These easy chocolate no bake cookies are packed with chewy rolled oats, smooth peanut butter, and rich cocoa. The recipe is sure to become a new family favorite!
What makes these the best chocolate no bake cookies?
- Only 8 ingredients, and no eggs or flour.
- That classic chocolate no bake flavor will bring you straight back to childhood.
- Each bite is soft, chewy, and ultra fudgy at the same time.
- The entire recipe is so simple to prepare, in just five minutes!
You may also like: Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
The original chocolate oatmeal no bake recipe
Today’s recipe was passed down to me from my great grandmother.
Growing up, we always made a batch or two at Christmas, along with Snowball Cookies, Chocolate Crinkle Cookies, and all the other traditional holiday cookie recipes.
These chocolate no bakes have been popular for decades, and for very good reason!
You’ll often find them at school bake sales or church potlucks. They go by many names, including chocolate oaties, mud pies, cow patties, preacher cookies, boiled cookies, poodgies, peanut butter delights, and chocolate haystacks.
Chances are good that your family has their own version of the famous original recipe. If so, what do you call them?
It’s no secret why everyone loves these chocolate no bakes. Each cookie has just 70 calories, with over a gram of fiber and close to three grams of protein. Plus they combine three of the best cookie ingredients: chocolate, peanut butter, and oatmeal.
And the fact that they’re so quick whip up makes this recipe great to have on hand any time you need a last minute dessert to wow guests or bring to a party.
Also try this Chocolate Banana Bread
Step by step recipe video
Chocolate no bake cookie ingredients
Cocoa powder – Use high quality unsweetened cocoa powder for a deep chocolate flavor.
Oats – Old fashioned rolled oats give an extra chewiness to the cookies, while quick oats will yield softer cookies that are less crumbly. Steel cut or instant oats are not recommended.
Peanut butter – I love the texture of crunchy peanut butter in these cookies. You can use smooth peanut butter if you prefer. Natural peanut butter or conventional brands like Jif or Skippy both work.
For peanut free no bakes, try almond butter, Pistachio Butter, or nut free sunflower butter.
Sugar – White sugar works best, and xylitol is a great no sugar option. If you want healthy no bake cookies with pure maple syrup or agave, use one cup maple syrup and omit the milk.
Milk – This can be skim, whole, or dairy free milk like almond milk or coconut milk.
Butter – For the richest, most chocolatey results, buy full fat unsalted butter or coconut oil.
Salt – A pinch of salt adds depth of flavor to the chocolate. You can omit the salt if preparing cookies for someone following a low sodium lifestyle.
Vanilla extract – Use high quality pure vanilla extract, not cheaper imitation vanilla. Your tastebuds will thank you!
Leftover oats? Make Baked Oatmeal Bars
Katie’s secret no bake cookie tip
While these chocolate peanut butter oatmeal no bake cookies are so tasty dropped straight from the mixing bowl, my favorite way to eat them is frozen.
Just pop one (or two or three… or five) out of the freezer for instant gratification any time you are craving chocolate!
How to make chocolate no bake cookies
- Start by gathering all of your ingredients. Line a cookie sheet or baking tray with parchment or wax paper.
- In a medium saucepan on the stove top, stir the sugar and cocoa powder.
- Cut the butter into cubes. Add the milk and butter to the saucepan, and turn the heat to medium.
- Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Once boiling, stir the bubbly mixture constantly for one minute.
- Turn off the heat and stir in the peanut butter, salt, and pure vanilla extract until smooth.
- Now stir in the oats with a large spoon or spatula until fully coated and evenly mixed.
- Use a spoon or mini cookie scoop to drop spoonfuls of the chocolate batter onto the wax or parchment paper.
- Let the no bake cookies sit at least one hour to firm up, or refrigerate or freeze until chilled for much faster hardening.
No bake cookie flavor ideas
Coconut Chocolate. Decrease the oats to two and a half cups, and stir in half a cup of sweetened or unsweetened shredded coconut.
Dark Chocolate Mocha. Add a teaspoon of instant coffee or espresso powder when you add the peanut butter.
Nutella. Replace the peanut butter with store bought or Homemade Nutella to create homemade Nutella no bakes.
Mint Chocolate Chip. Stir in a fourth teaspoon of pure peppermint extract when you add the pure vanilla extract. Sprinkle mini chocolate chips into the batter just before scooping into balls.
Pumpkin Pie. Swap out the milk in the recipe for an equal amount of canned pumpkin puree. Stir half a teaspoon of ground cinnamon and a fourth teaspoon of pumpkin spice into the oats.
White Chocolate. After melting the butter, cocoa, milk and sugar, turn off the heat. Stir in a fourth cup of white chocolate chips until smooth. Then stir in remaining ingredients.
Mexican Hot Chocolate. Stir half a teaspoon of ground cinnamon and a pinch of cayenne pepper into the oats.
Banana Bread. Replace the milk in the recipe with a fourth cup of mashed banana. Add a dash of ground cinnamon if desired.
Other Flavors. Stir in a handful of chia seeds, flax seeds, raisins, dried fruit, hemp seeds, finely diced pecans or almonds, or pumpkin seeds.
Chocolate no bake cookies FAQ
Boiled no bake cookies work because the base cooks on the stove top and then solidifies as it cools, similar to candy making. Baking no bake cookies in an oven is not advised, as your cookies may turn into chocolate puddles.
Yes, this recipe works in a microwave, with no stove required. Simply heat the cocoa, butter, milk, and sugar in a large heat safe bowl for two minutes. Whisk, then heat for another minute, or until slightly thicker. Proceed to follow the recipe below, starting from step five. (Microwave times may vary depending on the wattage of your machine.)
The wheat free and flourless cookies can be gluten free as written. Use certified gluten free oats to ensure no gluten in the recipe.
Substitute the butter for coconut oil or a plant based butter spread, and use your favorite nondairy milk to get vegan no bake cookies. The recipe is already naturally egg free.
Substitute granulated erythritol or xylitol for sugar free no bakes. The recipe contains oats and is not low carb. For a keto option, I recommend these Chocolate Protein Cookies.
Store leftover cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for three days or in the refrigerator for up to a week. Or freeze in a covered container for up to three months.
Recipe adapted from my Banana Oatmeal Cookies and Chocolate Oatmeal Fudge Bars.
Chocolate No Bake Cookies
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (26g)
- 1 1/3 cup sugar or sugar free substitute (270g)
- 1/2 cup milk of choice (120g)
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter or coconut oil (120g)
- 1 cup peanut butter (240g)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract (5g)
- 3 cups rolled oats or quick oats (280g)
Instructions
- 1. Gather ingredients, and line a cookie sheet or baking tray with wax or parchment paper.
- 2. Stir sugar and cocoa powder in a medium saucepan.
- 3. Cut butter into cubes. Add the butter and milk to the saucepan, and turn the stove top heat to medium.
- 4. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Once boiling, stir constantly for 1 minute. The mixture should look bubbly and slightly thick.
- 5. Remove from the heat, then stir in the peanut butter, salt, and pure vanilla extract until completely smooth.
- 6. Now stir in the oats until evenly coated.
- 7. Using a spoon or mini cookie scoop, drop spoonfuls of chocolate batter onto the prepared cookie sheet.
- 8. Let the chocolate no bake cookies sit at least an hour to firm up. Or for a much faster option, refrigerate or freeze until set.
Video
Notes
More No Bake Chocolate Recipes
These look delicious! Do you think I could substitute in some plant-based protein powder for some of the oats to boost the protein content? Definitely planning to try these in the near future 🙂
There’s no way to know unless you try. It sounds like a fun experiment and one Katie has been thinking of trying too (although her thoughts were more along the lines of subbing out some/all of the cocoa powder for chocolate protein powder). If you try it before we do, definitely be sure to report back!
Jason (media relations)
Hmm, I might try subbing shredded coconut for the oats. Any thoughts on that?
I didn’t have enough agave so I substituted half for molasses. They taste like a salt lick. Next time, I will omit the added salt and follow the recipe for the sweetener.
I was supposed to wait until they firm up to eat? Oops. So good. So easy. I might need to sample another one
Ooo!
These are pretty similar to my “fiber cookie” recipe.
The basic recipe for that, per serving, is
2 Tbls honey roasted on
2-3Tbls glad seeds
Cocoa powder or syrup to taste (1-6 tsp for cocoa, 1-2 Tbls for syrup)
Stir well, drop onto wax paper, freeze 15 minutes, enjoy.
I usually make a bigger batch and keep in the freezer.
My last batch I used two jars (15oz) honey pb, one crunchy one creamy, 2Tbls coconut oil, 1/4 or 1/2 cup dark cocoa, half cup gf oats, 1/4cup each of chia seeds, whole millet, & whole amaranth, most of a bag (1lb?) of flax seeds. Maybe a half cup sugar, might have been 1/4. I do try to keep that down, the honey in the pb is usually almost all the sugar it needs, depending on how much cocoa is added.
Plop, freeze, transfer to container, keep in freezer. Eat cold, mmm. Made about 80 cookies last time.
If I have them on hand I have also added sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, nuts, dried cranberries and raisins, whatever crunchy bits are around (and maybe need using up).
I have started melting some of pb first so I can mix the cocoa & sugar in, then add everything else to the largest bowl I can find and stir till mixed.
I do try to stick to the original premise of 2 Tbls flax to 2 Tbls pb when attempting to calculate how much to use. (Although when adding a bunch of other goodies the amount of flax can/should be lessened, and sometimes that’s when the coconut oil needs to be added, so it will all mix.)
🙂
I don’t know why it keeps changing “peanut butter” to “on”.
Argh! And “glad seeds” are chia seeds
Just made these as a healthy after school snack and they are to die for!! The Peanut butter combined with maple syrup is spectacular. I can barley make them last a day!
I completely omitted oats and used the same amount of pecans and coconut shreds/flakes. SOooooooo good. I loved the much less healthy version as a kid, so I’m really happy to have a cleaner version! Thanks!
Thank you! Really good and easy to make! My boyfriend ate them all! 🙂
This is not only an impressive recipe, but a very impressive website. You have a lot to be proud of. I truly look forward to trying each of your recipes! Thank you.