No Bake Cookies Recipe – These simple chocolate no bake cookies make a perfect sweet treat. Made with cocoa powder, peanut butter, and oats, these cookies are always a favorite.
These classic chocolate no bake cookies have been one of my favorite sweet treats since I was a little girl. I remember standing as close as possible at the stove when Mama would make these, just so I could help in any way possible. From pouring in the oats, to carefully stirring as I got a little older. And then, when they were ready to drop onto the parchment paper, I was always eager to have that job!
No Bake Cookies Recipe
I can’t begin to tell you how much I loved that my sister gave me the recipe for these cookies along with a saucepan and rolls of parchment paper at my recipe shower before I was married. She wrote a sweet note about wondering how many rolls of parchment paper we’d been through in our lives so far making these chocolate no bake cookies with Mama and how many we’d go through making them with our own children. To tell you I cried would be one of the biggest understatements I could make. Ever.
It was a full blown, running mascara, multiple tissue, ugly sort of moment. At my bridal SHOWER for Pete’s sake! The photos of that shower weren’t pretty at all!
I’ve not kept track of the rolls we’ve been through, but thankfully, Sam carries on the tradition of helping when we make them.
No Bake Cookie Ingredients
- Sugar
- Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
- Milk
- Butter
- Vanilla Extract
- Salt
- Creamy Peanut Butter
- Quick Cooking Oats
How to Make Chocolate No Bake Cookies Recipe
Making no bake cookies is one of the simplest cookie recipes to make and one that I started making as a child and one that my own son started making early as well. There are just a few tricks to making sure that they come out perfect every time.
- Add your sugar and cocoa powder to a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan. Whisk until thoroughly mixed. Add milk and butter and cook over medium-high heat. Bring to a rolling boil and boil for 1 minute. This rolling boil and boiling for 1 minute is the key! Otherwise, your cookies will not set properly.
- Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla, salt, peanut butter and oats.
- Drop cookies by tablespoons onto parchment paper.
- Allow to dry for about 10-15 minutes until the no bake cookies have become firm.
How to Store
Store no bake cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Here’s the recipe for these chocolate no bake cookies. Grab some parchment paper and make them soon!
Chocolate No Bake Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
- 1¾ cups granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ cup milk
- 8 tablespoons butter cut into large pieces
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup creamy peanut butter
- 3 cups quick cooking oats
Instructions
- Add sugar and cocoa powder to a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan. Whisk until thoroughly mixed. Add milk and butter and cook over medium-high heat. Bring to a rolling boil and boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla, salt, peanut butter and oats. Drop cookies by tablespoons onto parchment paper. Allow to dry for about 10-15 minutes until the no bake cookies have become firm.
Nutrition Information
Enjoy!
Robyn xo
From the Add a Pinch recipe archives. Originally published 2012.
I agree that there is something off about this recipe. We made these for years from an old women’s guild cookbook which unfortunately was lost in a move. I tried this recipe twice, the first time we used natural peanut butter and thought perhaps that was why they were so soft and wouldn’t set. We used regular the second time with the same result; even putting them in the fridge didn’t help. I will try another, I suspect more sugar and longer boiling time may be the keys.
I’m not sure why you are having problems with these not setting. I make these all the time and never have a problem with them setting. Make sure this comes to a full, hard, rolling boil, then start timing for one full minute. I haven’t tried these with natural peanut butter so I’m not sure if that would be an issue.
I found a version of this recipe into which I had written boil 3 full minutes. Unfortunately I just made a counter full of sludge, using a 1 minute recipe. LOL.
My recipe is similar and we’ve loved it for years. We use 2 cups sugar and 1/2 cup Cocoa though. We don’t use salt either. If you use too much peanut butter they won’t set.
For us, they are great tasting and really fun to make.
The sugar is not the problem as I cut the sugar in half & everything is fine. I suspect the wrong kind of oats are being used &/or they’re not boiled long enough.
I first learned how to make these when I was a girl scout in the ’60s, but I don’t remember them having milk in it, as we made them outdoors over a fire when camping. Good luck! 😊🙏
Can these be frozen?
I have never frozen these cookies, Trish. They don’t last that long at my house! But they can be frozen. Just make sure they are stored in an airtight container and freeze up to 3 months.
Can I leave out the peanut butter?
I haven’t made this without peanut butter, Libby.
Robyn: Can you please clarify something for me? I don’t understand when some ladies commented that they modified this cookie recipe by using ‘roasted peanuts, or walnuts, or shredded coconut’. These ingredients sound delicious, but does this mean INSTEAD of the oatmeal? Or IN ADDITION TO the oatmeal?? I got it when someone stated that sometimes they add chocolate chips in the end. But I just didn’t know if everyone meant to add ‘everything’ to your original recipe or just add some things that are different than oatmeal?? Just wanted to make sure I understood what everyone was talking about..,….thanks for letting me know what you think! Debra Aline
Debra, I think they always add the other ingredients such as nuts or coconut.
Yes these are just additions to the recipe. Always do the oatmeal
Some of the BEST cookies I’ve ever made! Love them!
Just 10 minutes for no-bake cookies, great to cook with my kids. Thanks a lot for sharing, Robyn!
I always loved making these with my mother when I was little and then with my son.
My favorites are the ones with coconut instead of peanut butter, im just not a fan of peanut butter but they are my husbands favs so I do make both.
Great recipe
Can you use something else besides milk? Like sweet condensed milk or Carnation can milk?
Just wondering because sometimes I want these but have milk or enough milk to make them.
I also have never had a problem with making these cookies and I set a timer for one minute when rolling boil begins and I immediately remove from heat to another cold burner.
Renee, you could use Carnation canned milk but I wouldn’t use the sweetened condensed milk.