Some readers asked me to share My no-bake cookies Recipes on blogs sometimes. Of course, this gave me the opportunity to make and eat more cookies, so I promised I would.
These no-bake chocolate oat cookies are probably my all-time favorite and the one that ALWAYS reminds me of Midwest summers.
Growing up, once our air conditioner was on for the summer, we wouldn’t use the oven anymore. So no-bake cookies are the only way to go if you want to make cookies.
Over the years when I’ve posted about these cookies, I’ve seen them called by other names. My favorite is “beef biscuits.” Laugh out loud. My grandparents had a cattle ranch that we visited a lot as children so… I get it. Let us know in the comments if you call them by a different name.
While no-bake chocolate oat cookies are fairly simple to make, they can be a bit fussy. So I’m sharing my tips for making these awesome.
Why not order my no-bake cookies?
You probably didn’t boil the mixture long enough. You want the butter, milk, sugar, and cocoa mixture to boil for the full 2-3 minutes and reach 190°F-200°F.
If you don’t cook them long enough, they will become mushy and won’t set.
How do you fix the cookie not baking?
Freeze them. Once you’ve added the peanut butter and oats, the only option to fix your no-bake cookies is to freeze them so they stick together enough for you to eat.
It may not be perfect, but it’s not the end of the world and they’ll still be delicious!
Why are my no-bake cookies dry and crumbly?
This means you have boiled the mixture for too long. Sugar gets too hot (above 200°F) should start to harden. This is a good thing if you want to make homemade candies. But for no-bake cookies, you want to boil the mixture for 2-3 minutes until it reaches 190°F to 200°F.
One candy thermometer is the best. But honestly, I don’t usually use one when I’m making no-bake cookies—I just set the timer for the cooking time. And it’s best to err on the side of simmering the mixture rather than over-boiling.
You can freeze soft, chewy cookies. But once the mixture is hard and crumbly, your cookies are basically spoiled.
You can substitute this formula:
- Peanut butter can be swapped for any nut butter, like almond butter.
- Milk can be substituted for any non-dairy milk, such as soy milk.
- You can make this with quick oats instead of old fashioned oats, but I love the texture of fashion style.
- You can also swap oats for sliced almonds or a mixture of nuts and seeds unsweetened coconut if you want them to be seedless.
- Vanilla extract can be swapped for any cooking extract (like mint extract) if you want them to have a chocolate mint flavor. You may want to adjust the amount. I would use less mint extract than vanilla because it has a stronger flavor.
Non-Baking Cookie Ingredients:
1/4 cup butter
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons cocoa
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
I like to keep my peanut butter and oats in separate bowls or containers. It’s good to get them ready, because once it’s time for them, you better get ready for them.
Other no-bake desserts:
Can aluminum foil be used for unbaked cookies?
I usually scoop up unbaked cookies wax paperbut you can also use aluminum foil or waxed paper instead.
For an affordable selection, you can also scoop these into a grilled matsalthough you won’t bake them afterwards (they just need time to set, you can then take them off the mat).
These no-bake chocolate oat cookies are easy, quick, and addictive. Interesting! so so. Emma
No-Bake Cookie Oatmeal Chocolate
-
Cup
butter -
first
Cup
Street -
2
tablespoons
cocoa -
teaspoon
Cinnamon
optional -
Cup
Milk -
Cup
peanut butter
smooth -
first
teaspoon
vanilla essential oil -
1
glass
Oat
Old-fashioned -
sea salt
optional
-
I like to keep my peanut butter and oats in separate bowls or containers. It’s good to get them ready because once the time comes, you should get them ready.
-
In a medium saucepan, begin to melt the butter over medium heat. Just before it’s all melted, add the milk, sugar, cocoa, and cinnamon if using.
-
Stir this mixture well together so that it is well combined. Now, increase the heat. As soon as the mixture boils, start the timer.
Let the mixture boil for 2-3 minutes. If using a candy thermometer, you want the mixture to be between 190°F and 200°F.
-
Turn off the heat and stir in the vanilla and peanut butter.
-
Once you’ve mixed the peanut butter, stir in the oats.
-
Quickly scoop the mixture into small balls on parchment paper, coating a little sea salt on top if using.
- Peanut butter can be swapped out for any nut butter, such as almond butter.
- Milk can be substituted for any non-dairy milk, such as soy milk.
- You can make this with quick oats instead of old fashioned oats, but I prefer the texture of old fashioned oats.
- You can also swap oats for sliced almonds or a mixture of nuts and unsweetened grated coconut if you want nut-free.
- The vanilla extract can be swapped out for any cooking extract, like mint extract if you want them to have a chocolate mint flavor. You may want to adjust the amount, like I would use less mint extract than vanilla because it has a stronger flavor.
Credit // Author and Photography: Emma Chapman.
