Recipe for no bake chocolate oatmeal cookies without peanut butter

3-Minute No-Bake Cookies

3-minute no bake cookies are super easy to make and an all-time favorite. When you are in the mood for a treat but don’t feel like baking, this recipe is perfect. Get yummy cookies in just 3 minutes with 5 ingredients or less.

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Nutrition Info

  • Calories
  • Fat
  • Saturated Fat
  • Cholesterol
  • Sodium
  • Total Carbohydrate
  • Fiber
  • Sugar
  • Protein
  • Calcium
  • Vitamin D
  • Vitamin C
  • Vitamin A
  • Potassium
  • Iron
  • Thiamin
  • Magnesium
  • Whole grain

  • 90
  • 3g
  • 2g
  • 5mg
  • 0mg
  • 16g
  • 1g
  • 11g
  • 1g
  • 0%
  • 0%
  • 0%
  • 3%
  • 1%
  • 2%
  • 0%
  • 6%
  • 6g

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

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Jump to Recipe

Having a batch of cookies ready and available for a snack or after-dinner treat is always a good thing. But baking can be a time consuming and messy process. You have to use several bowls and utensils and most cookie sheets don’t fit neatly in the dishwasher.

But if you want to make some cookies without having to bake, it is possible!

No bake cookies are a fun and easy way to make cookies fast. It might sound a little strange to hear the words “no bake” and “cookies” together. However, they are technically cooked, just not baked. 

No bake cookies without peanut butter are less mess, less fuss, and the perfect option if you’re in a hurry. You can simply add all of the ingredients to one saucepan and line your cookie sheets with wax paper to make cleaning up a breeze. 

These no bake cookies without peanut butter are easy enough for anyone who doesn’t like baking. However, most no bake cookie recipes call for peanut butter.

It can be hard to find a recipe like this without peanut butter and if you don’t have any available or if you’re allergic you might give up on the idea.

Luckily, it is possible to make no bake cookies without peanut butter or any nut butters at all. The flavor will just be a little different without the peanut butter but still delicious.

No Bake Cookies Without Peanut Butter (and Other Substitutes)

If you need to replace the peanut butter then any nut butter will work as a replacement in the same amount.

Almond butter is very similar to peanut butter in texture but the flavor will vary depending on which type of nut butter you use.

Also, make sure you actually get a good Almond butter, I personally really like this one that you can pick up on Amazon.

You can use crunchy peanut butter if you prefer it, but I think that creamy peanut butter works best.

Other possible peanut butter substitutions include:

  • Sunflower seed butter
  • Apple butter
  • Cookie butter
  • Soynut butter
  • Tahini

If you are using peanut butter, be sure to choose creamy peanut butter, preferably one that does not need to be mixed.

Some peanut butter (and other nut butter) is separated from the oil and needs to be mixed very well before using it.

It is possible to use this type of nut butter, but I would recommend transferring it to a larger container and mixing very thoroughly before adding to the cookie recipe.’

Other Tips for No Bake Cookies Without Peanut Butter

Besides from omitting the peanut butter, there are a couple of other ingredients that are important to talk about before moving on to the recipe!

Use Quick Oats

Recipe for no bake chocolate oatmeal cookies without peanut butter

Remember to use quick oats or old fashioned oats in no bake cookie recipes. The great thing about quick oats is that you don’t have to cook them for very long.

They can be used in recipes like this or even added to smoothies without having to cook them. Quick oats will give no bake cookies a nice chewy texture. 

I often buy an 18 oz box of quick oats from Nature’s Path every few weeks for the whole family. They last for quite a while and we use them in our house for breakfast and baking.

I also like the Nature’s Path oats because they are organic. After doing some research, I realized that oats are one of those products that contain a lot of pesticides unless you buy organic.

Sometimes I grind these oats up to make oat flour for other baking recipes, which is a great option for anyone who is gluten-free.

There are so many great recipes to make with oats like cookies, granola, or oatmeal bakes. It’s a great pantry staple to always have in the house.

Use Unsweetened Cocoa Powder

Recipe for no bake chocolate oatmeal cookies without peanut butter

You can use any type of cocoa powder in this recipe but I have used natural unsweetened cocoa powder.

Natural cocoa powder has a more concentrated chocolate flavor than dutch processed cocoa powder. In my opinion, Anthony’s organic cocoa powder is the best.

In this no bake cookie recipe, it is really just a matter of preference or what you have available, although I recommend sticking with unsweetened cocoa powder so the sugar ratio doesn’t get messed up.

The choice of cocoa powder plays a more important role in recipes with baking powder or baking soda. (Neither of these ingredients is needed in this recipe so the cocoa chosen mainly affects the flavor.)

Add Mix-ins

You can add extracts like vanilla, almond, or mint to enhance the flavors.

Add 1-2 teaspoons of your chosen extract and add to the saucepan last.

It is possible to add chocolate chips, but because the ingredients will be added to a saucepan, they will melt. This will make them more chocolatey, but you won’t have the chocolate chips retain their shape. 

If you want to add nuts then add about ¼ of a cup and add them once everything else is combined in the saucepan. 

Another option to make these more delicious is to melt milk chocolate or white chocolate and drizzle over the cookies. The chocolate will harden when the cookies set in the refrigerator.

Store No Bake Cookies in the Refrigerator (or Freezer)

Store these cookies in an airtight container and separate layers using wax paper or parchment paper. Keep no bake cookies in the refrigerator for up to one week.

You can store them longer by freezing them in an airtight container.

How to Make No Bake Cookies Without Peanut Butter

Step 1: Gather your ingredients.

Recipe for no bake chocolate oatmeal cookies without peanut butter

Step 2: In a large saucepan, combine sugar, butter, milk, and cocoa.

Recipe for no bake chocolate oatmeal cookies without peanut butter

Step 3: Bring to boil over medium heat, stirring frequently.

Recipe for no bake chocolate oatmeal cookies without peanut butter

Step 4: Continue to boil for 3 minutes. Stir frequently until all ingredients are combined.

Recipe for no bake chocolate oatmeal cookies without peanut butter

Step 5: Remove saucepan from heat and stir in the oats.

Recipe for no bake chocolate oatmeal cookies without peanut butter
Recipe for no bake chocolate oatmeal cookies without peanut butter
Recipe for no bake chocolate oatmeal cookies without peanut butter

Step 7: Drop the cookies by tablespoonfuls onto waxed paper and place them in the refrigerator or freezer until they are firm.

Recipe for no bake chocolate oatmeal cookies without peanut butter
Recipe for no bake chocolate oatmeal cookies without peanut butter
Recipe for no bake chocolate oatmeal cookies without peanut butter

Recipe for no bake chocolate oatmeal cookies without peanut butter

No Bake Cookies Without Peanut Butter

Yield: 36

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes

Chewy, chocolatey no bake cookies without peanut butter? Whether you're allergic to peanuts or just don't have peanut butter on hand, these cookies are the answer!

Ingredients

  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 8 tablespoons butter
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1/3 cup cocoa
  • 3 cups old fashioned oats

Instructions

In a large saucepan, combine sugar, butter, milk, and cocoa. Bring to boil over medium heat, stirring frequently.

Continue to boil for 3 minutes. Stir frequently until all ingredients are combined. Remove saucepan from heat.

Stir in the oats.

Drop by tablespoonfuls onto waxed paper and place it in the refrigerator or freezer until they are firm (about 30 minutes)

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 36 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 96Total Fat: 3gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 7mgSodium: 23mgCarbohydrates: 16gFiber: 1gSugar: 11gProtein: 1g

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Jaron

Hey, I'm Jaron and I'm a self-proclaimed food expert and author of this website! I'll be honest with you, I started this website because someone told me I couldn't and I needed to prove them wrong. Along my journey, I actually really fell in love with writing about food. I hope you found value from whatever article you read, and if you have any remaining questions, don't hesitate to contact me!

Why are my No bake cookies dry and hard?

A: Chances are if the no-bakes turned out dry and crumbly it was because you overcooked them. While we call them cookies, oatmeal no-bakes are really more of a confection or fudge with oats stirred in. When it comes to candy, the longer it is cooked, the drier and harder it becomes.

Why do my No bake cookies turn out gooey?

The most common reason for gooey no bake cookies is not boiling the mixture for long enough. As explained above, your cookies will not hold together if the sugar doesn't reach soft ball stage. If you have had problems with runny cookies in the past, try cooking the mixture for longer on the stovetop.

What are flourless cookies made of?

Most flourless cookie recipes use peanut butter or a nut butter like almond flour. These no flour cookies use a combination of egg, cocoa powder and sweetener to form the bulk of the cookie which results in a cookie texture and rich chocolate flavor.