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.
Tina
Can I use almond milk?
Heather
Amazing easy recipe. Just made for my first time and my 4 year old granddaughter even helped. She had a blast! Thanks so much for an easy recipe!
Sam
So happy to hear you both enjoyed! Thanks for commenting, Heather!
Lola
Dont no what I did wrong but mine will not harden. But the batter taste great!
Sam
There are a couple of things that can make them not set up. There could be too much humidity in the air or they may need to be boiled just a little bit longer. Hope that helps. ☺️
Candy
Can I use sugar substitute in place of real sugar? I am diabetic and have to carb count so using sugar substitute will certainly cut back on the carbs plus will there be any problem with it setting up using sugar substitute because sometimes there is ?
Thanks for the whatever info you can give me !!!
Sam
I have not tried this myself, but I believe other people have with success. If you try it, let me know how it turns out for you. ☺️
Christy Gearhart
I don’t measure the peanut butter and sometimes I leave out the chocolate for just peanut butter cookies. I also never heard of brown sugar.
Lilly alfonso
Can I use almond milk or soy milk instead of whole milk in this recipe? Also can I add raisins to this?
Karen
We always add raisins and use chunky peanut butter!
Deanna Dewine
I have made these without peanut butter and put in few mini mars mallows and raisins
Rex Anthony
I grew up on these except my family added shredded coconut in with it
Dottie Clancy
how much coconut per batch?
Thanks
Dottie
Jack
I just made these for the first time and they taste great, but, they aren’t setting up very good. I’m not sure why? I sit the timer for one minute on medium heat as soon as they started to boil so not sure what I did wrong
Sam
They may have needed just a little bit more time, especially if there was higher humidity in the area. ☺️
Debbra
Would it still work if you use spenda (sugar substitute), and spends Brown sugar? They are supposed to be the same as the real products.
Sam
I have not tried it, so I don’t know for sure. If you do try it, let me know how it turns out.
Marcy
If you make them often enough, you’ll get to where you can tell about the texture, but I kinda’ wing it with mine and sometimes they’re a bit less firm than I like and sometimes, a bit crumbly. Once you get used to them, you can see that the mixture might be a bit runny and all you have to do is add more oats (be careful… you can overcompensate and end up with too crumbly) and that will fix it. Since I make them so often, I’ve played with sugar adjustments because I eat so many of them that I feel like cutting back on the sugar is better, for ME anyway. Don’t give up; no matter HOW they turn out, they’re gonna’ get eaten!
Rob
Use a candy thermometer and heat to 240F(soft ball) or drop a little into a glass of water, if it solidifies it is ready.
Jamie
I heard a couple years ago that you couldn’t make these while it was raining or snowing, because they won’t set all the way. And I, so far have found it to be true. Anyone else hear of this? It might have been your problem.
Sam
Hi Jamie. Yes too much humidity in the air will create problems for these cookies.
June
Thanks for posting this. These are great cookies. My mother used to make these back in the 50s and 60s.
Sam
Glad you enjoyed, June! 🙂 Thanks for commenting!
Sue Lemasters
Got the recipient from my grandmother, who was a cookie baker. She called them lazy man cookies.
BettyAnn Reed
I have made these for years but have never had a recipe that used brown sugar. I love the extra flavor the brown sugar gives these. In the past I my no bake cookies seemed to develop a rubbery kind of texture. These do not do that. Love it. Thanks for your great recipes.
Sam
Thank you so much BettyAnn! I am so glad you enjoy them! ☺️
Mary Fillinger
Mine doesn’t call for brown sugar either! They are same otherwise. Going to try with the brown sugar
Angela
Can u make no bake cookies without coca and replacing with semi sweet chips or milk chocolate chips I know alot of recipes have altered though the years to accommodate our what we have on hand already in the home if anyone has a recipe for no bake cookies using chips please help
Sam
I think it would work but I would need to test it to find proper proportions. If you do try it and it turns out, please let me know how it went. ☺️
Fay
I use chips in mine all the time they are great
Julie
Thank you for this recipe. I made it and it was easy and the family loved them. I ran out of peanut butter so I used some hazelnut but spread thank you again!!!😏
Sam
I am so glad everyone enjoyed them, Julie! ☺️
Kayla
I substituted the peanut butter & used Nutella instead. It came out delicious!
Sam
So glad to hear you enjoyed!! Thanks for commenting, Kayla!
Marie
Hello!
I am just wondering, my grandmother used to make cookies like this all the time since the 70’s. The ingredients are the same, I believe, and I think she called them Rocky Robins. My dad has loved these since forever, and I was wondering if anyone knew if this is the same recipe. Thanks y’all!☺
Jeanette
Was wondering if anyone ever added coconut (sweetened or not) to these. We always called them haystacks here in beautiful Saskatchewan 🤙😄🇨🇦
Sam
I have heard people using coconut in these cookies. I definitely think it will turn out for you. ☺️