Classic No Bake Cookies

Name: Classic No Bake Cookies
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 2 cups granulated sugar; ½ cup milk; ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder; ½ cup butter; ½ cup creamy peanut butter; ½ teaspoon vanilla extract; 3 cups old-fashioned oats

Classic No Bake Cookies are easy chocolate peanut butter oatmeal cookies made in just 20 minutes. These old-fashioned no bake cookies are rich, chewy, and full of chocolate peanut butter flavor—perfect for an easy dessert or a quick treat.

A plate of no bake cookies next to glasses of milk and a dish of peanut butter.

I love cookies! Quick cookies, not-so-quick-but-super-delicious-cookies – I love them all!

These classic no bake chocolate oatmeal cookies were one of the first cookies that I learned to make. The combination of the chocolate and peanut butter is crazy good!

Since they’re no bake, they’re also really easy to make, are perfect for kids to help with, and make a great treat when you don’t want to turn on the oven. They’re also made with pantry staples that you probably already have on hand.

I’ve included step-by-step photos and plenty of tips below to help you make perfect cookies.

“Perfect! I’ve used other recipes and the cookies never set. These cookies set like a dream! Thanks for the recipe!” – Kelsey

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Ingredients for no bake cookies in dishes.

Ingredient notes and substitutions

Milk: Anything from skim to whole milk will work. Nondairy milk, like almond milk, will also work.
Unsweetened cocoa powder: I use regular unsweetened natural cocoa powder, not Dutch process, in this recipe.
Butter: I use salted butter. If you’re using unsalted butter, add a couple of pinches of salt. I prefer using butter to margarine in these cookies as I think it gives them better flavor.
Peanut butter: Not natural peanut butter. Regular creamy peanut butter works well in this recipe. You can also use crunchy peanut butter, if you prefer, but I find that creamy works best. I’ve also had good luck using almond butter and sun butter.
Old-fashioned oats: You can substitute an equal amount of quick oats if you prefer. The cookies will have a slightly softer texture with the quick oats.

How to make no bake cookies

Here you’ll find instructions and step-by-step photos showing how to make this recipe. The full recipe, including ingredients, is given below.

Butter melting in a saucepan next to melted chocolate mixture in saucepan.

Step 1: Begin by whisking the sugar, milk, and cocoa powder together before heating.

Step 2: Add the butter. Heat over medium-low heat, stirring regularly. Don’t crank the heat! Heating the mixture up too quickly can cause dry, crumbly cookies.

Step 3: Bring the mixture to a rolling boil, stirring regularly.

Step 4: Once at a rapid or rolling boil, boil for exactly 1 minute. Be sure to set a timer. You’ll want the full minute but no longer. Remove from heat.

Step 5: Stir in vanilla and peanut butter until well-combined.

No bake cookie mixture in a saucepan next to cookies on a piece of parchment paper.

Step 6: Add the oats, and stir to incorporate them.

Step 7: Drop 2 tablespoon scoops of the cookie mixture onto the prepared baking sheets or onto a piece of parchment paper on the counter. You can use a cookie scoop or a measuring spoon to portion the cookie mixture. Using either a cookie scoop or a measuring spoon will help give you evenly-sized cookies.

Step 8: Let cool to room temperature, and then you can chill the cookies

A plate of no bake cookies next to glasses of milk.

FAQs

Here are some tips and answers to frequently asked questions to help you make perfect no bake cookies!

What is a rolling boil?

A rolling boil is where the mixture is rapidly boiling and bubbles are rapidly forming and popping

Can you freeze no bake cookies?

You can! Let the cookies cool to room temperature. Place them in a single layer in a freezer-safe container, like a freezer bag. If placing more than one layer in the container, place a piece of wax paper in between the layers. Seal and freeze.

Why are my no bake cookies dry or crumbly?

If the milk/cocoa powder mixture boils for longer than 1 minute, it can cook down too much, which will cause dry or crumbly cookies.

Why don’t my no bake cookies set up?

If the cookies don’t set up, the mixture may not have come to a full rolling boil or cooked long enough. If the cookies aren’t setting up properly, you can place them in the refrigerator or in the freezer to help firm them up.

A plate of no bake cookies with one with a bite missing.

Storage

You can store the cookies in an airtight container either at room temperature or in the fridge. The cookies will keep for about 2-3 days at room temperature or up to 5 days in the refrigerator.

If your kitchen is warm, I recommend storing in the fridge. Either way, the cookies should be stored in an airtight container.

If you’ve tried this no bake cookie recipe, don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave me a comment below. I love to hear from people who’ve made my recipes!

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5 from 9 votes