No-Bake Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

No-Bake Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

  • Prep Time: 5 mins
  • Total Time: 6 mins
  • Yield: 24cookies

    • About This Recipe

    “These are wonderful, quick cookies. It is one of the first things I learned to “cook.” You can add more or less oats (3 cups work best for me). I have found that the weather makes a difference on the consistency. It is very important not to boil them for longer than a minute.”

    Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup butter or 1/2 cupmargarine
  • 2cupssugar
  • 1/2 cupmilk
  • 4tablespoonscocoa
  • 1/2 cupcreamy peanut butter( or chunky but is seems to make a more crumbly dry cookie)
  • 2teaspoonsvanilla
  • 3 -3 1/2 cupsdry quick-cooking oats

    • Directions

  • Add the first four ingredients into a 4-quart sauce pan.
  • Bring to a rolling boil and hold for 1 minute.
  • Remove from heat.
  • Add peanut butter into the hot mixture and stir until melted.
  • Add in vanilla. (almond extract is good also, but I only use 1/2 teaspoon almond and 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla).
  • Mix in the oats and drop by tablespoons onto wax paper.
  • Let cool until set.
  • *Please remember that even if you do follow the recipe exactly, it doesn’t always turn out just right.I have had these not set up for me AND be hard and dry.But most of the time, the recipe is just right. I have also found that it makes a difference if you use quick cooking oats or old fashioned.In my experience it takes more old fashioned oats than quick cooking and I like the texture of the quick cooking better. When you make it a few hundred times like I have you learn a couple of things:) Also, Chunky peanut butter tends to make them more dry and crumbly.

    • Reviews

  • “I love this cookie recipe!It has been one of my favorites for when I have a sweet tooth and need something quick!You can also add a little bit of coconut (1/4 cup) to it if you want, but they are delicious without!”

  • “JUST LIKE MOM USED TO MAKE!I allow it to boil for only 30-40 seconds, otherwise the cookies are dried out.This makes slightly gooey cookies once they’ve set up – an awesome texture right out of the friedge. I always add a handful of shredded coconut (1/3C or so).Fun to throw in nuts, and even a few marshmallows at the very end. Versatile and tasty as ever.BEWARE:I’ve gained 4lbs since finding this recipe last month. :)”

  • “Have been making these for decades, but these are not the easiest to make set up correctly every time–but they still taste good.Many factors affect how they set up:heat, humidity, how long and hot you boil it, how long you stir it after boiling, what kind of oatmeal, etc, and it’s important to work quickly after the boil timer is up.I always set a timer for boiling.After boiling stir in just the oatmeal and only 3 cups of oatmeal, stirring quickly for 2 minutes–and if it is not somewhat less shiny add another 1/2 cup oatmeal.(But I’ve had it already trying to set up at this point, too, and then they are too dry–I don’t know how to fix it when it does this.)Then add peanut butter, and if desired chopped nuts and/or coconut or cereal, stirring quickly before dropping on waxed paper.Hope this helps some who have been having this set up too moist or dry…this really is a rather difficult recipe but even when it flops it still tastes good.”

  • “I just made these and they are delicious! It is just my husband and myself, so I halved everything for the recipe, and it was still great. We used chunky peanut butter and they turned out perfect for us. To try something out, I crushed up some pretzels when there was about a cup and a half of batter left just to see what it would taste like. I mixed the pretzels in with the remaining batter, and spooned them on wax paper. Now I wish I had mixed pretzels in with the entire batch! 🙂 They were delicious! Thank you so much for posting this recipe!!!! :)”

  • “Absolutely fabulous cookies! I brought them to work, and they were gone in about 5 minutes. Thanks for the recipe, this is a keeper for me!!!!”

  • “Jenny, I too over the years have had trouble with this recipe not turning out every time. I have found if you consistently use real butter or parkay margarine and evaporated milk, bring to boil on medium heat and then cook only 1 minute more mine turn out every time.These tricks have helped me hope they work for you too. Also mom used about a 1/4 less oatmeal this helped the cookies to be a bit thinner and spread out to look like a cookie.I read somewhere once that the weather can affect them also.”

  • “I used coconut oil for the butter and coconut milk for the milk plus raw turbanado for the sugar.They were delicious!”

  • “These cookies are great!I have tried other no bake recipes that I like a bit better though.I felt like these got a bit dry after a few hours and I kept them in an air tight container.Perhaps I should have added less oats? Anyway, I did get compliments on these so they are obviously great.My recommendation would be to use less than 3 1/2 cups of oats though.”

  • “So good!!! Made these for the office, EVERYONE loved them! I left out 1/2 cup of the oats and instead added 1/2 cup of dry roasted peanuts and 1 cup of mini marshmallows at the end, right before spooning onto parchment paper.Will make again (I am sure they’ll be requested every time we have a meeting or potluck :))Thanks for sharing!”

  • “Jenny–these took me back to high school! Our sweet lunch ladies made these fresh every day.I sbbed 1 cup Spenda for 1 cup of the sugar.I don’t think it compromised the taste at all.”

  • “I was always taught when boiling the mixture check for a hard ball.Take a couple of drops of the mixture and drop in into a cup of cold tap water.If it makes a hard or firm ball when squeezed between your fingers it is ready.If not let it cook a little longer and check again.Great cookies.”

  • “These are great!P.S. dont lick the spoon before blowing on it first…trust me.”

  • “This recipe is very similar to one I got from my grandmother for peanut butter oatmeal cookies (basically, double up on the peanut butter and eliminate the chocolate chips).Her recipe calls for Quick Oats, so I’ve never tried using any others.The one crucial difference between the two recipes is that in the one I got from my grandmother, you need to let the boiled ingredients cool for about five minutes before adding the peanut butter and other ingredients.Don’t worry – it’ll still be hot enough to melt everything.But I have found through bitter experience that if you don’t give the syrup those five minutes to cool the cookies will not set.”

  • “I have made these for years and they set every time. The difference is I do not boil them, just bring it to a boil, remove from heat and add the rest of the ingredients. I use 3/4 cup peanut butter, 1 tsp.vanilla, 6 tbsp. cocoa and 3 cups qc oats. Hope this helps.”

  • “I used rice milk and natural peanut butter, and had a little trouble getting the cookies to set with 3 cups oatmeal.But I put them in the freezer, and we just peel one or two off the waxed paper when we need a snack.Great for a hot day!”

  • “I love these cookies this will be how I make these cookies for now on!!!! :)”

  • “I always loved these.. you should try using Rice krispies instead of oatmeal.. its another favorite of mine now.. .”

  • “This reminds me of Miss Lacey, the elderly cooking teacher who taught at a junior high school when living in Glendale, CA.I hauled that recipe around for years, but sometime in the last 55 years, misplaced it.Over the years, I’ve found a kajillion recipes for chocolate chip oatmeal, but finally have found the one I had been looking for.Thank you so much Jenny White!”

  • “I’m so glad I found this recipe! Just like the cookies I ate as a kid. They came out perfectly. It is great to be able to make a satisfying cookie without having to crank up the oven.”

  • “I love these cookies! So good : ) Next time i will add coconut”

    •