A pumpkin monster cookie with a bite out of it stacked on more cookies.

Pumpkin Monster Cookies

Today I’ve got a new Fall cookie, pumpkin monster cookies. Packed full of pumpkin spice and a little pumpkin, these cookies are the perfect Fall twist on a traditional monster cookie.

Monster cookies are by far one of my family’s favourites and I’ve personally loved them ever since I lived in North Dakota. Every coffee shop there has them and I had actually never heard of them until moving there. I have been hooked ever since so I knew I need a Fall version of my regular monster cookies.

I actually love combining Fall spices like cinnamon and cloves with peanut butter as it helps to balance the richness and sweetness a little. So, I figured I needed to test out a pumpkin monster cookie and they definitely didn’t disappoint. Most of my family actually enjoy these more than my regular monster cookie recipe. Safe to say, I didn’t see that coming!

If you’re interested in some other oatmeal cookies, then give my oatmeal chocolate chip cookies or my cranberry oatmeal chocolate chip cookies a shot!

A Halloween pumpkin monster cookie with a monster face. More cookies around it.

I don’t recommend using fresh pumpkin as it typically contains more moisture than canned pumpkin. This could alter the texture and bake of the cookie.

So you can do whatever you like but to make these look more Fall-like, I picked out the yellow, red, orange and brown m&m’s from a package and only used those.

If you want to make these for Halloween, you could also put some candy eyes on top and have actual “monster” cookies!

A pile of pumpkin monster cookies, some with monster faces and some with Fall coloured M&Ms

I like to do a combo of semi sweet chocolate chip and butterscotch chips, usually half semi sweet and half butterscotch. I find this adds a little more Fall flavour without adding too much sweetness.

You could do all of one kind as well and you could also use milk chocolate chips, white chocolate chips or anything else you like!

Yes! Just ensure you use gluten free certified oats and check your candy eyes if using them as well. Some are gluten free and some aren’t.

As a side note, if making anything gluten free for someone with an allergy, ensure you thoroughly wash any equipment, jars or utensils. Any contact with flour may trigger an allergy. I like to say any baking I do in my own home is gluten friendly as I am using flour often and cannot guarantee there’s been no cross contamination.

If you’d like a different kind of gluten free cookie, then try my double chocolate almond flour cookies or my almond flour chocolate chip cookies.

A pumpkin monster cookie with Fall coloured m&ms stacked on top of more cookies.

If you’d like to freeze the dough for these pumpkin monster cookies to save time in the future, follow these simple steps.

  1. Prep the dough as instructed.
  2. Roll the dough into balls.
  3. Place in an airtight container or bag.
  4. Label with type or flavour of dough, date, bake time and baking temperature. This makes life much easier when you pull the bag out of the freezer in a couple months and have forgotten what it is. (If you’re using a reusable bag, you can just write this information on a piece of masking tape or something similar.)
  5. Store in freezer for up to 3 months.
  6. When ready to bake, preheat your oven and place balls on baking sheet. 
  7. Add 1-2 minutes to bake time as baking from frozen and enjoy!
A Halloween monster cookie with googly eyes making a monster face.

So when it comes to measuring flour, the most accurate and easiest way is to use a kitchen scale. I always use a scale and could never go back to measuring in cups. It’s such a hassle and way more dishes!

If you don’t own a scale, there are a couple steps to properly measure flour as it becomes compacted just sitting in the bag or container. I highly recommend you follow these as just scooping flour out of the bag can potentially lead to at least an additional 1/4 cup of flour. This equals dry and dense baked goods which is not what anybody is going for.

1. Fluff the flour by giving it a mix with a whisk or fork.

2. Spoon the flour into your measuring cup.

3. Level the excess flour off using a butter knife. (With the back of the knife level to the top of the measuring cup, run it over top, pushing the excess flour back into it’s container.)

4. Repeat until you’ve measured the amount the recipe calls for.

A Halloween pumpkin monster cookie with a monster face stacked against more cookies.
  • For best results, ensure all your ingredients are room temperature. This allows your ingredients to incorporate into each other leading to a much better bake and texture.
  • I don’t recommend using fresh pumpkin puree as it typically has more moisture and may ruin the texture of the cookies.
  • I create my recipes based off weights so I recommend measuring by weights if you own a scale. It’s actually so much easier and makes for much less cleanup. I wish I had baked by weight from the beginning, I could never go back now.
A pumpkin spice monster cookie with a bite out of it stacked on more cookies

Today’s song is my favourite song by The Heavy who have a million good songs but I absolutely love this one! Here’s Curse Me Good by The Heavy. Happy baking!! **Disclaimer: Liv’s Little Muffins owns no rights to this song.

Don’t forget to leave a STAR REVIEW if you try my recipe! Follow me on Facebook or tag me on instagram @livslittlemuffins. Find more ideas on my Pinterest or Whisk.

A pumpkin monster cookie with a bite out of it stacked on more cookies.

Pumpkin Monster Cookies

Olivia Daly
These Fall inspired pumpkin monster cookies are perfectly flavoured with pumpkin, peanut butter and Fall spices. Add candy eyes for a Halloween monster treat!
5 from 1 vote
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Course Dessert, Snack
Servings 41

Ingredients
  

  • 1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter , room temperature
  • 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
  • 1 cup (180g) brown sugar (packed)
  • 1 cup (220g) smooth peanut butter
  • 1/2 cup (100g) canned pumpkin
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 4 cups (480g) quick oats
  • 1 tbsp (9g) cornstarch
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 tsp ground cloves
  • 1/2 tsp ground ginger
  • 3/4 cup (160g) m&ms (Fall coloured if you wish, *see notes)
  • 3/4 cup (120g) semi sweet chocolate chips or butterscotch chips (I like to do half and half)

Instructions
 

  • In the bowl of a stand mixer or large mixing bowl, add your butter and sugars. Beat for 1 minute on medium-high speed.
  • Add your peanut butter and beat for additional minute. Then add the pumpkin and mix until combined.
  • Mix in eggs, one at a time until fully incorporated. Add the vanilla and mix until combined.
  • Then add your oats, cornstarch, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger. Mix at low speed until combined.
  • Add in the m&ms and chocolate chips. Mix until combined.
  • Let batter sit for 10 minutes and preheat oven to 350℉. Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper.
  • Scoop 1 1/2 tbsp scoops onto your cookie sheet. Bake for 9-11 minutes or until the cookies have just started to feel firm on the edges. Add some eyes to the top if you like and more m&ms.
  • Let mostly cool before trying to move as they will be very soft. Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days and enjoy!

Notes

*For the Fall coloured m&ms, I just picked the red, yellow, orange and brown out of a regular bag. I’m not sure if Fall colours are usually available but they aren’t typically in Canada that I’ve seen.
Keyword Gluten Free Pumpkin Monster Cookies, Pumpkin Monster Cookies
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size1cookie
Servings41
Amount Per Serving
Calories173
% Daily Value *
Total Carbohydrate23g
8%
Dietary Fiber2g
8%
Sugar13g
Total Fat8g
13%
Saturated Fat3g
15%
Trans Fat0.02g
Protein3g
6%
Cholesterol15mg
5%
Sodium96mg
4%
Potassium114mg
4%
5 from 1 vote (1 rating without comment)

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating