No bake cookies are something of a rite of passage, I think. I remember mixing up a similar recipe with my mother as a child, probably because they didn’t require the oven and are just messy enough for a kid to really have fun with. No bake cookies come in a variety of styles, and are often the first to go from a cookie platter at the holidays. Along the same lines, you should try my Easy Christmas Truffles, or Chocolate Oreo Truffles. These don’t require any baking either! These easy no bake cookies are now one of my favorites. The flavor of peanut butter along with the texture of oats makes for a simple, indulgent cookie that can double as breakfast too, if you want it too. I have no shame about enjoying cookies for breakfast! If you’d like to bake cookies today instead, you should check out my Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies. They are easy and super soft and chewy.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Key Ingredients
Six simple ingredients are all you need to make these chewy peanut butter no bake cookies. Go check, I bet you already have them!
Butter: Use unsalted butter for this recipe, as the peanut butter usually has enough salt to offset the sweetness. You can never really know how much salt is in salted butter, so I avoid it for most sweet things. Sugar: regular granulated white sugar sweetens the cookies and creates the magic that let’s the rest of the ingredients come together into a solid. Milk: a bit of milk adds creaminess and moisture to the oat mixture. Any variety of milk will work, even almond milk. Peanut Butter: Creamy peanut butter works best, but you could use crunchy peanut butter if you like that texture. You can also substitute it with almond butter for a different flavor variation.Vanilla Extract: for recipes like this one, I suggest using the best vanilla extract you can reasonably afford. The vanilla is the second most important flavor in this recipe. Oats: Either quick oats or old fashioned oats will work perfectly here. Old fashioned oats will have a bit more texture, but not by much.
Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
How to Make Peanut Butter No Bake Cookies
Recipe Success Tips
Boil the sugar mixture. It’s very important that the sugar/milk/butter mixture comes to a full boil, and then it boils at that level for a full minute. If you don’t cook this mixture properly or long enough, the cookies won’t set. Work Quickly. Once the oats are stirred in you should work quickly to get the cookies onto the pan. The mixture will start to harden as soon as it’s removed from the heat. If you accidentally let the mixture firm up before forming cookies, just warm it up again on the stove until it softens again. Gluten-Free No Bake Cookies. Use gluten-free oats to ensure that these cookies are gluten-free.
Variations for No Bake Peanut Butter Cookies
Add Chocolate: Chocolate is peanut butter’s soulmate after all. Toss in some chocolate chips or chopped chocolate along with the oats. It will be delicious. Melted chocolate drizzled over the top would be so good too. Decorate: For holidays or other fun occasions, you might want these cookies to be festive! Try sprinkling with sprinkles or colorful small candies before the cookies set. Other Add-Ins: Add in ½ cup of raisins, chopped nuts, or other dried fruits. Some shredded coconut would be delicious as well. You could also substitute part of the oats with another crunchy cereal like cornflakes or rice Krispies to change the texture of the cookies. I wouldn’t substitute all of the oats though, just a ¼ – ½ cup or so. These Peanut Butter Cheerio Bars will be ideal if you’re looking for a crunchier peanut butter treat. For a decadent yet super simple to make peanut butter dessert, Peanut Butter Lasagna and Peanut Butter No Bake Pie are both winners! You’ll be loving these peanut butter no bake cookies on holiday cookie platters and every day snacking! Make sure to pin this recipe so you’ll always have it. © Little Sunny Kitchen
