Pumpkin Pudding Monster Cookies

Pretty please don’t tell the monster cookie police, but this isn’t a “true” monster cookie.

Unless you count throwing some pumpkin pudding mix and a bunch of candy into a cookie, then it’s all monster, all the time, baby.

Sometimes, as a food blogger, I feel the need to come up with creative food names for my treats. I have it in my head that the more complicated the name, somehow, the better the treat sounds.

I also have a similar problem shopping: the more expensive an item is, the better it must be, right? (Here’s looking at you, Betsey Johnson. Your stuff is drool-worthy but also a tearjerker for my wallet).

But ohmahgravy, when it comes to food names, I like ’em crazy and embellished. Like my outfits.

Hence the name ‘monster’ cookies. So they aren’t traditional monster cookies. Sue me. But they’re chocolate-y, pumpkin-y, peanut butter-y, chewy, crunchy, and totally perfect-y. So whether or not you’re a true monster cookie snot, you should probably make them.

It’ll change yo life and stuff.

Pumpkin Pudding Monster Cookies *basic pudding cookie recipe adapted from Two Peas and Their Pod 

1 cup butter, room temperature
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1 (3.4 oz) pkg pumpkin spice pudding mix
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 & 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
About a cup each chopped Reese’s PB cups, miniature M&M’s, candy corn (white chocolate) M&M’s, or really any freakin’ candy you want

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line two muffin tins with silicone liners or spray lightly with cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl, beat together the butter + sugars until creamy. Add in the pudding mix (just the powdered mix), eggs, and vanilla until incorporated. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt + pumpkin pie spice; gradually add this mixture to the wet mixture until thoroughly combined. Stir the candies in by hand.
3. Drop by rounded Tablespoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheets, about 2″ apart. Bake for approx. 10-12 minutes, rotating pans halfway through bake time, until lightly golden and centers are just about set.
4. Cool about 5-10 minutes on the pans before carefully transferring to racks to cool completely. Store airtight, at room temperature, for a couple days.

If you’ve never tried pudding cookies, you absolutely must. The pudding mix adds another layer of flavor as well as makes these cookies super moist and chewy–ideal for these densely-candy-stuffed, pumpkin-y concoctions. This would be a great recipe to bookmark for after-Halloween so you can use up some extra candy since I’m sure it’d work equally well with chopped candy bars (Twix, anyone??)

Have a fantastical day!

xo, Hayley