This is the bar form of one of my favorite cookies, the monster cookie! The monster cookie originated in Michigan and contains oats, peanut butter and candy-coated chocolates, and traditionally does not have flour. I love the chewy consistency and nutty flavor from the oats and peanut butter. It’s kind of like a more indulgent granola bar!
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 1 hr 20 min |
| Active: | 15 min |
| Yield: | 16 bars |
Ingredients
- 3 1/2 cups quick-cooking oats
- 1/2 cup shredded sweetened coconut
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3/4 cup unsweetened peanut butter
- 2/3 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted but not hot
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup roasted peanuts
- 1 cup chocolate coated candies, plus more for topping
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Line a 9-inch square metal pan with parchment paper that comes up on two sides to give you little wings.
- In a medium bowl, combine the oats, coconut, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. In a large bowl, whisk together the peanut butter, brown sugar, butter and granulated sugar until combined and creamy. Add the eggs one at a time, whisking well after each. Add the vanilla. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the oat mixture until combined, then fold in the peanuts and chocolate-coated candies. Press into the baking pan. Press a few additional chocolate-coated candies into the top.
- Bake until browned around the edges; begin checking for doneness at 28 minutes. Let cool in the pan completely, then carefully lift out of the pan and use a sharp serrated knife to slice into bars. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for a few days.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 16 servings |
| Calories | 448 |
| Total Fat | 24 g |
| Saturated Fat | 9 g |
| Carbohydrates | 51 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 6 g |
| Sugar | 24 g |
| Protein | 13 g |
| Cholesterol | 50 mg |
| Sodium | 197 mg |
Reviews
Didn’t care for these bars after making them. They’re kind of dry and cardboard-y tasting. No one ate them. I usually love Molly’s baking recipes but this one is just not there.
These were great. I made it vegan too by using aqua faba for eggs and I also used coconut sugar, half the brown sugar. Used 100 percent dark chocolate and roasted cashews and no sugar cashew butter. Yum
I have made these 3 times now. Switched up the nut butters and the nuts, based on what I had in my pantry. Delicious!
Eek. Just didn’t work. Almost there.
Delicious used mini chocolate chips in batter and candy coated nuts on top then baked in 10×10 pan.
Great combo of flavors and perfect treat if baking for someone who is gluten free (just make sure to get quick oats labeled as gluten free). We only had an 8×8 pan and baked an extra 12 minutes or so. Next time I would use chocolate chips in the batter and just press the M&Ms on top — the ones in the middle leaked out all their color and it wasn’t the most attractive. But the flavors were fantastic!
Very good! Great balance of flavors in these bars. They are easy to under bake b/c they are so thick (when you bake in an 8×8) At 28 mins my edges were dark and I thought it was done but the middle was still a little underdone. Not a huge problem, we still ate them but I would give them an extra minute or 2 before you take them out of the oven.