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No Bake Cookies are a great way to save time and money when you’re looking for an easy dessert. They’re also a great option if you don’t have access to an oven and they’re also perfect for last-minute get-togethers.
No Bake Cookies are super easy to make and customize with your favorite add-ins. Whether it’s nuts or raisins, or just plain chocolate chips, these cookies aren’t fussy about what goes into them!
If you want to keep your No Bake Cookies fresher for longer, you’ll need to know how long they’ll last in the fridge, or how long they can be frozen before they start going stale. We’ve put together a list of tips on how to store and how to freeze No Bake Cookies so you can enjoy them for as long as possible!
Easy No Bake Cookies
No Bake Cookies are such a yummy treat to make when you’re pressed for time or just want a little something sweet right now. Our easy no bake cookies recipe is made with simple pantry ingredients, like creamy peanut butter and quick-cooking oats, and they come together in under 15 minutes. My kids love them as an after-school snack with a tall glass of cold milk. My husband whips them up on a lazy weekend afternoon as we’re playing board games or watching movies. And no bake means you don’t need to heat up the house with your oven. Just a little stove top stirring and you’re done!
Ingredients Needed for No Bake Cookies
Chances are, you have every ingredient you need to whip up a batch of our no bake cookies right now! Here’s all you need:
- Butter – I like to use real butter, unsalted, to cut down on sodium, but you can use margarine, coconut oil, or whatever you have on hand.
- White Sugar – regular granulated sugar helps the cookies set up nicely.
- Milk – skim or whole milk work great as dairy options!
- Cocoa powder – unsweetened powder or Dutch-press cocoa.
- Vanilla extract – just a teaspoon vanilla extract adds a rich depth of flavor to the cookies.
- Creamy Peanut Butter – for extra texture, you can try crunchy peanut butter too.
- Rolled oats – use quick-cooking oats for best results. You can use old fashioned oats, but they will work best in this recipe if slightly blended into smaller pieces.
- Salt – a dash of regular or kosher salt will enhance the flavor of the chocolate mixture.
How To Store No Bake Cookies
- No bake cookies do not NEED to be refrigerated, but they can be if you prefer. Refrigerator space is sparse in my house, so I like to just keep them on the counter in a large, airtight Tupperware.
- To keep them from sticking together, place the cookies on a single layer in the container, then add a layer of wax or parchment paper over the top before adding the next layer of cookies.
- You can store no bake cookies at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to two weeks in an airtight container before they start losing quality.
How to Freeze No Bake Cookies
Yes, you can freeze no bake cookies! Just spoon out the mixture on a large prepared baking sheet with a cookie scoop and place the cookies in the freezer until frozen (one to two hours).
Once frozen, place them in an airtight container or a Ziplock bag and freeze for up to two months. To thaw, just place cookies in a single layer on a pan at room temperature until thawed and ready to eat.
Tips for the Perfect No Bake Cookie
- When boiling the butter, sugar, milk, and cocoa you want to make sure to boil it long enough that the no bake cookies will set up properly, but not too long or the cookies will turn out dry, hard, and crumbly. Follow the directions in the recipe card below for the perfect cooking times.
- Try to avoid switching out ingredients in our no-bake cookies. Many recipes can swap out sugar for sugar substitutes, but these cookies need the real thing to cook up right. Everything in moderation, right? Enjoy a cookie and eat a salad later.
- If you do want to add a little something extra, you could toss in chopped nuts, coconut, or even mini chocolate candies to give the no bake cookies an extra dimension.
- Quick oats work best in this no-bake cookie recipe. You can use old fashioned oats, but they don’t cook as quickly so the texture will be a little off. To avoid this, blend old fashioned oats for a few seconds in the blender. The smaller oats will cook and taste better for these cookies.
- Store these cookies in an airtight container and store at room temperature for up to a week. They freeze beautifully for up to three months.
- Each no bake cookie should be about a tablespoon or so. You can use a regular spoon or a cookie scoop to make perfectly sized no bake oatmeal cookies.
Frequently Asked Questions for No Bake Cookies
They are gluten-free as long as you use gluten-free oats. Not ALL oats are GF so be SURE to check the packaging before preparing for someone who can’t have gluten. Otherwise, all the other ingredients are gluten-free and you are good to go!
This happens when the sugar/butter mixture isn’t boiled long enough. It should be at a full boil for one minute. Make sure you allow the cookies to cool for a full 30 minutes. You can chill the cookies after this to help them harden if needed.
You will have the opposite result, the cookies will be hard and crumbly. The boiling time needs to be exact for the best result.
More No Bake Recipes
When you’re looking to whip up something quick without the oven, yet still wow guests with gorgeous treats, we have more no bake recipes to choose from! Here are a few of our favorites:
How to Make No Bake Cookies
No Bake Cookies
Video
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter
- 2 cups sugar
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/4 cup cocoa
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/2 cup peanut butter creamy or crunchy
- 3 1/2 cups quick oats
Instructions
- Measure out oats, peanut butter, and vanilla into a mixing bowl. Don't mix.
- Mix butter, sugar, milk, and cocoa together in a heavy saucepan and bring to a full boil. Allow to boil for one full minute (set a timer). Remove from heat.
- Quickly stir in the rolled oats, peanut butter, and vanilla.
- Drop by spoonfuls or cookie scoop onto cookie sheets lined with parchment paper or wax paper as quickly as possible. Cool 20-30 minutes.
Notes
Recipe tips:
- Measure ingredients exactly to get best results.
- Watch boiling time carefully to get best results.
- Use a quality unsweetened cocoa powder for a rich chocolate flavor.
- Any nut butter can be substituted for peanut butter.
- Optional additions: ¼ cup coconut, chocolate chips, chopped nuts.
- Store no bake cookies at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to two weeks in an airtight container.
- Place cookies in an airtight container or a Ziplock bag and freeze for up to two months.
I love the simplicity of this recipe, and how fast they come together! The ingredients, too, are ones I typically have on hand. Thanks for a great no bake cookie recipe!!!!
These are my favorites. They are easy to make and the taste is unbeatable. There is a little bit of everything and you can’t go wrong with chocolate and peanut butter.
Delicious easy recipe. Adding coconut takes them to another level.
Delicious easy recipe
this is a favorite cookie and love how simple it is to make as well.
Love these no-bake cookies! I’ve been enjoying these since I was a child. No need to mess with a classic, they are perfect!
The cookies are delicious. A bit crumbly I thought so I am wondering: Do you start the one minute time for boiling the cocoa and sugar etc. when it reaches a full boil? Also what setting should the burner be on for this first step( ie. High, medium or lo-electric glass top)
Thank you
If cookies are crumbly, it means the mixture boiled for too long. So, we start the minute timer maybe a little before it reaches a ~full boil. It should be medium/high heat!
This is definitely my favorite recipe for a sweet treat. The littles love them!
Great recipes
This is the same recipe I have been using for 30 years it always turns out good
I have used this recipe many times and they are always delicious! I usually double the recipe and use half dark chocolate Cocoa.
good!!!!!!!!!!
Just like grandmas my 61 yr old long time security officer says! Except mine are better! I use dark cocoa powder, turbinado sugar and organic oats and quality crunchy peanut butter..only real butter and quality vanilla. It is also easier if you chill it b4 you roll some into a ball shape to finish cooling. YUM!!!
I love these cookies trying to get the best recipe the best directions to fix them for a long time
I cannot count how many times we made these cookies throughout my childhood. It seems as if we always had them at our house. This recipe is perfect and is exactly as I remember them. Thank you for sharing!
My mom used to make these cookies all the time for Christmas they were the best chocolatey peanut buttery cookies I ever ate it would be raisins and Walnut in those cookies was so delicious like you said childhood goodness when I found this recipe I had to make it tastes just like my childhood thanks for the recipe Thanks for the Memories
Awww! I love that these cookies bring back such sweet memories for you. I’ve never had them with raisins and walnuts. Sounds like a great idea!
Do you have the same recipe without peanut butter for someone with a peanut allergy? I know we used to make them years ago and they were flatter.
You can substitute almond or cashew butter for peanut butter. I hope that helps!
My grandma and mom made these. I LOVE them. So easy and the best flavor.
My Mom used to make these all of the time! Such a childhood favorite. We even added a smear of peanut butter on the top before eating. Never enough peanut butter, lol.
These take me back to my childhood! I loved making these! Thank you!
They turned out excellent! Thanks for the recipe.
These cookies were incredible. They were the perfect movie night treat. I love how easy the recipe was!