Peanut Butter No Bake Cookies Recipe

I perfected a Peanut Butter Cookie Recipe with oats that sets up perfectly every time, letting peanut butter be the star of these no chocolate no bake cookies.

A photo of Peanut Butter No Bake Cookies Recipe

I never thought a no fuss cookie could make me stop mid-sip of coffee, but these Peanut Butter No Bake ones do. Peanut butter is the star here, and with creamy peanut butter, smooth or crunchy, your call, folding into quick oats they grab hold and set up perfectly every time.

They are the kind of treat that makes you doubt if dessert needs baking at all. I love the grit of the oats and the claylike chew of peanut butter, they feel oddly sophisticated for something so simple.

You’ll want to know the trick behind every perfectly shaped bite.

Ingredients

Ingredients photo for Peanut Butter No Bake Cookies Recipe

  • Granulated sugar makes cookies sweet, gives structure, adds fast carbs and a little crunch.
  • Milk adds moisture, helps set texture, contains protein and calcium, can make them richer.
  • Butter brings creamy fat, flavor boost, helps cooling and firming, contributes saturated fat.
  • Peanut butter gives protein, healthy fats, strong peanut flavor, chewiness and extra sweetness.
  • Oats add fibre, whole grain carbs, chewy texture and make cookies heartier, more filling.
  • Vanilla lifts flavor, masks bitterness, tiny calories but big aromatic impact, keeps them tasting homey.
  • Salt balances sweetness, enhances peanut notes, tiny amount but crucial for full flavor.

Ingredient Quantities

  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter
  • 1 cup creamy peanut butter, smooth or crunchy, your call
  • 3 cups quick oats
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

How to Make this

1. Line a baking sheet with parchment or wax paper and set it near the stove so you can drop cookies right away.

2. In a medium saucepan combine 2 cups granulated sugar, 1/2 cup milk and 1/2 cup unsalted butter.

3. Heat over medium, stirring until the butter melts and the sugar partly dissolves, then bring to a full rolling boil.

4. Once boiling, let it boil steadily 1 minute 30 seconds; stir a little so nothing sticks. If you prefer a check, drop a tiny spoonful into cold water and it should form a soft, pliable ball.

5. Remove the pan from heat and immediately stir in 1 cup creamy peanut butter until smooth. If your peanut butter is cold and stiff, warm it 10 to 15 seconds in the microwave first so it blends easier.

6. Stir in 3 cups quick oats, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and 1/4 teaspoon salt until everything is evenly coated. Use a wooden spoon, it helps.

7. Let the mixture sit 1 to 2 minutes to thicken just a bit so the drops will hold shape but still be scoopable. Don’t wait too long or it will set in the spoon.

8. Drop rounded tablespoons onto the prepared sheet, spacing them a couple inches apart; press lightly if you like flatter cookies.

9. Let cookies set at room temperature about 30 minutes, or chill in the fridge for 10 to 15 minutes to speed it up. If they end up too soft, you probably undercooked the syrup, put the mixture back on low heat and boil another 30 seconds, then repeat steps 5 to
8.

Equipment Needed

1. Medium saucepan (2 to 3 quart) for cooking the syrup
2. Wooden spoon — best for stirring so stuff doesnt stick
3. Measuring cups and spoons (2 cup, 1 cup, 1/2 cup, teaspoon)
4. Baking sheet lined with parchment or wax paper, set near the stove
5. Tablespoon or small cookie scoop for dropping rounded cookies
6. Small bowl of cold water for the soft ball test (optional)
7. Microwave safe bowl or small bowl to warm stiff peanut butter briefly
8. Spatula or bench scraper to lift cookies and scrape the pan

FAQ

Yes. Rolled oats will work but the cookies come out chewier and a bit denser. If you want a texture closer to quick oats, pulse rolled oats briefly in a food processor. Steel cut oats are not recommended, they won’t soften properly.

Both are fine. Crunchy gives extra bite. Natural peanut butter (the kind that separates) works but stir it well first; it can make the mix a bit oilier so measure after you stir. Either way they set up good.

The safe ways: use a candy thermometer and hit about 235 to 240 F for the soft ball stage, or after it reaches a full rolling boil let it boil for exactly 60 seconds. No thermometer? Drop a bit into very cold water, it should form a soft, squishy ball that flattens when pressed.

Most likely you didn’t cook the sugar mixture long enough or you didn’t have enough fat (butter or peanut butter). Oats that are too old or measured wrong can also make them dry. To fix a batch, gently reheat with a splash of milk and a little extra peanut butter until it loosens, then drop again.

They usually set in 20 to 30 minutes at room temp. Store in an airtight container at room temp up to 3 to 5 days, in the fridge up to 2 weeks, or freeze for up to 3 months. If fridge makes them hard, let sit at room temp a few minutes before eating.

Yes but with notes. For chocolate: stir 2 to 3 tablespoons cocoa into the hot sugar mix before adding peanut butter for a chocolate peanut butter cookie, or fold in chocolate chips after the mix cools a bit so they don’t melt into a mess. Nuts and dried fruit are fine but will change texture. Replacing granulated sugar with liquid sweeteners wont set the cookies properly. Brown sugar will work but changes flavor and chew.

Peanut Butter No Bake Cookies Recipe Substitutions and Variations

  • Sugar: Use packed brown sugar 1:1 for a deeper, slightly chewier cookie. Coconut sugar works 1:1 too but it’s less sweet and the cookies will be a bit darker.
  • Milk: Swap with any unsweetened plant milk (almond, soy, or oat) 1:1. Oat and soy give the creamiest result; canned coconut milk thinned with water adds richness and a mild coconut note.
  • Unsalted butter: Replace with salted butter (omit the added 1/4 tsp salt) 1:1, or use coconut oil or vegan butter 1:1. Note coconut oil can make them a touch softer once set.
  • Peanut butter: Substitute almond or cashew butter 1:1 for a different nut flavor, or use sunflower seed butter 1:1 for a nut-free option. If your chosen butter is runnier, you might need a little less to keep texture right.

Pro Tips

– Use a candy thermometer if you can, it makes the texture predictable. Aim for the soft ball range about 235 to 240 F, otherwise the cold water test works but people mess that up sometimes and end up with either too-soft or rock-hard cookies.

– Warm and stir your peanut butter before you dump it in. Natural jars separate and the oily top can make the mixture weird, so stir the jar well or nuke it in 10 second bursts and stir between each one, or sit the jar in a bowl of hot water for a few minutes.

– Play with the oats for different mouths feels. Old fashioned rolled oats give chewier, chunkier cookies; quick oats make them more uniform and softer. If you want them smoother, pulse the oats a couple times in a food processor, but dont overdo it or you get dust.

– If the batch seems grainy or sets too fast keep a small bowl of hot water handy and work quicker, or put the pan briefly back on low heat and stir to smooth it out. For storage, layer with parchment in an airtight container, they keep at room temp a few days or freeze for longer.

Peanut Butter No Bake Cookies Recipe

Peanut Butter No Bake Cookies Recipe

Recipe by Tina Bueller

0.0 from 0 votes

I perfected a Peanut Butter Cookie Recipe with oats that sets up perfectly every time, letting peanut butter be the star of these no chocolate no bake cookies.

Servings

16

servings

Calories

309

kcal

Equipment: 1. Medium saucepan (2 to 3 quart) for cooking the syrup
2. Wooden spoon — best for stirring so stuff doesnt stick
3. Measuring cups and spoons (2 cup, 1 cup, 1/2 cup, teaspoon)
4. Baking sheet lined with parchment or wax paper, set near the stove
5. Tablespoon or small cookie scoop for dropping rounded cookies
6. Small bowl of cold water for the soft ball test (optional)
7. Microwave safe bowl or small bowl to warm stiff peanut butter briefly
8. Spatula or bench scraper to lift cookies and scrape the pan

Ingredients

  • 2 cups granulated sugar

  • 1/2 cup milk

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter

  • 1 cup creamy peanut butter, smooth or crunchy, your call

  • 3 cups quick oats

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions

  • Line a baking sheet with parchment or wax paper and set it near the stove so you can drop cookies right away.
  • In a medium saucepan combine 2 cups granulated sugar, 1/2 cup milk and 1/2 cup unsalted butter.
  • Heat over medium, stirring until the butter melts and the sugar partly dissolves, then bring to a full rolling boil.
  • Once boiling, let it boil steadily 1 minute 30 seconds; stir a little so nothing sticks. If you prefer a check, drop a tiny spoonful into cold water and it should form a soft, pliable ball.
  • Remove the pan from heat and immediately stir in 1 cup creamy peanut butter until smooth. If your peanut butter is cold and stiff, warm it 10 to 15 seconds in the microwave first so it blends easier.
  • Stir in 3 cups quick oats, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and 1/4 teaspoon salt until everything is evenly coated. Use a wooden spoon, it helps.
  • Let the mixture sit 1 to 2 minutes to thicken just a bit so the drops will hold shape but still be scoopable. Don’t wait too long or it will set in the spoon.
  • Drop rounded tablespoons onto the prepared sheet, spacing them a couple inches apart; press lightly if you like flatter cookies.
  • Let cookies set at room temperature about 30 minutes, or chill in the fridge for 10 to 15 minutes to speed it up. If they end up too soft, you probably undercooked the syrup, put the mixture back on low heat and boil another 30 seconds, then repeat steps 5 to

Notes

  • Below you’ll find my best estimate of this recipe’s nutrition facts. Treat the numbers as a guide rather than a rule—great food should nourish both body and spirit. Figures are approximate, and the website owner assumes no liability for any inaccuracies in this recipe.

Nutrition Facts

  • Serving Size: 71g
  • Total number of serves: 16
  • Calories: 309kcal
  • Fat: 15.1g
  • Saturated Fat: 5.5g
  • Trans Fat: 0.03g
  • Polyunsaturated: 3.1g
  • Monounsaturated: 4.4g
  • Cholesterol: 17mg
  • Sodium: 45mg
  • Potassium: 183mg
  • Carbohydrates: 38.5g
  • Fiber: 2.5g
  • Sugar: 26.5g
  • Protein: 6.3g
  • Vitamin A: 150IU
  • Vitamin C: 0mg
  • Calcium: 27mg
  • Iron: 1mg

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