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Learn how to make the BEST No Bake Oatmeal Cookies! You will love this recipe – they are so good they taste like a peanut butter cup! I have a secret that makes these turn out every time – and you’re going to LOVE them.
BEST Classic No Bake Cookies
These cookies remind me of my childhood – they’re such a retro recipe but something that’s so good is always in style. This is the classic No Bake Oatmeal Cookie recipe with peanut butter and chocolate (the chocolate version of my peanut butter no bakes). They’re fast and easy to make – and they set up perfectly EVERY time thanks to my secret tip: using a thermometer to measure the temperature.
Ingredients Needed
- Unsalted Butter – slice it for easy melting and start with it room temperature. Only use real butter – not margarine or tub butter.
- Non-fat Milk – you can use any fat content or any non-dairy milk (like almond milk).
- Unsweetened Cocoa Powder – you can use regular or dutch process
- Peanut Butter – creamy peanut butter works best – only a no-stir (not natural) peanut butter has been tested. I have not tested these with almond butter or seed butter but I’ve seen other recipes that work.
- Quick Cooking Oats – Make your own quick oats if you only have old fashioned oats (also called rolled oats).
How to Make No Bake Oatmeal Cookies
Make sure you have all your ingredients measured and ready to go. Making these goes quick! It’s also helpful to line your baking sheets with parchment before starting.
1. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
2. Add the sugar, cocoa and milk and whisk to combine.
3. Bring the mixture to a boil. Boiling the mixture is the most important step because you want to cook it long enough to reach 230°F and no longer than that. (If you don’t have a thermometer boiling the mixture for 1 minute and 30 seconds is enough, but be sure to set a timer.)
4. Remove the sauce pan from the heat. Quickly stir in the peanut butter and vanilla extract and salt
5. Stir in quick oats.
6. Use the cookie scoop to scoop cookie dough onto prepared cookie sheet. Let the cookies sit until they’ve hardened and set. If you want to speed up the process, you can chill them in the fridge until they’ve set.
Variations & Substitutions
- As mentioned, you can use nondairy milk if you prefer.
- Add chopped nuts or chocolate chips for more texture.
- You can also make these with biscoff spread – that recipe is in my cookbook.
- Allergic to peanuts? You can use any non-peanut butter (i.e. sunbutter) as long as it’s a no-stir (not natural) peanut butter.
Expert Tips
- It’s important to use a candy thermometer ecause if you don’t boil it long enough your cookies will not set up properly. They won’t harden and will stay wet, which isn’t what we want! You can take the guesswork out of making these cookies by boiling the mixture until the temperature reaches 230°F.
- Gather everything you need before you start! The recipe goes fast.
- Measure out all of the ingredients beforehand to make it super easy.
Storage
Store these in an airtight container at room temperature for several days. In the refrigerator they’ll last longer, and you can even freeze them for a few months.
FAQ
If your cookies are too soft and not set up that means you didn’t cook the cookie mixture long enough. In order for the cookies to harden properly the mixture must be boiled until it reaches a temperature of 230°F. This is approximately 1 ½ minutes on medium heat.
It doesn’t take long for the cookies to set up. They will be soft set in 30 minutes, but you can pop them in the refrigerator so the set up faster.
If they don’t set, try placing them back in your pan and reheating them, bringing them to a boil until they reach 230°F.
There is conflicting evidence of this, but supposedly if there is a lot of humidity in the air they might not set up right. However, I do think that the most important thing about making these is cooking them to the proper temperature to ensure they’ll set.
The BEST No Bake Cookies Recipe
Recipe Video
Ingredients
- ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter diced
- 2 cups (400g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (119ml) nonfat milk
- ¼ cup (20g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ cup (120g) creamy peanut butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 3 cups (240g) quick cooking oats
Instructions
- Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- It’s very important that all your ingredients are measured and ready to go before you start and make sure you’ve read the directions before making these cookies. The process goes fast!
- Melt the butter in a 3 quart saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the sugar, milk, and cocoa powder. Whisk until smooth then bring to a boil and cook for about 1 1/2 minutes, stirring occasionally. NOTE: you MUST boil them long enough or they will not set. To be sure of this, boil the mixture until it reaches 230°F on a candy or instant read thermometer. If you do not have a thermometer, this will take about 1 1/2 minutes on medium heat.
- Remove from heat and stir in peanut butter, salt, vanilla, and oats.
- Use a cookie scoop to drop 2 tablespoon size balls of cookie mixture onto the prepared baking sheets. Let sit to set or chill to harden quicker.
Recipe Notes
- It’s important to use a candy thermometer ecause if you don’t boil it long enough your cookies will not set up properly. They won’t harden and will stay wet, which isn’t what we want! You can take the guesswork out of making these cookies by boiling the mixture until the temperature reaches 230°F.
- Allergic to peanuts? You can use any non-peanut butter (i.e. sunbutter) as long as it’s a no-stir (not natural) peanut butter. You can even use Biscoff.
- These last several days on the counter in an airtight container, refrigerated they’ll last at least a week. You can even freeze them!
Recipe Nutrition
These Classic No Bake Cookies with peanut butter are the best recipe for easy chocolate no bake oatmeal cookies! They set up perfectly every time and are SO good they taste like a peanut butter cup!
These are a childhood favorite! Thanks for posting!! I’m home alone and still thinking of making a batch for myself!😍
Thank you So Much for taking the time to respond to my question!!
I So appreciated it!! I will be purchasing an instant read thermapen like the one you use❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Hello,
I have been trying to find a thermapen instant read thermoter like the one you have, but I can’t find one without a battery. I was wondering if you would mind sending me the link for the one like you have? I would really appreciate it. Thank you so much for your time.
Sincerely,
Barbara
This is the one I have (affiliate link): https://www.thermoworks.com/thermapen-one/?tw=CRAZYFORCRUST
It has a battery, but I’ve had it for years and haven’t had to replace it. It’s also water tight – the cheaper ones aren’t so the water gets inside and wrecks the battery. With the thermapen it doesn’t.
These are the best no bake cookies I’ve ever made! I even tried out a different recipe and this one is far better, I’m so happy I found it. Thank you for an awesome recipe!!
What do you mean by “Non-fat Milk – you can use any fat or any non-dairy milk”? Is it the powdered type or is it skim milk? I usually have 2% milk on hand, would that work?
I use nonfat (fat free milk) – cows milk. But you can use 2% or regular full fat milk, or you can use nondairy, like almond milk or soy.
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