No-Bake Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies

A tried-and-true recipe for no-bake cookies made with peanut butter and oats topped with an easy cocoa drizzle icing.

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Brutus' favorite food in the whole wide world is a No-Bake Chocolate Oatmeal Cookie. When he sweetly asked me to make some for his school lunches, I assured him that I would.

That youngin is so sweet I would have written him a check too if he'd asked me.

I popped into the kitchen to whip up a batch and realized that I was almost out of cocoa.

Well... what to do?

Try to make them without the cocoa, is what. I'm not disappointing that boy. He's the only one around here who's always sweet to me!

I wondered if I needed to adjust the recipe in some way since I wouldn’t be adding any cocoa powder but decided against it.

I know from making Chocolate Pound Cake that cocoa doesn’t serve any structural purpose in recipes so I just made my usual cookies but didn’t add the cocoa.

And I'm so glad I did because I LOVE these like this!

I decided to use the tiny little bit of cocoa powder in the bottom of the carton to make a little chocolate drizzle! I can't wait for him to try one after supper!

UPDATE: I first posted this recipe in 2012 and I want to let y'all know that we still love it!! I updated the photos in 2023 but other than that, I haven’t changed a thing!

I’ve done a LOT of cooking since 2012 so if you’re looking for other options for no-bake oatmeal cookies, be sure to check these out too!

No-Bake Monster Cookies - An easy no-bake peanut butter cookie recipe with quick-cooking oats topped with chocolate chips and M&Ms. 

Triple Chocolate No-Bake Cookies - Classic no-bake peanut butter oatmeal cookies made with DOUBLE the cocoa and studded with chocolate chips for three times the chocolate goodness! 

Classic No-Bake Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies - A better recipe for classic peanut butter chocolate oatmeal cookies with DOUBLE the cocoa that come out perfectly every time!

NOTES ABOUT MAKING NO-BAKE PEANUT BUTTER OATMEAL COOKIES:

• Only use real butter. Margarine will not work in this recipe.
• If using unsalted butter, add a pinch of salt when heating the milk mixture. 
• No-bake cookies can be persnickety. If you don’t boil the mixture long enough, they won’t set up. If you boil it too long, they will be crumbly. The recipe below is exactly how I make all my no-bake cookies. Follow it and you should be A-OK.
• Every now and again my “dough” will be a little on the thick side. I assume this is about some variance in the oats but you know how cooking sweets can be. IF your dough seems a little firm, heat 2 tablespoons of milk and 1 tablespoon of peanut butter in the pan you just used until the peanut butter melts (no need to clean it first and you need to work quickly anyway). Pour the hot mixture into the dough then mix well. That should loosen everything up perfectly. 
• You can use old-fashioned rolled oats in this instead of the quick-cooking variety. I just prefer the texture of the quick-cook oats.
• If you don’t have parchment paper, a clean, dry counter will work as well but you may need a spatula to move the cookies. Aluminum foil can be used as well.
• To make the traditional chocolate version of this recipe, add 1/2 cup cocoa powder with the sugar then follow the recipe the same. 
• The cocoa drizzle is optional. 

Recipe for No-Bake Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies

No-Bake Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies

Yield: 32-36 Cookies

Author: Mandy Rivers | South Your Mouth

Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 5 MinTotal time: 15 Min

A tried and true recipe for no-bake cookies made with peanut butter and oats topped with an easy cocoa drizzle.

Ingredients

Cookies

• 3 cups quick-cooking oats
• 1 stick REAL butter (1/2 cup)
• 2 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 cup peanut butter
• 2 teaspoons vanilla

Cocoa Drizzle

• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1-2 tablespoons milk

Instructions

Cookies

1. Line a work surface with parchment paper. Add the quick-cooking oats to a large mixing bowl then set aside.
2. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in sugar and milk then bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring frequently. Once the mixture starts to bubble, boil for 1 full minute. Remove from heat immediately. Do not let mixture boil longer than 1 minute.
3. Add peanut butter and vanilla to the saucepan then stir until peanut butter is melted. Pour mixture into the mixing bowl with oats then gently stir until well combined.
4. Using a cookie scoop or two tablespoons (I use a 1½ inch cookie scoop), scoop portions of dough onto parchment paper.
5. Prepare Cocoa Drizzle Icing then add to a zip-top bag.
6. Snip a tiny whole off the corner of the bag then drizzle icing over cookies.
7. Allow cookies to completely cool and set-up then move to an air-tight container to store.

Cocoa Drizzle Icing

1. Combine powdered sugar, cocoa powder and 1 tablespoon of milk then mix well.
2. Add more milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, until icing is thin enough to drizzle but thick enough to keep it's shape.

Notes

• Only use real butter. Margarine will not work in this recipe.
• If using unsalted butter, add a pinch of salt when heating the milk mixture. 
• No-bake cookies can be persnickety. If you don’t boil the mixture long enough, they won’t set up. If you boil it too long, they will be crumbly. The recipe below is exactly how I make all my no-bake cookies. Follow it and you should be A-OK.
• Every now and again my “dough” will be a little on the thick side. I assume this is about some variance in the oats but you know how cooking sweets can be. IF your dough seems a little firm, heat 2 tablespoons of milk and 1 tablespoon of peanut butter in the pan you just used until the peanut butter melts (no need to clean it first and you need to work quickly anyway). Pour the hot mixture into the dough then mix well. That should loosen everything up perfectly. 
• You can use old-fashioned rolled oats in this instead of the quick-cooking variety. I just prefer the texture of the quick-cook oats.
• If you don’t have parchment paper, a clean, dry counter will work as well but you may need a spatula to move the cookies. Aluminum foil can be used as well.
• To make the traditional chocolate version of this recipe, add 1/2 cup cocoa powder with the sugar then follow the recipe the same. 
• The cocoa drizzle is optional. 

https://www.southyourmouth.com/2012/04/no-bake-peanut-butter-oatmeal-cookies.html

Images © South Your Mouth LLC 2023

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