Peanut Butter No Bake Cookies

Peanut Butter No Bake Cookies combine two cookie classics – No Bake Cookies + Peanut Butter Cookies. They’re easy, yummy and perfect for a quick treat.

During hot Arizona summers, we hate having to turn on the oven. No bake desserts like this one are life savers! We also like to make our Classic No Bake Cookies and our Cornflake Cookies.

No oven necessary

Today’s recipe is a real winner. We combined two of our favorite things – No Bake Cookies + Peanut Butter Cookies to make Peanut Butter No Bake Cookies.

Have you tried them yet?! We couldn’t believe how easy and good they were! In fact, they’re my current FAV cookie, and I’m not even a huge PB cookie lover. That’s how good they are!

We’ve always enjoyed making no bake cookies but especially love to make them in the summer when it’s so hot here in Arizona, and the last thing we want to do is turn on the oven. Don’t get me wrong, we still end up turning it on, but the fewer the excuses, the better. 😉

How to Make Peanut Butter NO BAKES

Although this cookie recipe doesn’t call for the oven, it does require that you use the stove for a bit. With that in mind, the no bake peanut butter cookies are still so simple and can be made in no time. Only a few ingredients are required, including:

• sugar
• butter
• milk
• vanilla
• peanut butter
• quick cooking oats

RAPID BOIL. To make them just begin by adding the sugar, butter and milk to a saucepan and melting on medium heat. You’ll let that come to a rapid boil for one minute and then remove from the burner.

STIR. From there, you will stir in your vanilla and peanut butter. Stir in the oats until the mixture begins to cool and all ingredients are combined well.

SCOOP. Then, scoop the mixture in small amounts onto wax paper and let it cool to completely set. From there you just have to try hard not to eat a dozen in one sitting. 😉

FAQ and troubleshooting

Can I make no bake cookies with old fashioned oats? Yes! It’s just a matter of preference on texture. Quick cooking oats are smaller and absorb the liquid easier, so the cookies will turn out more soft and chewy. If you use old fashioned oats, the cookies will be a lot “oatier”.

However, there are a couple ways to soften the old fashioned oats if that’s what you have on hand! You can put them in the blender and pulse a few times to make them smaller, or put them in the liquid mixture once it’s done boiling and let them sit for 5 minutes.

Do no bake cookies need to be refrigerated? Nope! You can store them at room temperature in an airtight container or Ziploc bag. You’re more than welcome to store them in the fridge–in fact they will last longer–but it’s not a necessity!

How to harden no bake cookies that are too soft: If you find yourself needing to salvage your no bake cookies, try putting them in the fridge or freezer to see if the cold helps them set. If they are still too soft, don’t worry! All hope is not lost.

You can keep them in the freezer, and enjoy them as frozen cookies (they still taste amazing) and then adjust your boiling time accordingly next time.

Recipe 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 ensure you get the mixture off the stove within that “perfect consistency” window. If it doesn’t cook long enough, the cookies won’t set. But 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.

For more No Bake recipes, check out:

• No Bake Energy Bites
• No Bake Cheesecake
• Classic No Bake Cookies
• No Bake Chocolate Oat Bars
• No Bake Butterscotch Cereal Cookies

For more peanut butter cookie recipes, check out:

• Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies
• Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies
• Mini Peanut Butter Cookies
• Peanut Butter Cup Cookies
• 3 Ingredient PB Cookies
• Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies