Overhead image of a white plate piled high with chocolate peanut butter no bake cookies made with oats, showing their rough, fudgy texture and rich chocolate color. A swirl of peanut butter and scattered oats are visible nearby, adding context to the ingredients.

These soft, chewy, moist chocolate peanut butter no-bake cookies are filled with chocolate, peanut butter, and oatmeal!

Prep Time10

Cook Time10

Total Time1 20

Servings

If you grew up with no bake cookies, you already know—they’re not just cookies, they’re a childhood rite of passage. Made with pantry staples and zero oven time, they’re the edible equivalent of a mic drop: fast, foolproof, and ridiculously satisfying. Chocolatey, peanut buttery, chewy in all the right ways. If you need a sweet win in under 20 minutes, this classic recipe delivers.

Ingredients Overview

Overhead view of ingredients for chocolate peanut butter no-bake cookies, labeled with measurements. Includes: ½ cup butter, 1 2/3 cups sugar, 1 cup peanut butter, 3 cups quick-cooking oats, ¼ teaspoon salt, ¼ cup cocoa powder, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, and ½ cup milk, all arranged on a white marble surface.

3 cups of quick-cooking oats
¼ teaspoon of salt
½ cup of butter
1 ⅔ cups of sugar
½ cup of milk
¼ cup of unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup of creamy peanut butter
2 teaspoons of vanilla extract

Ingredient Substitutions

❌ We do not recommend old-fashioned oats for this recipe. Use quick-cooking oats.

💡If you only have old-fashioned oats, toss them in a food processor and pulse a few times—not too much! You’re just breaking them up a bit so they act more like quick oats.

✔️You can tweak this recipe by adding or chopped nuts.

✔️ If you want to sub out the peanut butter – for the closest match, use sunflower seed or almond butter—both keep the texture right and taste great, with sunflower being nut-free.

❌ If using salted butter instead of unsalted butter, do not add any additional salt.

⚠️ If you’re looking to reduce the sweetness, you might try cutting the sugar by ¼ to ⅓ cup. However, be cautious, as too much reduction can affect the texture and setting of the cookies.

Tips For The Best No Bake Cookies

⏲️ Boil time matters: Don’t walk away from the stove when cooking the sugar mixture. Start timing the boil once the mixture is bubbling all over, not just around the edges.

Boil for exactly one minute to help the cookies set—too short and they’ll stay sticky; too long and they’ll turn dry and crumbly.

⚠️ If your cookies don’t set up, it’s likely because the mixture wasn’t boiled long enough.

Work quickly: Make sure you have your other ingredients measured and ready to stir in as soon as the chocolate comes off the heat.

Once the chocolate mixture hits the oats, stir fast and start scooping. It thickens as it cools and becomes harder to portion.

A medium cookie scoop is ideal for even portions. You’ll get about 24–30 cookies depending on how generous you are.

Let them set at room temp: Let the cookies completely cool on the counter before popping them in the fridge.

Storing No-Bake Cookies With Chocolate and Peanut Butter

⚠️ It’s VERY important you let them cool on the countertop before putting them in the fridge or they will become gooey. ⚠️

Once the cookies are cool and dry, store them in an airtight container. They’ll keep well at room temperature for up to four days, or in the fridge for up to one week. If your kitchen is warm or humid, the fridge is your best bet to keep them firm and fudgy.

You can also freeze them for up to two months—just layer with parchment paper to prevent sticking.

These no bake cookies hit that perfect sweet spot—fudgy, chocolatey, just the right amount of chew, and a salty peanut butter finish that keeps you reaching for one more. They taste like you put in way more effort than you did—and honestly, that’s the best kind of dessert.

More No Bake Cookies

4.99 from 52 votes

These soft, chewy, moist chocolate peanut butter no-bake cookies are filled with chocolate, peanut butter, and oatmeal!

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 10

Total Time 1 20

Servings

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Ingredients

3 cups quick cook oats
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup butter, unsalted
1 ⅔ cups sugar
½ cup milk
¼ cup cocoa powder
1 cup peanut butter
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Instructions

In a large bowl, stir together the oats and salt. Set aside.
In a small saucepan, over medium-high heat, whisk together the butter, sugar, milk, and cocoa.
Bring the mixture to a boil for about a minute and then remove from heat.
Whisk in the peanut butter and vanilla until well combined.
Pour the chocolate peanut butter mixture over the oats and stir until combined.
Line a baking sheet with wax paper. Drop the cookies onto the wax paper using a medium cookie scoop.
Let the cookies cool on the countertop. Store in the refrigerator once cookies are cool and dry.

Video

Notes

If using salted butter rather than unsalted butter, do not add any additional salt!
Make sure you have your other ingredients measured and ready to stir in as soon as the chocolate comes off the heat.
Don’t overcook the chocolate mixture. Otherwise, it will become too thick, and you will end up with crumbly cookies.
It’s VERY important you let them cool on the countertop before putting them in the fridge, or they will become gooey.

Nutrition

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Proudly Prepared by the Spaceships Kitchen

This recipe was developed, tested, cooked and photographed by the Spaceships Kitchen. From our dinner table to yours, we hope you think it's out of this world!

Stephanie Keeping Publisher
Layne Kangas Marketing
Lexus Monroe Editorial Assistant

No Bake Cookies Recipe

Ingredients Overview

Ingredient Substitutions

Tips For The Best No Bake Cookies

Storing No-Bake Cookies With Chocolate and Peanut Butter