A fall twist on a classic cookie bar: almond butter, maple syrup, molasses, pumpkin spice, pepitas, chocolate, and oats combine for gooey, chewy autumn monster cookie bars.
Cookie time!
These autumn monster cookie bars are loaded with almond butter, maple syrup, chocolate, molasses, pepitas and oats for a hearty, satisfying treat perfect for the season. One square is filling and rich — pair it with coffee for a cozy snack.
This bar version is inspired by the autumn monster cookie recipe from The Pretty Dish, with a few changes to keep things simple and kid-friendly. The bars streamline the process and are easy to slice and serve.
I usually avoid nuts in classic cookies, but the pepitas work here — they’re slim, crunchy, and add a nice contrast to the chewy texture created by the oats. I kept the flavors fall-forward with pumpkin spice, molasses and maple syrup.
Making these as bars is practical, especially with kids. If you like dense, chewy desserts, you’ll appreciate the texture here — soft and gooey in the center, toasty at the edges.
The chew from oats is the highlight: chewy, gooey, crunchy and chocolatey — everything you want in a dessert. Monster cookies are flexible, so swap or add ingredients you enjoy. I prefer almond butter for a more autumnal flavor, but peanut butter works if you prefer it.
Swap cinnamon for pumpkin spice if you like. Add dried fruit or nuts for extra texture, or colorful fall candies for a festive touch.
Happy fall!
Autumn Monster Cookie Bars
Autumn Monster Cookie Bars
12
to 16 squares
20 mins
25 mins
1 hr
1 hr 45 mins
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup almond butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons molasses
- 1 large egg
- 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1 cup mini M&M’s
- 1 cup chocolate chips
- 2/3 cup roasted, salted pepitas
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F. Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray.
- In a bowl, whisk together the flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda and salt.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, almond butter and brown sugar on medium-high for about 5 minutes, until fluffy. Add the maple syrup and molasses and mix to combine.
- Add the egg and vanilla and beat until combined, scraping the bowl as needed. With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture in two batches, mixing until just combined.
- Fold in the oats, mini M&M’s, chocolate chips and pepitas until evenly distributed.
- Press the mixture into the prepared 9×13-inch pan. Bake 20–25 minutes, until the center is set and the edges are golden.
- Let cool completely, then slice into squares and serve.
Did you make this recipe?
Share your photo and tag the recipe source on social media — we’d love to see how your bars turned out.
These are a dream.