This classic No Bake Cookies recipe is a nostalgic childhood favorite! Made with peanut butter, chocolate, and oats, these chewy cookies come together in just a few minutes, no oven required. They’re a quick and easy treat for any time of year!
Everyone has childhood memories of classic no bake cookies, right?? This is recipe I can remember making as a kid. In fact, I think it was one of the first recipes I ever learned to make! Many years later and I still love the delicious combination of fudgy chocolate, creamy peanut butter, and soft oats.
Yup, still a kid at a heart.
One of the best parts about this recipe is how easy they are. You can have a batch made and cooling in about 15 minutes flat. Plus, no need to turn on the oven! I mean, honestly, could a cookie recipe get much easier than this?
This recipe is a great option for when you’re short on time or are just craving a simple treat. It’s also really fun to make with kids (especially older kids, since you do have to move quickly). Whatever your excuse, these cookies won’t disappoint.
Ingredients You Will Need
- Granulated Sugar – Just regular white sugar here, nothing special.
- Milk – The recipe should work equally well with 1%, 2%, or whole milk.
- Unsalted butter – You will be adding salt later, so use unsalted here.
- Cocoa powder – Use unsweetened, natural cocoa powder (not dutch-processed).
- Quick oats – Also called instant oats. If you use Old fashioned rolled oats it will give them a different texture. I prefer quick oats. You could also put old fashioned oats in a food processor to turn them into quick oats.
- Peanut butter – Smooth/creamy peanut butter adds delicious flavor and texture.
- Vanilla extract – A little goes a long way to round out the flavor of the whole cookie.
- Salt – Use just a bit of table salt to balance the sweetness of the sugar.
How to Make Classic No Bake Cookies – Step by Step
Prep the pan. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or wax paper. Definitely do this before making the dough.
Boil the wet ingredients. Bring the sugar, milk, butter and cocoa powder to a boil in a medium sauce pan over medium heat, stirring occasionally to prevent burning. Let boil at a rolling boil for 60 seconds (use a timer if it helps).
Add remaining ingredients. Immediately remove from heat and add oats, peanut butter, vanilla, and salt. Stir to combine.
Scoop cookies. Place teaspoonfuls of the dough onto the prepared baking sheet, leaving a little space in between each. Allow to cool at room temperature until hardened, about 30 minutes.
Recipe Tips
- Have your ingredients ready. Once the sugar mixture boils, the rest of the ingredients need to be added right away. Having everything measured and ready to go will make the process smoother.
- Have the baking sheet ready. Once the dough is made, it needs to be scooped right away before it sets. So have the baking sheet lined with wax paper or parchment before you make the dough.
- Don’t boil the mixture for more than 60 seconds. The timing here is key to getting a moist cookie. Bring the mixture to a rolling boil, then start a 60 second timer. Any longer and the cookie may become too dry and crumbly in the end.
- Don’t substitute old fashioned oats. Instant or quick oats will give you the perfect texture you’re looking for.
- Scoop the dough as soon as it’s ready. Don’t wait to scoop the dough or it will firm up in the bowl.
Recipe FAQ’s
Store in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Yes! Store in an air-tight container or zipper bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature.
If your cookies are crumbly, it means the sugar mixture was boiled too long. If the cookies are loose and won’t firm up, it means the sugar mixture wasn’t boiled quite long enough (You can always pop them in the fridge to help them cool though). For the perfect texture, bring the mixture to a rolling boil, then start a 60 second timer. If it’s humid out then you may need to boil a few seconds longer.
More Cookie Recipes To Try
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No Bake Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 cups (297 g) Granulated Sugar
- ½ cup (120 mL) milk
- 1/2 cup (1 stick, 113 g) unsalted butter
- ¼ cup (20 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3 cups (300 g) quick oats
- 1 cup (250 g) smooth peanut butter
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Line a baking sheet with wax paper or parchment paper.
- Bring the sugar, milk, butter, and cocoa to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Once boiling, let boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat.
- Immediately add oats, peanut butter, vanilla, and salt. Stir to combine.
- Drop teaspoonfuls of the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet and let sit at room temperature until cooled and hardened, about 30 minutes. Refrigerate in an air-tight container for up to 3 days.
Notes
- Have your ingredients ready. Once the sugar mixture boils, the rest of the ingredients need to be added right away. Having everything measured and ready to go will make the process smoother.
- Have the baking sheet ready. Once the dough is made, it needs to be scooped right away before it sets. So have the baking sheet lined with wax paper or parchment before you make the dough.
- Don’t boil the mixture for more than 60 seconds. The timing here is key to getting a moist cookie. Bring the mixture to a rolling boil, then start a 60 second timer. Any longer and the cookie may become too dry and crumbly in the end.
- Don’t substitute old fashioned oats. Quick oats will give you the perfect texture you’re looking for.
- Scoop the dough as soon as it’s ready. Don’t wait to scoop the dough or it will firm up in the bowl.
- Storing: Store in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Freezing instructions: Store in an air-tight container and freeze for up to 3 months.
Rebecca says
Hi,
These look amazing. Do you have any recommendations for a gluten free alternative to the oats?
Thanks
Heather says
Hi Rebecca, thank you! Yes just make sure to buy gluten free oats (I love Bobs Red Mill). Happy baking!
Patti Waldrup says
These cookies go way back for me, to high school bake sales. I didn’t want to bake cookie and have it take forever. AS you said 15-20 minutes and I was done. I still make them 40+ years later.
[email protected] says
Same Patti 🙂 I loved making these as a kid. Glad you liked these!