Chocolate No Bake Cookies – Mama Guest Blogs!
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Hello, from Christy’s Mama. I thought I would give Christy a chance to enjoy her time left in New York by doing a guest post. I hope that you enjoy my post as much as I enjoyed eating the results! School is finally out again and that means trying to come up with snacks for the children. I know that most of you can use a quick, very easy and relatively cheap cookie recipe. All my kids loved these cookies growing up and it is still counted among their favorites. It was a go to recipe mainly because it was so quick, with little clean up and I usually had all the ingredients on hand. I made these cookies today while looking after four of my grandchildren. That is how easy they are!
Before I show you how to make these cookies, let me give you a little background 
on some of the ways we enjoy these cookies. When we were young, my sister and I made these cookies and ate them with a spoon right out of the pot. We didn’t have a candy thermometer, didn’t know how to use one anyway and didn’t care if they turned out or not. We loved them best hot, before they had time to set up. My son loves them with peanut butter stirred in so that they become a sort of chocolate peanut butter cup.
If you decide to make them, make sure that you taste them after you stir the dry ingredients in just to make sure they are okay for the kids to eat. In fact, you may need to try a couple of spoonfuls. I sure wouldn’t want my grand kids to eat something unfit for their consumption ~grins~. After you spoon them out onto the wax paper, make sure you scrape the remainder out of the pot and take another taste, just to be sure that it is okay for everyone to eat once they cool. After all, we all know that some foods taste different after they cool. Always remember, quality control begins with the cook. 
Since I am new to cooking for you, I think I’d better taste another one just to be sure they are still good. After all, they’ve been sitting out most of the day and I want to be sure before I hit the send button. Yep, they’re still okay so here goes! I hope you and your kids enjoy them!
You’ll need: Quick Oats, Cocoa Powder, Vanilla, Sugar, Margarine, and Milk
Place your margarine, milk, and white sugar in a pot.
Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Insert candy thermometer and boil until mixture reaches soft ball stage.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mama’s directions for using a candy thermometer:
I never had good luck with candy. My mother had always used a glass of water to test for soft ball stage so it was just a guess. I discovered a candy thermometer while watching Julia Child (that tells you how long ago it was!). To use a candy thermometer, attach it to the side of your saucepan. Push the edge of your spoon underneath it to make sure it is not touching the bottom of the saucepan. Now just cook your mixture until it reaches the correct temperature on the thermometer. Remove the candy thermometer and set it aside on a saucer to cool. Do not put it in your dishwater. It will break! I don’t let it soak in the dishwater either. I have had problems with the water getting into the thermometer. Just use a wet dish cloth (we call it a dishrag) and wipe it until it is clean. Then dry well and store for your next use. You will be an accomplished candy maker!
Remove from heat and stir in the oats, cocoa
and vanilla.
Spoon onto waxed paper and allow to cool.
Here are my taste testers for today: Lane, Austin, and Jake.
Chocolate No Bake Cookies
Ingredients
- Chocolate No Bake Cookies
- 2 cups white sugar
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/2 cup margarine
- 3 cups quick oats
- 1 t. vanilla
- 3 T. cocoa
Instructions
- In a saucepan over medium heat, combine sugar, milk, and margarine. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Insert candy thermometer and boil until mixture reaches soft ball stage. Remove from heat and stir in the oats, cocoa, and vanilla. Spoon onto waxed paper and allow to cool. Store in an airtight container.
Google Recipe View Microformatting by ZipList Recipe Plugin
Ingredients
- Chocolate No Bake Cookies
- 2 cups white sugar
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/2 cup margarine
- 3 cups quick oats
- 1 t. vanilla
- 3 T. cocoa
Instructions
- In a saucepan over medium heat, combine sugar, milk, and margarine. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Insert candy thermometer and boil until mixture reaches soft ball stage. Remove from heat and stir in the oats, cocoa, and vanilla. Spoon onto waxed paper and allow to cool. Store in an airtight container.
Optional add ins:
1/2 Cup Peanut butter- We like extra crunchy peanut butter so that we have little nuts in the cookies but you can add any type of peanut butter. Just add the peanut butter immediately after it reaches soft ball stage and stir until it melts into the mixture. Then add the oats, vanilla and cocoa and proceed as directed.
1/2 Coconut-Add cup coconut when you add the oats, vanilla and cocoa.
I’m sure there are other add ins that would be delicious. Experiment and let us know what you come up with. Who knows, we may just invent a new cookie! Thanks for visiting with me today, I sure did enjoy it.
Sincerely, Mama
Being a mother is one of the highest salaried jobs in my
field, since the payment is pure love.
~Mildred B. Vermont
Posted by Christy Jordan
on Jun 3 2010. Filed under Cookies, Dessert.
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These are my husband favorite cookie, so I try to make them at least once a month. He sometimes eats them before they are cooled. Please keep up this wonderful site, I really enjoy it
That was a fun post. I’m fine with your posting any time.
Great job! I can see where Chisty gets her beautiful looks!!! Will be looking forward to seeing you again
Hey Mama!
Thanks for bringing my favorite treat in the world to share with everyone!
I remember trading anything I had on my lunch tray in 2nd grade for No Bake Cookies. Some kids didn’t like them (crazy, right?) so I got theirs too. I can still remember Mrs. Brown coming to my table and asking, “Suzie, why do you have so many cookies?” I responded, “I LOVE No Bake Cookies.” She sweetly replied, “You can’t love something that doesn’t love you back. You can like them a whole lot but you can’t LOVE them.” I told her that you couldn’t possibly eat as many as I could if you didn’t absolutely LOVE them. She walked away shaking her head. I think I always tried her patience.
I still make these for my son (who is now 19). He LOVES them too!
Ya know, I’ve never used a candy thermometer and mine have always turned out fine. And we always use peanut butter.
We also grease a 9 x 13 pan and let them cool and then cut them into squares.
Yum! And they are best enjoyed with a HUGE glass of ice cold milk.
Hi – My husband’s aunt taught me to make these cookies. She lived on a very limited income so she used water instead of milk, so I do, too. But she always put in the peanut butter. I wonder how many batches I made while my 4 kids were growing up!! She had another variation to these too which were very good. She used brown sugar instead of white and added a small amount of maple flavoring. They were VERY good – her own special Maple oatmeal cookies – no peanut butter in those, tho! Try it, you just may like it!!
Mama, you did an excellent job with your post!!! You sure enough can post in Christie’s absence, anytime!!
These were what we called “School Cookies” when I was in elementary, jr and high school. They poured them out in big sheets and cut them into squares and you got 3 for a $.25 when I was in elementary school. Loved them then and love them now. Have had different versions of the recipe given to me over the years. They are delicious but none seem to be as good as those made with the school commodities!
Hi there, You did a great job : ) Have been fixing these for my family for years. Never have tried them with coconut though, but will on the next batch.
these have been a staple in my family forever! love them!! we’ve always made them w/ peanut butter.
now I need to go dig that recipe out
Absolutely the Sweetest! The mom, the daughter, and the memories of these no bake cookies!
Thank you!
I always loved these as a kid. We always added the peanut butter. I make them for my daughters now. They call them Charlie Browns. Thanks for the smiles today!
Mama, I can’t thank you enough!! I never knew the peanut butter was OPTIONAL!!! You have made my day! I loved these as a kid, but my little boy is allergic to peanuts. I didn’t think I’d ever get to have these (at home) again… I am so excited!!
You did a great first post, Mama – hope to see you again…
I bought some butterscotch chips so I can do the oatmeal raisin scotchie bars — can’t wait!!
Thanks again for this one! <3
LOL- I make these at least once a week for my brother. I’ll tell ya how to do it without using a candy therm…..once the mixture comes to a HARD boil- and we ALL know what that is- boil it- stirring CONSTANTLY for EXACTLY THREE MINUTES.
Then continue with your directions.
I can see where Miss Christy gets her “funny” from. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, now does it???? Looking forwared to more guest blogs from Mama!!!
Hi Mama.. you raised a great girl, we can all tell that, so we need to hear lots from you… I am 63 and I only got a candy thermometer last year, haha.. I always did that til it looks right cookin like my mama.. she never had a candy thermometer either.. but they do come in handy..
Its been a while since I have made these so I might make them for Sunday dinner.. yep, I still cook Sunday dinner for my crew… and I use Christys recipes a lot, and my family teases me cause I say warsh… and they say there is no r in there and I am sure their is, at least the way I say it, haha.. My family is from South Missouri,,, so I guess that is more Southern than these Okies where I have always lived… who knows.. anyway….
you did a great job.. lets hear more from mama..
hugs jo in Oklahoma
My mama made these when I was a kid too and we LOVED them. We even liked them when they didn’t “set” – they’d just be eaten with a spoon then. LOL!
I make them sometimes too – and always with the peanut butter. And thanks to this, I now have a craving that I’m going to have to fulfill this evening. Thanks a lot!
Love them too much–too dangerous to make. We call them Cow Patties. Such a gross name, but so delicious!
I started calling them “Cow Chip Cookies”, when my son was small, my house was the Kool-Aide house, and alllllllllllll the neighborhood kids would come over every day after school. They had NEVER had no bake cookies before, not a single kid but mine, so I just told them, “Why, they’re Cow Chips of course! Don’t they look like cow chips???” Once one kid bit into one and indicated it was suitable for human consumption, they became a HUGE hit!
Ever since, these cookies have been Cow Chip Cookies for me and for anyone I serve them to! It brings back sweet memories and makes for new ones!
Thanks, Mama, for the recipe! I was just thinking the other day of doing a web search for it! : D
We have been making these for years and love them. And can I just say thank you, thank you for changing you RSS feed to full feed! I really prefer being able to read a whole post in my feed reader or email.
Thank you Mama Janice for this wonderful recipe! I can easily make these gluten free for my husband…he will love them!!
Bountiful Blessings!!
Recently, I started making these again for my “gluten-free” husband and he loves them! I used to make them for my son and his friends, but they are all grown & have families of their own now!
I’ve always made them with peanut butter, but you can add all sorts of things like sunflower seeds, raisins, etc. to make them more nutritious.
Great post!! I also grew up eating these. My cousins that used to babysit for me growing up made these all the time. It wasn’t until I was old enough to stay by myself and started making these myself that I knew you were supposed to let these harden. We sat at the table like vultures with spoon in hand waiting for the cookies to cool enough to eat them while they were still warm!
Thanks for sharing these. My Daddy was the only one in our house that could make these cookies and get them to set up. We liked to stir in some creamy peanut butter into the mix.
Hi it’s so good of you to stand in for Christy you can do that anytime!~! Everyone said what I wanted to say about you and your daughter *pout*………You should be so very proud of what she is doing and I know you are!! I’m amazed everyday I come here and a lot of the time I check in just before bed and laugh out loud so hard my apt neighbors must be getting suspicious by now heehee. I love these cookies but never used a thermometer but I do have one and maybe it will make it a little easier or the one minute rule is a good tip too. The reason I don’t make them is there is never many to share for some reason… I have never added peanut butter. I really should make a batch like that just for a test right?
Keep up the good work. BTW my grandmother came to Canada from KY in 1907 and I’m almost sure that is the reason that a lot of recipes are familiar to me in many ways or remind me of things my mom did in the kitchen. Thank you.
Hi there, Christy’s mama. You did great. I learned to cook making these cookies. I am a Southern who got transplanted to ME a few years ago and they eat them too. They call these cookies simply, ‘no bakes’. Some of them are just peanut butter with no cocoa. Both kinds are yummy.
Best cookies in the world. Thanks for filling in for Christy. You did a great job. She enjoyed her trip and we enjoyed the cookies.
Hey, Christy’s Mama! Great job–you are a natural at this! I know Christy is proud of you, and you must be 0h-so-proud of her! We made these cookies alot when I was growing up as well, and you know that the cook gets to “clean” the pan. We always used the cup of water test also, and were always happy with the results, whether they “set up” or not. I, too, use dishrags to clean in my kitchen. “Dish cloth” is just too much of a mouthful for us southern gals. Have a blessed day and visit often. You and Christy make a great team. I’ll bet ALL of your children are pretty special people!
Great job, “Mama”. Hope you do it again!
Hi Christy Mama!
Your blog entry was great. How nice of you and Christy to plan for you to do an entry so we aren’t all alone while she’s in New York
I will definitely have to make these cookies later and will add the peanut butter! I’d make them now, but I just made the M&M cookies this afternoon 
Quick question, do you think old fashioned oats would work in this recipe? I put my oats in a storage container so bugs don’t get in them and honestly can’t remember what kind they are!
I am sure they would work well. They might be a bit “chewier ” but still good .
HEY CHRISTY’S MAMA, I USE TO MAKE THESE WHEN I WAS A TEENAGER. THEY WERE ALWAYS A BIG HIT. MY 3 BROTHERS AND MY DADDY REALLY LOVED THESE ESPECIALLY WITH PEANUT BUTTER.
LOOKING AT YOUR PICTURE YOU ARE A MATURE PICTURE OF CHRISTY.THANKS FOR STANDING IN FOR CHRISTY.
THERESA
Hi Christy’s Mama,
I loved the idea that you gave Christy a break and us an endearing look into more of the family. I see that you and Christy are like two peas in a pod, each having fun and making others laugh while you whip up something delicious. I felt like we were deep south friends from long ago. Please do other guests spots from time to time.
I have made the cookies for years, often with peanut butter, but I did not realize before how many, many times I was supposed to test them. I get it now though and from now on, I will do it right!!!!!
Janie
Thank you, mamma for sharing this special treat. I have never made them but love them. As a former teacher, this was an easy cookie for mom’s to send to school. For 4-H cookie contest for 5th graders, this was a well used recipe. I loved testing and scoring these. For some reason, that plate was almost always empty by the end of judging. I’m going to get the ingredients and try these. I’m going to try them with Splenda.
This is one of my favorite recipes from my childhood! We called them Fudgies. Thanks for reminding me! Please, please, Mama, post more!
I make these all the time for my college kids – now their friends have started asking for them. We LOVE them. (the cookies and the friends, too!) I always include the peanut butter, but we also tried them one time with Nutella. It gives a different, richer flavor.
Great Post! Now we see where Christy gets here sense of humor… ;O)
When I was a kid growing up we called these Cow Paddy cookies, if you were raised on a farm or near cows you’ll understand that *wink* We made them with the PB and when my mom was feeling very creative sometimes nuts, I liked peanuts in them myself, but they are best just plain.
As a retire pre-K/Kindergarten teacher these were a favorite to make in class. The children would measure out the ingredients and we’d send it to the kitchen for the cooking part, then mix and drop in the class. They loved the results.
I never used a candy thermometer either, I think mine says cook 5 mins. But I can’t be certain without checking my recipe.
Hope she had fun and that you enjoyed the grand-kids. Have fun!
V
I enjoyed your mama’s guest blog! It was very entertaining as all your entries are!
Hi Miss Janice! You are just as entertaining as your daughter.(big smiles) I just finished making the cookies for my husband and I am sure he will be just as tickled to eat them as I was makin em. Thanks for bringing back childhood memories.
Michelle
We have eaten these with a spoon many times. It taste great either way. Thanks for sharing!
This makes me think of my mother. She never used a thermometer and hers always turned out fudgy…which is how we (the family) all enjoy eating them that way to this day. I hate running in to a dry version of this cookie.
I have altered this recipe as an adult. I use super crunchy pb and sometimes skip the pb and just use hazelnut butter (nutella). OMG…you must try this.
From one grandmother to another, loved your humor. My family have loved these cookies down through the years. Wonderful idea to make sure the cookies are ok for our loved ones consumption (winks)
I sending this post on to my email family
Thanks again
Great post! Please, please do it again. I have a community pot luck tomorrow and was wondering what to take, with it being so hot and all. It seems like if I fire up the stove my house is hot all day. And bless your heart you just saved me. I have made them before but it’s been a long time. You are right they were always a hit.Thank you again, Elaine
Hey mama, great post…I don’t know how I missed it the first time around! Just saw it tonight for some reason…..anyway, I LOVE these cookies, I make them with creamy peanut butter and I’ve thrown in some rice krispies cereal to give a little different texture and they were great! Yummy, now I’m gonna have to go make some!
Hey Mama, I just tried making these awesome lil’ cookies with the candy thermometer and I have this new concotion for yogurt. I have to do it the cook 3 minutes and then add the rest, however the kids still love it.
and that should be concoction….
I have never used just plain milk, I’ve always used the sweet condensed milk. But I will certainly use regular milk. Will they still be just as sweet?
Thank you Mama! I loved meeting you at the Nashville book signing! I can’t wait to scrapbook the photos. I will be trying this recipe soon! God bless you!
We call these “mud cookies”!!! Easy and delicious!!
Hi Christy,
I am a big fan of you and your wonderful recipes! I really enjoyed this article and recipe from Mama. I have been struggling for the past 6 years my husband and I have been married to make these cookies 2 times in a row and have them turn out just the same!!!!! Guess what it worked!!!!!! Mine normally are either just right, never stick together or waaayyyyyyy to dry!!!! My husband gives Mama a thumbs up too!
[...] Southern Plate [...]
Have always loved these cookies. We always called them chocolate haystacks. No matter what they are called, I love them! Great post. =)
Love this site and these cookies! I have to confess, though, that my kids and I call them “cow piles” !
~giggles~ That is too cute!
What am I doing wrong???? I’ve tried to make these cookies twice and both times the came out waaayyy too dry. Wouldn’t even stick together. Made a great ice cream topping though!! Any suggestions?
Hi Terri, I think you are cooking them too long. I make these when ever my kids come home and say they have to bring a treat and we don’t have time for baking. If I cook them too long or the mixture gets too hot too fast, they sometimes become dry. I use the 3 minute method because that is how I learned from my mother. We used to drop them on a buttered plate but I found that parchment paper works best.
[...] Peanut Butter No Bake Cookie Bites The chocolate version of this recipe can be found by clicking here. [...]
I’ve never heard of these before (must be cause I’m a Yankee), these sound pretty good to me. I’m heading to walmart in a few, I may just have to pick up some cocoa powder, coconut & a candy thermometer & give these a try. Kristy’s mum did an awesome job posting & taking pictures!!
Mama always called this Chocolate Oatmeal Candy. When I started making them for my daughters one of the always turned things around and called (and still does at age 32) Meal-O Candy.
We also add the cocoa to the sugar, butter and milk then bring it all to a boil.
So good!