You totally remember these, right? Melt-in-your mouth chocolatey mounds of pure goodness? These No-Bake Cookies with peanut butter, butter, milk, cocoa powder, and oats are the real deal. The classic. The big kahuna.
This recipe is from my earliest days of blogging … all the way back to 2010! The blog has taken lots of twists and turns since then but some of these earliest recipes are some of my very favorite – even if they really need update photos (like this one got)!
My Mom used to make this No-Bake Cookies recipe and it was one of my faves. It was one of her faves (and now mine) to make because it is so easy!
So what’s in No-Bake Cookies?
Such a simple list of ingredients!
Well first of all, put away the oven, because obviously you’re not using that!
Making No-Bake Cookies is easy. First, you melt the sugar, butter, and cocoa powder together and let it cook for a bit. Then, you add your oats, peanut butter, and vanilla and stir stir stir. Plop mounds of No-Bake Cookie goodness onto wax paper and let your cookies harden – that usually takes about an hour. But there is NO shame in trying one a little beforehand – it’ll still be a bit soft. Also delicious. And, I would also argue, important to make sure your cookies have turned out.
Q: Why are my No-Bake Cookies dry?
A: You cooked your mixture for too long or too hot, most likely! Try again at a very low rolling boil for 3 minutes, tops. You also want to make sure you’re using quick-cooking rolled oats. The thicker rolled oats can create No-Bakes that are denser, dryer, and not as melt-in-your mouth good.
Q: How long do No-Bakes take to harden?
A: It takes about 1 hour for No-Bake Cookies to set.
Q: How to fix No-Bakes that don’t harden?
A: To salvage your current batch, you can try to refrigerate or even freeze them. They’ll still taste delicious even if they aren’t exactly what you’d wanted. Next time, make sure you bring your mixture to a full rolling boil then reduce the temperature so the mix is at a very low rolling boil for 3 minutes but no longer.
Q: How do I make Vegan/Dairy-Free No-Bake Cookies?
A: I have substituted the butter with Miyoko’s and the milk with almond and oat milk and the result is pretty good!