No-Bake Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies
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All you need is 6 ingredients to make these easy no-bake peanut butter oatmeal cookies (or cookie bars if that’s more your style). They’re fudgy, chewy, and downright delectable!
These no-bake peanut butter oatmeal cookies are the ones you most likely remember from your childhood. We usually had them in a chocolate form like this no-bake chocolate cookie recipe. But I somehow ended up with an entire family who loves peanut butter. Anything peanut butter. Seriously.
We go through one of the huge jars each and every week. They love PB&J sandwiches, peanut butter on toast, peanut butter balls (which I try to always keep in the freezer), peanut butter cookies, and of course… my sensational homemade yellow cake with old-fashioned peanut butter fudge icing.
But you know what? I don’t mind if they enjoy this particular no-bake peanut butter oatmeal cookie recipe because it’s so easy to make. All you need is 6 ingredients: sugar, oats, peanut butter, vanilla extra, butter, and milk. The first step is to bring the butter, sugar, and milk to a boil in a saucepot. Then all you have to do is mix in the remaining ingredients and you have yourself a cookie “dough.”
Then it’s up to you whether you make cookies or cookie bars like in the picture above. I’ve included instructions for both. Either way, the hard part is letting them cool before serving. But y’all know they’re worth the wait! Fudgy, chewy, and every kid’s favorite, I think we’re all about due for a batch today. What do you think? If you love these make sure check out some of my other recipes like Peanut Butter Cheesecake Cookie Bars, Peanut Butter Cornflake Cookies, Homemade Peanut Butter Cups, and Peanut Butter Protein Balls.
Recipe Ingredients
- Granulated sugar
- Oats (old-fashioned or quick oats work)
- Creamy peanut butter
- Vanilla extract
- Unsalted butter (or margarine)
- Milk
Helpful Kitchen Tools
How to Make No-Bake Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies
Place sugar, butter, and milk in a heavy-bottomed saucepan.
Stir constantly and bring it to a boil over medium heat.
Once it reaches a full rolling boil, continue to stir and boil for one minute.
(I usually boil for 1.5 minutes to be on the safe side).
After it’s boiled for a minute, remove it from the heat and add in the peanut butter and vanilla.
Stir until smooth and creamy and all of the peanut butter is melted.
Then add in your oats and stir those up really well.
Now, you have two options.
First, the old-fashioned way. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and grease it with cooking spray.
Then drop spoonfuls of the “cookie dough” onto the baking sheet (use a cookie scoop to make life easier). Shape them into cookies (press them down with a fork) and let them cool completely before serving.
Personally, I just prefer the pan method because it is so much less work and they make cute little cookie bites when you cut them. But you can do whatever cranks your tractor!
The second option is to line an 8×8 baking dish with parchment paper or aluminum foil and grease it with cooking spray.
Pour the cookie mixture into the greased baking dish.
Like so.
Now press the mixture into the baking dish and let it cool before serving.
You can speed up the cooling process by placing your baking pan in the fridge. In about one hour that’ll be set and you’ll be ready to roll!
Once they’re set, cut them however you like.
You might opt for small cookie bites or bigger cookie bars.
But let me tell y’all, no matter how you cut them or prepare them, they taste delicious in any shape or form.
Oops, I couldn’t resist—I had to take a bite!
Storage
- Store cookies in an airtight container in the fridge or at room temperature for up to one week.
- You can also freeze cookies for up to three months. Thaw them at room temperature before serving.
Recipe Notes
- For extra flavor, swap the white sugar for dark or light brown sugar.
- You want to use rolled oats, whether that’s old-fashioned or quick oats. Stay away from instant oats!
- As for the milk, any option will do.
- If you prefer your cookies to be more salty than sweet, you can use salted butter instead or use unsalted butter and add a pinch of salt.
- Want to add a little bit more flavor? Fold in 1/2 cup of coconut flakes.
Recipe FAQs
Why are my no-bake oatmeal cookies not setting?
If your peanut butter oatmeal cookies are too wet or gooey, this means you didn’t boil the ingredients for long enough. Make sure it reaches a full boil before you start timing and then only let it boil for a further 1 to 1.5 minutes. Alternatively, if the mixture is too dry, you boiled the ingredients for too long.
Can you use natural peanut butter in cookies?
I don’t recommend using natural peanut butter in any cookie recipe because the oils and fats aren’t evenly distributed. When you mix it into the dough, you’ll find that it affects the cookie texture and some bits are drier than others.
Can you make no-bake cookies without peanut butter?
Besides peanut butter, you can use another creamy spread, like Biscoff cookie spread, Nutella, almond butter, or Sun Butter.
How do you make no-bake chocolate peanut butter cookies?
There are a few options when it comes to no-bake chocolate cookies:
- Drizzle melted semi-sweet chocolate over the top of the cookies before letting them cool.
- Add 1/4 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder to the other ingredients you boil in the saucepan.
- Fold in 1/2 cup of mini chocolate chips when you add the oats. Besides choc chips, you can use Reese’s candy or mini M&M’s.
You may also like these peanut butter treats:
Peanut Butter Cornflake Cookies
Chocolate & Peanut Butter Balls (No Baking Necessary)
Easy Homemade Peanut Butter Cookies
Peanut Butter Cheesecake Cookie Bars
Ingredients
- 3 cups oats
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/4 cup butter or margarine
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Place butter, sugar, and milk in a heavy saucepot. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly.2 cups granulated sugar, 1/4 cup butter or margarine, 1/2 cup milk
- Once it reaches a full rolling boil, continue to stir and boil for 1 to 1.5 minutes.
- Remove from heat and stir in peanut butter and vanilla until peanut butter is melted. Stir in oats.3 cups oats, 1 cup creamy peanut butter, 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Drop spoonfuls onto a waxed paper-lined baking sheet to make cookies or pour the batter all at once into a greased 8x8 baking dish to make cookie bars. Allow them to cool completely before serving.
Nutrition
“We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are
conscious of our treasures.”
– Thornton Wilder
Submitted by Jenny
I make these but I use a sleeve of saltine crackers instead of the oats.Love them!
OH WOW I bet that’d be GREAT!
Yikes….not sure what I did wrong. I used chunky peanut butter. Mine was a little stiff and had to just press it down in the pan. It didn’t really pour out of pot…I just had to “chunk” it out. I cooked it just like in recipe. Maybe I didn’t let the peanut butter melt down good enough. Oh well…still looks good and I’m sure it will taste good.
If you find out what you did wrong…. let me know!! They do still taste good, but my “batter” didn’t look as creamy as Christy’s, and it also didn’t pour out. Maybe I will add a little more milk next time, and use a little less oats? I did use the quick cook oats so I have no idea if that makes a difference-did you use quick cook or old fashioned?
The oats shouldn’t make a difference in this really. It really sounds like it was just cooked a wee bit too much, perhaps too high or too long? But every stove cooks differently and chances are you’re cooking on a much nicer stove than mine!:) You can certainly add more milk if you like but I’d go with cooking a little lighter first. I hope this helps!
Thank you so much for the reply! I will try cooking it for less time next time:) I do have to say-I like this way much more than dropping them out as cookies:) (Maybe I’m just lazy!!)
My first batch did the same thing. I decided to crumble into large pieces and mixed them in with a batch of granola. Now the household is searching for my granola!
I’ve never had these, but they look delish. I’ve never made a single recipe of yours that I haven’t liked, so these will be on the list of Christmas treats for the neighbors. Thanks!
yummo!
My daughter and her cousin make these when they get together. Which is not ofter enough, cousin lives in Birmingham. They called these “Cow patties”. Chocolate of course. I do like the pan version which I will try tomorrow for a church function, I will try it with no chocolate. Sounds yummy!!
How funny this is, I just returned home from spending a week in Tennessee with my folks and family for their 55th Anniversary. Two days after the celebration and all the food, family and good times, my Mom made these for my sisters and myself and we watched an old movie we all loved! Talk about bringing back memories, she used to make these for us for after school yummies as we called em, for sleep overs etc. Some things never change, and goodies like these don’t need to! Thanks for your wonderful Blog! love it!
I did not have these as a kid, but since we have a little one on the way, I’m looking so forward to starting all sorts of new traditions that will use so many of your wonderful recipes!