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Ingredients You’ll Need and Why

You need just eight ingredients for this recipe, and they’re all pantry staples. These are my notes from recipe testing and you can find the full recipe card with complete measurements and instructions below.

• Oats: these should be quick-cook oats, not rolled or steel cut. I find that rolled oats work quite well but make the cookies a little more delicate and prone to falling apart. You can use rolled oats if that’s what you have and they’ll still turn out! Use certified gluten-free oats if necessary.
• Peanut butter: I’ve never tried making these with sweetened processed peanut butter and I’m not sure how they’d turn out. I can only vouch for using peanut butter that’s made with just peanuts (or peanuts and salt).
• Honey: it doesn’t matter if it’s runny or creamed honey, but do make sure it’s pure honey. I did test with maple syrup and the cookies were too delicate and had an unreliable set.
• Cocoa: unsweetened, either natural or Dutch process. Cocoa powder helps to bind the cookies and adds the chocolate flavour. I prefer the smoother flavour of Dutch process in these cookies but it doesn’t matter which you use – there’s no baking powder or soda in this recipe.
• Coconut oil: a solid fat is key to the cookies setting and this can’t be substituted with an oil that’s liquid at room temperature. I haven’t tested with butter but I think it would be fine.
• Milk: any type of milk is fine. I usually make these with soya or oat milk. Use dairy milk if preferred.
• Vanilla: a hint of vanilla extract and a pinch of salt boost the flavour. If you don’t have vanilla, you could try adding a little cinnamon or other spices.

How to Make No-Bake Cookies

If you’re familiar with no-bake chocolate cookies or you desserts treats like puffed wheat squares, you’ll know this method. You’re essentially making a kind of candy base by boiling some of the ingredients, then mixing with the remaining ingredients and setting. If you have a candy thermometer the temperature should be 105 to 110°C (~225°F), just before soft ball stage.

Step 1: add the honey, oil, milk, and cocoa to a medium saucepan. This is why a scale is so useful, beyond accuracy – you also don’t need to dirty any dishes, just place the pan right on the scale and weigh the honey and other ingredients directly into it.

Step 2: heat over medium, whisking constantly. The oil and honey will melt as they heat up and the mixture will come together.

Step 3: bring to a low boil, whisking constantly, and boil for one full minute. Set a timer rather than estimating. It’s important for the mixture to be at a full boil for the minute in order for the cookies to set.

Step 4: remove from the heat and whisk in the peanut butter and vanilla. The peanut butter will melt in the residual heat. This is a good time to use peanut butter from the bottom half of the jar that might be a little thicker.

Related: No-Bake Chocolate Coconut Balls

Step 5: whisk well to combine. It might look a little grainy from the peanut butter but shouldn’t be seized or hard (I’ve never had that happen, but it might if you used very cold peanut butter).

Step 6: stir in the oats and salt. Set aside to rest at room temperature for ten minutes to allow the oats to soak up some moisture and thicken the cookie mixture.

Step 7: form the dough into a dozen cookies, using a cookie scoop or a tablespoon. Flatten into discs or leave as mounds, depending on the shape you prefer. I always flatten slightly (see image at the top of this post).

Step 8: refrigerate for at least one hour to set the cookies, and serve cold. Keep in the refrigerator or freezer.

Related: Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars

Optional Variations

• Hazelnut or Almond Cookies: replace the peanut butter with almond or hazelnut butter. No other changes are needed.
• Nut-Free No-Bake Cookies: try unsweetened sunflower seed butter in place of the peanut butter. This does change the flavour of the cookies pretty significantly but not in a bad way, and if you’re used to eating sunflower seed butter, you won’t even notice.
• Spiced Chocolate Cookies: try adding cinnamon, cardamom, and nutmeg along with the oats for a warmly spiced chocolate cookie.

Expert Tips for the Best Cookies

• Set a timer for the boil: over-cooking will make the cookies crumbly and dry, and under-cooking will mean that they don’t set.
• Don’t reduce the honey: stick to the recipe amounts in general and certainly use a kitchen scale if you have one. Trying to reduce the honey in particular will result in cookies that don’t set properly. If you want something with less added sweetener, try my chocolate peanut butter cookies, peanut butter balls, or puffed quinoa bars, all sweetened entirely with dates.
• Use a mise en place: you do need to work quickly, especially once the liquid ingredients have boiled. Measure out the peanut butter, oats, and vanilla and set them beside the stove so that you can add them quickly and easily.
• Give it time to set: using natural peanut butter means that the time needed for the cookies to set in the refrigerator is a little longer. Be patient and give them the full hour.
• Keep them refrigerated: like most no-bake recipes, these are best kept chilled, especially when the weather is warm. They’ll be okay for up to an hour at room temperature but are best served cold.