This Peanut Butter Chocolate No-Bake Cookie recipe has been a staple in my household since a friend shared the recipe with me over a decade ago. These are easy no-bake cookies made with no flour and no eggs and they can be ready in under 30 minutes!
Peanut Butter & Chocolate No-Bake Cookies
These Peanut Butter/Chocolate No Bake Cookies are one of the easiest cookies I’ve ever made. Made without flour and without eggs, they’re a bit different from so many of my other cookie recipes, and taste something like a hybrid between cookie and candy.
A friend shared this no bake cookies recipe with me years ago when I was a kid wanting to bake cookies but without so much as a half cup of flour in the house. I’ve held on to the recipe it ever since and have made it probably hundreds of times.
The scrap of paper that the recipe was scrawled on has since been rendered completely illegible by hundreds of chocolate thumbprints, but over the years I’ve committed it to memory (and made quite a few tweaks because as you know I can’t help myself).
What You Need:
- Oats. I recommend quick oats for this recipe. Quick oats give (in my opinion) a nicer, chewier, less-coarse texture and I prefer them (same reason I prefer them in my Oatmeal Cookies!).
- Peanut Butter. Crunchy or creamy will work, but I don’t recommend using a natural peanut butter (the kind where the oil separates and it needs to be stirred).
- Sugar. I use a blend of white granulated and light brown sugar. I love making no-bake cookies with brown sugar, it adds extra flavor and sets them apart from any other no-bake I’ve tried. Consider it your secret ingredient.
- Milk. I recommend using whole milk and this is all I’ve ever used. Some readers have reported success using 2% milk, skim milk, and almond milk, though!
- Butter. I use salted for this recipe. If you only have unsalted you can add ¼ teaspoon of salt in with the butter
- Cocoa Powder.
- Vanilla Extract.
I get a lot of requests for flourless or egg-free cookies and this is one that’s incidentally egg free and flour free without sacrificing anything in terms of flavor!
How to Make No-Bake Cookies
This section is intended to supply you with a visual (though you can also check out the video in the post). All of the measurements and details you need are in the recipe below, but here I”m going through the steps as they correspond to my photo collage above:
- Combine butter milk, sugars, and cocoa powder and stir well.
- Stir over low heat until butter is completely melted.
- Once butter is melted, increase heat to medium (do not crank up the heat to speed up the process!) and bring the mixture to a boil while stirring constantly. Boil (still stirring) for one minute and then remove from heat.
- Add peanut butter and vanilla extract and stir until completely combined.
- Add oats and stir until they are all completely coated in chocolate.
- Drop by heaping tablespoon onto a parchment paper or wax paper lined baking sheet. Allow to cool completely before enjoying.
The one minute of boiling is critical. If you don’t boil for one minute, your cookies may not ever set up and you’ll have gooey peanut butter/chocolate puddles instead of firm peanut butter chocolate no-bakes. If you boil for too long, the cookies are liable to end up dry and crumbly. I highly recommend using a timer!
FAQs
Do No Bake Cookies Need to be Refrigerated?
No, they do not need to be refrigerated. No Bake Cookies should be stored in an airtight container and will last about a week at room temperature. If you prefer to refrigerate them you can (still in an airtight container) and they will last longer, but refrigeration is not necessary.
Can You Use Old Fashioned Oats Instead of Instant Oats?
Yes. I prefer to use quick oats because I like the texture best, but you can substitute old fashioned oats, and you would use the same amount of oats as is called for in the recipe.
Can I Leave Out the Cocoa Powder?
Yes, the cocoa powder can be left out (without any substitution) and the cookies will be fine. Of course, they will not have the chocolate taste though (I shouldn’t have to say this, right?).
Can I Leave Out the Peanut Butter?
Yes, the peanut butter can be left out and the cookies will still turn out.
Why are My Cookies Dry and Crumbly or Why Did my No-Bake Cookies Not Set Up?
If your cookies turned out dry and or crumbly, then most likely they boiled for too long or the heat was too high while they were cooking.
If your no-bake cookies did not firm up, most likely they did not boil for long enough. These cookies are more of a cookie/candy hybrid than a true cookie, and as with some of my candy recipes (like my peanut brittle) the humidity can also affect how the cookies turn out. If you try to make these on a humid day you will probably need to boil them for a bit longer.
Enjoy!
More Peanut Butter/Chocolate Recipes You Might Like:
No Bake Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup salted butter cut into Tablespoon-sized pieces (113g)
- ½ cup whole milk¹ (120ml)
- 1 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed (200g)
- 1 cup granulated sugar (200g)
- ¼ cup cocoa powder (25g)
- ⅔ cup creamy peanut butter² (165g)
- 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups instant/quick oats³ (285g
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.
- 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.
- Add oats and stir until coated in chocolate.
- 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.
Originally published 03/16/2018 I’ve added additional tips, tricks, photos, and notes 11/1/2019. The recipe remains the same (just with more helpful hints)!
Jackie
These are so yummy…I followed your recipe to a “T”. So good. Please keep posting your recipes. I can’t wait to make the cheesecake next weekend. So many yummy recipes on here. Thank you 🙂
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed them so much, Jackie! 🙂
Katie
These no bakes are amazing!! They remind me of the ones my Nana and Mom used to make and it’s exactly what I wanted! Great recipe and love how detailed you are in your recipes….thank you!!
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed them so much, Katie! 🙂
karina
I have’t made these cookies yet because all I have is natural unsweetened cocoa powder. Is there a way I could switch out the cocoa powder for natural unsweetened cocoa powder? if so, would I have to add more sugar?
Sam
Hi Karina! Your cocoa powder should work just fine here. 🙂
Christina
Hello,
I have been searching the internet for a recipe my mother made for us kids in the 60’s. Unfortunately, she has passed, so I’m on my own. They were pinwheel, refrigerator, no bake cookies. I think they were vanilla and chocolate but I know she kept them wrapped in a towel with powdered sugar on the outside. She would pull the roll out and slice us a cookie that was to die for. The main flavor I remember was the powdered sugar and I’m not even sure they were two flavors, just that they were rolled and then sliced. I was very young, so I’m trying my best to remember them. Any ideas?????
Sam
Hmmm I’m wondering if this potato candy is what you are looking for. I am not quite sure but this is probably the closest thing I have. 🙂
Lori
Could it have been a pumpkin roll?
Shirley Cantley
Can I add chopped nuts to these?
Sam
Hi Shirley! That sounds good to me. You will want to stir them in at the end. 🙂
RIMA SHARMA
Hi,
I tried these cookies , they taste yum but it did not hardened after cooling of, can you suggest something to fix this
thnk you
Sam
Hi Rima! I’m so sorry this happened. This can happen if it is too humid where you are of if the cookies didn’t get boiled quite long enough. 🙂
Meg sawchuk
Can you freeze them
Sam
Hi Meg! They should freeze just fine. 🙂
Shirley
Hi Sam,
Can you interchange the peanut butter and cookie butter between your two no bake oatmeal recipes. I wanted to make both and I like the chocolate but not the peanut butter and my husband is the opposite he likes the peanut butter but not the chocolate. I am not sure how I even married a man who doesn’t like chocolate ; ) but that just means more for me.
Sam
Hi Shirley! Yes you can! You can make the recipe with the cocoa powder as written, though sometimes I cut the sugar a bit (1/4-1/3 cup) to accommodate for the extra sweetness in the cookie butter, or you can make my no bake cookie butter cookies, which do not use the cocoa powder at all. I hope that helps, and enjoy the extra chocolate in your life, sometimes I wish I didn’t have to share mine with my husband! 😂😉
Tessa
SO good! I have made no bake cookies before and they have never turned out as good as these turned out! Super easy to understand the instructions! I loved all the flavors! Thank you for posting!
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed them so much, Tessa! 🙂
Lara
Best no-bake cookie recipe ever!!!! So easy and so so good too!!! I make these for parties, get- togethers and everything thing in between! Thank you for such detailed instructions!! Love, love, love this recipe!
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed them so much, Lara! 🙂
Joyce
I have tried No Bake Cookies in the past and they never turned out right. I have made these cookies twice now and they come out perfect every time. Thank you for this recipe. There are very delicious.
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed them so much, Joyce! 🙂
Denise O
My daughter and niece wanted to make no bake cookies and came upon your website. The instructions were easy for them to understand And follow and the cookies came out great. Thank you!
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed the cookies, Denise! 🙂
Melody ( Mel)
I tried this recipe this morning. They turned out great and were Delicious. I am looking at more of your recipes to try. All I can say is ur Awesome. Have a Great Day.
Sam
Thank you so much, Mel! I am so glad you enjoyed the cookies! 🙂
Jen
They came out tasting like my Great Grandmother’s! Fantastic recipe!
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed them so much, Jen! 🙂
Denise
Great recipe. I made a couple of changes first I used 1/2 of the sugar and used coconut instead of some of the oats
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed the cookies, Denise! 🙂