Gluten-Free Monster Cookies

These gluten-free monster cookies are delicious, chunky, and loaded with the good stuff. Chocolate chips, chopped pecans, raisins, coconut, oats, peanut butter, and even chocolate chip cookies inside the cookies.

They're chewy in the middle, crispy on the edges (if you bake them an extra five minutes), and they happen to be both — gluten and dairy-free. So more people at your table get to eat them.

I made a batch of 10 big ones, and honestly, they didn't last long. If you've got kids, picky eaters, or a friend with dietary restrictions who never gets the good stuff at parties, this recipe is for you.

What You'll Need

I've broken the ingredients into dry and wet, the way I actually use them when I'm baking. Saves time later.

Dry ingredients:

• ⅓ cup raisins (chop them if they're on the bigger side)
• ½ cup chopped pecans
• 1 cup dairy-free chocolate chips
• 1 dairy-free chopped dark chocolate bar (70%)
• 1 pack of dairy and gluten-free chocolate chip cookies (chop half, save the rest for topping)
• 1 pack of Choco No-No's
• ½ cup desiccated coconut
• 2 cups gluten-free oats
• 2 cups almond flour

Wet ingredients:

• ⅓ cup coconut oil
• ⅔ cup creamy peanut butter
• 2 pouches of homemade applesauce (store-bought works fine too)
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• ⅓ cup coconut sugar (brown sugar works as well)
• 1 teaspoon pink Himalayan salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1½ teaspoon vanilla powder

I know it’s a very long list, but hang tight, it's gonna be worth it.

How to Make Gluten-Free Monster Cookies

Preheat and Prep

Preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C). Line two baking trays with parchment paper and set them aside. Doing this first means you won't be scrambling for parchment with sticky dough hands later.

Chop, Chop, Chop

Grab your raisins and pecans and give them a rough chop. Same treatment for the dark chocolate bar and half of those chocolate chip cookies. Bite-sized pieces are what we’re going for. Not too small, not too big.

Gather Everything

Measure out the rest of your dry and wet ingredients and have them ready on a plate or in bowls. Baking goes 10x easier when everything's prepped before you start mixing.

Mix the Dough

Combine all the dry ingredients first and give them a good mix. Then pour in the wet ingredients and fold everything together gently until a cookie dough forms. Don't overmix. Stop the moment it forms a dough.

Scoop and Flatten

Use an ice cream scoop to portion the dough onto your baking trays. One thing to know: these cookies don't spread much on their own. So gently flatten each scoop with your hand or a fork before baking.

Now the toppings. Press your Choco No-No's and the remaining chocolate chips into the top of each one. This is what gives them that classic monster cookie look.

Bake

Put them into the preheated oven. Bake for 20 minutes if you like them softer, or 25 minutes if you like them extra crisp. Make sure not to overbake it. Two minutes too long and they're dry.

Cool

Right out of the oven, give the pan a little tap on the counter and let the cookies sit on the sheet for 10 minutes. They'll firm up as they cool.

Then transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely. Or eat one warm, it’s up to you.

And there you go. Your delicious gluten-free monster cookies are ready.

More Gluten-Free Recipes for You:

• Better-Than-Newk’s Chicken Salad
• Gluten-Free Blueberry Pan Cakes
• Gluten-Free Christmas Cookies

FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

What if I don't want to use peanut butter?

You can skip it. Just double the applesauce and cut back on the sugar a bit. The texture will be a little different but still delicious.

What kind of peanut butter works best?

Regular Jif Creamy Peanut Butter is the one I use. If you love some crunch, crunchy peanut butter is great too. Just avoid the super raw, oily kinds. They'll make your dough greasy and weird.

How do I make sure my chocolate is actually gluten-free or dairy-free?

You can check the pack. It should say dairy-free or gluten-free. Also make sure it's not made on shared equipment with wheat. For this recipe, I used Choco No-No's. They're gluten- and dairy-free.

Can I make the dough ahead of time?

Yep. This dough is made for meal prep. Just wrap it tight and you can keep it in the fridge for up to 4 days, or freeze it for up to 6 months.

Quick tip: Scoop the dough into balls before freezing. That way you can grab a few frozen dough balls anytime, let them sit on the counter for about 30 minutes while the oven preheats, then bake fresh.

How should I store the baked cookies?

You can keep them in an airtight container at room temperature for around 3 to 4 days.