Chocolate Peanut Butter No Bake Cookies

For those that know my classic no-bake cookie versions, you know that I personally opt out from including peanut butter. (See this version of my chocolate no-bake cookies without peanut butter.) I guess I am so stuck on the way that they were made when I was young!

However, my daughter disagrees! She has a birthday on the way and asked for these no-bake cookies that included two of her favorite flavors- chocolate and peanut butter. She enjoyed them thoroughly, and I know that many others are also great fans of these tasty cookies.

If you've never made no-bake cookies before or are just looking for a few extra tips and tricks, make sure to check out my ultimate guide to making no-bake cookies! I also have a ton of no-bake cookie recipes you can try out!

🥘 Ingredients

As previously mentioned, these sweet cookies only need 7 basic ingredients, you may even have them all on hand already!

• Butter - ½ cup of butter.
• Milk - ½ cup of milk.
• Sugar - 2 cups of granulated sugar.
• Cocoa Powder - ¼ cup of unsweetened cocoa powder.
• Vanilla - 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract.
• Peanut Butter - ½ cup of creamy peanut butter.
• Quick Oats - 3 cups of quick oats. Using quick oats is the key to getting the correct texture.

*Now don't laugh, but I had one of those 'moments' when making this batch of cookies. I grabbed Hershey's special dark cocoa powder and used it without thinking! Which is absolutely delicious, by the way (I actually liked it, more than the standard milk chocolate cousin). So, if your cookies turn out much lighter in appearance: a) you haven't done anything wrong, and b) you don't need to adjust your screen colors.

🔪 How To Make Chocolate Peanut Butter No-Bake Cookies

The easiest way to get your no-bake cookies started and to make sure the process goes smoothly is to have everything measured and line a baking sheet with parchment paper in advance.

This is a quick process, and you will need a large saucepan, a wooden spoon, a timer, your measuring utensils, and a baking sheet.

Using heaping spoonfuls, you should end up with about 30 cookies.

1. Melt. In a large saucepan, heat ½ cup of butter, ½ cup of milk, 2 cups of sugar, and ¼ cup of cocoa powder over medium-high heat. Stir often as the butter melts.
2. Boil. Bring the syrup to a rolling boil, adjusting your temperature as needed to get a good bubbling boil without overflowing while stirring constantly. You need to cook the syrup at a solid rolling boil for one full minute. Set a timer.
3. Stir. Remove the saucepan from your stovetop and stir in 1 teaspoon of vanilla and ½ cup of peanut butter until smooth and well combined. Then stir in 3 cups of quick oats until well coated and evenly distributed in the syrup.
4. Scoop. Use a large tablespoon to drop cookie portions in heaping tablespoonful amounts onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet or working surface. Leave about 1 inch between cookies for spreading.
5. Set. Allow the cookies to set at room temperature for 30 minutes.

These cookies will be your new go-to treat when you are craving some chocolate and peanut butter. If you want some more sweets with the same flavors, check out my recipes for chocolate peanut butter cookies and chocolate peanut butter Rice Krispies treats. Enjoy!

💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Notes

• The most important part of making your no-bake cookies is to reach a good rolling boil. This means that large bubbles should surface and pop for one full minute. Use a timer once your rolling boil starts.
• No-bake cookies come together pretty quickly, so make sure you have all of your ingredients measured and your workstation set up before you get started.
• Make sure you stir constantly once your mixture begins boiling in order to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pan and burning.

🤔 Troubleshooting No-Bake Cookies

Some quick suggestions to help you troubleshoot.

To Hard?

The rolling boil stage was either too hot or too long. If you were having trouble keeping the syrup from overflowing, reduce the heat next time and try the minute timing again.

To Soft?

The rolling boil stage was too short, or not a really good full rolling boil. Adjust your temperature next time and try to get a more aggressive bubbling when at a boil. In the meantime, transfer your no-bake cookies into the refrigerator to help this batch set up correctly. Check out my guide on how to harden no-bake cookies for more help.

This video of the chocolate no-bake cookies (without peanut butter) shows the process, boil, and timing if you would like a walk-through of the recipe.

🥡 Storing

No-bake cookies have a great shelf life. Keep them stored in an airtight container either in the fridge or at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.

Freezing

Let your cookies set completely, and then place them onto a baking sheet and freeze them for about 2 hours. Then, they can be transferred into a sealed container and frozen for up to 6 months. Take a look at my post on how to freeze no-bake cookies to learn more.

❓ Recipe FAQs

😋 More No-Bake Desserts

See all my no bake desserts, or check out one of my favorites below.

• Mexican Pralines - Sweet, no-bake candy that tastes like caramel and nuts.
• Edible Cookie Dough - Tasty chocolate chip cookie dough that is completely safe to eat.
• No-Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake - Fall-inspired cheesecake that is packed with pumpkin flavor.
• Microwave Peanut Butter Fudge - An easy 4-ingredient fudge that is made in the microwave.
• No-Bake Butterscotch Cookies - No-bake cookies that are perfect for fans of butterscotch.
• No-Bake Pumpkin Cookies - The best no-bake cookie variety for enjoying during the fall time.

📖 Recipe Card