No-Bake Cookies

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There are some treats from my childhood that I will always carry with me and these no-bake cookies are one of those things. I swear to you, I could almost make this recipe in my sleep! The funny part is, we’ve all screwed them up a few times too. This recipe actually comes down from my grandma and between my grandma, mom, sister, and I – we’ve had several batches that didn’t turn out. I’ll talk more about why later but it’s important that you know these are tried and true. Plus, if you mess them up it’s definitely worth it to keep trying. We find that all other no-bake cookies are too dry, have too much peanut butter, or have the wrong texture. These no-bake cookies are the perfect blend of cocoa and peanut butter.

Cocoa Brand

There are very few times that I’ll tell you a specific brand of ingredient matters but that is the case with this recipe. Trust me, I’ve given it my all to test it out and see what works vs. what doesn’t work. Which is why I will, hands down, recommend Hershey’s cocoa powder for these cookies. Their cocoa has such a rich flavoring that it gives us that perfect balance. I’ve used my cocoa and cacao from Azure, which produces decent results but they just aren’t quite as good. I’m still trying to figure out if I can somehow tweak the recipe to make other kinds of cocoa work so stay tuned for more. For now, if you want the best of the best results, stick with Hershey’s

Ingredients

• 2 cups sugar
• 1 stick butter (½ cup)
• 2 Tbsp cocoa
• ½ cup milk
• ½ cup peanut butter
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 3 cups quick oats

No-Bake Cookie Directions

Melt butter in a saucepan on medium-low heat.

Add cocoa, sugar, milk, salt, and vanilla.

Bring to boil- boil for ONE MINUTE only.

Remove from heat.

Add peanut butter and quick oats.

Drop by spoonful onto wax paper.

They should be fully set within 30-40 minutes.

Tips & Tricks

The best way to make sure you don’t screw this up is to get everything ready beforehand. Before you even start melting that butter, get out the remaining ingredients. This is especially important for the peanut butter and oatmeal. You want to make sure that the chocolate mixture is hot enough to melt the peanut butter and coat the oats. I also like to have the wax paper laid out too so that they don’t set too much before I get them out of the sauce pan. 

The other super, super important piece is the boiling. If you don’t boil this enough your peanut butter might not melt or your cookies won’t set. If you boil it too much, your cookies won’t set. It’s a very delicate balance! It sounds kind of funny but you can start to smell when it’s ready too. After you’ve made this recipe once or twice you will start to be able to identify when the sugar has been cooked to perfection. I like to think that I’m good enough to tell but as I’ve mentioned, I still screw it up sometimes. 

As much as you might want to (pointing the finger at myself here) don’t add extra peanut butter. I tend to lean heavy on recipes that require peanut butter because I just love it so much. However, this is one cookie that I don’t want to be heavy on the peanut butter.

You absolutely can use old fashioned oats. We prefer quick oats because the texture is a lot better and they retain more moisture than old fashioned. If it’s all you ever have on hand, old fashioned will do just fine. In fact, sometimes I will do half and half (half quick and half old fashioned) and I’ve still really enjoyed the texture of those ones too. It’s a judgment call but, from my perspective, to get the best no-bake cookies, you want to use the quick oats. 

In Summary: No-Bake Cookies

Out of all the treats our mother made us, these no-bake cookies make the top of the list for all us kids. When my brother comes into town we always make sure to make a batch so that he can get his fix. To be honest, I think he gets them more than the rest of us! I love to whip up a batch for girl’s night because I almost always have ingredients on hand and they are quick and easy. Just one word of warning, once you try these cookies you may be ruined for all other no-bake cookies until the end of time. 

What is your go-to recipe to take to small gatherings? 

In addition to these cookies, I usually lean towards a cheese dip (with a melty cheese like Velveeta and a can of diced tomatoes or salsa) because it’s so easy to throw it in a crockpot and go! If I’m getting fancy, I’ll whip up some stuffed jalapeños!

No-Bake Cookies

A quick easy cookie that doesn't require firing up the oven.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Ingredients

  

• 2 cups sugar
• 1 stick butter 1/2 cup
• 2 Tbsp cocoa
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 3 cups quick oats

Instructions

 

• Melt butter in a saucepan on medium-low heat.
• Add cocoa, sugar, milk, salt, and vanilla.
• Bring to boil- boil for ONE MINUTE only.
• Remove from heat.
• Add peanut butter and quick oats.
• Drop by spoonful onto wax paper.
• They should be fully set within 30-40 minutes.

Keyword chocolate, Cookie, peanut butter