These cookies are the perfect quick cookies. Craving something chocolaty but don't feel like going through the hassle of making cookie dough and waiting for it to bake? Too hot to turn on your oven? Need an after-school/work treat? Not the most confident baker? Don't have an oven, or a mixer, or a stove top? These chocolate peanut butter oatmeal no-bake cookies have you covered. You'll be finished making them (and eating them), in well under 30 minutes and they taste like a simplified cookie version of a peanut butter cup.
I admit, I used to be snobby about no-bake desserts. Especially no-bake cookies. I thought anything as simple as heating up some butter, milk, sugar, cocoa powder in a saucepan, stirring in peanut butter, oats, vanilla, then lazily spooning out freeform cookies was probably pretty "meh". But then Caleb made these cookies for me one night, and as I ate the no-bake "cookies" out of the pot with a spoon, I realized I was wrong to scorn them. Chocolate peanut butter oatmeal no-bake cookies will never replace "real" cookies in my opinion, but every so often, they're perfect.
As easy as they are, you do need to be prepared and watchful. The "boil for one minute" stage means literally boil for one minute, no more and no less. The "quickly add the peanut butter, followed by the oats" stage means that you need to already have your peanut butter and oats measured out. Don't think you can get them ready while the chocolate-butter-sugar-milk mixture heats. Prep the peanut butter and oats first so there's no last-minute scrambling while the chocolate cools.
At its core, this recipe is a bit like the famous millionaire's 7 minute fudge, in a super simple chocolate peanut butter fudge cookie form. Heat the chocolate-butter-sugar-milk mixture until everything melts together and it begins to boil. This takes about 5-6 minutes (4, if you're doing it in the microwave). Let the mixture boil another minute longer (stove top or microwave), then add your mix-ins, and let it cool until it hardens enough to eat.... Seven-minute fudgy cookies.
If you don't let the liquid ingredients come up to a high enough temperature and stay there long enough, you'll get a looser, wetter no-bake cookie. If you let the liquid boil for too long and overheat, you'll wind up with dry and crumbly no-bake cookies. Don't worry too much - either "disastrous" outcome still tastes pretty delicious. These chocolate peanut butter oatmeal no-bake cookies should be creamy and tender, a little salty (from the peanut butter) and a little sweet (from the sugar), rich (from the chocolate, butter, and milk) and absurdly easy to make.
Ingredients
- 3 cups (255 g) oats quick-cooking or regular*
- ⅔ cup (174 g) peanut butter smooth or chunky, your preference
- 2 cups (400 g) granulated sugar*
- ½ cup (1 stick) butter unsalted
- ½ cup milk any percentage
- ⅓ cup (30 g) cocoa powder unsweetened
- 2 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- You need to work quickly at the end, so first measure out the peanut butter into a small bowl and set aside. Next, measure out the oats and place into a medium bowl. Set aside.
- Pour the sugar, butter, milk, cocoa into a medium-sized (4-quart) pot, then heat over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally to mix together. Once the mix comes to rolling boil, let it boil for exactly 1 minute.
- Working quickly, remove the pot from the heat and add peanut butter, stirring to melt it into the hot sugar mixture. As soon as it's melted in, stir in the oats. Continue stirring to help the mixture cool, then add the vanilla, and stir to incorporate. The mixture will thicken up.
- Place a large sheet of parchment paper or aluminum foil on the counter. Using a large spoon or pair of teaspoons, place rounded heaps of the cookies onto the parchment/foil. Let the cookies rest about 15-30 minutes, during which time they'll harden enough to serve.
- Best eaten the day they are made, these cookies will dry out as time goes on and become a little crumbly. If you have leftovers, they'll keep for several days in an airtight container or for 2 months in the freezer.
