These chocolate and peanut butter no bake cookies are a breeze to whip up! The chocolate and peanut butter combined with quick oats makes a fudgy cookie that tastes delicious with a cup of coffee. If you have friends or family who have gluten intolerances, then these no bake cookies are a great option because they are made with an oat base instead of flour, but be sure to purchase quick oats that specify gluten free on the packaging. For more gluten free friendly cookie recipes, you may also enjoy my Chunky M&M Cookies or Monster Cookie Bars. We also love these Rice Krispy Treats from Sally’s Baking Addiction, they can be made gluten free with the use of gluten free rice krispies (I find mine at Aldi’s grocery stores).
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Chocolate Peanut Butter No Bake Cookies (gluten free)
Equipment
- Saucepan (linked below)
- Cookie sheets (linked below)
- Stainless steel measuring cups (linked below)
- Wax paper (linked below)
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter salted
- 1/2 cup milk (not scant)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- 2 1/2 cups quick oats leveled *see note
- 2/3 cup peanut butter
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- Melt butter in a medium sized sauce pan, then whisk in milk, sugars and cocoa powder. Bring to a boil and allow to boil for one minute, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and stir in the quick oats, peanut butter and vanilla extract until well combined.
- Working quickly, drop the cookies by tablespoon onto two wax or parchment paper lined cookie sheets. Allow to cool, then serve and enjoy! Additional tips and storage notes below.
Notes
Equipment needed for these Chocolate Peanut Butter No Bake Cookies:
- Saucepan A medium sized saucepan is needed to cook the oatmeal cookie mixture. I prefer to use my sauce pan with a handle, from Farberware (not an ad).
- Cookie sheets Cookie sheets are needed to drop the cookies onto while they are still hot.
- Measuring cups I prefer to use stainless steel measuring cups for a more accurate measurement of the ingredients listed. Be careful if using plastic measuring cups as some plastic measuring cups run larger in size than stainless steel measuring cups.
- Wax paper Wax or parchment paper is needed to line the cookie sheets before dropping the hot, no bake cookies onto the sheets. Using wax or parchment paper makes removing the cooled cookies much easier.
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Ingredients needed for these Chocolate Peanut Butter No Bake Cookies: Butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, vanilla extract, cocoa powder, quick oats, milk, and creamy peanut butter.
Can crunchy peanut butter be used in these no bake cookies?
You can use crunchy peanut butter, but I don’t recommend it because the cookies turn out more dry and crumbly without the creamy peanut butter binding them. But, feel free to experiment with the ratios. For instance, I would add more butter and milk if you plan to use crunchy peanut butter (but have not tested it personally).
Step 1: Melt butter in a medium sized sauce pan, then whisk in milk, sugars and cocoa powder. Bring to a boil and allow to boil for one minute, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and stir in the quick oats, peanut butter and vanilla extract until well combined.
Can I add less sugar to these no bake cookies?
In one of the batches of these no bake cookies that I tested, I reduced the sugar to about 3/4 cup each of granulated sugar and brown sugar. Although I did like having the cookies less sweet, they did turn out more dry and crumbly, but still held their shape. If you wish to reduce the sugar, I would compensate by adding more wet ingredients. I also recommend reducing the granulated sugar before reducing the brown sugar, because the molasses in the brown sugar helps to act as a binder for the cookies.
Step 2: Working quickly, drop the cookies by tablespoon onto two wax or parchment paper lined cookie sheets.
Tips for dropping these cookies onto baking sheets before the mixture sets:
I like to measure out the last 3 ingredients, (peanut butter, quick oats and vanilla extract) and have them nearby, then as soon as the mixture is finished boiling I can add them and stir them in quickly. It is also wise to have your cookie sheets lined and ready nearby for the hot cookies to be dropped onto asap. Why do all this? Because, as the no bake cookie mixture cools, it thickens quickly and is harder to drop in a nicely rounded shape.
Allow the cookies to cool, then serve and enjoy! They are delicious plain, with a glass of milk or even with your morning cup of coffee!
Storage tips for these Chocolate No Bake Cookies:
These no bake cookies freeze well. To freeze the cookies, transfer them to an airtight container with a lid and freeze them for up to 3 months. You can also leave the cookies at room temperature (in an airtight container or tightly wrapped) for up to 5 days. Enjoy!
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