Old Fashioned No Bake Cookie Recipe (Small Batch Recipe)

When it comes to favorite cookie recipes, it is hard to beat Old Fashioned No Bake Cookies. Chocolate mounded cookies that are held together with bits of oatmeal and are infused with the flavor of peanut butter.

These cookies have been around for decades and are the first ones to disappear from any Christmas cookie tray. But what I like most about this recipe is that they are easy to make with common ingredients that you most likely already have in your kitchen.

By combining these 7 ingredients you will have your cookies made in under 15 minutes! And remember, there is no baking required so even a novice cook can master this recipe.

However, when you are on the search for cookie recipes, you will most often find recipes that make 2-3 dozen of cookies per batch. Although there are several times when large batches of cookies are needed, there are other times when you need only a dozen.

And that is where this recipe comes in handy. Whether you are cooking for two or looking to make a variety of cookies to be placed on your Christmas cookie tray, this small batch recipe is the answer.

Why Make Old Fashioned No Bake Cookies

1. No oven required: During the winter months most kitchen ovens get used quite often. From comfort food recipes such as Meatloaf to making Thanksgiving Dinner on a sheet pan, the oven seems to be turned on almost daily. And that includes most cookie recipes.

However instead of waiting for the oven to be free, you can go ahead and make these award winning cookies in no time!

2. Easy to make: No-bake cookies are incredibly easy to make, even for novice bakers. They require minimal ingredients and by following this tried and true recipe they set up perfectly. It is a great last minute dessert recipe when unexpected guests arrive or when you need to satisfy that late night sweet tooth.

3. Kid-friendly: Because these cookies are so easy to make it is the perfect recipe to make with kids or grandkids.

4. Delicious: You can’t beat the classic dessert combination of chocolate and peanut butter.

5. Versatile: You can even customize the cookies even more skipping the cocoa powder and making Peanut Butter No Bake Cookies. Or add chopped nuts or chocolate chips to the mix for even more flavor and texture.

6. Dairy-free and Vegan option: With a few simple ingredient substitutions, you can make this Old Fashioned No Bake Cookie recipe dairy free or vegan.

INGREDIENTS REQUIRED

• Butter: I prefer to use salted butter in this recipe as it enhances the sweetness of the other ingredients. However I have also made it with unsalted butter, margarine and even plant based spread and they have all turned out well.

• Granulated Sugar: Use standard granulated sugar to sweeten the cookies. This is not the time to use brown sugar or cane sugar.

• Milk: You can use any type of milk that you prefer. Although I typically use whole milk, you can use 2%. 1%, skim or even unsweetened plant based milk to make these old fashioned no bake cookies.

• Unsweetened Cocoa Powder: The iconic chocolate flavor comes from unsweetened cocoa powder. You could also use Dutch-processed cocoa powder, although your cookies will be darker in color and have a milder flavor.

• Peanut Butter: Put down that all natural peanut butter, and reach for the creamy peanut butter that we all fell in love with as a kid. For extra crunch you could use crunchy peanut butter, but the crowd pleaser is definitely creamy peanut butter.

• Vanilla Extract: No cookie recipe would be complete without a little vanilla extract.

• Quick-Cooking Oats: If you want easy to eat, no bake cookies than use quick cooking oats. You can use old fashioned oats but your cookies will have more of a bite and be more chewy.

Tips For Getting The Cookies To Set Up Properly:

If you have ever made old fashioned no bake cookies you may have had trouble getting them to set up properly. Sometimes they won’t set up at all, and other times they turn out dry and crumbly.

Although there are several factors that could impact the quality of the cookies, I have included tips for making them set up properly each and every time.

1. Prepare The Baking Sheet Before Starting – Because the Old Fashioned No Bake Cookies set up quickly, it is best to have the prepared baking sheet ready to go before you start mixing the ingredients. This will ensure that the cookies can quickly be dropped onto the pan while they are still very moist.

2. Measure All Ingredients Before Starting – As mentioned above, this recipe comes together very fast. Therefore, measure all the ingredients before starting the recipe.

3. Let The Mixture Boil For The Exact Time Listed – The real key to getting the cookies to set up properly is to let the mixture boil for exactly 70 seconds. However, do not start the timer until the liquid is at a rolling boil (still boils when stirred). Then when the time is up immediately remove the pan from the heat.

4. Altitude and Humidity Adjustments – The environment plays a huge roll in how the cookies set up. Therefore start with using only 1 cup of the quick oats. Then depending on how the mixture looks, you may need to add more. You want the mixture to look glossy and not to dry, but thick enough to set up when cooled.

Old Fashioned No Bake Cookie Recipe

*A printable recipe card is located at the bottom of this article which contains the specific measurements, temperatures and cook times. However, continue reading below to learn about more helpful tips about this specific recipe.

INGREDIENTS

• 1/4 cup butter (salted, unsalted or plant based butter)
• 3/4 cup granulated white sugar
• 1/4 cup milk (any type of milk, including unsweetened plant based milk)
• 1 1/2 Tablespoons cocoa powder
• 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter (not all-natural)
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cup quick oats, divided

INSTRUCTIONS

Place wax paper on a baking sheet and set aside. Then measure out the ingredients (this recipe comes together quickly) and set aside.

In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, melt the butter. 

When the butter has melted, add the milk, sugar, and cocoa powder. Stir to combine.

Slowly bring the mixture to a boil. Once the mixture comes to a rolling boil (still boils when stirred), start a timer for exactly 70 seconds, stirring frequently.  

Immediately remove the pan from the heat. Quickly stir in the peanut butter and vanilla extract. Continue to stir until the peanut butter melts.

Add 1 cup of the quick oats and stir until evenly coated. If the mixture seems too thin to set up, stir in more oats.

Drop the old fashioned no bake cookie dough by tablespoons onto the wax paper.

Let the cookies cool completely so they can firm up.

Enjoy! Mary

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