Give your oven a break and whip up a batch of these 8-ingredient chocolate peanut butter no-bake cookies. This family-favorite recipe is super simple, and ready to eat after 30 minutes of refrigerating.
I originally published this recipe in 2015, and I’ve since updated it with new photos and extra success tips for consistently excellent results. We also slightly increased the amount of butter, which is reflected in the recipe card below.
For today’s cookies, we’re swapping the oven for the refrigerator! Chocolate peanut butter no-bake cookies are made on the stove with oats, cocoa powder, peanut butter, sugar, and milk. Instead of baking, the mixture firms up in the refrigerator, creating that signature fudgy consistency.
I married into a food-loving family. My husband grew up making zucchini bread, soft pretzels, and these no-bake cookies with his siblings. He said he made these no-bakes so many times growing up that he could mix them together in his sleep. Partly because they’re so easy and partly because everyone craves chocolate and peanut butter at bedtime, right?!
Simply put, these are awesome cookies. They’re as classic as a good batch of chocolate chip cookies, sugar cookies, or rice krispie treats. And after one bite, you’ll understand exactly what the fuss is about. Go ahead and start preheating your ov—oh wait, never mind! 😉
What Makes These No-Bake Cookies So Good:
- No mixer and no oven required
- Chocolate + peanut butter = the GOAT of dessert combos.
- Only 8 basic ingredients—you likely have them on hand right now!
- Shockingly quick and easy, joining 30+ others in my collection of Quick Dessert Recipes
- Naturally egg free, and gluten free (if using certified GF oats)
- Customizable with simple nut-free or dairy-free swaps (see below)
Ingredients You Need & Why
These no-bake cookies come together quickly with a few pantry staples.
- Butter: Like all the best desserts, butter and sugar make the base of this recipe.
- Sugar: I swear by 1 and 1/2 cups of regular granulated sugar here. Over the years, I’ve tested several different amounts, even reducing it, and I’ve tried brown sugar, too. For best success, stick with the recipe below.
- Milk: You can use any kind you have on hand, including nondairy.
- Cocoa Powder: Cocoa powder not only flavors the cookies, it acts as a thickener and binder. Remember this post on dutch-process vs. natural cocoa powder? Fun fact: Since we’re not using a chemical leavener, you can use either in this recipe. I really like this brand of dutch-process cocoa powder here.
- Peanut Butter: For best taste and texture in baking recipes, I usually push you to use standard commercially processed peanut butter. While I typically use creamy Jif here, you can substitute your favorite natural peanut butter. Same option goes for these flourless peanut butter oatmeal cookies, too. Give it a good stir before measuring and using. Nut-free? Scroll below.
- Vanilla Extract & Salt: A little salt and a splash of vanilla extract adds flavor. Bonus: You can use homemade vanilla extract if you have it!
- Oats: I prefer to use quick oats in this easy cookie recipe, but you can also make these no-bake cookies with whole rolled oats. Though whole oats work wonderfully, we find the cookies hold shape a bit better with quick oats. Surprisingly, this recipe works with either type. (Just another reason to love this recipe!)
If using certified gluten-free oats, these cookies are gluten free. For my gluten-free readers, you’ll also appreciate this recipe for no-bake chocolate fudge oat bars. You can also browse all my favorite gluten-free dessert recipes here.
Since the ingredient list is so short, the cookies are perfect for busy days and last minute desserts. They’re my go-to when we need something quick and easy. (And kids love to help!)
Overview: How to Make Easy No-Bake Cookies
Besides using super basic ingredients, the method couldn’t be simpler.
Whisk the butter, sugar, milk, and cocoa powder together in a medium (about 3-quart) pot until the butter melts.
Once boiling in the center, stop stirring and start a timer. Let it boil for 1 minute. Though you can make the recipe without one, an instant-read thermometer is helpful to determine doneness. The mixture on the stove should read 225°F (107°C).
After that, immediately remove from heat and stir in the peanut butter and vanilla extract, then the oats and salt.
Grab your timer again and let the mixture cool for 5 minutes. This gives the oats some time to absorb the liquid, which makes scooping and shaping much easier. If you used a super thin natural-style peanut butter, let it sit for about 10 minutes.
Drop a Tablespoon-sized mound about 2 inches apart on lined baking sheets. Feel free to slightly flatten down the cookies with the back of a spoon. Let the cookies set in the refrigerator for about 30–60 minutes. Ding! Cookies are ready!
If you haven’t caught on by now, there’s no turning on the oven for no-bake cookies. Instead, the cookies firm up in the refrigerator. I love that! They’re perfect if you’re having a marathon baking day and need the oven for other baking, or if it’s just too hot to justify baking anything!
Variations & Subsitutions
- Nut-Free No Bakes: Swap peanut butter for sunflower seed butter or Biscoff spread.
- Almond Butter No Bakes: Swap peanut butter for almond butter.
- Nutella No Bakes: You can find that recipe in my Sally’s Cookie Addiction cookbook.
- Sprinkles or Flaky Sea Salt: Add sprinkles or sea salt flakes to the tops of each wet cookie before refrigerating.
Success Tips for No-Bake Cookies
- Have your ingredients ready: Once the chocolate mixture comes off the stove, the remaining ingredients must be stirred in right away. It’s helpful to have all your ingredients on stand-by.
- Follow the recipe: Sounds like a silly success tip, but it’s worth mentioning. The cookies work because we’re using a particular wet-to-dry ingredient ratio.
- Avoid crumbly cookies: Don’t overcook the chocolate mixture. Doing so will over-thicken it, which inevitably leads to crumbly no-bake cookies.
- Use a cookie scoop or spoon: 1 Tablespoon of dough will give us perfectly portioned cookies. Use a cookie scoop, a spoon, or your Tablespoon measuring spoon.
This usually means the mixture didn’t boil long enough. The sugar needs to fully dissolve and reach the right temperature to set properly. Though you can make the recipe without one, an instant-read thermometer is helpful to determine doneness. The mixture on the stove should read 225°F (107°C). If the cookies are still too soft, the cook time was likely a bit short or the ingredient ratios may have been a bit off.
This usually means that either the oats or peanut butter were slightly over-measured, and/or the stovetop mixture was cooked too long. Be sure to measure carefully, use a kitchen scale if you have one, and keep a close eye and timer on the stove.
You can, but make sure it’s smooth and very well stirred before using. Natural peanut butter can be thinner and oilier, so the cookies may take a bit longer to set in the refrigerator.
Yes, no bake cookies should set up in the refrigerator. Though they’ll firm up at room temperature, a quick 30–60 minutes in the refrigerator helps them set faster and hold their shape better.
Chocolate Peanut Butter No-Bake Cookies
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 24 cookies
- Category: Cookies
- Method: No-Bake
- Cuisine: American
Description
These 8-ingredient classic no-bake cookies are rich, fudgy, and full of chocolate peanut butter flavor. You need simple pantry ingredients and the cookies are ready in around 1 hour.
Ingredients
- 6 Tablespoons (85g) unsalted butter*
- 1 and 1/2 cups (300g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (120g/ml) milk*
- 1/4 cup (21g) unsweetened natural or Dutch-process cocoa powder
- 2/3 cup (170g) creamy peanut butter*
- 1 Tablespoon (15ml) pure vanilla extract (yes, a full Tablespoon!)
- 3 cups (255g) old-fashioned whole rolled oats or quick oats*
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Combine the butter, sugar, milk, and cocoa powder together in a medium (about 3-quart) saucepan over medium heat. Whisk constantly until the butter melts. Whisking occasionally, bring to a boil. Once boiling, stop whisking and allow to boil for 1 minute. If you want to be precise and you own an instant-read thermometer, the temperature should rise to at least 225°F (107°C).
- Remove from heat, then immediately stir in the peanut butter and vanilla extract until completely combined. Finally, stir in the oats and salt.
- Allow mixture to sit for 5 minutes. This allows the oats to soak up some moisture.
- During the 5 minutes, line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. And make sure there is enough room in your refrigerator for the baking sheets.
- Using a 1-Tablespoon cookie scoop (or simply a Tablespoon), drop spoonfuls of dough onto the lined baking sheets. If desired, slightly flatten down with the back of a spoon. Repeat with the rest of the dough.
- Refrigerate the cookies for 30–60 minutes so they set. Remove from the refrigerator and enjoy!
- Cover and store leftover cookies in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Freezing Instructions: Once completely set, the no-bake cookies can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Saucepan | Whisk | Rubber Spatula | Instant-Read Thermometer | Baking Sheets | Silicone Baking Mats or Parchment Paper
- Butter: Coconut oil works instead of butter because, like butter, it solidifies when cold.
- Peanut Butter: This recipe works best if using a non-natural-style peanut butter like Jif or Skippy. However, you can substitute your favorite natural peanut butter if desired. Give it a good stir before using and in step 3, let the oat mixture sit for about 10 minutes to thicken properly. Nut-free? Substitute sunflower seed butter or Biscoff spread.
- Milk: Use your favorite milk, dairy or nondairy.
- Oats: I usually use quick oats, but you can use old-fashioned whole rolled oats instead if that’s what you have. Surprisingly, these cookies work with either type of oat! Do not use steel-cut oats.
- Recipe Update in 2026: The original recipe called for 1/4 cup (4 Tbsp/56g) of butter, but some readers reported their cookies were overly dry, so we increased the amount.
