An autumn twist on monster cookies, in a cute miniature size. These pumpkin mini monster cookies have a lovely soft, chewy texture and lot of flavors going on! This is where pumpkin and pumpkin spice meet up with peanut butter, oats, chocolate chips, crunchy chopped peanuts and colorful candies. They’re seriously like a party in your mouth. And thanks to the pumpkin, oats, whole grains and peanut butter, they are healthier than your typical cookie. Just shy of 100 calories apiece, they aren’t going to ruin your waistline either.
I couldn’t help but go all punny on the title of this post! I have pumpkin on hand and it’s been a dreary chilly weekend. So I thought I’d cheer it up with a little cookie baking. You know, in preparation for the upcoming holiday. So I decided to make a fall version of my Healthier Mini Monster Cookies. All I did was swap out the zucchini for pumpkin. Plus I added more goodies. Because who doesn’t love more chocolate and peanuts in their monster cookies?
I absolutely adore this autumn twist on monster cookies. Although I have to tell you if you use peanut flour (like PB2 or PBFit), the peanut butter flavor does overpower the pumpkin. As a peanut butter fiend, I’m quite okay with the serious peanut buttery-ness. But if you want to let the pumpkin shine more, use flaxmeal in place of the peanut flour and add a bit more pumpkin spice. Of course pumpkin spice chips also add to the festive fall flavors.
These cookies freeze well
And since they freeze well, that makes them perfect make-ahead treats for the holidays! In fact, I might venture to say that I like them better frozen. Okay, that’s not QUITE true. Fresh out of the oven is best. You know, when the chocolate chips are all nice and melty. But they’re really pretty awesome frozen as well.
To freeze the cookies, set them back on the baking sheet and put the baking sheet in the freezer for an hour or two. Once they’re frozen, move them to a ziploc bag. Or better yet, a reusable silicon bag!
What if there are nut allergies?
If there are nut allergies in the house, I’d recommend using sunflower seed butter in place of peanut butter and using pumpkin seeds in place of the peanuts. Of course, you’ll also want to nix the peanut flour too. Use flaxmeal instead.
Can I make Pumpkin Mini Monster Cookies gluten free?
I haven’t tried it, but I think you could. Simply use your favorite gluten free flour blend (or hey, oat flour!) in place of the whole wheat flour and make sure the rest of the ingredients you use are gluten free certified. The cookies might spread out more, though. Because there’s less gluten to hold their shape.
What if I don’t have oat bran?
If you don’t have oat bran on hand, feel free to use quick or old fashioned oats instead. The cookies will have less fiber, but they’ll still taste great.
Pumpkin Mini Monster Cookies
- Prep Time: 15 – 30 min
- Cook Time: 30 min
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: About 40 cookies 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 7 Tablespoons (100g) grass-fed butter, softened
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1/3 cup peanut butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3.5 oz. pumpkin puree (a bit more than 1/3 cup)
- 1 1/2 cups oat bran (or quick oats)
- 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
- 1/4 cup peanut flour (powdered peanut butter such as PB2) – or 1/4 cup flaxmeal
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (or more, to taste)
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips (I used a mix of Lily’s salted caramel chocolate and pumpkin spice chips)
- 1/2 cup chopped roasted peanuts
- About 1/2 cup M&Ms (choose your favorite!) or Reese’s Pieces
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F (180C) and line a cookie sheet with silicon baking mat or spray with cooking spray.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and brown sugar together until fluffy. Stir in the egg, peanut butter, vanilla and pumpkin until well mixed, then add the oats, flours, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice and salt and stir until combined. If the dough feels really wet and sticky, add a couple more Tablespoons flour or PB2.
- Now mix in the peanuts and chocolate chips. Form the dough into balls about 1 inch in diameter and set them on the baking sheet, flattening slightly with your hand. Press 2 – 5 candies into the top of each cookie.
- Bake for 15 – 18 minutes or until the edges are golden brown. Let the cookies rest for a few minutes on the cookie sheet, then move to a wire rack. Enjoy!
Notes
Feel free to play around with the flavor of the M&Ms! I’ve used peanut butter M&Ms, salted pretzel M&Ms and English Toffee Peanut M&Ms and they’re all wonderful.
RECIPE SOURCE: Sumptuous Spoonfuls – https://www.sumptuousspoonfuls.com/ … © Copyright 2022, Sumptuous Spoonfuls. All images & content are copyright protected. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If you want to publish any of my images, please ask first. If you want to republish this recipe as your own, please re-write the recipe in your own words or link back to this post for the recipe.
Nutrition
- Calories: 95
- Carbohydrates: 10g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 3g
