These amazing No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies are gluten-free and naturally sweetened with honey. They are perfect to satisfy cookie cravings without turning on the oven.
This recipe came about when we got an apartment in Chiang Mai, Thailand which included a beautiful kitchen with lots of cabinets and counter space, but no oven. That's why I have a whole category for no-bake desserts.
No Bake Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies aren't a new idea. But for my version I didn't want to use butter and sugar (+ cocoa powder) as the binder. So I came up with my own 5-ingredient (yup that's all) version that uses good chocolate, honey and peanut butter as the binder for rolled oats and roasted peanuts.
I love these with very dark chocolate (like 75% or more) but my husband Konrad likes his sweets actually sweet. For him, I made them with semi-sweet chocolate chips and that's also the batch I ended up taking pictures of.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- chocolate - chopped chocolate bar or chocolate chips; dark or semi-sweet
- peanut butter - natural & creamy peanut butter
- honey - or maple syrup
- rolled oats - or a reduced amount of quick oats. Be sure to use certified gluten-free oats if required
- roasted peanuts - coarsely chopped
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Melt the chocolate with the peanut butter and honey in a pot set over very low heat.
Stir the oats and peanuts into the chocolate mixture until combined.
Divide and shape the mixture into cookies using a spoon and your hands.
Place them on a parchment lined baking sheet + garnish with extra peanuts if desired. Freeze for 20 minutes or until set.
Hint: Use a cookie scoop to divide the cookies and make them uniform sizes.
Variations
While the combination of chocolate and peanut butter is epic in this no bake cookie recipe, the beauty of it is that it is a base that you can easily vary and make all your own. Here are some ideas on how to make these treats your own:
- Replace the Nuts: If you or a loved one can't have peanuts for whatever reason, this recipe would work well with almond butter or hazelnut butter along with some chopped almonds or hazelnuts.
- Make the Cookies Nut-free: Rather than using nut butter with nuts, consider trying sunflower seed butter and whole sunflower seeds. The cookies will be a little different but they will still be delicious!
- Add Shredded Coconut: Replace some of the oats with shredded coconut if your love the combination of chocolate and coconut.
- Make a Salted Peanut Chocolate Cookie: Simply garnish the cookies with a little sea salt if you love the combination of sweet and salty.
Storage
To store the cookies, after freezing them so they become solid, you should keep them refrigerated rather than storing them at room temperature so the chocolate doesn't melt and store them in an airtight container. It is a good idea to layer them between parchment paper to ensure they don't stick together.
If you would like to store the chocolate peanut butter oatmeal cookies for longer, you can also put them in the freezer. While they will keep in the freezer for several months, it is best to consume them within 6 months as longer freezing time may affect their flavor and texture negatively.
Top Tip
Make sure you melt the chocolate mixture over low heat, and continuously stir it to prevent it from scorching or seizing up. If you like, you could also melt the mixture in the microwave by heating it for 20 to 30-second intervals, stirring in between, until the mixture is melted.
FAQs
Peanut butter cookies can crumble if they lack sufficient binding ingredients or if they are not chilled properly. Ensure the right balance of binding elements and refrigerate the cookies adequately before serving.
Failed no-bake cookies can be repurposed into toppings for ice cream or yogurt, or crumbled into a parfait. You can also try adding them to a milkshake or smoothie for added flavor and texture.
Gooey no-bake oatmeal cookies may be the result of using too much of the binding ingredients like honey or peanut butter. Adjust the ratios of the ingredients to achieve a firmer texture.
Yes, absolutely! If you are concerned about scorching the chocolate in the pot on the stove, you can place the chocolate, butter, and honey in a bowl and set it over a pot of simmering water, stirring until the mixture is melted and smooth.
You can use either dark chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate, it all depends on your taste. If you enjoy the richness of dark chocolate but also appreciate sweeter desserts, semi-sweet chocolate is the one for you. However, if you don't care for sweet desserts, dark chocolate is a good choice. The cookies will just be a little darker in colour.
The best way to make sure your cookies are the same size is to use some type of measure, like a cookie scoop. However, if you don't have a cookie scoop, you could also use a 2 tablespoon measuring spoon or simply measure out 2 tablespoons using a tablespoon-sized measuring spoon.
Yes, if you or someone in your family has an allergy to peanuts but not other nuts, you could replace the peanut butter and peanuts with almond butter and almonds or hazelnut butter and hazelnuts instead. You could even turn it into a cashew cookie recipe by including cashew butter and cashews rather than peanuts.
Related
Looking for other no bake recipes like this? Try these:
Recipe
No-Bake Peanut Butter Chocolate Oat Cookies
Ingredients
- 3.5 oz chocolate dark or semi-sweet
- ¼ cup peanut butter natural & smooth
- 2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup
- ⅔ cup rolled oats reduce to ½ cup for stickier cookie dough *
- ½ cup roasted peanuts coarsely chopped
Instructions
- Line a baking sheet with parchment. In a medium saucepan, melt chocolate, peanut butter and honey on very low heat. You can also use a double boiler or microwave in short bursts. Stir until smooth and combined.
- Add oats and chopped peanuts and mix together.
- Spoon out some of the mixture and shape it into a disk/cookie shape and place on prepared lined sheet. Add a few peanuts right in the center, if desired.
- Makes about 14 largish cookies. Place baking sheet in the freezer for about 20 minutes for cookies to set. Then store in the fridge in a covered container.
Notes
Nutrition
Pin No-Bake Peanut Butter Chocolate Oat Cookies recipe for later?
Liz
I made these today and had a horrible time keeping them together. Took me 30 minutes to get a half dozen of them to look like cookies. I tried remelting the chocolate which helped a little, but not much. The binding ingredients just aren't as good as butter and sugar, I'll have to switch back to that.
jacquee | I Sugar Coat It!
Chocolate and PB...mmmmmmm! I have not baked in months, so these would be the perfect little treat for us right now.
Regina
I hear ya. There totally is a reason ovens part of a standard Thai kitchen. But sooner or later I'll miss my baked treats. You can be certain the AC will be running full force 🙂
Melissa Belanger
These cookies look so good! I love no bake cookies. And they have only a few ingredients which makes them perfect for a quick treat 🙂
Regina
Thanks so much Melissa! Quick with few ingredients are the best kind of recipes, no?
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
O wow, these are just soooo good! Always chocolate and PB!
Regina
Right?? Can never go wrong with a PB & chocolate combo 🙂