No Bake Cookies
Updated September 18, 2023
Quick Summary
These classic No Bake Cookies are jam-packed with chocolate, peanut butter, and oatmeal, and are surprisingly easy to make. You don’t even have to turn on the oven! They are a family favorite!
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Pin ItI love cookies. Who doesn’t? They are fun to make and eat, but sometimes I just need a super EASY cookie recipe. That is when I turn to my favorite No Bake Cookie recipe!
They have all the benefits of traditional cookies, but they’re quicker and easier … which means you can satisfy your cookie craving that much faster!
These aren’t raw cookies, as the dough gets cooked on the stovetop. That helps create a richer flavor, and a more authentic cookie texture, while still being a lot more convenient than using the oven.
The cookies are made with peanut butter, cocoa powder, vanilla, and oats, this no bake dessert recipe is full of all your favorite cookie flavors. You can’t go wrong with peanut butter and chocolate! Seriously, the BEST combo!
Table of Contents
Ingredients
I also love this cookie recipe because the ingredients are simple. You probably have the ingredients in your pantry and fridge right now.
Check out the recipe card at the bottom of the article to see the specific quantities for each ingredient.
- Unsalted butter– I like to use unsalted butter so I can control the amount of salt in the recipe.
- Granulated sugar
- Milk – You can use dairy-free milk if you prefer, just make sure that it’s unsweetened and unflavored.
- Cocoa powder – Make sure that this is unsweetened.
- Creamy peanut butter– I prefer creamy peanut butter, but crunchy will work too if you want a little crunch to your cookie.
- Vanilla extract – Be sure to only use 100% pure vanilla extract.
- Kosher salt
- Quick oats
Can You Use Old Fashioned Oats?
This recipe calls for quick oats, which barely take any time to cook. And because they’re smaller than traditional oats, they help hold the cookies together. If you substitute them with old fashioned oats, you’ll have raw oats in your no bake cookies, and that’s an unpleasant flavor and texture. However, you can pulse old fashioned oats in a food processor for a few seconds, and end up with something similar to quick oats.
How to Make No Bake Cookies
This recipe is a lot of fun to make, and it comes together very quickly. Here’s how to make the cookies.
- Prep. Line two baking sheets with silicone mats or parchment paper.
- Heat the mixture. Put the milk, butter, sugar, and cocoa powder in a saucepan on medium heat. Stir occasionally, and bring the mixture to a boil. Once it reaches a rolling boil, cook for 1 minute, then remove from the heat.
- Finish the dough. Stir in the peanut butter, vanilla extract, and salt, and mix until the cookie dough is smooth. Then stir in the oats.
- Make the cookies. Drop spoonfuls of cookie dough onto the prepared baking sheets. Let the cookies sit at room temperature until they firm up, which should take 20-30 minutes.
Tips for Success
Here are some ways to make sure that your no bake cookies are perfect.
- Set a timer. The minute of boiling the cookie dough is vital. To ensure that your cookies are a good texture, set a timer so that you boil the mixture for exactly 1 minute. If you boil it much longer than that, the cookies will be dry and crumbly. If you boil it for less than that, they’ll be wet and won’t set up correctly.
- Scoop the dough immediately. Once you’ve finished making the dough, it will begin to set up. Because of that, you have limited time to make the cookies. Make sure you have everything in place before you start cooking, so that you can scoop the cookies onto the prepared baking sheets as soon as the dough is finished.
- Use a scoop. If you have a cookie scoop, use it when scooping the cookies. That way your cookies will be nice circles, and they’ll all be a consistent size.
Variations
Here are a few changes and additions that you can make to these no bake cookies if you want to try something new.
- Use chunky butter. This recipe calls for creamy peanut butter, which makes for a smooth cookie. However, if you like some different textures in your cookies, chunky peanut butter is a good way to add some crunch.
- Try a different nut butter. Peanut butter is a pretty traditional cookie flavor, but you can also use other nut butters in this recipe. Swap out the peanut butter in favor of almond butter or cashew butter and you’ll have a very different – but equally tasty – no bake cookie.
- Add dried fruit. These cookies aren’t lacking for flavor, but you can dial it up a notch by adding some dried fruit when you add the oats. I think these cookies taste amazing with dried cherries.
- Sea Salt– sprinkle the cookies with a little flaky sea salt!
How to Store No Bake Cookies
These cookies will last for 3 days at room temperature, or for 7 days in the fridge. Just make sure that you store them in an airtight container or bag, and don’t leave them in direct sunlight.
Can This Recipe Be Frozen?
You can absolutely freeze these cookies. Store them in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 6 months. For best results, individually wrap them in plastic wrap to prevent freezer burn. Thaw in the fridge or at room temperature.
More Cookie Recipes
If you enjoyed eating these chewy no bake cookies, then check out some of my other favorite cookie recipes to try.
- Soft Peanut Butter Cookies
- Chocolate Lover’s Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies
- Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Monster Cookies
- Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
Find all of my cookie recipes HERE! There are LOTS to choose from!
No Bake Cookies
Equipment
- Saucepan (I recommend All Clad cookware!)
- Parchment Paper (I find that this brand doesn't burn)
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon pieces
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 cups quick oats
Instructions
- Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.
- Place the butter, granulated sugar, milk, and cocoa powder in a medium saucepan. Over medium heat, bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Once the mixture is at a rolling boil, boiling around the edges and in the middle, boil for one minute.
- Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the peanut butter, vanilla, and salt. Stir until peanut butter is melted and smooth. Stir in the oats.
- Drop spoonfuls of the mixture (about 2 tablespoons per cookie) onto the prepared baking sheets, and let sit at room temperature until cooled and hardened, about 20 to 30 minutes.
Notes
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?
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I put coconut and raisins in a batch! Yummo.
I followed the recipe exactly and mine turned out so dry that by the time I finished spooning them out on paper, they were nothing but crumbles To the trash this batch goes.
I am sorry you struggled with the recipe. It sounds like you overcooked the mixture, which made the cookies dry. Try cooking for a little less time. It could be a climate factor too.
Bring to boil and only let boil 1 minute – remove from heat add PB & vanilla stir y till melted then add oatmeal
This is my first time using your recipe- mine did not harden there still gooey. What did I do? Could I add some flour or something? And then bake them? Any suggestions
NOT A TOTAL FAIL 🙂 … I would not have trashed them it might be crumbles but they are yummy crumbles.. use them as a topping for your yogurt or spread them into a pie pan to use as a yummy crust for cheesecake or banana pudding 🙂 soooo…. good… as Bob Ross would say “Happy Accidents”
These cookies just weren’t enjoyable to me. Love so many other things from your site!
Simple and tasty!
When I was a child, we called these cookies ” Preacher cookies.” Still the same great cookie I recall from over 60 years ago! Taste great. Freeze great. I love them!
I’ve been making these cookies/candy by a recipe exactly like this for over 40 years. It’s the first thing I learned to cook from memory. May have been the first thing I ever cooked! If you follow this recipe exactly, and they don’t turn out right, it’s the humidity. They are one of the most sensetive cookies I’ve ever made. It’s not the recipe.
Thank you! They can be a little tricky sometimes!
They were delicious! I have also heard them called “cow patties “.
I have never made no bake cookies. Amazing as I have baked cookies all of my life. These were not only easy, but delicious. They set up nicely. I got 2 dozen plus 2 cookies. Thank you for a great recipe!
Great recipe! I added pb candies and the fam loves them!
I think I messed up and did one cup peanut butter
I always add about a cup of pb .. they never fail!
My picky granddaughter gives her thumbs up! The last few when scooping were a little crumbly but 99% set up easily. Maybe I didn’t mix it up enough or I’m slow at scooping lol. These were Super easy and fast to make. Taste great.
Can you use old fashioned oats?
Yes!
I always had trouble making these until I followed your directions exactly. These turned out amazing !!
Thank you!!
So happy you loved the cookies.
No
The method and result is great. Quick, and a nice form Cookie once it’s cooled. However I feel like they’re too sweet, without much of a peanut butter taste, for my preference.
No
These cookies are delicious! Not sure how someone said that they are dry, definitely must have boiled them too long. Very easy to make too. Thanks!
They are the best! Glad you like them too!
Does the type of peanut butter matter? Can you use natural peanut butter or need to use Skippy or Jif brands?
I usually use Skippy but if you want to use a natural peanut butter make sure you stir the peanut butter really well before using.
I always make mine with natural peanut butter and soy milk. They turn out perfectly!
Love this recipe! Can I freeze them?
Yes! You can freeze them after they set up and cool.
These turned out great! We haven’t made these in years! Merry Christmas!
A classic!
Can I do 1 cup of butter without doubling the recipe?
This is the exact same recipe as in my mothers cook book from over 40 years ago and it’s perfect!
I tried the dried fruit variation and I would do it all over again! so delicious and fun to make. Kids loved it.
Can I substitute 1 cup brown sugar to 2 cups granulated sugar?
Can you add flaxseed or chia seed or any extra little hidden healthy gems? When would you add that? Thanks.
Sure, you can try it! Add with the oats.
Works well with almond milk! All we had on hand today!
Thanks for sharing!
Hi
First of all Thank you for the recipe,
I followed your recipe and made it twice two different times!
Do you have a trick to have them come out to dry?? Mine did and broke apart
Don’t overcook the mixture!
I accidentally used regular oats and I can definitely see the difference between those and quick cook oats. The taste is fine, but the texture is not They are big and chewy. Not what I am used to! ♀️ So I will make another batch!
I did substitute butter with coconut oil and golden sugar, for white, granulated sugar. No different than the original, in my opinion.
Thank you for the recipe!
Have baked many cookies but had never made no bake cookies and these turned out I think pretty good. They set up and got hard like they should. Just not crazy about oats or oatmeal but these are pretty tasty. Would leave a picture but don’t see an option for that.
They are absolutely delicious! This is what my husband wanted instead of a birthday cake, so I obliged him with a double batch!
Such a good cookie!
Great!
took lot longer then 30 min to set up coloes to a hour but they did taest good
This is the best no bake cookie I have ever had . Yummy
So happy you loved them!
Do you have a recipe that includes graham crackers and marshmallows mixed into the chocolate mix?My mother used to make these and they were a wonderful variation of this recipe.
I don’t but that sounds good. I will have to try it.
Very good! Had to keep myself from eating every single one of them!!
Ha!
Proper weights needed in gm or oz – cups don’t exist in Europe & far too inaccurate anyhow (or conversion button)
So glad to have found this recipe. Begged my mother for years for my grandmother’s recipe for no bake cookies and she would never give it to me. I have been craving these so bad. Made a batch today and so excited to try them. Thank you for sharing.
They are a classic!
Hi Maria and Josh so nice to meet you my name is Irma . Just got done putting my cookies on the sheets. They look a little bit runny but I’m going to wait the whole 30 minutes before I try one they look awesome sprinkled with a little bit of sea salt the other I topped with a cashew.
Is it ok to use Dutch Process cocoa instead of regular cocoa?
Yes!
I have used this recipe more times than I can count we just love them . Thank you
They are a classic!
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