Melt in Your Mouth Gluten-Free Monster Cookies [+Video]

Indulge in these delicious monster cookies that are not only gluten-free, but also loaded with oats, chocolate chips, M&M’s, and peanut butter. They are so chewy they practically melt in your mouth!

I’ve been on the hunt for a bomb monster cookie recipe and then I found one and adapted it very slightly and doubled it. It is from What Molly Made because literally no flourless peanut butter monster cookie recipe compares to hers.

Monster cookies are like an oatmeal cookie, m&m cookie, chocolate chip cookie and peanut butter cookie all smashed together in one. They are perfection! They are the best monster cookies!

What are Monster Cookies?

There are a few different stories out there for how this cookie got its name, but my favorite is that it’s a little bit of everything just like Frankenstein. A monster! These cookies can also be know as kitchen sink cookies because they have everything but the kitchen sink in them. They are super adaptable to whatever mix-ins you and your family love.

Ingredients for Monster Cookies

You won’t find any flour or dairy products (substitute the m&m’s) in this cookie recipe! This is for you, my gluten-free and dairy-free friends! Here is what you need:

• Eggs: give structure and rise to the cookies
• Peanut Butter: I prefer creamy, processed (not natural) peanut butter like Skippy or Jif.
• Brown Sugar: adds rich flavor and sweetness
• Sugar: more sweetness
• Vanilla Extract: enhances flavor
• Oats: old fashioned rolled oats adds so much texture and make sure they are certified gluten-free oats
• Baking Soda: gives rise and fluffiness
• Salt: enhances flavors and balances the sweetness
• Mini M&M’s (or milk chocolate chips): can use regular size too or holiday themed
  • NOTE: To make this recipe dairy-free, you’ll need to use a dairy-free candy or omit the m&m’s completely. Same story for the chocolate chips.
• Mini Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips: regular sized may be used
• Raisins: totally optional for those raisin haters out there

Keep scrolling to the recipe card down below for measurements for all the ingredients.

How to Make Gluten-Free Monster Cookies

Monster gluten-free cookies are so

Easy Baked Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs

Save this recipe for easy baked boneless skinless chicken thighs for a quick chicken dinner recipe ready in just 30 minutes!

This easy chicken thighs recipe is for those busy evenings when dinner would just be far too much work and the whole family is pacing the kitchen for food.

Chicken thighs are affordable, full of flavor, foolproof, and always end up juicy! And this recipe is so versatile, it can be served with just about anything! We will give you some suggestions down below.

Easy Dinners

I remember as a kid my mom would occasionally bust out a very easy dinner, which looking back now I know that meant she was probably exhausted from being our mom, but back then I thought she was just being awesome. Easy dinners would range from sausage links and Grandma’s Czech fried potatoes (you MUST make them), or baked bbq chicken to things as easy as hot dogs and mac n cheese in that big silver pot, chicken nuggets or even fruit and toast. Yes, this easy baked chicken thighs post is actually going to be all about the fruit and toast thing.

You see, fruit and toast was actually a favorite Saturday night dinner at our house growing up. Our family had 5 kids, 2 bunnies, a cat, and later a dog. Which is hilarious if you know me now. Anyway, Mom would be so busy and by the time Saturday hit dinner was the last thing she wanted to worry about.

All summer she had worked hard to bottle (can) fruit for us and we loved busting out a can of raspberries and some hot, buttered toast. Now that I’m the mom I’ve tried to do the same, but Cade will not have it. “Fruit and a piece of toast is not dinner. I’ll be starving!” has been heard coming from Cade’s mouth. He would much rather go out to eat, but I grew up in a home where we NEVER went out to eat. Or at least rarely. So I would rather stay in.

I’ve given up on fruit and toast but I still keep things simple like baking a few chicken thighs and serving them with a side of fruit or fresh cut veggies, which Cade does because heaven knows that’s just far too much work for a Saturday. Am I right?

Ingredients for Baked Chicken Thighs

• Chicken Thighs: boneless, skinless
• Olive Oil: helps stick the dry rub to the chicken and keeps the chicken from sticking to the pan
• Dry Rub: Kosher Salt, Smoked Paprika, Ground Mustard, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Ground Cumin, Italian Seasoning
• Red Onion: adds a little pop of flavor and texture

The measurements for all the ingredients can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.

Are Chicken Thighs Considered Lean Meat?

Some people prefer the taste of dark meat over white meat and consider it to be more tender and flavorful. They are considered to be a good source of lean protein.

Grilled Avocado Tacos Recipe

This easy avocado tacos recipe is made with creamy grilled avocados, a little bit of queso fresco, pickled onions and a tangy lime crema. You’re going to love them!

Grilled Avocado tacos, an absolute must this summer! They may not look like much, but trust me before you know it you’ll be shoveling your 5th taco in your mouth.

Recommended Equipment

• Wusthof Knives
• Tongs
• Pastry Brush

Before You Begin…

I like to make the crema before I start doing anything with the avocados or the grill. The flavors meld together if you let it set for a few minutes so the flavor is more bold and fabulous. Our favorite brand of crema is Cacique!

How This Recipe Came to Be

I once had a roommate who made avocado tacos. At first appearance it seemed almost too easy to me, but then she let me try one. And try it I did, over and over, and over again. They were delicious, light, easy and surprisingly flavorful. And then I got married, moved out and totally forgot about them for a few years.

And then enters my darling friend, Lisa. Lisa is a vegetarian and although I’m all about the meat I find myself frustrated for her when people or restaurants don’t have options for vegetarians. I actually think there is no excuse for a restaurant to not have at least a couple of vegetarian options unless it’s something like a place that specializes in just meat, like J Dawgs.

I’m constantly trying my hand at vegetarian recipes ever since meeting Lisa, kind of like this Roasted Red Pepper Pasta, and then one day I remembered the avocado tacos. I’m not saying that these are the most over the top, crazy delicious dinner recipe you could make, but they really are super delicious, and perfect for both vegetarian and meat eaters at get-togethers or BBQ’s.

In fact, we eat them all the time, and if it’s lunch and we don’t want to heat up the grill we just cook the tortillas and skip grilling the avocados. It’s still delicious, I promise. And because Lisa started this new search in us, we’ve actually found that we prefer to not eat meat every single night. Our bodies seem to respond better to meat sparingly. Go figure. But I will say, meat and protein in the form of meat is still essential for us. And Lisa doesn’t mind.

Ingredients for Grilled Avocado Tacos

For the Tacos

• Corn Tortillas: We have become obsessed with this Vista Hermosa brand of corn tortillas. They have such great flavor and hold up well.
• Avocado: You want a ripe but firm avocado that can hold up to the grilling.
• Salt and Pepper: Adds flavor to the avocado as i

Copycat PF Changs Chicken Lettuce Wraps

There are dozens of copycat PF Chang’s lettuce wrap recipes out there, and these are the authentic chicken lettuce wraps you have been looking for! Don’t skip the crunchy rice noodles!

Years ago we used to love getting the lettuce wraps at PF Chang’s and set out to make a copycat recipe. It was full of delicious Asian components like hoisin sauce, oyster sauce, mushrooms and water chestnuts, etc. They were absolutely delicious, but totally not a copycat recipe. The more we’ve tried them and researched the more we discovered that PF Chang’s claims only a few ingredients and no veggies at all. So, we stripped the recipe down and went for a simply delicious, far more authentic copycat.

Ingredients for Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps

I used to be so intimidated when it came to Asian recipes because the ingredients list can be so long and slightly overwhelming, not to mention hard to find and items you only use once in a blue moon.  Well, this is NOT a recipe like that! Here is what you will need:

• Rice Noodles – don’t skip these! They are quick and easy to fry up and add a fabulous crunch to the wraps that you don’t want to miss!
• Oil – vegetable oil or canola oil works great
• Ground Chicken – see section below for possible substitutes, but you can keep these lettuce wraps super healthy by using lean ground chicken
• Vegetable and Sesame Oils – the combination of the two oils gives the perfect flavor, that sesame oil is critical in Asian cuisine
• Garlic – adds flavor
• Green Onions – adds flavor
• Soy Sauce – I prefer to use low sodium so I can better control the salt in the recipe.
• Fresh Ginger – you can used dried ginger if you have to, but I strongly suggest to use fresh ginger. See section below for how to peel and grate ginger.
• Iceberg or Butter Leaf Lettuce – these lettuce leaves hold up well for wraps and stay crispy and fresh without breaking

The measurements for all the ingredients can be found in the recipe card at the end of the post.

Substitutes for Ground Chicken

We’ve found that it’s far easier and faster to use ground chicken because you can use your meat chopper and leave it in minced sized pieces versus the hassle of chopping up chicken thighs. However, that being said, chicken thighs do offer more flavor so it’s up to you. You could also chop up chicken breasts into little bits before cooking or use ground beef or pork as substitutes as well.

What Lettuce is Best for Wraps?

You really want cold crisp lettuce that is hearty and will hold up well wrapped around the yummy filling. We’ve found that iceberg or butter leaf lettuce work best. You would also use romaine hearts though they can be hard to wrap around the filling since they tend to be long and thin.

How to Peel Fresh Ginger

If you aren’t used to using fresh ginger, you might be confused when it comes to peeling it. You can peel ginger one of two ways. First, yo