No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies are packed with hearty oats, they have plenty of chocolate peanut butter flavor, and they’re the easiest cookies you’ll ever make. They’re made with a few simple ingredients and they’re naturally gluten-free!

No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies on a wire rack with chocolate chips

I got a jump on my holiday baking and no-baking last week.  The other two treats will be coming soon, but for now let’s enjoy these classic No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies!

These cookies take me back to my childhood because my mom made them every Christmas. 

She baked a huge variety of cookies and breads to give away to family members as gifts, and she had a few no-bake cookie recipes in her arsenal as well.

I always include Christmas sugar cookies and gingerbread cookies in my holiday baking, which are very time consuming.

It’s nice to have really simple recipes like rocky road candy, chocolate peanut butter fudge and these no bake cookies as they make a fabulous addition to a Christmas cookie box as well. 🙂

Stack of No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies

Why you’ll love this recipe:

  • These cookies are packed with the irresistible flavors of chocolate and peanut butter and hearty oats for a nice chewy texture.
  • They come together in mere minutes and come together in one pot.
  • No bake peanut butter chocolate cookies contain just a few simple ingredients. 
  • They’re gluten-free, and you can easily make them dairy-free or vegan as well.  See the substitutions below for the details.

Recipe ingredients

  • Quick oats. This recipe includes quick oats because they’re not as chewy as rolled oats. They can certainly be substituted with rolled oats for added texture.
  • Peanut butter. For best results, use natural unsweetened peanut butter as the cookies are sweet enough already.
  • Sugar. The granulated sugar may be substituted with brown, coconut or maple sugar. Honey or maple syrup may be used, but the cookies may have a softer, stickier texture.
  • Cocoa powder. Be sure to use unsweetened cocoa powder.
  • Milk. Use your favorite dairy or non-dairy milk.
  • Butter. Swap the butter out for coconut oil to make these cookies vegan.
  • Vanilla. A bit of vanilla extract adds a nice depth of flavor.
  • Chocolate chips. These are completely optional, but they add texture and more chocolate flavor. I love using mini dark chocolate chips.

How to make chocolate peanut butter no bake cookies

These no bake cookies are beyond easy to make following the simple instructions below. 

Pro tip: Rolled oats may be used instead of quick oats, but the cookies will have a chewier texture. If you don’t have quick oats on hand, simply pulse old fashioned rolled oats in your food processor a few times until coarsely chopped.

See the recipe below for full instructions.

How to make No bake chocolate peanut butter oatmeal cookies batter
How to portion no bake chocolate peanut butter oatmeal cookies collage
  1. Place the butter, sugar, milk, cocoa powder and salt in the pan and stir, then bring to a rolling boil over medium heat, then boil for one minute.  Remove from heat, then stir in the peanut butter and vanilla.
  2. Add the oats to the chocolate peanut butter mixture.
  3. Stir until the oats are well coated with the mixture.
  4. Using a 1 1/2″ cookie scoop or tablespoon, scoop about 1 1/2 tablespoons of the cookie mixture onto a baking sheet lined with waxed paper or parchment and flatten slightly with the palm of your hand.  For an extra dose of chocolate, top the cookies with mini chocolate chips.
No bake chocolate peanut butter oatmeal cookies parchment lined baking sheet

FAQs

How long do no bake cookies to sit?

Chocolate peanut butter no bake cookies take about 30 minutes to set at room temperature, or they can be placed in the refrigerator to speed up the process. 

Why are my no bake chocolate peanut butter oatmeal cookies dry?

If the cookie mixture is dry and crumbly, they’ve been overcooked.

Why won’t my no bake cookies set?

It’s very important to bring the cookie mixture to a rolling boil, and continue to boil for 1 minutes so that the mixture thickens. Set your timer to ensure that you boil the mixture long enough.

Should no bake cookies be refrigerated?

No bake cookies do not have to be refrigerated. They’ll keep for 5-7 days in an air tight container at room temperature, or up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator.

Recipe notes

  • Pro tip: Rolled oats may be used instead of quick oats, but the cookies will have a chewier texture. If you don’t have quick oats on hand, simply pulse old fashioned rolled oats in your food processor a few times until coarsely chopped.
  • Store chocolate peanut butter no bake cookies in an air tight container at room temperature for 5-7 days, or in the refrigerator for 1-2 weeks.
  • This recipe is easily doubled!
No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies on a wire rack with chocolate chips

More no bake treats you’ll love:

Did you try this recipe?  If so, be sure to leave a review below and tag me @flavorthemoments on Facebook and Instagram

No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies on a wire rack

No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies

No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies are packed with hearty oats and big chocolate peanut butter flavor. They're naturally gluten-free and they come together in minutes!
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Ingredients

  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter sub with oil for dairy-free
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup milk your favorite dairy or non-dairy
  • 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
  • pinch of salt
  • 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 cups quick oats
  • 1/4 cup mini dark chocolate chips optional

Instructions 

  • Add the butter, sugar, milk, cocoa powder and pinch of salt to a medium sauce pan and stir. Bring to a rolling boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Once the mixture has reached a rolling boil, boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in the peanut butter and vanilla until smooth. Add the oats, stirring until they oats completely coated with the chocolate mixture.
    4 tablespoons unsalted butter, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 1/4 cup milk, 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, pinch of salt, 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 1/2 cups quick oats
  • Using a 1 1/2″ cookie scoop, drop the cookies by heaping tablespoonfuls (about 1 1/2″ tablespoons per cookie) onto a baking sheet lined with parchment or waxed paper. Flatten the cookies with the palm of your hand or the bottom of a glass and top with the mini chocolate chips if desired.
    1/4 cup mini dark chocolate chips
  • Let stand at room temperature until set, about 30 minutes, or chill in the refrigerator to speed up the process. Enjoy!

Notes

  • Pro tip: Rolled oats may be used instead of quick oats, but the cookies will have a chewier texture. If you don’t have quick oats on hand, simply pulse old fashioned rolled oats in your food processor a few times until coarsely chopped.
  • Store chocolate peanut butter no bake cookies in an air tight container at room temperature for 5-7 days, or in the refrigerator for 1-2 weeks.
  • This recipe is easily doubled!

Nutrition

Serving: 1cookie, Calories: 230kcal, Carbohydrates: 29g, Protein: 5g, Fat: 12g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 10mg, Sodium: 37mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 13g

Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.

Did you try this recipe?Be sure to tag @flavorthemoments with the hashtag #flavorthemoments on Instagram so I can see what you made!

**This post was originally published in December 2012.  The photos have been updated to include step by step instructions.

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