Quick, simple and yummy NO BAKE Cookies – one of our favorite cookie recipes! Made with cocoa powder, peanut butter, vanilla, and quick oats – these quick cookies will become a go-to treat.
These simple no bake cookies are great to make all year long, especially when it’s hot outside! They take minutes to make and have become classic treats in the house, like our No Bake Energy Bites and No Bake Cheesecake.
No Bake for the win!
We love to make cookies all year long! One of our favorite recipes to make, and especially in the summer, is our classic No Bake Cookies (along with our Peanut Butter No Bake Cookies too!) They’re simple, quick and so delicious.
Whenever we are looking for a quick treat, the kids like to join me in the kitchen to whip up a batch of these No Bake Oatmeal Cookies (trust me when I say they are beyond easy!)
They take 10 minutes to make (start to finish) and result in a super delicious and simple treat perfect for an after school cookie, a party, or even an upcoming cookie exchange.
If you’ve had these no bakes before, you know that they’re easy and quite addicting.
How to Make No Bake Cookies
The ingredients for these chocolate no bake cookies are ones we usually always have on hand. We hope you have them on hand too because you’ll love how simple these goodies are.
- butter
- sugar
- milk
- cocoa powder
- peanut butter
- vanilla
- quick oats
BOIL. Once ingredients are gathered you will add your butter, sugar, milk and cocoa powder to a saucepan and bring to a boil for 1 minute.
SCOOP. Remove from heat and stir in the peanut butter and vanilla until smooth. Add the oats and stir. Use a cookie scoop to drop heaps of the mixture onto wax paper or parchment paper.
COOL. Let cool and try not to eat a dozen of these guys. Like I said – so easy and made in 10 minutes!
No bake cookie recipe TIPS, tricks & FAQ
Can I make no bake cookies with old fashioned oats? You can – it just depends on how you prefer the no bake cookie texture. Quick cooking oats are smaller and absorb the liquid easier which makes the cookies more soft and chewy. If you use old fashioned oats, the cookies will have a less chewy, oat-y texture.
Do no bake cookies need to be refrigerated? No, they don’t. Just store at room temperature in an airtight container or Ziploc bag. You’re more than welcome to store them in the fridge, which will actually make them last longer, but it’s not required.
How to harden no bake cookies that are too soft: Are your no bakes too soft? Try putting them in the fridge or freezer to see if the cold helps them set. This usually does the trick!
ADDITIONAL TIPS:
- Keep a timer on hand and start the 1 minute countdown as soon as the mixture comes to a FULL boil. This will help insure you get the mixture off the stove within that “perfect consistency” window. If it doesn’t cook long enough, the cookies won’t set. If they cook too long, they will be a crumbly mess.
- If you’re worried about over or undercooking the liquid mixture, you can always use a candy thermometer (the mixture is done when it reaches 235-240 degrees Fahrenheit), or do the classic “ice water test”. Once you’ve cooked the mixture for a minute, you can drop a small spoonful into the ice water and if it forms a small squishy ball as it cools, you know it’s done.
- Creamy peanut butter makes for the best consistency (in my humble opinion), but if you decide to use crunchy pb, add an extra ¼-½ c or the cookies can turn out dry. I’ve also never used natural peanut butter, but if you do, make sure it’s well-stirred and not oily.
I admit growing up I wasn’t the biggest fan of No Bake Cookies, but that’s mostly because I really only liked the cookies with M&Ms, Sprinkles or frosting on top, but I love these now.
It’s especially nice to have on hand in the summer months when you want a nice, homemade treat that doesn’t require turning on the oven. 😉
For more easy treats, check out:
No Bake Cookie Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter
- 2 cups sugar
- 1/2 cup milk
- 3 tbsp cocoa powder
- 2/3 cup peanut butter
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 cups quick oats
Instructions
- Add butter, sugar, milk and cocoa powder to a saucepan and bring to a boil for 1 minute.
- Remove from heat and stir in peanut butter and vanilla until smooth. Stir in your oats.
- Drop heaping tablespoons onto wax paper and let cool.
Video
For more No Bake cookies, check out:
Love these!
Glad you do!! Thank you for stopping by!
These no bake cookies were delish! Can’t wait to make them again!
Glad you like them! My family loves them, too! Thank you for letting me know!
LOok so amazing!
Thank you!! They are the best! Hope you try them!
I used almonD butter instead of peanut butter. Had to stir it really well because of the oil, so cookies were still slightly thinner, but they taste delicious!!! I also used dark cocoa powder, and maybe 1/4 cup of brown sugar and 1 & 3/4 cup of the white, mainly becauSe i didn’t have enough white. Haha. However, theSe turned out great!!!!!
Glad they turned out!! Thank you for sharing what you did 🙂
I was curious whether you could make this with brown sugar rather than white. Thanks for sharing that it turned out great! I will try it with brown sugar next time!
Awesome recipe! Made them up in no time. Kids will wake up to fresh homemade cookies (Not a baker, here!) These turned out great. Thank you for your recipe and I may try some more of your recipes!
I sure hope you do! Thank you for trying them! I hope your kids like them!
Could you make theSe with rolled oats or old fashion oats instead of quick oats?
I personally have not used those, but I am sure it would be fine 😉
I love those cookies….you did a good job explaining how to make them. They are my favorite!!!.
Thank you so much for saying that!! I am so glad you like them 🙂
Can you uSe cocon milk For a health aLternative?
You sure could 😉 Enjoy!
THEse did not set! Im not sure what i did
Oh, darn! I’m sorry! I wish I knew what happened. Did you change anything with the recipe?
I always loved these when growing up, and still buy them at any bake sale when available. I wonder though, could the mixture be poured into a square pan (lined with waxed paper or buttered), chilled, then cut into squares?
I bet they could, though I personally have not tried.
I like every thing but a bit too sweet–I will use less sugar next time!!! And want to try Crunchy Peanut Butter!!!
These are wonderful. I live in arizona. So really nice to not have to turn on oven. I used 1/2 regular creamy peanut butter and 1/2 BNutty flavored peanut butter. They are fabulous! Gave some to a neighbor and they loved them too.
I know what you mean about not turning the oven on! Glad you like these! Thank you!
Those sound really good , id like to know if i can SUBSTITUTE rice krispies instead of the oatmeal , ( because of ALLERGIES ) ? I have used rice Krispies as a SUBSTITUTE in my baking .
I am sure that would work! I have not personally tried, but it would give it a nice crunch!
These are our absolute favorite each year. My daughters are already begging for them.
Yum!!
These no bakes are so yummy!! These cookies are the only reason I have cocoa powder in my house. My kids gobble these cookies up so fast, but they are so easy and quick to make. Getting the oats the right consistency is the hardest part, so you just have to watch closely.
These are our favorite no bake cookies! My daughter loves to make them on her own for a quick sweet treat after dinner! So yummy!
ive had these before arnt they called haystacks when i had these they used potato shoe strings or those chinese noodles
Sounds delicious
Yes, it’s a great cookie! Hopefully you enjoy!
Fantastic recipe! You can make it any time since you probably have all of these ingredients on hand. It doesn’t take very long, either. Depending on how big your heaping tablespoons are, you can maybe get more than 24 cookies. Or you can make 24 big ones and eat whatever is left in the pot, which is what we did haha.
I’m so glad you liked this recipe as much as we do! Thanks so much for trying it out!