A recent attempt to capture the legendary taste of Gideon’s Bakehouse by recreating a PB Crunch copycat felt like an experiment in mad science—and now, I can’t bring myself to quit the laboratory. Today, my pursuit of the ultimate monster cookie drags me back into the moody shadows of the kitchen, prepared to bring new life into another copycat creation. Inspired by the chilling atmosphere of Darkmoor in Universal’s Dark Universe and the dark concoctions served at the Burning Blade Tavern, I’m delving into a recipe ominously named “Frankenstein Cookies.”
This monstrosity is based on a deliciously sinful Gideon’s Bakehouse copycat recipe originally shared by blogger Rebecca Johnston in October 2022. Like a manic re-creator borrowing the pieces of bodies under the cover of night, I couldn’t resist manipulating her glorious creation to incorporate ingredients my family had buried within the pantry. This post details my chilling experience forging minor modifications to Rebecca’s recipe, my painstaking labor, and the enormous, chaotic results of my creation. I’ll share whether this stitched-together beast of a cookie is truly worthy of the epitaph, or if it deserves to be banished from the kitchen forever.
The Ingredients of Madness
My alterations to Rebecca’s original design were mainly born of necessity (and perhaps a touch of megalomania), swapping out some inclusions to use what we had on hand—a true piecing-together of materials, much like a monster in the lab. Before we get into the gory details of my modifications and the final verdict on the finished “wretch,” you can find the original source of inspiration and instructions over at BestCookieRecipes.com.
MONSTROUS MODIFICATIONS included:
- Oreo Mashup: I replaced original Oreo cookies with an amazing 2025 mashup dubbed the Oreo Reese’s Cookie, which combines Oreo wafers with Reese’s peanut butter cream. I also tossed in some orange cream-stuffed, limited-edition Halloween Spooky Oreos for extra color and theme.
- Themed Candy: I substituted classic milk chocolate M&Ms with the orange & black Halloween Blend counterparts for seasonal flair.
- Size Control: I locked in at 4-ounce cookies, similar to Rebecca’s original, but a mere 50% the weight of Gideon’s truly monster-sized offerings.
Monstrous Results
Adapting Rebecca’s recipe was a fun kitchen adventure that tied together what I learned when recently creating a rendition of the PB Crunch Copycat (which I posted about previously) with themes fit for the fall.
Overall, these modified sons of Rebecca’s Frankenstein cookies came out great! Not Gideon’s Bakehouse good, of course, but wickedly delicious. The cookies struck the perfect balance: a good crisp bite on the outside while retaining the gooey consistency I was craving in the center.
Magically Epic Baker’s Tip: It’s a Chilling Secret
Having now produced two successful copycats in recent weeks, I’ve confirmed a crucial tip for all 4-ounce and larger cookies: chilling the dough is non-negotiable if you want them to hold their magnificent shape.
I baked my batch in two shifts in a convection oven. The first tray only had 20 minutes in the freezer beforehand; the result, though awesome, was that those cookies did not hold their height as well. They sort of decided to bleed out which meant they grew quite a bit bigger in diameter than I preferred. The second tray, which had roughly one entire hour in the freezer, came out much closer to the massive, vertical shape I was aiming for. I’ve updated my similar recipes and will be bringing this chilling rule into all future monster bakes and so should you!
Also, I loved Rebecca’s use of a bread flour combined with cake flour blend instead of the typical all-purpose with cake flour. That blend held up exceptionally well and was key to achieving the final size and structure I was going for.
Join the Madness!
Tell us what you think! Did you try Rebecca Johnston’s Frankenstein Cookie recipe, or any other massive copycat? If so, what was the result? Was it devilishly good? Monstrously amazing? We want to hear all about it.
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