Vegan Chocolate Chunk Monster Cookies

These vegan chocolate chunk monster cookies are packed to their peanut butter edges with candy coated chocolates and chocolate chunks.

We're in the throes of potty training over here at the Melillo household.

No, no. I'm not looking for tips, tricks, or advice. We're already up to our ears in the stuff.

Plus, it's already far too easy to feel like you might be doing something "wrong" in these mirky toddler potty waters. No need to welcome more confusion. But thank you if your mind went there, and I won't be shy about reaching out in the future should the time come.

In the meantime though, I'll share a few realizations I've had in these last four short—HA, that's funny... let me rephrase—four long days of potty training:

1. Sloane is super sweet and yet also incredibly stubborn and strong-willed just like her momma. I had a hunch this might be the case. Potty training has shined a Hollywood size spotlight on that hunch.
2. Do NOT ever, ever, ever put your child down for a nap butt naked on the second day of potty training. If you come across this advice on the internet, X out of that tab like it's on fire. You've been warned.
3. I'm not above bribery like I once thought I was. You know... like when I judged other parents for bribing their kids before I actually had a child of my own to wise me up. And please, no unsolicited mom-splaining about how potty training isn't "supposed to" involve bribery or rewards. 🤚🏻 I know, I know, I know. Revert back to point 1. This child is next-level stubborn... girl can hold out for days on the potty without batting an eye.
4. I once was a psychologist practicing Applied Behavior Analysis. I'm now a mom practicing Applied Potty Analysis. This is harder. Making that $200k degree work for me. 😆

I'm sure I'll be enlightened with far more wisdom in the days and weeks to come, but I think that's it for now. Now that we've talked potty, aren't you excited for cookie talk? 😬 Let's have ourselves a momentary...

P.

A.

U.

S.

E.

between these two disparate subjects.

Alright, cookies. Cookies, cookies, cookies on the mind.

Chocolate chunk monster cookies, to be exact.

These things are glorious. If you like my peanut butter cookie recipe, you'll love this chocolaty, monster-y version.

These monster cookies are packed with peanut butter and rely on gluten-free oat flour just like those classic peanut butter cookies.

The biggest difference between the two, of course, is that these are decked out with rolled oats, chocolate chunks, and candy coated chocolates.

After all, is a cookie really a monster without colorful candy coated chocolates?

Also, am I even making sense? My brain is a bit fried from all the P training.

How to Make Vegan Chocolate Chunk Monster Cookies

To make these vegan chocolate chunk monster cookies, you'll start by creaming together peanut butter, brown sugar (or coconut sugar), and vanilla until fluffy.

Meanwhile, whisk together a bit of oat flour, rolled oats, baking soda, and sea salt.

Next, add the oat flour mixture and a bit of almond milk (or water) to the peanut butter mixture, and beat until the dough pulls together into large mounds.

Then, stir in plenty of candy coated chocolates (I ordered these* from Amazon) and chocolate chunks.

Scoop out mounds of the dough and drop each onto a lined cookie sheet.

Repeat until you've used all the dough, leaving a couple inches of space in between each dough ball.

Bake the cookies for 10 to 14 minutes, or until their bottoms are light golden brown.

These cookies are quite tender when they initially come out of the oven, so you want to do your best to leave them be until they're completely cool.

From there, enjoy!

You can store them at room temperature or in the refrigerator.

Personally, I love their texture when they're chilled, so I recommend giving the refrigerator option a shot.

If you make these monster cookies, let me know! Leave a comment, rate the recipe, and don’t forget to tag a photo #blissfulbasil on Instagram.

📖 Recipe

Print Pin

Vegan Chocolate Chunk Monster Cookies

These vegan chocolate chunk monster cookies are packed to their peanut butter edges with candy coated chocolates and chocolate chunks.

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 30 cookies

Author Ashley Melillo | Blissful Basil

Ingredients

• 1 ⅓ cups brown sugar or coconut sugar
• 1 ⅓ cups unsweetened natural peanut butter, stirred well before measuring*
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 ⅓ cups oat flour
• ⅓ cup rolled oats
• 1 ¼ teaspoons baking soda
• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
• ½ cup unsweetened almond milk*
• ¾ cup vegan candy coated chocolates**
• ¾ cup vegan chocolate chunks

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350F. Line two large cookie sheets with parchment paper.
• In a large mixing bowl, cream together the sugar, peanut butter, and vanilla on medium-high for 1 minute using a hand mixer fitted with the beater attachments or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
• Meanwhile, in a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the oat flour, rolled oats, baking soda, and sea salt. Place the bowl next to the mixer.
• With the mixer off, add the oat flour mixture. Then, pour the almond milk over the oat mixture and begin beating on low. Increase speed to medium and beat for 15 seconds or until just incorporated.
• The dough should pull together into large, moist mounds as it moves around the mixing bowl. If the dough is dry and broken into small crumbles, add more almond milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, and beat until it pulls together into large, moist mounds within the mixing bowl.
• Use a spoon to stir in the chocolate candies and chocolate chunks.
• Use a cookie scoop or small ice cream scoop to scoop out 1 ½ tablespoon mounds of dough. Drop onto the lined pans, keeping about 1 ½ inches between rows. You should have about 30 cookies. (Note: Depending on the size of your baking trays you may need to bake in batches. That said, these cookies don't spread much while baking, so it's entirely possible to fit 15 to a pan if your cookie sheets are large enough. Alternatively, you can chill any unbaked dough and enjoy it by the spoonful for a sweet cookie dough treat.)
• Bake the cookies for 10 to 14 minutes, or until just beginning to turn golden brown on the bottoms (these cookies don't spread a ton during baking, so rely on time and color rather than overall look/shape). TIP: If your oven bakes unevenly between racks, rotate the pans at the halfway point.
• Allow the cookies to cool completely on the pan before moving or enjoying. (If you attempt to move them before they're completely cool, they'll crumble or break apart.)
• Store the cookies at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 5 days or refrigerate for up to 2 weeks (or freeze for up to 1 month). I prefer them chilled, so I store them in the refrigerator.

Notes

*No nuts? No Problem. To make these cookies nut-free, substitute sunflower butter for the peanut butter and nut-free plant-based milk for the almond milk (e.g., soy milk, rice milk, oat milk).

**I purchased these* vegan candy coated chocolates from Amazon.