No-Bake Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies
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All you need is 6 ingredients to make these easy no-bake peanut butter oatmeal cookies (or cookie bars if that’s more your style). They’re fudgy, chewy, and downright delectable!
These no-bake peanut butter oatmeal cookies are the ones you most likely remember from your childhood. We usually had them in a chocolate form like this no-bake chocolate cookie recipe. But I somehow ended up with an entire family who loves peanut butter. Anything peanut butter. Seriously.
We go through one of the huge jars each and every week. They love PB&J sandwiches, peanut butter on toast, peanut butter balls (which I try to always keep in the freezer), peanut butter cookies, and of course… my sensational homemade yellow cake with old-fashioned peanut butter fudge icing.
But you know what? I don’t mind if they enjoy this particular no-bake peanut butter oatmeal cookie recipe because it’s so easy to make. All you need is 6 ingredients: sugar, oats, peanut butter, vanilla extra, butter, and milk. The first step is to bring the butter, sugar, and milk to a boil in a saucepot. Then all you have to do is mix in the remaining ingredients and you have yourself a cookie “dough.”
Then it’s up to you whether you make cookies or cookie bars like in the picture above. I’ve included instructions for both. Either way, the hard part is letting them cool before serving. But y’all know they’re worth the wait! Fudgy, chewy, and every kid’s favorite, I think we’re all about due for a batch today. What do you think? If you love these make sure check out some of my other recipes like Peanut Butter Cheesecake Cookie Bars, Peanut Butter Cornflake Cookies, Homemade Peanut Butter Cups, and Peanut Butter Protein Balls.
Recipe Ingredients
- Granulated sugar
- Oats (old-fashioned or quick oats work)
- Creamy peanut butter
- Vanilla extract
- Unsalted butter (or margarine)
- Milk
Helpful Kitchen Tools
How to Make No-Bake Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies
Place sugar, butter, and milk in a heavy-bottomed saucepan.
Stir constantly and bring it to a boil over medium heat.
Once it reaches a full rolling boil, continue to stir and boil for one minute.
(I usually boil for 1.5 minutes to be on the safe side).
After it’s boiled for a minute, remove it from the heat and add in the peanut butter and vanilla.
Stir until smooth and creamy and all of the peanut butter is melted.
Then add in your oats and stir those up really well.
Now, you have two options.
First, the old-fashioned way. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and grease it with cooking spray.
Then drop spoonfuls of the “cookie dough” onto the baking sheet (use a cookie scoop to make life easier). Shape them into cookies (press them down with a fork) and let them cool completely before serving.
Personally, I just prefer the pan method because it is so much less work and they make cute little cookie bites when you cut them. But you can do whatever cranks your tractor!
The second option is to line an 8×8 baking dish with parchment paper or aluminum foil and grease it with cooking spray.
Pour the cookie mixture into the greased baking dish.
Like so.
Now press the mixture into the baking dish and let it cool before serving.
You can speed up the cooling process by placing your baking pan in the fridge. In about one hour that’ll be set and you’ll be ready to roll!
Once they’re set, cut them however you like.
You might opt for small cookie bites or bigger cookie bars.
But let me tell y’all, no matter how you cut them or prepare them, they taste delicious in any shape or form.
Oops, I couldn’t resist—I had to take a bite!
Storage
- Store cookies in an airtight container in the fridge or at room temperature for up to one week.
- You can also freeze cookies for up to three months. Thaw them at room temperature before serving.
Recipe Notes
- For extra flavor, swap the white sugar for dark or light brown sugar.
- You want to use rolled oats, whether that’s old-fashioned or quick oats. Stay away from instant oats!
- As for the milk, any option will do.
- If you prefer your cookies to be more salty than sweet, you can use salted butter instead or use unsalted butter and add a pinch of salt.
- Want to add a little bit more flavor? Fold in 1/2 cup of coconut flakes.
Recipe FAQs
Why are my no-bake oatmeal cookies not setting?
If your peanut butter oatmeal cookies are too wet or gooey, this means you didn’t boil the ingredients for long enough. Make sure it reaches a full boil before you start timing and then only let it boil for a further 1 to 1.5 minutes. Alternatively, if the mixture is too dry, you boiled the ingredients for too long.
Can you use natural peanut butter in cookies?
I don’t recommend using natural peanut butter in any cookie recipe because the oils and fats aren’t evenly distributed. When you mix it into the dough, you’ll find that it affects the cookie texture and some bits are drier than others.
Can you make no-bake cookies without peanut butter?
Besides peanut butter, you can use another creamy spread, like Biscoff cookie spread, Nutella, almond butter, or Sun Butter.
How do you make no-bake chocolate peanut butter cookies?
There are a few options when it comes to no-bake chocolate cookies:
- Drizzle melted semi-sweet chocolate over the top of the cookies before letting them cool.
- Add 1/4 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder to the other ingredients you boil in the saucepan.
- Fold in 1/2 cup of mini chocolate chips when you add the oats. Besides choc chips, you can use Reese’s candy or mini M&M’s.
You may also like these peanut butter treats:
Peanut Butter Cornflake Cookies
Chocolate & Peanut Butter Balls (No Baking Necessary)
Easy Homemade Peanut Butter Cookies
Peanut Butter Cheesecake Cookie Bars
Ingredients
- 3 cups oats
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/4 cup butter or margarine
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Place butter, sugar, and milk in a heavy saucepot. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly.2 cups granulated sugar, 1/4 cup butter or margarine, 1/2 cup milk
- Once it reaches a full rolling boil, continue to stir and boil for 1 to 1.5 minutes.
- Remove from heat and stir in peanut butter and vanilla until peanut butter is melted. Stir in oats.3 cups oats, 1 cup creamy peanut butter, 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Drop spoonfuls onto a waxed paper-lined baking sheet to make cookies or pour the batter all at once into a greased 8x8 baking dish to make cookie bars. Allow them to cool completely before serving.
Nutrition
“We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are
conscious of our treasures.”
– Thornton Wilder
Submitted by Jenny
We always made the chocolate ones with peanut butter and chopped pecans. These have been a traditional favorite for Christmas for many years. We call them penny candy. Very good and very easy!
Judy do you use pecan pieces and is so how much?
Can you substitute shortening for butter?
hey Season, I think that substitution would work just fine 🙂
thank you sooooo much! i live In China and right now my city is out of butter. i wish i had brought butter flavored shortening with me, but, alas, i only brought regular shortening. thank you so much for your help! LOVE your cookbook. I use it on a daily basis! 🙂
We always made them with peanut butter AND chocolate. The best! I have the recipe stuck back somewhere. I’m racking my brain as to what my grandmother used to call them.
Oh my, these look delicious! I don’t particularly care for chocolate (I know, I know that’s really odd) but I do love peanut butter.
I am going to try this version as Ihave made the chocolate ones for years but never this version. Your hint about not having to drop them is great also as I know one has to work quickly before these set up and it should be much simpler to make the bars. Now I want to respond gently to your wee rant yesterday. Let me preface my remarks by saying I love children. I had three sons which are fine young men now and I have grandchildren that I adore so I am definitely not anti-kids. I do, however, understand why some businesses are not happy when chidren are on the scene. I recently was in a chain restaurant for dinner where two children were literally running up and down the rather narrow aisles. They were running into people and bumping tables and generally creating an unpleasant dinner atmoshere to people trying to enjoy their meal while the parents were oblivious. At one point the waitress had one of those huge, round metal trays loaded with at least six dinners. Those kids nearly bowled her over and I thought I was going to be wearing six dinners. This is dangerous with hot food and potential glass breakage. I spoke to the manager and he apologized profusely but said he really couldn’t say anything. He told me Tuesday was family night with some sort of kid meal promotion and perhaps I should choose another night to come there. I really don’t think that is the answer and I do not think I will be returning on any night. I also have a problem in stores like Walmart where children are crying , stomping their feet, and demanding what they want. This is truly distressing to me. I hate to sound like an old crab, but my goodness, I see I true failing in parents to be teaching manners and self discipline. I often see little wee ones who obviously need a nap or out so late that they should be home tucked in their beds. Parents need to have some responsibilty in their children’s behaviour patterns. OK-now I have had my wee rant and I hope I have not offended , but only wanted to point out there are always two sides to the coin and I feel sure Karo and Brady Bug are not among the children who behave badly in public.
Very well put Elaine. I have stopped going to certain eating establishments because management wouldn’t say something to the parents.
I agree with both if you. Families aren’t what they used to be in many ways, but thank goodness there’s hope. 🙂
The parents don’t want to see me in W-mart. I snatch up the wild kids by the arm, lookat them and say BEHAVE!! they always calm down and have had NO parents tell me to mind my business
You are very fortunate that you have not gotten in trouble for that–in this day and age. I do remember growing up that all parents (especially moms) in the neighborhood kept an eye on all the children. Heaven help you if you misbehaved. I know of kids who were spanked by other moms and sent home to their own moms and got it again. It was definitely a deterrent to bad behavior! Political correctness has led us to horribly behaved children who grow up to be horribly behaved adults. (Not all kids are this way, I agree. But the ones who are definitely give kids in general a bad rep.)
I tried to raise my girls the way I was raised. There was appropriate behavior expected, most especially in public, and if that behavior wasn’t acceptable there were consequences. I am proud to say that they have grown up into very polite, smart, and good women who make a productive contribution to society. Just proves that the old ways are the best!
My mom always made the chocolate version with two dollops of peanut butter stirred in. Peanut butter + chocolate = nothing better!
I think I would prefer these to the chocolate kind; I have a big container of oats I need to use, so these might be made very soon!
You know, I even like eating oats raw. I’m either very weird or just a diehard oats lover!