No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies
Sometimes the best recipes are the simplest, and these no bake chocolate peanut butter cookies prove it! These no bake cookies an easy to make, classic recipe that is packed full of chocolate and peanut butter flavors. This foolproof recipe comes together in under 10 minutes on the stove and makes a large batch- trust me, you’re gonna need it!
What ingredients do I need?
For our no bake recipe, you’ll need cocoa powder, sugar, salt, evaporated (or whole) milk, butter, peanut butter, vanilla, and old fashioned oats.
Do I need special equipment to make no bake cookies?
The only equipment needed is a burner, wooden spoon, large dutch oven or heavy bottomed pot, and parchment paper.
I recommend using an enameled dutch oven, but any heavy bottomed stock pot will do.
Before turning the burner on, mix the sugar, cocoa, milk, and salt in the dutch oven. Turn the heat to medium and continue stirring until it reaches a rolling boil. Set your timer for one minute. Do not cook longer (unless using a substitution noted below), or cookies will be dry and crumbly. Remove from heat and immediately stir in butter, peanut butter, and vanilla.
Once the peanut butter and butter are melted and thoroughly mixed, stir in oats.
Quickly drop by spoonful or scoop onto parchment paper. I love using these scoops, they make quick, mess-free work of dropping them out.
Allow to cool for 30-60 minutes, or until set. Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Can I substitute skim milk?
I recommend using evaporated milk in this recipe, but whole milk will also work well to achieve the creamy, but firm result. Using 2%, skim, or nut milk such as almond milk will work, but you may need to boil for just a bit longer due to the higher water content.
Can I freeze no bake chocolate peanut butter cookies?
Yes, these no-bake can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
Do the cookies require refrigeration?
No refrigerator necessary for these at regular room temperatures. You can leave at room temperature for up to 5 days. However, if your home is extremely warm, I recommend keeping them refrigerated to avoid messy fingers.
Can I use old fashioned oats instead of quick oats in no bake cookies?
Using old fashioned oats will not affect the recipe success, but will result in a much chewier cookie. Old fashioned oats take much longer to cook than quick oats, so they will not fully absorb enough moisture during the quick cook time of this recipe. If you have old fashioned oats, you can quickly turn them into quick oats with a few pulses in the food processor.
Are these gluten free?
Because there is no flour in this recipe, it is easy to make these a gluten free cookie! Most oats and peanut butter are gluten free, but check your labels to be sure.
No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies
Equipment
- Heavy Bottomed Stock Pot
- Candy Thermometer (optional)
Ingredients
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder, unsweetened
- 1/2 cup evaporated milk
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 8 TBSP (1 stick) unsalted butter
- 1 cup peanut butter (creamy or crunchy)
- 1 TSP vanilla extract
- 3 cups quick oats
Instructions
- Line the counter or two 9x13 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Stir together sugar, cocoa powder, milk, and salt in heavy bottomed 4 quart pot. Bring to a boil over medium heat while stirring constantly. Once mixture reaches a boil, boil without stirring for 1 minute.
- Remove from heat. Stir in butter, peanut butter, and vanilla until well mixed. Stir in oats.
- Immediately drop by large spoonful or small cookie scoop (1 TBSP) onto parchment paper. Allow to cool at room temperature until set, about an hour.
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