This No-Bake Cookies recipe is a tried and true chocolate peanut butter no-bake cookies made with oats. Everything is done on the stove so you don’t need to turn on your oven for this dessert

no-bake cookies

 

NO-BAKE COOKIE RECIPE

These cookies can probably be traced back to Eve. My mom made these growing up and I always made them in college. There are many versions but this is my favorite.

John made me promise years ago that I would only make these once a year since he can’t help himself from eating the whole batch. I’m always surprised when I find people who have never heard of them.

If you’ve never heard of them, you are the LAST person to not have this easy recipe. No worries. Now you do! Made with super simple ingredients with great flavor.

In this last HOT month of summer I’ve had a lot of requests for No-Bake recipes so I added a label on the left for all of the recipes that don’t require you to turn your house into an oven. But between you and me, I’m not against using my oven even in these melting hot temperatures.

My husband keeps our house at Arctic cold temperatures so the only way I can get a little warmth in my bones without blatantly turning up the thermostat is to turn on the oven. Shhh…it’s a secret.

No-Bake Cookies

WHAT ARE THE INGREDIENTS IN NO-BAKE COOKIES?

  • Butter – it helps if your butter is room temperature.
  • Sugar
  • Milk – Almond milk can be substituted.
  • Cocoa
  • Oats – I like to use old-fashioned oats but quick oats can be used as well.
  • Peanut butter – not natural peanut butter but you can use peanut butter with nuts if you want. You could use a nut-free butter but I haven’t tested it with that version. You could use almond butter for nut allergies.
  • Vanilla

No-Bake Cookies

WHY ARE MY COOKIES CRUMBLY?

In this step the sugar mixture is boiled. The mixture should be brought to a boil over medium heat and then timed for one minute. It is important to follow the instructions carefully.

Two things to avoid:

  • If you don’t boil it long enough, the cookies will not set up.
  • If you boil it too long the cookies will be dry and crumbly.

No-Bake Cookies

Whisk in the oats, peanut butter, and the teaspoon vanilla extract after it’s removed from the heat.

oats in a bowl

You can use quick oats or old fashioned oats. I personally like the texture of old fashioned oats better.

no-bake cookies

Using a cookie scooper helps to make these all uniform in size. Make sure you have prepared baking sheets ready because the mixture will set up quickly.

CAN THESE BE FROZEN?

Yes, these can be frozen in a freezer bag or a freezer-safe container.

NO EGGS?

Yes. There are no eggs in this recipe. It is not a typo.

ARE THESE GLUTEN-FREE?

Yes. There’s no flour in this recipe. Just make sure you use gluten-free oats. Most are but some have additives.

OTHER COOKIE RECIPES:

no-bake cookies

No-Bake Cookies

4.58 from 7 votes
No-Bake Oatmeal Cookies are a tried and true chocolate peanut butter cookies made with oats. Everything is done on the stove so you don't need to turn on your oven. Such an easy dessert.
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 18 cookies

Ingredients

  • 3 cups old-fashioned oats, (quick-cooking oats can be used too but have a different texture)
  • 1 cup creamy peanut butter, (crunchy peanut butter can also be used)
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • pinch of salt
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1 3/4 cups white sugar
  • 1/2 cup whole milk
  • 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

Instructions
 

  • In a large bowl, add the oats, peanut butter, vanilla, and a pinch of salt. Set aside.
  • In a medium saucepan bring the butter, sugar, milk, and cocoa to a boil for one minute. To make sure cookies set up properly wait until mixture comes to a complete FULL rolling boil and then start the timer for one minute. For best results do not over boil the cookies or they will be dry. Remove from heat.
  • Very quickly add the cocoa mixture to the oat mixture. Stir well and drop spoonfuls of the chocolate mixture onto wax paper or parchment paper (it helps to use a cookie scoop). Let them set up and cool. Store in an airtight container.
Cuisine: American
Course: Dessert
no bake cookies