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No bake cookies are a timeless treat that everyone loves, and these chocolate peanut butter no bake cookies are no exception! With their delightful combination of creamy peanut butter, rich cocoa, and a hint of vanilla, they’re a quick and easy way to satisfy your sweet tooth. Featuring both quick oats and Rice Krispies, these cookies have a wonderfully chewy texture that makes them irresistible. Perfect for any occasion, this easy cookie recipe is one of my go-to favorites that I’ve been making for years—no oven required!
If you want to make tasty treats without baking anything, this chocolate peanut butter no bake cookies recipe might be ideal. They’re so easy and so yummy too!
You might also like black bottom oatmeal pie, oatmeal chocolate cake cookie mix, peanut butter and jam cookies, and Texas sheet cake cookies.
Why You’ll Love It
Easy to make: The recipe is so easy. After melting the butter you mix in the other ingredients, shape the mixture into cookies and chill them – that’s it.
A quick recipe: Did you know there were 10-minute cookie recipes? Well, this is one of them!
Really tasty: The flavors of peanut butter, oatmeal, cereal, and chocolate make these cookies super-delicious.
Chocolate Oatmeal Cookie Ingredients
A complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Crunchy peanut butter: For that nutty flavor.
Old-fashioned oats: To give that cozy oatmeal taste.
Rice cereal: Use Rice Krispies or another brand of rice cereal.
Cocoa powder: To add a chocolate flavor.
White granulated sugar: For sweetness.
Salted butter: For moisture and a rich flavor.
How to Make No-Bake Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies
For more detailed instructions with weights and measurements, jump to the printable recipe card.
Melt the butter: Melt the butter in a large saucepan.
Add more ingredients: Stir in the sugar, condensed milk, vanilla, and cocoa powder, whisking all the time. Next, fold in the peanut butter, rice cereal and oats.
Shape and chill the cookies: Scoop the dough with a medium cookie scoop and shape the mixture into disks and arrange them on a cookie sheet. You will get about 24 cookies. Let the cookies sit in the refrigerator for an hour and check they’re fully set before serving.
Substitutions and Variations
Gluten-free option: If you want a gluten-free version, use gluten free oats (I like these!) and gluten free rice cereal.
Cocoa powder: I like to use Dutch process cocoa powder, but regular unsweetened cocoa powder will work as well. Dutch process cocoa adds a deeper, richer cocoa flavor but is a little more expensive.
Peanut butter: I like the texture and nuttier flavor of crunchy peanut butter, but creamy peanut butter can be used instead. You can use any kind – natural peanut butter, sweetened peanut butter or whatever you have in the cupboard.
Extra chocolatey: Add some chocolate chips to the cookie dough. Milk chocolate chips would be good, or even white chocolate chips.
Serving Suggestions
As a sweet treat: Bake oatmeal cookies to pair with a gingerbread latte or favorite Starbucks copycat recipe.
For dessert: Pair them with homemade ice cream or enjoy with strawberry mousse tartlets.
As a gift: Wrap them in cellophane or arrange in a cookie tin with some parchment paper between each layer. Perhaps add a contrasting cookie too, like lemon shortbread cookies.
How to Store Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies
Store: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator and eat within 2 weeks.
Freeze: You can freeze these in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
Thaw: Enjoy them frozen or soften in the refrigerator overnight.
Top Tips
Lining the cookie sheet: My cookies didn’t stick to the baking sheet but you can line it with parchment paper or wax paper if you want.
Keep the heat low: You only need to melt the butter in the pot before adding the remaining ingredients so use a low to medium heat only. There’s no actual cooking required.
Keep them fresh: Whether you’re storing them in the refrigerator or freezer, keep the no bake cookies in an airtight container so they stay crisp and fresh.
Easy No Bake Cookies FAQs
I wouldn’t recommend it. Quick oats will not give you the balancing chewy texture that you’re looking for. Quick oats would make the cookies even crunchier. The chewiness of the old fashioned oats helps balance out the crunchiness of the rice cereal.
I use a 2-tablespoon cookie scoop just to ensure my cookies are more or less even in size, but that’s only for esthetics. As there’s no baking, it doesn’t matter if some cookies are a little smaller or larger (baked cookies of different sizes would have different baking times, but not here).
No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies Recipe
Chocolate Peanut Butter No Bake Cookies
Equipment
- Pot Large
- Cookie Scoop 2-Tablespoon
- Parchment Paper Optional
Ingredients
- ½ Cup salted butter
- 1 Cup white granulated sugar
- ¾ Cup sweetened condensed milk
- 1 Teaspoon vanilla extract
- 5 Tablespoons cocoa powder
- ¾ Cup crunchy peanut butter
- 2 Cups rice cereal
- 2 Cups old-fashioned oats
Instructions
- Add your butter to a large pot over medium heat. Once the butter is completely melted, add the granulated sugar, condensed milk, vanilla, and cocoa powder to the pot. Whisk continually until the mixture is homogeneous.
- Add your peanut butter, rice cereal, and oats to the pot. Fold to combine. Make sure your oats and cereal are evenly coated in the chocolate and make sure the peanut butter is evenly distributed.
- Scoop out chunks of dough and flatten them a little to form discs. Your cookies should be about 2 tablespoons in size.
- Place your cookies on a cookie sheet and let them chill in the fridge for an hour.
Notes
Keep the heat low: You only need to melt the butter in the pot before adding the remaining ingredients so use a low to medium heat only. There’s no actual cooking required.
Keep them fresh: Whether you’re storing them in the refrigerator or freezer, keep the no bake cookies in an airtight container so they stay crisp and fresh.
Nutrition
If you love trying new cookies recipes, you’re going to love these chocolate peanut butter no bake cookies. They’re so good, offering chocolate, peanut butter and vanilla flavors. These cookies are no-bake and don’t take very long to set, so they are great for when you need dessert in a pinch. I love making classic no bake cookies. They keep for ages in the freezer and are great when guests come to visit!
Other Recipes to Try
Bella Bucchiotti
Bella Bucchiotti is a Canadian-based syndicated food, travel, and lifestyle writer, photographer, and creator at xoxoBella. She founded xoxoBella in 2015, where she shares her love for food, dogs, sustainability, fitness, crafts, outdoor adventures, travel, and philanthropy to encourage others to run the extra mile, try new recipes, visit unfamiliar places, and stand for a cause. Bella creates stress-free and family-friendly recipes for weeknight dinners and festive feasts.
So easy and delicious! The perfect quick treat everyone keeps asking for.