookies hold their tall shape and don’t spread thin and flat.
Can I use natural peanut butter? I don’t recommend it for this one. The oil separation in natural peanut butter makes the dough unpredictable. A no-stir creamy peanut butter gives you consistent results every time.
Are these nut-free? No — they’re built on peanut butter, so they aren’t nut-free. If you need a peanut-free version, sunflower seed butter is the usual swap, but I haven’t tested it here, so treat that as an experiment.
How do I store them? Keep them in an airtight container at room temperature for 4–5 days. They freeze really well too — freeze the baked cookies, or freeze the shaped dough balls and bake them off straight from the freezer (add a minute or two).
Other Gluten-Free Dairy-Free Cookie Recipes You’ll Love
If these disappear as fast at your house as they do at mine, here are a few more to keep in the rotation.
- Gluten-Free Dairy-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies — The recipe I tested dozens of times, and the one these monster cookies grew out of. Start here.
- Gluten-Free Dairy-Free S’mores Cookies — All the campfire flavor, none of the mess.
- Gluten-Free Dairy-Free Snickerdoodles — Soft, cinnamon-sugar, and a total classic.
- Mint Brownie Cookies — Rich and fudgy, with a Paleo option too.
- Gluten-Free Dairy-Free Lemon Raspberry Cookies — A bright, fruity change of pace when you want something lighter.
Want the whole lineup? Here are 10 Gluten-Free Dairy-Free Cookie Recipes for Families.
Gluten-free Dairy-free Monster Cookies
Equipment
- 1 large baking sheet pan
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup vegan butter can use regular butter if not dairy-free
- 3/4 cup peanut butter smooth and thick, see notes
- 3/4 cup brown sugar packed
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1 1/3 cup gluten-free 1:1 flour 160g - see notes! I strongly prefer King Arthur
- 1 1/4 cup gluten-free old fashioned oats
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch can use arrowroot or tapioca starch
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup dairy-free chocolate chips I prefer Enjoy Life Mini Chips
- 3/4 cup dairy-free M&Ms see notes; divided
Instructions
- Partially melt the butter. Just 20–25 seconds — half melted, half soft. You want it soft enough to whip air into, but not fully liquid.
- Cream it longer than you think. Beat the butter, peanut butter, and both sugars for a good 75–90 seconds (I time this), until it looks visibly paler and fluffier. This is the step that whips air into the dough and keeps these from turning out dense. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat 30 seconds more.
- Whisk the dry ingredients separately, then combine. Whisk the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together first so the leaveners spread evenly. Mix into the wet, then stir in the oats. Fold in the chocolate chips and candies — holding back a 1/4 cup of m&ms for the tops.
- Rest the dough 20 minutes. Don't skip this. It lets the oats and flour hydrate so the cookies bake up soft.
- Scoop them tall. Use about 3 tablespoons of dough per cookie and shape them taller than they are wide. Press two or three reserved candies on top so they look bakery-pretty.
- Chill the shaped dough. About an hour in the fridge, or 20–25 minutes in the freezer until firm to the touch. Cold dough means less spreading and a thicker cookie.
- Bake at 350°F for 13 minutes on parchment. Pull them when the centers still look slightly underdone — they keep cooking on the pan.
- Cool 5–10 minutes on the pan. For clean, round edges, swirl a round cookie cutter or glass around each cookie right when they come out of the oven.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 4–5 days (tucking in a slice of bread keeps them soft), or freeze baked cookies up to 3 months. You can also freeze the shaped dough balls and bake straight from frozen, adding 1–2 minutes.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Amazing! This may be the first cookie recipe I’ve successfully made with kids begging for more! Thank you!
What a win — and what an honor to be that first success for you! Kids begging for more is exactly the goal. Thank you so much for the review!