No Bake Cookies

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These classic No-Bake Cookies are a quick, nostalgic treat that satisfies a chocolate-peanut butter craving without ever turning on the oven. These easy no-bake cookies are fudgy, chewy, and rich yet take only minutes to make.

Prep Time5

Cook Time15

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: no bake cookies, saucepan cookies

Servings: cookies

Author: Modern Honey® - www.modernhoney.com

Ingredients

1/2 cup Butter (salted)
1 cup Granulated Sugar
1 cup Brown Sugar (packed)
1/2 cup Milk (whole or 2% preferred)
1/4 cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
3/4 cup Creamy Peanut Butter * (Jif or Skippy's)
2 3/4 cups Quick Oats * (up to 3 cups)

Instructions

Gather all ingredients, measure, and set aside. Read all instructions before starting. Line a large baking sheet or countertop space with parchment paper or wax paper. This is where you’ll drop the cookies to cool. I prefer parchment paper as the cookies don't stick to it at all.
Heat a medium saucepan over LOW HEAT. Add butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, cocoa powder and milk. Keep stirring to allow the butter to slowly melt. Use a whisk to smooth out any cocoa powder lumps.
Once the butter is melted, increase the heat to MEDIUM and stir constantly. Watch for the mixture to begin to bubble (may need to stop stirring for a few seconds to see if it is slightly boiling. You just need to see bubbles on the edges of the pan.
Boil exactly 1 minute. Once it begins boiling, set a timer for 1 minute. Keep stirring while it bubbles. Timing is critical -- less than 1 minute and the cookies may not set -- longer than 1 minute and they may become dry and crumbly.
Remove from heat and stir in flavorings. Take the pan off the stove. Stir in vanilla extract and peanut butter until smooth and fully incorporated.
Stir in the quick oats until evenly coated. The mixture should be thick but still glossy.
Using a spoon or cookie scoop, quickly drop spoonfuls of the mixture into circles onto your prepared parchment paper. Work somewhat fast — the mixture sets as it cools. Let them set.
Allow the cookies to sit at room temperature for about 20–30 minutes until firm. For quicker setting, you can place them in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.

Notes

Read the blog post for tips, mix-in ideas, and more information about the recipe testing process and analyzing 4 different ratios of ingredients.

Use creamy, no-stir peanut butter (like Jif or Skippy) for consistent results.

Use Quick Oats. They absorb the hot mixture better than old-fashioned rolled oats, creating a tender chew.

Use a high-quality unsweetened cocoa powder for best results. Dutch-process cocoa yields a darker, smoother flavor.

If you want a heartier cookie, you may increase the oats to 3 cups. If you want a slightly less peanut butter flavor, you can reduce the peanut butter to 2/3 cup.

Nutrition