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
Just made these with vegetable oil instead of coconut oil! They obviously don’t firm up the same way they probably would with coconut, and are a bit oily to the touch- but it does the trick in a pinch and they’re still delicious.
Hi Emily, I hope you try them with coconut oil next time – it firms up in the fridge really well compared to other oils. I’m glad you enjoyed!
Can I use agave nectar instead?
Hi Shay, that should be fine.
I love this recipe and use it all the time. Could you let me know how many calories are in one cookie please?
Thank you
I almost never write reviews but these are AMAZING and easy to make in the summer without the oven on. I added a tad extra PB and love it. I actually used 1/4 c syrup and thought they were sweet enough!
Hi Emily, I’m so glad you loved them so much!
These cookies were soooo good!! I wasn’t expecting them to be THIS GOOD because of the small limited amount of ingredients. But I was SO wrong!! These are the best cookies I have ever tried/made!
Delicious! So easy to make w ingredients I already have at home! No bake! Genius!!!
We halved the maple and it was still very sweet.
These are really good! Much better than I expected. Will definitely make them again.
Loved these cookies! Made them virtually with my best friend (she’s in WI, I’m in NY), and it was a hit with both of us. We both used less syrup than the 1/2 cup (esp because I used sweetened peanut butter; her’s was unsweetened and she still liked it) and it came out perfect. Will make again!
I’m so glad you both loved them!
Does it have to be specifically maple ? syrup, or can we use regular syrup that is sugar free?
It has to be pure maple syrup 🙂
Is there a way to make these oil free?
Hi May, I haven’t tested them without oil.
I am out of coconut oil and because of COVID-19 Delta spreading I don’t want to shop until needed. Please recommend an ingredient to replace the coconut oil. I would appreciate that. Thanks
Hi Laurie, we’ve only tested these with coconut oil so I don’t have a substitute for this one.
Delicious cookies! Just the right amount of sweetness with a rich chocolate flavor. Thanks for the recipe!
I’m so glad you loved them!
I just made these but subbed out a little oats with some shredded coconut and rolled them in coconut as well. They are AMAZING! great little healthy after dinner treat to satisfy the sweet tooth!
Hi these were so good!!! plus the 0 sugar was good for my dad with diabetes
Yummy! Thank you! Took care of my sweet craving!
I’m so glad you loved them!
I bake a lot, but these didn’t set up for me. 🙁 The gooey stuff did taste great though…
Hi Kymberli, how long did you leave them in the fridge? I bet they’d firm up if you chill them a bit longer or overnight.
I was looking for a quick east treat to bring over to my parents’ house and I decided to whip these up! They are soooo good and easy to make. I also stirred in some pecans before spooning out the cookies.
I’m so glad you loved the cookies!
Just made these. Super easy. The batter tasted divine from the pan. Added 1/2 cup shredded coconut just because the mixture seemed oily/moist enough to handle it. Tray is in the freezer now and cookies appear to be setting up well.
Hi Karen, they’ll firm up in the fridge! The coconut oil will solidify.
Nutritional info please.
Oh my thank you NP 😉 by the way I’m talking to my self :c