What is the recipe for no bake cookies

Easy No Bake Cookies are a classic and come out perfect every time! Oats, cocoa, and peanut butter whip up easily and smoothly for the perfect after school snack or quick chocolate craving fix.

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No Bake Cookies are such a yummy treat to make when you’re pressed for time or just want a little something sweet right now. Our easy no bake cookies recipe is made with simple pantry ingredients, like creamy peanut butter and quick-cooking oats, and they come together in under 15 minutes. My kids love them as an after-school snack with a tall glass of cold milk. My husband whips them up on a lazy weekend afternoon as we’re playing board games or watching movies. And no bake means you don’t need to heat up the house with your oven. Just a little stove top stirring and you’re done!

Ingredients Needed for Easy No Bake Cookies

Chances are, you have every ingredient you need to whip up a batch of our no bake cookies right now! Here’s all you need:

• Butter – I like to use real butter, unsalted to cut down on sodium, but you can use margarine, coconut oil or whatever you have on hand.
• White Sugar – regular granulated sugar helps the cookies set up nicely
• Milk – skim, or whole milk work great as a dairy option!
• Cocoa powder – unsweetened powder or Dutch-press cocoa
• Vanilla extract – just a teaspoon vanilla extract adds a rich depth of flavor to the cookies
• Creamy Peanut Butter – For extra texture, you can try crunchy peanut butter too.
• Rolled oats – Use quick cooking oats or old fashioned
• Salt – a dash of regular or kosher salt will enhance the flavor of the chocolate mixture

How To Store No Bake Cookies

1. No bake cookies do not NEED to be refrigerated but they can be if you prefer. Refrigerator space is sparse in my house so I like to just keep them on the counter in a large, airtight Tupperware.
2. To keep them from sticking together, place the cookies on a single layer in the container, then add a layer of wax or parchment paper over the top before adding the next layer of cookies.
3. You can store no bake cookies at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks in an airtight container before they start losing quality.

How to Freeze No Bake Cookies

Yes, you can freeze no bake cookies! Just spoon out the mixture on a large prepared baking sheet with a cookie scoop and place the cookies in the freezer until frozen (1-2 hours).

Once frozen, place them in an airtight container or a Ziplock bag and freeze for up to 2 months. To thaw, just place cookies in a single layer on a pan at room temperature until thawed and ready to eat.

Tips for the Perfect No Bake Cookie

• When boiling the butter, sugar, milk, and cocoa you want to make sure to boil it long enough that the no bake cookies will set up properly, but not too long, or the cookies will turn out dry, hard, and crumbly. Follow the directions in the recipe card below for the perfect cooking times.
• Try to avoid switching out ingredients in our no-bake cookies. Many recipes can swap out sugar for sugar substitutes but these cookies need the real thing to cook up right. Everything in moderation, right? Enjoy a cookie and eat salad later.
• If you do want to add a little something extra, you could toss in chopped nuts, coconut, or even mini chocolate candies to give the no bake cookies an extra dimension.
• Old-fashioned oats or quick oats work well in this no-bake cookie recipe. So feel free to use whatever you have on hand.
• Store these cookies in an airtight container and store at room temperature for up to a week. They freeze beautifully for up to three months.
• Each no bake cookie should be about a tablespoon or so. You can use a regular spoon or a cookie scoop to make perfectly sized no bake oatmeal cookies

Frequently Asked Questions for No Bake Cookies

Are no bake cookies gluten free?

They are gluten-free as long as you use gluten-free oats. Not ALL oats are GF so be SURE to check the packaging before preparing for someone who can’t have gluten. Otherwise, all the other ingredients are gluten-free and you are good to go!

Why do my no-bake cookies never harden?

This happens when the sugar/butter mixture isn’t boiled long enough. It should be at a full boil for one minute. Make sure you allow the cookies to cool for a full 30 minutes. You can chill the cookies after this to help them harden if needed.

What happens if you boil no-bake cookies too long?

You will have the opposite result, the cookies will be hard and crumbly. The boiling time needs to be exact for the best result.

More No Bake Recipes

When you’re looking to whip up something quick without the oven, yet still wow guests with gorgeous treats, we have more no bake recipes to choose from! Here are a few of our favorites:

How to Make No Bake Cookies

No Bake Cookies

Easy No Bake Cookies are melt-in-your-mouth delicious! Be sure to follow the recipe exactly to get the best result.

• ▢ ½ cup butter
• ▢ 2 cups sugar
• ▢ 1/2 cup milk
• ▢ 1/4 cup cocoa
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla
• ▢ 1/2 cup peanut butter creamy or crunchy
• ▢ 3 1/2 cups rolled oats old-fashioned or quick

• Measure out rolled oats, peanut butter, and vanilla into a mixing bowl.  Don’t mix.

  

• Mix butter, sugar, milk, and cocoa together in a heavy saucepan and bring to a boil for 1 minute.  Remove from heat.

  

• Quickly stir in the rolled oats, peanut butter, and vanilla.

  

• Return the saucepan to the burner and, while stirring, cook on low for 1 more minute.

  

• Drop by spoonfuls or cookie scoop onto cookie sheets lined with parchment paper or wax paper as quickly as possible. Cool 20-30 minutes.

  

Recipe tips 

• Measure ingredients exactly to get best results.
• Watch boiling time carefully to get best results.
• Use a quality unsweetened cocoa powder for a rich chocolate flavor.
• Any nut butter can be substituted for peanut butter.
• Optional additions: ¼ cup coconut, chocolate chips, chopped nuts
• Store no bake cookies at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks in an airtight container.
• Place cookies in an airtight container or a Ziplock bag and freeze for up to 2 months

Calories: 144kcalCarbohydrates: 21gProtein: 3gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 9mgSodium: 49mgPotassium: 78mgFiber: 1gSugar: 14gVitamin A: 100IUCalcium: 13mgIron: 0.6mg