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Peanut Butter No Bake Cookies are a classic cookie recipe that are oatmeal cookies full of peanut butter flavor – no oven needed! If you’ve been looking for no bake cookie without chocolate, this is the post for you. These set up perfectly every time!
Why This No Bake Cookie Recipe Works
I’m a big fan of old-fashioned no bake cookies, especially during the summer! Not having to turn on the oven is always a plus in my book. This is basically that recipe without the cocoa powder! Easy no bake peanut butter cookies are an all-time favorite of mine. Peanut butter is the star in this recipe!
This is an easy no-bake cookie recipe with just six ingredients. They have the best texture – a slight soft crunch with chew from the oats and so much peanut butter flavor. The key is to use a thermometer and boil the mixture for the right amount of time. A thermometer takes all the guesswork out!
No Bake Peanut Butter Cookie Ingredients
- Dice the Unsalted butter so it melts quickly when you make the dough.
- The chemical reaction between the granulated sugar and butter helps these set up.
- Nonfat milk is what I normally use but regular milk is fine too (or nondairy milk)
- Use regular crunchy or creamy peanut butter and not a natural kind that needs stirring.
- I prefer using Quick cooking oats – don’t have these? Learn how to make your own quick oats from old fashioned oats.
- Oats are gluten-free as is, but they’re often prepared in cross-contaminated facilities. If you want gluten free no bake cookies, be sure the canister reads Gluten Free.
Click to see the recipe card below for full ingredients & instructions. See below the recipe card for even more information: process shots, variations, FAQ and more.
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Expert Tips
- Be sure to read the entire recipe and follow the instructions for success. Before you make the cookies, it’s very important to have all of your ingredients prepped, measured, and ready to go. This is a quick recipe once you start, so have everything ready.
- For best results, use a candy thermometer or instant-read thermometer when you boil the mixture. It makes it so much easier, and you don’t have to worry if you boiled it long enough. This is my favorite instant read thermometer!
- No bake oatmeal cookies don’t set if the mixture wasn’t boiled long enough. This is why a thermometer is so helpful! The temperature should be 230°F when you take the pan off the heat.
- If you want to add some mix-ins, chopped nuts or m&ms work well for this recipe!
- Swap the peanut butter for Biscoff cookie spread, Nutella, almond butter, or other nut butter that you like. You can also use Sun Butter which is a sunflower seed spread. When no-bake cookies are made the right way, they’re irresistible!
Peanut Butter No Bake Cookies Recipe
Video
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, diced
- 1 ¾ cups (350g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (118ml) nonfat milk
- ½ cup (133g) creamy peanut butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 3 cups (243g) 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 and milk. Whisk until smooth then bring to a boil and cook for about 1 ½ 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 ½ 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.
Notes
- You can use creamy or crunchy peanut butter as long as it’s the regular kind and not natural peanut butter.
- Prep and measure your ingredients first. This isn’t the kind of recipe you can measure and mix as you go.
- For best results, use a candy thermometer or instant-read thermometer when you boil the mixture. It makes it so much easier, and you don’t have to worry if you boiled it long enough. This is my favorite instant read thermometer!
- If you want to add some mix-ins, chopped nuts or m&ms work well for this recipe!
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Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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How to make Peanut Butter No Bake Cookies
1. It’s easiest to melt the butter in the pan first.
2. When you add the sugar and stir it’ll be chunky and dry.
3. The mixture will thicken a little when it comes to temperature and be white.
4. Once the peanut butter is added it should be smooth.
5. The oat mixture will be loose.
6. Scoop quickly because these can harden fast.
Other No Bake Recipes
These Peanut Butter No Bake Cookies are made with oats and peanut butter and set up perfectly every time! They are such an easy cookie to make when you need something delicious, fast!
These came out great!! I made with 1c peanut butter. They are sweet, i wondered if I could cut down the sugar? I also added mini choc chips to the tops!!
You could probably cut it down a bit, but not too much or the chemistry might not work out.
wow. What a waste of time. I bake ALOT and the instructions were easy. But 230° is too hot. So dry they wouldn’t even hold a shape.
That shouldn’t have happened – I always use the same temp. What kind of peanut butter did you use?
Way too much sugar in this recipe. I make fudge often, so i do like sweets, but less sugar, for this recipe, would make it much better.
I’m sorry you didn’t like them – there is not a way to reduce the sugar without affecting the chemistry of the recipe. What peanut butter did you use? Possibly make sure to use a peanut butter without added sugar.
Can you use old fashioned oats also, or can you like mix them ?
You can make quick oats from old fashioned by pulsing them in a food processor a few times. Measure out the oats needed in the recipe after pulsing.
I’m type 2 diabetic and the chocolate no bake are my weakness I can see where these would be also. Is there a way I could make these cookies diabetic friendly
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