White Chocolate Peanut Butter Monster Cookie Bark
Toasted oats mix beautifully with white chocolate and peanut butter, all topped with mini chocolate chips and mini M&M’s, creating creating a delicious bark candy with all the tastes and textures of a monster cookie! This is the perfect last-minute treat that requires no ovens and minimal effort!
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I feel like I’ve bemoaned my life as a teacher quite a bit here. Being a teacher is weird. You know you’re doing something worthwhile and live for those moments where you connect with students and where they finally get the material. But you’re constantly wondering if those wonderful moments and a summer break that’s half recovering from the long year and half half prepping for the next one are all really worth the low pay, difficult interactions, and cramming 52 weeks worth of full time work into less than 10 months.
It’s exhausting.
And this year is no exception. Trying to pretend everything is normal when it very clearly isn’t. Trying to make fully in-person instruction work while Delta rages. Trying to navigate classroom management when teachers and students alike are rusty with handling a full classroom and full lesson plans.
It’s exhausting.
And even if you can’t relate to my school experience, I think we can all agree that we can’t just suddenly be normal again, because the situation isn’t normal yet and there’s no such thing as a normal switch you can just flip and suddenly slip out of all the changes the last year and a half have brought.
Which has nothing to do with candy, other than the fact that I made this the first week of school and since my husband won’t eat peanut butter, I’ve been enjoying a piece or five each day since and it’s been bringing me more joy than should be normal.
It’s that good. It’s got that crunch from the M&M’s and toasted oats along with a perfect sweet/nutty balance from the base. Plus it has chocolate chips, which are always a good idea.
Try it and let me know what you think!
What I love about this recipe
It’s so easy! Seriously, it took me almost no time at all to pull together. And it’s pretty foolproof. It also keeps for quite a while in the fridge, which is great for helping them stay nice and crispy. Plus, you get all of the amazing flavors of a monster cookie without having to actually bake cookies.
In this hot late summer weather where the forecast somehow keeps creeping back into the triple digits, I'm a fan of anything simple and delicious that doesn’t require an oven!
Ingredients in monster cookie bark
White chocolate. This replaces the whole cookie part here. Be sure to use a high quality brand, ideally one for baking (look for a recipe on the bag that involves melting the white chocolate).
Toasted oats. Toasting the oats keeps them from turning mushy and makes the flavor pop for that classic monster cookie taste.
Peanut butter. Obviously, this is key. Not just for flavor, but it helps the white chocolate melt without seizing.
Mini chocolate chips. Crucial for that stuffed-to-the-brim monster cookie taste and texture.
Mini M&M’s. These provide the biggest crunch to the bark! Using mini prevents overwhelming the base or having them fall right off when you break it up.
How to make monster cookie bark
1. Toast the oats. Watch carefully so they don’t burn.
2. Melt the white chocolate and peanut butter. I prefer a (makeshift) double boiler for this so I can taste as I go and also ensure the white chocolate doesn’t seize from over-heating.
3. Stir in the oats and quickly spread on parchment.
4. Top with mini chocolate chips and mini M&M’s. Press them in a little so they’re nice and glued down.
Tips, notes, and FAQ’s for this recipe
Can I make it vegan?
Yes! There’s debate over whether or not vegan white chocolate can still be called “white chocolate”, but there are vegan options out there. Depending on the brand, you may need to adjust the cooking time or temperature so it doesn’t seize, but it should work just fine. And as long as you have vegan chocolate chips and candy coated chocolate, you can make the whole thing vegan!
Can I melt it in the microwave?
Yes and no. White chocolate is notorious for seizing when it melts. I like being able to control white chocolate (or anything I’m melting) on the stove. As long as you are stirring frequently and remove the bowl from the heat before the chocolate is fully melted, it should work out far better than using a microwave.
What if I don’t have a rimmed baking sheet?
You can use a 9x13 pan (although the parchment might fit in it awkwardly) or even just a plain cookie sheet. If you don’t use something with a rimmed edge, be careful when you spread the melted white chocolate, as it could spread too thin and no longer support the candy on top. Marking out a 9x13 rectangle (on the under side, so the pen doesn’t transfer to the chocolate) can help keep things even.
Can I use different toppings?
Yes! I chose chocolate chips and M&M’s because they’re classic monster cookie add-ins. However, you could add pretzel pieces or nuts or even peanut butter chips. Just try to use small/mini toppings or they may not stick to the bark and will fall off when you break it up or during storage.
My bark making tools
Here are my must-have tools I use for making bark candy. Affiliate links provided.
White Chocolate Peanut Butter Monster Cookie Bark
- prep time: 5-10 minutes
- chill time: 1 hour
- total time: 1 hour, 10 minutes
servings: 16-24
Ingredients:
- 12 ounces (340g) high quality white chocolate
- ⅓ cup (30g) old fashioned rolled oats
- ⅓ cup (93g) creamy, salted peanut butter
- ⅓ cup (58g) mini chocolate chips
- ⅓ cup (58g) mini M&M’s
Instructions:
- First, toast your oats. Preheat the oven to 350F/175C. Spread the oats on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 5-10 minutes, until dark golden brown (a little lighter than the color of raw almonds). Check early and toss halfway, as they can burn quickly. Once golden with a toasty smell, remove from oven and set aside to cool.
- Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper that drapes over the sides. If you don’t have a rimmed baking sheet, use an extra large piece of parchment or line a 9x13 pan with parchment instead. Set aside.
- In a medium to large heatproof bowl, combine the white chocolate and peanut butter. Fill a medium saucepan (large and deep enough for the bowl to sit over it) with 1-2” water. Be sure the bowl can’t touch the water. Bring the water to a boil then turn down to low. Place the bowl with the white chocolate over it. Stir frequently, until the white chocolate is about 75% melted. Taste as you go, adding a little more peanut butter, if desired. Avoid adding more than 2 more tablespoons, as it will create a softer bark that may not hold its shape.
- Once the white chocolate is about 75% melted, remove from heat and stir vigorously until fully melted and smooth. If needed, return to heat for about 30 seconds to melt it a little more.
- Once the white chocolate is fully melted and smooth, quickly stir in the oats then spread the mixture evenly on your prepared pan/parchment. If using a non-rimmed baking sheet, just be sure it doesn’t spill off the edges.
- Sprinkle the mini chocolate chips and mini M&M’s evenly over the bark. Gently press them in with your palm to ensure they won’t fall off once it’s set.
- Refrigerate the bark for at least 1 hour, or until set. You can also freeze it for about 30 minutes, but keep an eye on it to ensure it doesn’t freeze too much.
- Once set, break the bark into pieces. I suggest doing this on the parchment (it should pull away easily once set) so you can catch any tiny pieces that break away and save them for ice cream toppers. :)
Enjoy!
Store bark in an airtight container. If using natural peanut butter, it should be refrigerated. If your home is on the warm side, it may be wise to keep it refrigerated regardless, as it may turn soft and lose that bark “crisp” in warm or humid climates.
