These 7-ingredient no bake cookies are filled with oats, peanut butter, and cocoa powder. They're chewy, fudgy, and easy to make—no oven required!
Who else loves no bake cookies?! Made with simple ingredients like oats, peanut butter, and cocoa powder, these classic treats are chewy, fudgy, and packed with delicious chocolate peanut butter flavor. They’re also easy to whip up on the stovetop—no oven required!
I’ve been making this no bake cookies recipe on repeat lately for two reasons. Reason #1: It’s great for making with kids! My four-year-old Ollie loves mixing and scooping the dough. Reason #2: You don’t have to turn on the oven. On a hot summer day, these no bake chocolate oatmeal cookies are the best way to satisfy a cookie craving. Try them the next time you’re in the mood for something sweet. I think you’ll love them!
No Bake Cookies Ingredients
This chocolate peanut butter no bake cookies recipe calls for 7 simple ingredients:
- Oats! They give these cookies their signature chewy texture. I love to use whole rolled oats (aka old fashioned oats) here, but you can substitute quick-cooking oats if that’s what you keep on hand. The whole rolled oats make these cookies extra-chewy.
- Peanut butter – Feel free to use any creamy peanut butter you like. I typically use natural peanut butter, but conventional peanut butter works here too. If you go the natural route, make sure the peanut butter is runny and well-stirred, not chunky or dry.
- Cocoa powder – It gives these cookies their rich chocolate flavor and helps bind them together. Regular and Dutch-process cocoa powder both work.
- Granulated sugar – For sweetness.
- Milk – Any kind you like! I’ve had success using almond milk and whole milk in this recipe.
- Unsalted butter – It adds richness and helps the cookies set.
- And vanilla extract – For warm depth of flavor.
Find the complete recipe with measurements below.
How to Make No Bake Cookies
This no bake cookies recipe has four simple steps:
- Boiling the sugar, milk, butter, and cocoa powder
- Adding the peanut butter, vanilla, and oats
- Scooping the cookies
- Letting them cool completely and set
Start by boiling the chocolate mixture. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the sugar, milk, and cocoa powder and whisk until smooth, then bring the mixture to a rolling boil, with bubbles forming across the mixture’s entire surface.
Boil for 2 minutes, reducing the heat as needed if the mixture looks like it’s going to boil over. This process thickens the chocolate mixture so that it can bind the cookies together.
Next, add the peanut butter, vanilla, and oats. Remove the mixture from the heat and stir in the peanut butter and vanilla. The peanut butter might look slightly separated at first, but as you continue to stir, the chocolate mixture will become thick and smooth. Add the oats and mix until well combined.
Then, form the cookies. Use a 2-tablespoon cookie scoop to scoop the oat mixture onto two baking sheets lined with parchment paper. If you like, you can flatten the oat mounds to get more of a “cookie” shape.
Chill the cookies in the refrigerator until firm, 30 minutes or more.
That’s it!
How to Store No Bake Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies
This recipe uses slightly more peanut butter and slightly less sugar than most, so the cookies come out a bit gooier. As a result, they’re best kept in the fridge. Store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.
They also freeze well for up to 3 months. Let frozen cookies thaw in the refrigerator overnight, or let them sit at room temperature for 15 to 20 minutes to soften.
Recipe Tips
- Don’t skimp on the boiling time. Set a timer and let the mixture go for a full 2 minutes! If you don’t boil the mixture long enough, the cookies won’t set up.
- Variations are fair game. Replace the peanut butter with almond butter, or make a nut-free variation by subbing in sunflower seed butter. I also love adding chocolate chips to this recipe. Stir in a few when you add the oats. They’ll melt slightly, making the cookies extra-fudgy and delicious!
More Easy Cookie Recipes
If you love these no bake chocolate oatmeal cookies, try one of these easy cookie recipes next:
- Perfect Oatmeal Cookies
- Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Snickerdoodle Cookies
- Peanut Butter Cookies
- Or any of these 17 Easy Cookie Recipes!
Chocolate Peanut Butter No Bake Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter, 1 stick, sliced into pats
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup milk
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¾ cup creamy peanut butter*
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups whole rolled oats
Instructions
- Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the sugar, milk, and cocoa powder and whisk until smooth. Bring to a rolling boil, adjusting the heat as needed to maintain a full boil for 2 minutes.
- Remove from the heat. Add the peanut butter and vanilla and stir until smooth, then add the oats and mix until well combined. Use a 2-tablespoon cookie scoop to scoop the oat mixture onto the prepared baking sheets, flattening the cookies slightly if desired.
- Chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to firm up. The cookies will become firmer the longer they chill.
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Notes
Hi!! Would I be able to sub agave nectar syrup instead of maple syrup??
I think that would be fine!
I’m going to make these this week. Do they freeze well?
Hi Lauren, I think they’d freeze well.
I just made these and tasted them right out of the pan. They were just amazing. One small issue., they were really soft while i put them on the paper. Also really oily. I hope they cool and set just fine. Incase they are still soft, any way I can fix them?
Hi Abida, after some time in the fridge, they should firm up!
Just made these for the third time since we’ve been locked down! So easy and delicious. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Hi Cathy, I’m so glad you’ve been loving them!
So so good! Definitely hit the spot. My new go-to quick and delicious cookie recipe.
I’m so glad you loved them!
can i use honey for a substitute for maple syrup
I think that would work, I haven’t tried – they’ll be a bit more sticky, but should still be pretty tasty.
So I just made these (haven’t tried them yet, they are cooling) and tons of oil came out after I stirred in the oats? Then there were pools of extra oil on my parchment paper! I thought 1/4 cup coco oil seemed like a lot, but maybe with my peanut butter it was just too much oil overall for the recipe? Hopefully they will set up in the fridge and still taste good!
Hi Becca, hmm, I haven’t had this happen. It sounds like the chocolate mixture could have possibly been whisked a little longer to thicken.
I’m not sure, I feel like I had it cooking for a lot longer than the recommended time since I was still grabbing ingredients as I heated it. Oh well, they were a little extra oily but still tasted good! I’ll just use less oil next time 🙂
I NEVER leave a review on these things, but these are literally so good that I had to.. Mine are still cooling, but I can’t stop myself from taking little bites!!
haha, I’m so glad you loved them!
I used to make these all the time as a kid and I especially loved your recipe! Can always count on your site for amazing desserts
I’m so glad you loved them!
Hi Laurie, I’m so glad you loved them!
I’ve made these before but this recipe was a step up! They turned out so soft and chewy! They were super quick to make and so yummy
OH MY!!! These babies are AWESOME!!!
I’m so glad you loved them!!
Yum! Will they get too soft and fall apart if kept at room temperature?
yep, they’re best stored in the fridge.
Wow, so simple. And looks so delicious. Thank you for sharing! Gotta try this at home!
Excellent no bake haystack-style cookies. this type of cookie is always in our Christmas cookie tray. I used almond butter and they are delicious and decadent.
Ooh, thanks for letting me know that they worked well with almond butter. I’m glad you loved them!
a great cookie, especially because of no bake and that they’re not too sweet, thank you
Maybe odd, but do you think butter, or another oil, could replace coconut oil? Would love to make these but out of coconut oil!
Hi Ellie – I think so! I’ve only tried with coconut oil but I’ve seen other similar recipes call for butter.
These are neat Halloween cookies. Roll them into odd shaped logs and place them in a brand new clean cat litter pan with grape nut cereal
ha! how inventive 🙂
I love no bake cookies! Always a delicious treat! Looks so good!
My mother used to make these all the time growing up and I was just thinking about them the other day! Sadly, I haven’t attempted them because my husband has a severe peanut allergy. Any thoughts on using Almond butter? I was thinking maybe Justin’s because it’s got a much creamier consistency than the “creamy” almond butters that require stirring…
Hi Sarah, I think almond butter will work!
You could use Wowbutter or No-Nut Butter.
Try sun butter. It’s what my daughter daycare would use and it’s a nut free center
Sunflower or wow butter are both amazing substitutes for peanut allergy!
any no bake cookies without PB ?
Hi Joyce, I think almond butter would work here.