No bake cookies are an old-fashioned and ever-popular candy/cookie hybrid. They come together in about 15 minutes without even turning on the oven. Recipe includes a how-to video tutorial.
Peanut Butter & Chocolate No-Bake Cookies
No bake cookies are quite possibly the easiest cookie you’ll ever make, and one of the first dessert recipes I ever mastered. They’re irresistible and nearly on-par with rice krispie treats in terms of ease. I think you’ll love them just as much as I do!
What’s To Love:
- Hundreds of five star reviews ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. Since I first shared this recipe over 5 years ago, it’s garnered hundreds of rave reviews and a dedicated following, with people calling them “perfect”, “easy”, and giving them “two thumbs up”.
- Basic ingredients, but not boring. Ready in minutes and calling for just basic pantry staples, you might not expect much. But the end result is anything but basic, with a rich, fudge-like texture, peanut butter/chocolate flavor, and undertones of vanilla. They can hold their own against even the best chocolate chip cookie recipe.
- Versatile. The peanut butter or cocoa can be omitted (though I don’t recommend it unless you’re in a bind or have an allergy!), the oats are adjustable, and the recipe works with both traditional and natural or homemade peanut butter.
- A helpful recipe. Because it is prepared like a candy, the recipe, while easy, can still go awry if you don’t know what to watch out for. My recipe and tutorial include lots of helpful tips to make sure they set up firmly/properly without being dry or crumbly.
What You Need
These cookies are so simple that I bet you already have all the ingredients to make them! Here’s what you need (and what you don’t!):
- Butter. While I generally reach for unsalted butter, when it comes to no bake cookies I usually just reach for the salted. If you don’t have any on hand, just add a pinch (¼ teaspoon) of salt when you are melting the butter.
- Milk. I recommend whole milk and this is all I ever personally use, but a number of commenters have reported that 2%, almond, and even evaporated milk have all worked too. Gotta love a versatile recipe!
- Sugar. Here’s one of the things that really sets my version apart from most. After years of using only granulated sugar, I switched to using a blend of granulated and brown sugar. And I’ve never looked back. It adds a special touch and depth of flavor that you just can’t get with granulated.
- Peanut butter: Since publishing this recipe, I’ve tested it with both store-bought, natural, and even homemade peanut butter and all work well (just stir the natural peanut butter well before using). Some people have substituted sun butter or even left out the peanut butter with no issue in texture.
- Cocoa powder. My preference is natural unsweetened cocoa powder for the best and most traditional flavor. If you only have Dutch process, that would work, but the flavor will be different.
- Oats. My preference is to use instant or quick oats, because they yield a chewier, more compact cookie; however, you could use the same amount of old fashioned or rolled oats if that’s what you have on hand.
Possibly worth noting: these no bake cookies are both egg-free and flour-free!
This is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!
How to Make No Bake Cookies
No-bakes are quite different from other cookies, and if we’re getting technical, they’re actually more similar to a candy (think peanut butter fudge) than a cookie. Because of this, they can sometimes be a little tricky to make, especially in humid environments. Keep this in mind and aim to make them on a cool, dry day for best results.
- Step 1: Combine the cocoa, milk, butter and sugar and heat until the butter is melted and everything is nice and smooth, then bring everything to a boil and boil for 1 minute (if it’s raining/bad weather, I usually boil a bit longer). Very important: The sugar needs time to slowly dissolve, so don’t crank up the heat to melt the butter or your no bake cookies won’t set up properly and will be no-bake puddles.
- Step 2: Remove the pot from heat and stir in the peanut butter and vanilla, and stir until the peanut butter is uniformly combined into the mixture.
- Step 3: Add the oats and quickly stir until they’re completely coated with the chocolate mixture.
- Step 4: Drop by spoonfuls (I use a 1.5 Tbsp cookie scoop) onto a wax or parchment lined baking sheet. Let them cool until firm (usually 15-30 minutes) before removing and enjoying.
SAM’S TIP: I recommend using a timer when you reach the boiling step. If you don’t boil the mixture long enough, your cookies may not set properly. On the other hand, if you boil it for too long, your cookies will be dry and crumbly. Using a timer for one minute avoids these issues and sets you up for beautiful, perfectly textured cookies!
Frequently Asked Questions
If you rushed through melting the butter and sugar in the beginning, kept your heat too high, or you boiled for too long, the cookies will be dry, crumbly, and likely won’t spread much or at all when you scoop them. Be patient while cooking, keep the heat on low/medium, and boil for only one minute (use a timer!). If you are in a particularly dry and arid environment, you may want to check the cookies 10 seconds sooner.
Most likely you simply didn’t boil your mixture long enough, which can leave the cookies looking like puddles (so always use a timer!). However, the weather can also be a factor. If it’s a humid or rainy day, sometimes the cookies need a bit more time. Always use a timer, and if you’re battling wet weather I recommend you boil them for a bit longer (roughly another 20-30 seconds or so). Once you’ve made these enough you’ll get a knack for it and intuitively know how long to cook them!
Not to brag, but my no bake cookies have quite the reputation. They’re a family and party favorite, have been a popular recipe on my site for years and they’ve repeatedly gone viral on Facebook and other social media, collecting millions of views 🫢. The secret? Pretty sure it’s in the brown sugar. The added depth of flavor makes the texture smoother and the flavor richer, deeper, and just gives it that extra special touch.
Yes! Just stir them in at the end when you add the oats. Don’t add too much (no more than a cup of add-ins), or you could risk making your cookies dry.
Yes! Place them in a single layer on a cookie sheet or plate and let them firm up in the fridge for a few hours. Once they’re firm, you can transfer them to a freezer bag and freeze.
More Easy Recipes to Try
A lot of people told me in the comments that they had all kinds of fun, unique names for these cookies growing up, I’d love to know what you call them! Enjoy!
Let’s bake together! I’ll be walking you through all the steps in my written recipe and video below! If you try this recipe, be sure to tag me on Instagram, and you can also find me on YouTube and Facebook
No Bake Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup (113 g) salted butter cut into Tablespoon-sized pieces
- ½ cup (120 ml) whole milk¹
- 1 cup (200 g) light brown sugar, firmly packed
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (25 g) cocoa powder
- ⅔ cup (165 g) creamy peanut butter²
- 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups (285 g) instant/quick oats³
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
- Prepare two cookie sheets by lining with wax paper and set aside.
- Combine butter, milk, sugars, and cocoa powder in a medium-sized saucepan over low heat. Don't bump up the heat to speed up the process or you run the risk of your ingredients not combining properly and your cookies not setting properly.½ cup (113 g) salted butter, ½ cup (120 ml) whole milk¹, 1 cup (200 g) light brown sugar, firmly packed, 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar, ¼ cup (25 g) cocoa powder
- Stir ingredients frequently until butter is completely melted (I recommend using a long wooden spoon as a metal spoon can become really hot).
- Increase heat to medium and, stirring constantly, bring to a boil.
- Boil, still stirring constantly, for 1 minute (I recommend using a timer, see post for more details on why it’s important to not over or under-boil) then remove from heat. Continue to stir the mixture for several seconds.
- Add peanut butter and vanilla extract, stirring until peanut butter is completely combined and melted into the mixture.⅔ cup (165 g) creamy peanut butter², 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Add oats and stir until coated in chocolate.3 cups (285 g) instant/quick oats³
- Drop no bake cookie mixture by approximately 1 ½-2 Tablespoon-sized spoonfuls onto prepared cookie sheet.
- Allow to cool (approximately 20-30 minutes) before serving, the cookies will harden as they cool.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
Deb Davis
BEST no-bake cookie recipe!
Sam
So glad to hear you enjoyed them, Deb! 🙂
Trinity C.
Okay LISTEN if you are going through every single no bake cookie recipe trying to figure out which one to pick (because they seem soo promising) ITS THIS ONE! I can’t even bake/cook that great and this is sooo quick and EASY to do! For me taste is everything and these DEFINENTLY hit the jack pot.
Sam
Ah that’s awesome, so glad you liked the recipe!! 🙂
Normande
Can you use vegan becel to replace the butter and soy milk thank you my grandson is vega
Sam
I’m sorry but I’m not familiar with these ingredients to answer that 🙁
Gia
Yes you can
Angela
Can you leave oyt the peanut butter
Sam
I have not so I can’t guarantee how they will turn out, but others have said they’ve left it out without problem!
Joe
Yes you can leave the peanut butter out or you can also leave the chocolate out. You will then have either chocolate or peanut butter cookies. I don’t care for chocolate so I leave it out for me. I have been known to have them all 3 ways in containers on the counter when the monsters show up.
Tamara Szarowski
What if I don’t like peanut butter? Will they turn out well if I don’t use peanut butter?
Ellen
Can u use Rice Krispies instead of oatmeal? My granddaughter won’t eat oatmeal.
Sam
I’ve never tried it this way but I have seen others comment that they have done so with success, so I think it would be fine! 🙂
Barbara
Can you leave out the peanut butter.
Sam
I haven’t but I know that others have, I would browse through the comments to see the substitutions others have made to make these without peanut butter
Joe
What your grand daughter don’t know won’t hurt her. You don’t taste the oatmeal anyway. At least not like you do in a bowl of it for breakfast. Tell her it’s some other kind of grain. That’s not lying either. It’s the right of every grandparent. I’m 71 and have been doing it for a lot of years. The youngins still don’t know that grandpa is so sneaky. I learned how to make these when I was a teenager in the 60’s. My Aunt made them on a coal cook stove. You can also make them with out the chocolate and have peanut butter cookies or leave it out the peanut butter and have chocolate cookies. Everything else is the same. The timing on the boiling has to be dead on. I had several messes when I first started making them. Not enough time and you can eat them with a spoon and if you really go over they are great in a bowl with a spoon. I prefer holding them in one hand and a glass of milk in the other hand.
Cheryl
Thank you for your comment! My mom never put peanut butter in her’s. Every recipe I’ve ever seen was WITH peanut butter….I really don’t like peanut butter.
Carol
that’s great to know. I don’t like peanut butter either. I always thought that by adding the pb, it hardens. Great to know I don’t have to use it. I do like coconut–I’m using it next time
Sandie
My grandson is allergic to peanut butter peanuts in general so I’m going to try making a batch with almond butter
Sam
I’d love to know how it turns out with almond butter, I’d like to try that for myself, too! Hope you and your grandson enjoy the recipe, Sandie!! 🙂
Vicki
She probably wouldn’t know it was oats if you didn’t tell her. There is a difference between that and actual oatmeal. Rice krispies doesn’t substitute well with this recipe. I tried it ☺
Linda
Due to nut allergies, can I leave out the peanut butter and just replace peanut butter amount with more oats?
VICKI ANDERSON
how much milk should I use?
Sam
Hi Vicki, 1/2 cup milk, as listed in the recipe 🙂
Julie
Should this peanut butter be unsweetened or sweetened?
Sam
Unsweetened/standard creamy peanut butter 🙂
Cheryl
Using crunchy peanut butter is really good too!!!
Megan
I put bananna inside of the mixture and it came out great!!! YUM!
Sam
That sounds delicious!
Angela
Can you use soy or almond milk?
Sam
I personally have not tried this so I can’t say for sure, but I have heard that others have substituted almond/soy milk with success!
Amina
These sound like my kind of cookie…easy and quick! I have been following your blog for some time but this is my first comment! Stop by my blog as well, I’m just starting out so any support would be great!
Joanne
This has been a long favorite recipe of mine, too. Years ago, I swapped out some of the oats for shredded coconut, which went well with my family.
Geeta
I love this recipe because it is very quick and easy to make I don’t eat eggs so it is perfect for my family please share more eggless recipes thanks