These cookies remind me of my early childhood. My mom and I would make them for my teachers as Christmas gifts and on summer nights when grilling outside. They are, in my opinion as well as my mother’s, the best cookies to exist on this planet. I know, I know… that’s saying a lot and might be a little dramatic. But once you taste the chocolatey, fudgy, peanut buttery goodness with the texture of the oats, you’ll thank me!

No-bake cookies are my absolute favorite type of cookie. The chocolate and peanut butter go perfectly together with the subtle texture of the oats and let me just say, they are to die for! Before diving into the recipe, I must mention that these can be a little tricky to get perfectly on the first try. You have to work fast and efficiently. These cookies don’t require the oven, hence “no-bake” cookies. The ingredients are all blended together in a big pot on the stove, which is quite different from what most are used to. Like most cookies, these make the perfect gift for family, friends, and especially teachers. 

When I first attempted this recipe a few months ago, I didn’t realize that I had to work fast when transporting the hot cookie batter to the baking sheet. (They set/harden very quickly). I was reading a recipe from my grandmother, and she never mentioned it in the notes. When my mom got home, she found me sitting at the kitchen island in utter confusion and staring at the pot of hardened chocolate, peanut butter, and oats. She explained the process so that on try number two, I got it! Continue reading to find out how you can make your own no-bake cookies. 

What to Know:

➩ Ready in roughly 33 minutes.

➩ 29 servings

➩ Prep time: 5 minutes

➩ Cook time: 8 minutes

➩: Resting: 20 minutes

Ingredients: 

❋ ½ cups salted butter

❋ 1 ¾ cups granulated sugar

❋ ⅓ cups unsweetened cocoa powder

❋ ½ cup milk

❋ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

❋ ⅔ cup creamy peanut butter (Use crunchy if you want an extra crunch)

❋ 3 cups quick oats

Tips for No Bake Cookies:

These tips are from both me and other baking blogs I’ve found.
❋ Make sure the mixture is boiling completely and rather violently, and not just simmering on the sides, before counting down the 60 seconds for transferring the mixture off the heat. 

❋ Use quick oats instead of old-fashioned oats. I have personally used both and the difference is slight but noticeable. Old-fashioned oats tend to make the cookies less tender. 

❋ Creamy peanut butter or crunchy peanut butter? Personally, I don’t like crunchy peanut butter. In fact, I think it’s one of the grossest foods ever. Because of this, I use creamy peanut butter, but if you want to add an extra crunch to your cookie, then go ahead and use the crunchy. 

❋ NEVER use margarine! Use real butter. When baking I always use unsalted butter. Unsalted butter is basically butter in its “purest” form because it contains no added salt and is known to taste fresher. Margarine has a bad flavor and will not make the cookies reach their fullest potential of “deliciousness”. 

❋ If you don’t have parchment paper, you could use cupcake liners instead. This will help keep the cookies in all similar sizes. I’ve personally never used cupcake liners before when making these cookies. 

❋ Believe it or not, maple syrup is my go-to replacement for vanilla extract. Almond extract could be used too, but be warned that it will be more potent than vanilla, so use it sparingly.

Instructions

Scroll through photos to see instructions