No-Bake Peanut Butter Cookies

Three beige, round, no-bake cookies with oats stacked on a cooling rack, surrounded by more cookies in the background.

No-Bake Peanut Butter Cookies

These Peanut Butter No-Bake Cookies are soft, chewy, and packed with peanut butter flavor. They come together on the stovetop with simple pantry ingredients, then set on parchment paper - no oven, no mixer, no cookie dough patience test.

Course Cookie

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 5

Set time 30

Total Time 45

Servings

Calories 187kcal

Author Kylee Ayotte

Ingredients

½ cup butter see note #1
2 cups granulated sugar
½ cup milk
¾ cup creamy peanut butter see note #2
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups quick oats

Instructions

Get prepped. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set them aside.
Make the base. Melt ½ cup butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in 2 cups granulated sugar and ½ cup milk until combined. Bring the mixture to a full rolling boil, then let it cook for exactly 1 minute, stirring occasionally. Don't rush this step - if the mixture doesn't reach a true rolling boil, the cookies won't set.
Add the good stuff. Pull the pan off the heat and immediately stir in ¾ cup creamy peanut butter and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract until smooth. Add 3 cups quick oats and stir until everything is evenly coated.
Scoop and set. Drop spoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheets and let them sit at room temperature until firm, about 30 minutes.

Notes

If using unsalted butter, add a pinch of salt with the peanut butter and vanilla extract.
Creamy peanut butter gives the smoothest texture. Chunky peanut butter works if you want extra crunch. Natural peanut butter can but used, but the no-stir kind works best. Regular natural peanut butter can make the cookies oily or softer, so you may need to add ¼ cup to ½ cup more oats if the mixture looks loose.
Use quick oats for the best texture. Old-fashioned oats work, but the texture will be chunkier and less smooth.
Make sure the mixture reaches a full rolling boil before you start the 1-minute timer.
Measure everything before you start because the recipe moves quickly once the saucepan comes off the heat.
Use a cookie scoop for even cookies that set at the same rate.
If your kitchen is warm, chill the cookies in the refrigerator so they firm up faster.

Nutrition