Name: The BEST No Bake Cookies
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 1 min
Total time: 26 min
Ingredients: 1/2 cup salted butter (1 stick); 2 cups white granulated sugar; 1/2 cup milk (2%, whole or skim); 4 Tablespoons cocoa; 1/3 cup peanut butter (Creamy is my favorite and JIF or Skippy are preferred over generic. It makes a difference!); 3 cups oats (quick or old-fashioned); 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)

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4.75 from 36 votes

The BEST No Bake Cookies Recipe with Chocolate, Oatmeal, and Peanut Butter: The classic recipe that uses milk, butter, sugar, cocoa, peanut butter, and oats! Plus, the pro-tips that will help you make sure they turn out every time!

Chocolate no bake cookies?
Chocolate peanut butter no bake cookies?
No bake chocolate oatmeal cookies?
No bake oatmeal cookies?

I’m not sure what you may call them… because I’ve heard them called all SORTS of different names, but we talk about them so much that we’ve just shortened it to “no bakes” around here.

If you love easy cookies, you’ll also love these Monster cookies , these Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies, the No Bake S’mores Cheesecake Recipe, our Gluten Free, Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies, and these Chocolate and Peanut Butter Energy Bites – No Bake!

Peanut butter and chocolate also pair well in a Lazy Cake – no bake is the ultimate in “lazy cooking.”

Why You’ll Love this Recipe

I’ve hesitated sharing this recipe for no bake cookies, because I felt like EVERYONE must already have a recipe and know what no bake cookies are. Right?! Wrong.

Or at least they’ve been made by others but so many have had trouble with other recipes hardening and turning out. But this recipe never fails me, and you’ll see why in the PRO TIPS below!

How to Make No Bake Cookies

They’re really easy, and the PERFECT recipe for someone just starting out in the kitchen. (I actually think this was the very first cookie recipe I tackled as a little girl too! It’s kind of neat actually to be sharing this with you today since I had NO idea back then that this blogging “thing” would even exist, where I share my favorite recipes.)

Using everyday ingredients, that you probably already have on hand, you’ll cook them on the stovetop and they’ll air-dry on the counter. No baking required!

The full, printable recipe card is at the bottom of this post.

Step 1: Butter, Sugar, Milk, Cocoa

Combine the following ingredients in a saucepan on the stovetop. (Not turning the burner on just yet.)

Vanilla Extract: I don’t like adding vanilla extract to no bakes but if you prefer it, you can add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract at the same time you add the milk.

TIP: This is a GREAT time to place a piece of aluminum foil out on the countertop, so it is ready for you when the cookies are ready to scoop out.

Butter – You’ll be using a stick of butter, which is a half of a cup. Don’t worry about it being softened, cold right out of the refrigerator will work just fine. I also prefer to use salted butter, but unsalted works just fine too! I’ve also used margarine and it works as well.
Sugar – 2 cups of white granulated sugar
Milk – I usually use 2%, but have used whole and skim before as well, so using whatever you have on hand should work just fine! New tip: I’ve been out of milk before and have used caramel-flavored almond milk coffee creamer, and it worked too! Plus, it added a touch of caramel flavor it was delicious!
Cocoa – 4 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa

Stick of butter in white saucepan. — 1 stick of butter

Sugar and butter in white saucepan. — 2 cups of sugar

Milk added to sugar and butter in white saucepan — ½ cup of milk

Cocoa powder added to white sauce pan with other ingredients. — 4 Tablespoons of Cocoa

Step 2: Mix & Boil

Turn the burner on to medium-high heat, and begin stirring so the butter will melt.

Step 3: Boil for 1 Minute

Once the butter has melted, stop stirring to allow the mixture to come to a boil.

PRO TIP: Once all of the chocolate mixture starts boiling, (not just a bubble here and there — wait until it all starts boiling, and if the boiling starts in the middle, wait until it reaches the sides) begin timing the boil, stir slowly and constantly, and let it boil for 1 minute.

Remove from heat.

Ingredients melting in white saucepan. — Melt & Boil

Step 4: Add in Peanut Butter

Once the saucepan has been moved away from the heat, add, and stir in the peanut butter until completely mixed in.

PRO TIP: The brand of peanut butter matters! I used generic peanut butter for years but using creamy, Jif or Skippy, are now my favorites to use and it makes such a difference!

⅓ cup peanut butter in chocolate mixture in saucepan. — ⅓ cup peanut butter

Step 5: Add the Oats

Pour in 3 cups of oats and stir until combined.

Tip: I’ve found “quick oats” are better than old-fashioned oats for no bake cookies but old-fashioned oats will work.

3 cups of oats added to saucepan. — 3 cups oats

Step 6: Quickly Spoon Out Cookies

This is where you’ll want to be quick and spoon out cookies with a tablespoon, on to a sheet of aluminum foil.

Oats mixed in to the chocolate mixture in saucepan. — Mix in oats

Leaving them in the hot pan will allow the cookies to continue to cook and harden, resulting in a very crumbly cookie.

Cookies spooned out on to aluminum foil to set. — Spoon on to foil

Step 7: Rest for 20 minutes

Let the cookies rest for at least 20 minutes to harden.

To see if the cookies have set, you should be able to pick up the cookies with your hand.

Storage

Once hardened and cooled, store in an air-tight container and enjoy within a couple of days as they can tend to dry out.

If you’ve fallen in love with these no bake cookies, then I know you’re also going to love this 3-ingredient peanut butter fudge, this chocolate peanut butter bars too and these chewy oatmeal raisin cookies! They’re also a favorite in our house! Or, give these cake mix peanut butter cookies a whirl, too!

Recipe

The BEST No Bake Cookies

Jessica Burgess

No Bake Cookies Recipe with Chocolate Oatmeal and Peanut Butter: The classic recipe that uses milk, butter, sugar, cocoa, peanut butter and oats!

4.75 from 36 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 1

Resting Time 20

Total Time 26

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 16 cookies

Calories 245 kcal

Video

Ingredients

▢ ½ cup salted butter 1 stick
▢ 2 cups white granulated sugar
▢ ½ cup milk 2%, whole or skim
▢ 4 Tablespoons cocoa
▢ ⅓ cup peanut butter Creamy is my favorite and JIF or Skippy are preferred over generic. It makes a difference!
▢ 3 cups oats quick or old-fashioned
▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract optional

Instructions

Place a piece of aluminum foil, approximately a foot long, out on the counter. You'll be scooping out the cookies on to this to let dry once they're finished cooking.
In a large sauce pan place ½ cup salted butter, 2 cups white granulated sugar½ cup milkand 4 Tablespoons cocoaand turn burner on to medium-high heat.
Some prefer adding vanilla extract to this recipe, however I don't like them with vanilla. If would like vanilla, add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract at the same time as the milk.
Stirring to combine, cook until butter has melted.
Next, and PRO TIP: Once all of the chocolate mixture starts boiling, (not just a bubble here and there — wait until it all starts boiling) begin timing the boil, stir slowly and constantly, and let it boil for 1 minute.
After one minute of boiling, remove from heat
Mix in ⅓ cup peanut butter and stir until combined
Add in 3 cups oats and stir until evenly mixed
QUICKLY, using a spoon, scoop out a tablespoon of cookie mixture on to your prepared aluminum foil, making approximately 16-20 cookies.
Let cookies sit for about 20 minutes or until the cookies have hardened and you can pick them up off of the aluminum foil.

Notes

TIP: Spread out a piece of aluminum foil on to the counter before you start making the cookies so it will be ready and you can quickly spoon out the cookies.

Nutrition

Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more.

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Comments

4.75 from 36 votes (29 ratings without comment)

The BEST No Bake Cookies Recipe

Why You’ll Love this Recipe