No Bake Cookies without Peanut Butter
on Mar 01, 2022, Updated Oct 23, 2023
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These No Bake Cookies Made without Peanut Butter are delicious and so easy to make. You can make it with or without oatmeal. There are many other variations too! They’re just as tasty as baked cookies.
When you’re craving something sweet and don’t feel like firing up the oven, no-bake cookies are a great option, and are easy to prepare. Many recipes use peanut butter, both for flavor and to help bind the cookies. But if you’re allergic to peanuts or don’t have any on hand, what can you do?
The good news is that there are many other ingredients that can be used in no bake cookies, without using peanut butter.
What Kind of Oats Should I Use for This Recipe
We like the texture of the cookies when we use quick-cooking oats. They’re soft without having too much chew. If you prefer a firmer cookie, use old fashioned oats instead.
Ingredients You’ll Need for Oatmeal No Bake Cookies
- Oats
- Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
- Unsalted Butter
- Milk
- Granulated Sugar
- Kosher Salt
- Unsweetened Chocolate
How to Make No Bake Cookies without Peanut Butter
- In a large mixing bowl, place the oats and cocoa powder, and toss to combine.
- Add butter, sugar, milk, and salt to a saucepan. Whisking frequently, bring the mixture to a rolling boil over medium-high heat.
- The mixture will bubble quite a lot. Just continue to whisk. Allow the mixture to boil for a full 2 minutes, whisking frequently.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat, add the chopped chocolate and mix until the chocolate is melted, and the mixture is smooth.
- Create a well in the center of the oats in the large bowl and pour in the sugar mixture. Mix to combine well.
- The mixture will be thick but soft. Allow it to sit at room temperature for 5 to 10 minutes to allow it to begin to firm up.
- Using a large ice cream scoop or two spoons, scoop the cookie dough in 2 tablespoon portions onto the prepared baking sheets, about 1-inch apart from one another. Spread each gently into an approximately 2-inch round.
- Allow the cookies to set at room temperature or in the refrigerator. After about 30 minutes, you should be able to peel them off the parchment paper.
Tips for the Perfect No Bake Cookies
- Add chopped chocolate or chocolate chips to the cooked sugar and butter mixture. This will help to ensure that the sugar mixture has cooked long enough. If the chocolate doesn’t melt, the mixture needs to cook longer.
- Store your cookies in an air-tight glass container at room temperature, or in the fridge.
Variations
- No Bake Cookies with Peanut Butter: If peanut allergies are not an issue, you can add about 1/4 cup of smooth, no-stir peanut butter to the recipe when you add the chopped chocolate or chocolate chips.
- No Bake Cookies without Milk: Make the recipe dairy-free by replacing the butter and the regular milk with dairy-free alternatives like coconut oil and unsweetened almond milk.
- No bake Cookies without Oats: If you prefer to exclude the oats, go ahead and replace them with 4 cups of puffed gluten free rice cereal.
- Sugar-free Chocolate No Bake Cookies: Other granulated sugar options can’t be cooked, so your only choices are maple syrup, honey, coconut sugar, or possibly, agave syrup. You’ll need to play around with the amounts, so consider making a smaller batch of cookies until you’re happy with the results.
- No Bake Cookies with Coconut: If you love the flavor of coconut, go ahead and add shredded coconut. The cookies will be slightly sweeter and chewier.
What Causes My No Bake Cookies Not to Set?
The sugar mixture may not have boiled long enough. Try cooking the mixture for a longer period of time.
Why are my No Bake Cookies Dry and Crumbly?
The mixture may have overcooked. Because these cookies are more similar to fudge, it’s important to understand that they’ll dry out and become harder the longer you cook them.
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Oatmeal No Bake Cookies Without Peanut Butter Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 cups gluten free quick oats
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ⅔ cup milk
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate chopped
Instructions
- Line large baking sheets with unbleached parchment paper and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, place the oats and cocoa powder, and toss to combine. Set the bowl aside.
- In a medium-size, heavy-bottom saucepan, place the butter, sugar, milk, and salt. Whisking frequently, bring the mixture to a rolling boil over medium-high heat.
- The mixture will bubble quite a lot. Just continue to whisk. Allow the mixture to boil for a full 2 minutes, whisking frequently.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat, add the chopped chocolate and mix until the chocolate is melted, and the mixture is smooth.
- Create a well in the center of the oats in the large bowl and pour in the sugar mixture. Mix to combine well.
- The mixture will be thick but soft. Allow it to sit at room temperature for 5 to 10 minutes to allow it to begin to firm up.
- Using a large ice cream scoop or two spoons, scoop the cookie dough in 2 tablespoon portions onto the prepared baking sheets, about 1-inch apart from one another. Spread each gently into an approximately 2-inch round.
- Allow the cookies to set at room temperature or in the refrigerator. After about 30 minutes, you should be able to peel them off the parchment paper.
- Store the finished cookies in a sealed glass container at room temperature or in the refrigerator.
Nutrition information provided is an estimate only and will vary based on ingredient brands and cooking methods used.
