Peanut Butter No Bake Cookies (Printable Version)

Soft, chewy no-bake peanut butter cookies made with oats, butter, sugar and vanilla—ready in minutes.

# What You'll Need:

→ Wet Ingredients

01 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter
02 - 2 cups granulated sugar
03 - 1/2 cup whole milk
04 - 1 cup creamy peanut butter
05 - 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

→ Dry Ingredients

06 - 3 cups quick-cooking oats
07 - Pinch of salt

# Directions:

01 - Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats and set aside.
02 - In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Stir in the sugar and whole milk until well combined.
03 - Bring the mixture to a gentle boil, stirring constantly. Once boiling begins, let it cook undisturbed for exactly 1 minute to ensure proper setting.
04 - Remove the saucepan from heat. Immediately add the creamy peanut butter, pure vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt. Stir vigorously until completely smooth and homogeneous.
05 - Quickly fold in the quick-cooking oats until every oat is thoroughly coated and the mixture is evenly combined. Work swiftly before the mixture begins to cool and firm up.
06 - Using a tablespoon or cookie scoop, drop generous portions of the mixture onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 1 inch apart.
07 - Allow the cookies to cool undisturbed at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes until fully hardened and set.
08 - Once completely set, transfer the cookies to an airtight container. Store at room temperature for up to one week.

# Expert Hints:

01 -
  • The whole thing comes together faster than your oven can preheat, which makes it nearly impossible to mess up on a busy weeknight.
  • That rich peanut butter aroma filling your kitchen will make everyone wander in asking what you are making before the cookies even set.
02 -
  • That one minute boil is not a suggestion, and skipping even fifteen seconds means your cookies may stay soft and never fully set.
  • Stir the oats in fast because the mixture starts thickening almost immediately and gets harder to scoop with every passing second.
03 -
  • Measure every ingredient before you start because once that syrup is boiling you will not have time to hunt for measuring cups.
  • Use a heavy bottomed saucepan to prevent hot spots that can scorch the sugar on one side of the pan.

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