Name: Chocolate and Peanut Butter No-Bake Cookies
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 10 min
Ingredients: 3 tbsp cocoa; 2 cups sugar; ¼ cup salted butter; ½ cup milk; 3 cups quick oats; ½ cup creamy peanut butter; 1 tsp vanilla extract

These 7 ingredient No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies are so quick and simple to make. If you’ve ever been to a church bake sale, chances are you’ve seen these no-bake cookies or something similar.

no bake chocolate peanut butter cookies on a piece of parchment paper

I’m a huge fan of no-bake desserts (Chocolate Peanut Butter Haystacks, anyone?). These Chocolate & Peanut Butter No-Bake Cookies are rich, chewy and easy to make. They are the kind of cookie you make one time and never forget the recipe. (If you do forget, just come back to this post!).

No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookie recipes are pretty awesome, if I can have a dessert together without turning on the oven, you have my attention! Plus, you only need everyday baking ingredients for this easy cookie recipe. Nothing crazy, just stuff already in your pantry. They’re so easy to make, the older kids can make them!

No bake means no need for the hot oven on and no mixer
There’s less clean up involved than traditional baked cookies
Great for potlucks, parties, and get-togethers
Loved by both kids and adults
Chocolate and peanut butter are a match made in heaven
Naturally gluten free (but always check your ingredient labels)

no bake chocolate peanut butter cookies on a white plate

Ingredients

Cocoa Powder
Sugar
Salted Butter
Milk
Quick Oats
Creamy Peanut Butter
Vanilla Extract

How to Make Chocolate & Peanut Butter No Bake Cookies

Step One: Combine the cocoa, sugar, butter and milk in a saucepan. Over medium heat, bring to a full boil and continue to boil for 2 minutes. Stir constantly.
Step Two: Remove from heat and add the quick oats, peanut butter and vanilla, stir until combined.
Step Three: Working quickly, drop by the tablespoon on waxed paper and allow to cool completely before serving.

Equipment Needed

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What To Serve With Peanut Butter & Chocolate No-Bake Cookies

Variations and Substitutions

Swap out the peanut butter for any other nut butter alternative, think almond butter, sunflower butter, etc.
You can add in some Nutella for another delicious flavor or swap the chocolate out for it.
If you don’t have quick oats, you can use rolled oats or old fashioned oats. The quick oats give the best texture, but the others will do if in a pinch. They may be a little chewier and thicker if you use the old fashioned oats.
For the peanut butter lovers, drizzle some extra creamy peanut butter that’s been melted so it’s nice and thin and easy to drizzle over the top of these cookies as they harden for an extra blast of peanut butter taste.
You can use crunchy peanut butter for this recipe too. Creamy is just easier to mix together.

no bake chocolate peanut butter cookies stacked on a plate

How to Store Chocolate Peanut Butter No Bake Cookies

You can put your finished Peanut Butter Chocolate No-Bake Cookies in an airtight container. Store them on the counter at room temperature for up to 2 weeks. Make sure they stay covered so they don’t dry out.

Can You Freeze

You can freeze these finished cookies in the freezer for up to 2 months. Once your cookies have set properly, place them in an airtight container with parchment paper in between stacks of cookies so they don’t all freeze together.

When you’re ready to enjoy them again, remove them from the freezer and let thaw for a few hours on the countertop.

Do NOT try to microwave them to reheat them or thaw them faster. This will start to melt the peanut butter and chocolate and could attempt to start cooking the oats.

Recipe Tips and Tricks

You can use cookie cutters to make these no bake cookies into different shapes. This is perfect for making no-bake holiday cookies. Think hearts for Easter, stars for Christmas, etc.
DON’T put your cookies in the fridge to try to harden them. They will end up setting the chocolate before the oats have time to soak moisture up and end up with weird no-bake cookies that have an odd texture.
Measure out all of your ingredients ahead of time. This will help ensure everything is correct when the recipe pace picks up at the end. You don’t want to mess up the chocolate peanut butter mixture because you’re too busy trying to measure out other ingredients.
Make sure you have your cookie sheets lined with paper before you start making your cookies so they’re prepared and ready to drop your cookies on to harden.

Why Are My No-Bake Cookies Not Hardening Up?

For many Peanut Butter Chocolate No Bake Cookies, if they aren’t setting up and hardening, the most common reason is that the mixture didn’t get boiled for long enough.

How Do You Thicken No Bake Cookies?

If you have cookies that you need to thicken, add a little more oats to the mixture. Just remember that the oats will soak up some of the moisture over time, so don’t add too many oats and end up with crumbling cookies.

Do You Have to Refrigerate No Bake Cookies?

You shouldn’t need to put them in the refrigerator to harden up. Give them at least 20-30 minutes for the chocolate and peanut butter mixture to harden and that also gives the oats enough time to fully soak up all the moisture and set properly.

Can I Double This Recipe

Yes, you can easily double this recipe. That’s one reason why I love making no-bake desserts so much. They’re easy to double to feed a crowd and the perfect thing to bring to parties, potlucks, get togethers, as thank you gifts, or any gift for friends and family.

Just make sure you have enough pans to drop them on to set and enough containers to store them in.

a hand holding a no bake chocolate peanut butter cookies

Other No Bake Dessert Recipes To Try

Craving more no-bake desserts? You’ve come to the right spot. Check out my other recipes like:

What is your favorite no-bake cookie?

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Rate this Recipe

4.65 from 17 votes