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Learn how to make the BEST No Bake 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
Remember the classic peanut butter no bake cookies with oatmeal? They’ve been around forever and it’s definitely one of my favorite easy cookie recipes to make. Especially during the summer when the last thing I want to do is turn on the oven. Every time I make these, I can’t help but be transported back to my childhood – they were always a favorite.
There are lots of recipes out there and they’re not all the same. Although they’re quick and easy to make, there’s a few things to keep in mind so they turn out perfectly.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- My recipe has that classic peanut butter, oatmeal and chocolate combination that you will instantly remember!
- 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.
- Non-fat Milk – you can use any fat or any non-dairy 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.
- Quick Cooking Oats – Make your own quick oats if you only have old fashioned.
How to Make No Bake 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.
- Melt the butter in the saucepan over medium heat.
- Add the sugar, milk, and cocoa powder and whisk until smooth.
- 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.)
- Remove the sauce pan from the heat. Quickly stir in the peanut butter and vanilla extract and salt
- Stir in quick oats.
- Use the cookie scoop to scoop two tablespoons to make each cookie. Let the cookies sit until they’ve hardened and set. If you want to speed up the process, you can chill them in the refrigerator until they’ve set.
Tip From Dorothy
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.
- 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.
- Gather everything you need before you start! The recipe goes fast.
- Measure out all of the ingredients beforehand to make it super easy.
- These last several days on the counter in an airtight container, refrigerated they’ll last at least a week. You can even freeze them!
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.
Keep them in an airtight container and they will last for up to a week at room temperature. Or, store them in the refrigerator and they will last for up to two weeks.
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.
Yes you can use foil, wax paper, or parchment.
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
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 Video
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!
Last Updated on July 9, 2023
I am so thankful your recipe had the key detail about the boiling temperature. I used a recipe that didn’t include that detail and it didn’t set up. Thank you for helping me be successful! They are delicious!
so glad you liked them and they worked for you!
I’m not understanding I did everything you said 3 cups of oats and it was still dry and I had to throw it out and I remade it and did 2 cups and it still came out dry what do I do wrong?
Are you using quick oats or old fashioned – that makes a difference!
I love these cookies they are just like the star crunch little Debbie cookies. These cookies are really good and they are a great recipe.
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