What if you could make the most delicious chocolate oatmeal cookies with a hint of peanut butter in just 45 minutes? This recipe for no bake cookies is exactly that!
They’re chewy-soft, chocolatey, and oh-so scrumptious. Best yet, they require only 9 ingredients that you probably already have in your kitchen, and they take only 25 minutes to make (plus a few minutes to cool). You really can’t go wrong with this no bake cookie recipe.
I love shortcut cookie recipes that don’t require the usual hours to make. So I’m adding these no bake cookies to the repertoire next to my Red Velvet Cookies that use cake mix to whip up, and my flourless Peanut Butter Cookies and Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies that both take less than 30 minutes from bowl to belly!
Why These No Bake Cookies Are the Best
- 45 minute recipe from start to finish
- Only 9 basic ingredients
- Egg free and flour free
- Great made ahead
- Customizable with toppings of choice!
Ingredients You’ll Need for This Recipe
- Quick oats – don’t use regular old-fashioned oats or instant oats! Quick-cooking oats are necessary for the cookies to bind and set correctly.
- Light brown sugar – light brown sugar creates moist, soft cookies with hints of molasses.
- Chocolate chips – chocolate chips partially melt into the cookie “dough”, creating a rich chocolate flavor and the perfect chewy-soft texture.
- Unsalted butter – butter adds rich flavor and moisture.
- Smooth peanut butter – peanut butter helps bind the cookies together, and of course, adds the best flavor! Use regular smooth peanut butter like Jif or Skippy, not natural peanut butter that separates.
- Milk – I use nonfat milk but whole milk or 2% also works! Milk helps protect the cookies from being dry and crumbly.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder – we’re making chocolate no-bake cookies here!
- Vanilla extract – vanilla seems to make all sweets taste better.
- Salt – salt enhances flavor.
- Toppings of choice (optional) – while you don’t need to add any toppings, I love adding a sprinkle of flake salt, or press in some sweetened coconut flakes or extra chocolate chips. Nuts would be a great option too! More topping ideas are listed in the FAQs below.
How to Make No Bake Cookies
It is SO easy to make no bake cookies! Here is an outline of the steps. For the full recipe, see the recipe card below.
Step 1: Line a large baking sheet with parchment.
Step 2: In a medium pot, melt the butter over medium heat.
Step 3: Once melted, add the brown sugar, milk, and cocoa powder and stir.
Step 4: Over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, bring the mixture to a boil. Once a boil is reached, let mixture boil for that 1 minute without stirring.
Step 5: Remove from heat, and stir in peanut butter, vanilla, and salt immediately.
Step 6: Then add the oats, 1 cup at a time and mix.
Step 7: Stir in the chocolate chips.
Step 8: Make ¼ cup-sized cookies on the parchment paper. Flatten the cookies if preferred.
Step 9: Add toppings if desired. Let cookies stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before enjoying.
Recipe Video
Frequently Asked Questions
Try topping cookies with flake salt, sweetened coconut flakes, mini chocolate chips, crushed nuts, Candied Pecans, sprinkles, a Peanut Butter, crushed Oreos, pretzels, or candy canes. Press the toppings into the cookies a bit so they don’t slip off!
If your cookies are too gooey, you probably didn’t cook the mixture long enough. Make sure to bring the chocolate mixture to a rolling boil before starting your 1-minute timer!
If your cookies are crumbly, you probably overcooked the chocolate mixture. Try adding a tablespoon or two of milk to course correct.
I don’t recommend using regular oats or instant oats. Quick oats are the way to go!
Store no-bake cookies at room temperature for 5-7 days.
Yes! Freeze them between wax paper layers to prevent sticking, for up to 3 months.
My Pro Tip
Tips for No Bake Cookies
Avoid overcooking or undercooking the base. Cook the base for exactly 1 minute at a rolling boil, and then add the other ingredients right away.
Measure ingredients before beginning the recipe. This is crucial to stop the cooking process of the chocolate mixture.
Don’t use natural peanut butter. Use regular smooth peanut butter that doesn’t separate.
Shape the cookies when they’re warm. Once they cool, they’ll become too crumbly to work with.
More Cookie Recipes You’ll Love!
If you’ve tried this No Bake Cookies Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please let me know in the comments below. I love hearing from you. Please consider leaving a 🌟 star rating while you are here!
Best No Bake Cookies
Ingredients
- 3 cups quick-cooking oats, not regular old-fashioned or instant
- 1 ½ cups light brown sugar, packed
- 1 cup chocolate chips, bittersweet or semisweet
- ½ cup unsalted butter, 1 stick
- ½ cup smooth peanut butter
- ⅓ cup milk, can be nonfat or whole
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- Toppings of choice (optional), like flake salt, coconut, nuts, or more chocolate chips
Instructions
- Measure all ingredients ahead of time. Line a large baking sheet with parchment.
- In a medium pot, melt the butter over medium heat.
- Once melted, add the brown sugar, milk, and cocoa powder. Stir until smooth and well-combined.
- Over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, bring the mixture to a boil. Once a boil is reached, set a timer for exactly 1 minute. Without stirring, let mixture boil for that 1 minute.
- Remove from heat immediately, and stir in peanut butter, vanilla, and salt right away.
- Then add the oats, 1 cup at a time. Mix until combined.
- Finally, stir in the chocolate chips. They will mostly melt into the mixture.
- Make ¼ cup-sized cookies on the parchment paper, at least an inch apart. Flatten the cookies slightly if preferred, with the back of a spoon. If they crumbly slightly, push together the stray pieces.
- Add toppings if desired, by pushing the toppings slightly into each cookie. Let cookies stand at room temperature for 30 minutes or pop them in the fridge for 20 minutes before enjoying!
Video
Notes
- Measure ingredients before beginning the recipe. This is crucial especially for step #5 when you need to add the PB, vanilla, and salt right away to stop the cooking process of the chocolate mixture.
- Don’t use natural peanut butter that separates! Use regular smooth peanut butter like Jif or Skippy.
- The chocolate chips are necessary and will mostly melt into the cookie, adding chocolatey richness and helping to hold the cookies together. If you want more distinct chocolate chips in your cookies, I recommend pushing a few into the tops of the cookies once they’re formed in addition to the ones mixed into the “dough”.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I was so excited to try these no-bake cookies because I have no time to bake and this recipe was so easy. These cookies are fabulous, and I was proud to bring them to a gathering of friends.
This is awesome news! Thanks for sharing your review.
Grace
I was extremely skeptical that no bake cookies would be worth making (or eating). But I was astonished how delicious these cookies are. Chewy and full of chocolate peanut butter flavor, you won’t believe how good these are!
So easy and so good!
I was actually skeptical too but I’m so glad you love them as much as I do! Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!
Grace
These are ridiculously good! So soft and chewy and filled with chocolate. My whole family flipped over them! Thanks.
Aren’t they?! So glad you agree 🙂
Grace