These easy no bake cookies are classic. Peanut butter, cocoa, and oats combine to create chewy, rich, and fudgy cookies. They’re quick to make and perfect for summer!

Easy No Bake Cookies

No-bake cookies, aka no bakes, have been a nostalgic recipe for many people over the years. I definitely remember my mom making them for us as kids. A childhood favorite, especially in the summer when it was too hot to turn the oven on.

It’s hard to resist that chocolate and peanut butter combination. These cookies are literally like eating chocolate peanut butter fudge with some chewy oats added into the mix. So rich and indulgent.

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The best part about these cookies is that they are super easy and quick to make. The longest part is waiting for them to set up enough to be able to hold them. Of course you can throw them in the fridge to speed up the process.

No bake cookies set up on baking tray with wax paper.

Classic No Bake Cookies

The reason no bake cookies are a classic is because if you look at all the variations online, they are almost identical. Don’t mess with a classic! However, my recipe swaps some of the granulated sugar with brown sugar. Why?

The cookie essentially stays the same, but the moisture from the molasses in the brown sugar combines with the cocoa powder to enhance the fudgy texture. This reduces the possibility of dry cookies.

Of course I have more tips for making the best no bake cookies, just read on.

Classic peanut butter chocolate no bake cookies with oats.

Ingredients

First, let’s start with the ingredients for these no bake oatmeal cookies. You will need:

Butter – As a culinary student, we were told to use unsalted butter every time, to control the amount of salt in the recipe. This doesn’t mean you can’t use salted butter. You may just want to omit the additional salt in the recipe.
Granulated Sugar
Brown Sugar
Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
Milk – Whole milk will give you the creamiest cookies, but use what you have.
Salt
Vanilla Extract
Creamy Peanut Butter – Like Jif or Skippy.
Quick Oats – If you only have old-fashioned oats on hand, simply put them in a blender or food processor and pulse two or three times. This will give them the texture of quick-cooking oats.

How to Make No Bake Cookies

Now that you’ve got your ingredients, let’s make these easy no bake cookies.

Before making the cookies, line two trays with wax or parchment paper because the mixture may set up fast once it’s ready to go.

Combine the butter, sugar, brown sugar, cocoa, milk, and salt in a 3-quart medium saucepan. NOTE: I like to cut the butter into Tablespoons so it melts quickly and evenly.
Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until it reaches a full boil.
Allow mixture to boil for 1 minute without stirring. (Set a timer!)
Remove from heat and add the vanilla and peanut butter. Stir until smooth.
Add the oats and stir until well combined.

Scoop, Set, and Store the Cookies

No bake cookies scooped onto a baking sheet with wax paper.

Use a cookie scoop or two spoons to drop the mixture onto the lined cookie sheets. Work quickly. May flatten cookies slightly with the back of the scoop/spoon, if needed. NOTE: I used a #40 scoop (about 1 1/2 Tablespoons) for small cookies, as these are pretty rich.

Allow cookies to rest at room temperature or place in the fridge until set.

Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature up to 5 days. If the room is particularly warm, you may want to put a piece of wax or parchment paper between the layers of cookies so they don’t melt together.

Tips for Success

Easy no bake cookies with peanut butter, cocoa powder, and oats.

These no bake cookies are easy, but can be technical, as they are similar to candy making. Here are some tips.

Have all ingredients measured and ready. You don’t want to walk away from the stove, or you’ll risk over-cooking the mixture. You also don’t want it to set up before you’ve got the final ingredients added. Have everything ready to go before you start.
Use Medium Heat. Don’t rush this! If the mixture heats too quickly you many end up with grainy sugar crystals in your cookies. Use medium heat and a burner that fits the size of pot that you are using.
Full Boil. Make sure the mixture comes to a full boil. Not necessarily a rolling boil that you can’t stir down, because it will most likely over-cook if you wait that long. But make sure it’s not just boiling around the edges. The mixture does tend to thicken slightly before this happens.
Stop Stirring. After you reach the boil, stop stirring. Stirring while it is boiling causes premature crystal growth and large crystals to form. No one wants grainy no bake cookies.
Use a timer or a thermometer. The chocolate mixture is essentially fudge. And in order for it to set up properly, it needs to reach 230˚F, which is easy to check with an instant thermometer. If you don’t have a thermometer, set the timer for 1 minute once the mixture comes to a full boil. Then immediately remove the pot from the heat once the time is up. Of course varying stoves and altitudes may alter this time to slightly less or more.

Chocolate peanut butter no bake cookies stacked on top of each other.

You’re going to love this quick treat!

Easy No Bake Cookies