These delicious and dangerously easy chocolate no bake cookies are sure to become a new family favorite.
Peanut Butter Chocolate No Bakes
Six ingredients
Super easy to make
Ultra fudgy and delicious
Loved by kids and adults
There’s no need for an oven, and the entire recipe can be made in just about five minutes.
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Easy Chocolate No Bake Cookies
These chewy chocolate cookies are crazy popular, and for very good reason!
When I was growing up, we always made a batch or two for Christmas, along with these Snowball Cookies, which I also highly recommend.
You’ll often find them at school bake sales or church potlucks; and they go by many names including chocolate oaties, cow pies or patties, preacher cookies, chocolate oatmeal cookies, poodgies, peanut butter delights, and chocolate no bakes.
Chances are, your family has their own version of the classic recipe. (If so, what do you call them?)
Also Try These: Almond Butter Brownies
It’s no secret why these cookies are so popular.
They combine the best two flavors in the history of all desserts: peanut butter and chocolate.
And the fact that they’re so quick whip up makes this recipe great to have on hand any time you’re craving chocolate or need a last-minute dessert to bring to a party.
The original recipe–at least the one I grew up with–calls for a full two cups of sugar! That’s insane – there’s absolutely no need for that much sugar. I cut it down to just half a cup in my recipe, and they are still plenty sweet.
Above – watch the video how to make the chocolate no bake cookies!
Impossible to stop at just one.
If you watch the video, you’ll notice the batch looks rather small. I’ll often do a half batch if I’m making them for myself, because having the full batch around would be too dangerous!
For the best chocolate no bake cookies, they are also really delicious frozen.
Just pop one out of the freezer any time you need some chocolate!
How To Make Chocolate Oatmeal No Bake Cookies
Gather your ingredients: oats, cocoa powder, peanut butter, salt, butter or oil (or more peanut butter), and sweetener of choice.
Warm the liquid ingredients until they’re easily stir-able. You can even do this in a pot on the stove if you want to make the entire recipe in one pot.
Stir in remaining ingredients. Chill until firm enough to form into balls or cookie shapes with your hands or a cookie scoop, then place on a wax or parchment-lined plate and chill to set.
Rolled Oats or Quick Oats?
You can use either! I used old fashioned oats when I made the healthy no bake cookies for the video and quick oats for the cookies in the first photo. (I’ve made these a lottttt!) The version with rolled oats will have a chewier texture, so it just depends on your own personal preference.
Leftover oats? Make your own Oat Milk – Here’s Everything You Need To Know.
No Bake Cookie Flavors / Add-In Ideas
Feel free to stir in a handful of chia seeds, flax seeds, raisins, dried fruit, hemp seeds, shredded coconut, chocolate chips, or sugar free chocolate chips.
If you want to make them without peanut butter, you can also substitute almond butter, cashew butter, sunflower butter, or even coconut butter.
And for sweetener, you can use pretty much anything – brown sugar, unrefined sugar, pure maple syrup, honey, agave, xylitol (for sugar free no bakes), etc. Use a liquid sweetener for no bake cookies without milk.
Are They Vegan? Gluten free? Keto?
For vegan chocolate no bake cookies, I’ve included the option to use coconut oil instead of butter. Vegan butter also works, as does simply adding extra peanut butter and omitting the butter entirely. They’re not keto, but I linked to a keto no bake option in the recipe below if you need one. And the cookies can be suitable for gluten free diets, as they have no flour. If you want to ensure no cross-contamination with wheat ingredients, just use Certified Gluten Free Oats.
Can You Bake Them?
I haven’t tried it. If anyone tries before I do, be sure to report back!
The recipe was adapted from these Healthy Butterfingers.
Chocolate No Bake Cookies
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- 2 cups quick oats (For keto no-bakes, try these Fat Bombs)
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup peanut butter or allergy-friendly sub
- 1/2 cup pure maple syrup, honey, or agave (or 2/3 cup sugar and 1/2 cup milk of choice)
- 1/4 cup butter or coconut oil
- optional 1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
- optional handful mini chocolate chips, shredded coconut, etc.
Instructions
- Warm the liquid ingredients until easily stir-able. (Feel free to do this in a pot on the stove if you want to make the entire recipe in one pot. Turn off the heat once liquid ingredients are softened.) Stir in remaining ingredients. Chill until firm enough to form into balls or cookie shapes with your hands or a cookie scoop, then place on a wax or parchment-lined plate and chill again to set. I like to refrigerate or freeze leftovers, but they can also be left out in a cool place.View Nutrition Facts
Notes
Have you made this recipe?
Tag @chocolatecoveredkatie on Instagram
More Healthy Chocolate Recipes:
Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookies
Banana Ice Cream – TEN Different Ways!
Melissa says
These look great! I love the simple ingredients in them and the fact that I already have most of the ingredients on hand!
Brittany Audra @ Audra's Appetite says
Can’t wait to try these! No-bake cookies are one of my all-time favorites! 🙂
Nina says
Love this idea. I hate baking in the summer as it is so hot outside. I look forward to making these very soon.
Kathy says
Do you think theses can be made without the oil? I don’t use oils or butter. I was hoping the peanut butter would be enough oil. Thanks
Jason Sanford says
Hi Kathy! This is from the post. I think it’s what you’re after. Hope it helps!
“For vegan chocolate no bake cookies, I’ve included the option to use coconut oil instead of butter. Vegan butter also works, as does simply adding extra peanut butter and omitting the butter entirely.”
Jason
Nancy says
You could use unsweetened applesauce or mashed banana in place of the oil.
Jan says
Hi Katie. This recipe brings back lots of memories from my younger days. I like that this is a healthier version of the recipe we used to use.. We called them mudpies!
Jason Sanford says
Mudpies, I love that! Personally I think it’s a much more appealing sounding name than Cow Pies ?
Jason
Becky says
The kids loved them! I made these this afternoon and they were a big hit.
Cassie says
YES, this is one of my favorite recipes! Normally I do not add in oats–yes, they still turn out fabulously! LOVE THEM.
joe says
Hi
You were risking your life going outdoors to photograph those. someone might have kidnapped you to have them.
I am making them ASAP but stay indoors just in case.
PS. Does the comments look so faint when tying? I can’t see a thing!
Audrey says
Perfect for the current heatwave here in Germany! For extra coolness I left them 30 minutes in the fridge. That was sooo good!! On a side note: if you have crunchy peanut putter, these small bits of peanuts left in them really taste amazing!! I HIGHLY recommend it if you are a peanut lover! (I mean, still PURE peanut butter, not the one mixed with oil and sugar).
WillPreneur says
OMG! Can’t wait to try these!
Lindsay says
These look delicious! Do you think I could substitute in some plant-based protein powder for some of the oats to boost the protein content? Definitely planning to try these in the near future 🙂
Jason Sanford says
There’s no way to know unless you try. It sounds like a fun experiment and one Katie has been thinking of trying too (although her thoughts were more along the lines of subbing out some/all of the cocoa powder for chocolate protein powder). If you try it before we do, definitely be sure to report back!
Jason (media relations)
Steffanie says
Hmm, I might try subbing shredded coconut for the oats. Any thoughts on that?
Audrey Bean says
I didn’t have enough agave so I substituted half for molasses. They taste like a salt lick. Next time, I will omit the added salt and follow the recipe for the sweetener.
Jodi says
I was supposed to wait until they firm up to eat? Oops. So good. So easy. I might need to sample another one
Kat says
Ooo!
These are pretty similar to my “fiber cookie” recipe.
The basic recipe for that, per serving, is
2 Tbls honey roasted on
2-3Tbls glad seeds
Cocoa powder or syrup to taste (1-6 tsp for cocoa, 1-2 Tbls for syrup)
Stir well, drop onto wax paper, freeze 15 minutes, enjoy.
I usually make a bigger batch and keep in the freezer.
My last batch I used two jars (15oz) honey pb, one crunchy one creamy, 2Tbls coconut oil, 1/4 or 1/2 cup dark cocoa, half cup gf oats, 1/4cup each of chia seeds, whole millet, & whole amaranth, most of a bag (1lb?) of flax seeds. Maybe a half cup sugar, might have been 1/4. I do try to keep that down, the honey in the pb is usually almost all the sugar it needs, depending on how much cocoa is added.
Plop, freeze, transfer to container, keep in freezer. Eat cold, mmm. Made about 80 cookies last time.
If I have them on hand I have also added sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, nuts, dried cranberries and raisins, whatever crunchy bits are around (and maybe need using up).
I have started melting some of pb first so I can mix the cocoa & sugar in, then add everything else to the largest bowl I can find and stir till mixed.
I do try to stick to the original premise of 2 Tbls flax to 2 Tbls pb when attempting to calculate how much to use. (Although when adding a bunch of other goodies the amount of flax can/should be lessened, and sometimes that’s when the coconut oil needs to be added, so it will all mix.)
🙂
Kat says
I don’t know why it keeps changing “peanut butter” to “on”.
Kat says
Argh! And “glad seeds” are chia seeds
Sarah says
Just made these as a healthy after school snack and they are to die for!! The Peanut butter combined with maple syrup is spectacular. I can barley make them last a day!
Katie says
I completely omitted oats and used the same amount of pecans and coconut shreds/flakes. SOooooooo good. I loved the much less healthy version as a kid, so I’m really happy to have a cleaner version! Thanks!
Sam says
Thank you! Really good and easy to make! My boyfriend ate them all! 🙂
Michael says
This is not only an impressive recipe, but a very impressive website. You have a lot to be proud of. I truly look forward to trying each of your recipes! Thank you.
Mary says
I have made these twice & they are now my go-to cookie when I need a sweet or chocolate fix! I don’t use the maple syrup but use the sub you suggested of sugar & milk. I use coconut sugar & almond milk. Hubby even goes for them. I have told others about your site and look forward to trying more of your recipes!
Henry says
I made these Christmas morning for some quick, easy cookies. They were ridiculously good! No one could guess they were healthy either; even my sister, a dessertarian, liked them. My grandma loved them, and she said they tasted almost exactly like the ones she used to make (she always called them candy cookies).
Henry says
Forgot to include the photo!
MBR says
Mine sort of fall apart. Any suggestions? Maybe I added too many chocolate chips?
Jason Sanford says
Hmm, can you tell me more about the specific ingredients you used?
Jason
cora says
I’ve made these twice, I love them! Once with honey, once with milk+sugar. Maybe the best part is getting a bowl of warm batter to munch on while the rest is chilling…
The vanilla adds a lot to these I think, gives them that rich fudge flavor. Also adjusted the salt on my second batch, I didn’t realize that my pb was pretty salty, to an additional quarter teaspoon was a bit much! Also they taste amazing cold out of the fridge.
Thank you for posting this!
Kat says
Just made these and they are delicious! I left out the oil/butter it really doesn’t need it. I also added a little water instead of the milk. Also no need to melt the ingredients together. I just threw it all together and chilled it.
Nechama says
I just made these!!
Katie i am obsessed with your amazing delicious recipes. They came out soooo good! I used silan-sugar free date syrup for the sweetner and added in a bit of shredded coconut- YUMMY!!!!
THANK YOU!!
Sue Moore says
OMGOODNESS!!!! These are amazingly simple and so delicious! Love this recipe!
Natasha says
These are so so good! Fast to make and delicious! The whole family liked them and I just love how easy they were. I added coconut mmmm.
Marianne says
These are SO GOOD.
I halved the butter amount and added an extra 1/4 cup of crunchy peanut butter as well as 1/2 cup of shredded coconut. I used crunchy peanut butter throughout and pure maple syrup for the sweetener and omitted the salt entirely.
Can’t reccomend enough – thanks Katie 🙂
Vicki says
Can you use rolled oats? Or just quick oats?
Jason Sanford says
Either works!
Tanzeela says
What if you don’t have peanut butter or plant based butters. Is larger one fine?
Tanzeela says
*margarine
Jason Sanford says
Sure!
Karen Lomeli says
Made these today with my 5 year old grandson. Everyone loved them.
Mary Tennyson says
Greetings from Ireland, Katie. Just love your recipes. They’re so quick and easy and taste delicious too.
Lava Girl says
These cookies are so, so, so, so yummy! They don’t last very long after making them and I really like them for a quick breakfast too.
Iri says
I was a bit skeptical, but I have to admit that they are really super easy and very good, moreish! After some days there are even better, if you can resist 😉 I love them streight from the freezer… Healthy, tasty, easy, quick, thank you so much Katie for sharing your amazing recipes 😘🌹
Katie says
Would avocado oil work instead of coconut oil or butter? I can’t eat either of those… or does it need to be a fat that solidifies more?
Lin says
Did you try this? My thoughts: If you put them in the freezer it would likely work. Or you could sub another 1/4 c. nut butter, or probably just omit the oil.
Lisa says
I saved this recipe about 6 months ago. I finally gave it a try and my family loves them. New addiction for this chocoholic. Thank you very much.
Love your recipes.
RPC says
Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe! Here is my version, with less sugar content, and it worked great anyway!
– quick oats work better than rolled oats but I used half of each
– substituted peanut butter for homemade almond butter with no add ons
– used 1/4 cup maple syrup + 1/4 cup of almond milk (no sugar added)
– mixed everything in a bowl at room temperature and rolled small balls with some coconut oil in my hands
– pressed the balls between my palms until they look like cookies and placed on a tray in the fridge and kept them in an air tight container in the fridge
Thank you again!
Mary Tennyson says
Greetings fro Ireland.
Absolutely delicious and so easy to make. Love all of Katie’s recipes.
Marie says
I rarely comment on posts although I’ve been a regular visitor to this site for years. I recently started trying recipes from here.
These cookies are amazing! My husband didn’t even realize they were healthy and gave them a 10/10. I will definitely be making these again. I love them straight from the freezer.
I’m allergic to nuts and peanuts so I used Wow Butter and added unsweetened coconut. So good. I love that there’s always nut/peanut free alternatives. Thank you!
D says
These were great! I was able to throw in some Amazing Grass greens powder to hide veggies from the kids too!
Melinda Muyargas says
These were quick and yummy! I couldn’t help but have some before they were even chilled.
Michel says
Loved these so much! I was craving something sweet and was able to whip these up in 10 mins.
CCK Media Team says
Thank you so much for trying them 🙂
Kimberly says
These are fantastic! Thank you! I quartered the recipe so I don’t eat as many! And honestly, it might even be a good enough food for breakfast since it’s not loaded with sugar and it has oatmeal!! Thanks!
CCK Media Team says
Thank you so much for making them!
Anne-Marie says
Hi Katie,
Is the nut butter considered a liquid? Should I melt that down along with the vanilla, butter, and other liquid ingredients? By the way, I am trying pumpkin seed butter! Thanks!
CCK Media Team says
Hi, yes it is!
Mary says
Again this recipe does not disappoint….super amazing and so quick to make…..I’ve been ordered to make them again!
Mary says
These are amazing…..Will definitely make again! I use half the amount of sugar or sweetener than recipe gives and it’s more than enough….