No-Bake Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies
Unsweetened cocoa powder and quick-cooking oats come together in this vegetarian — 60 minutes, 7 steps, and the kind of result worth repeating. Scroll down for the ingredient checklist, a serving scaler and unit converter, and the method broken into 7 steps.
You'll mainly reach for saucepan and pan. At medium difficulty across 7 steps, it's manageable with a little attention. As written, it's meat-free.
What you'll need
Shopping list (2)
Pantry staples (you likely have these)
🔁 Unit converter
How to make it
- Line a large baking tray with parchment paper and set it aside so it is ready before you start, as the cookies set quickly.
- Combine the sugar, butter, milk and cocoa powder in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring until the butter melts and the sugar dissolves.
- Bring the mixture to a rolling boil and let it boil for exactly 1 minute without stirring, then remove the pan from the heat; this short boil is what sets the cookies firm.
- Immediately stir in the peanut butter, vanilla extract and salt until the peanut butter melts into a smooth, glossy mixture.
- Add the oats and stir thoroughly until every flake is coated and the mixture begins to thicken.
- Working quickly, drop heaped tablespoons of the mixture onto the lined tray, leaving a little space between each mound.
- Let the cookies stand at room temperature for about 30 minutes until firm and set, then peel them off the parchment and serve.
You'll use: Saucepan · Pan · Baking tray
Ingredient substitutions
- Butter
- olive oil (¾ the amount) · coconut oil · margarine
- Milk
- any unsweetened plant milk · ½ cup evaporated milk + ½ cup water
Tips & common questions
How long does No-Bake Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies take to make?
About 60 minutes from start to finish — an estimate based on the 7 steps and 8 ingredients. Times vary with your kitchen and how much prep you do ahead.
What can I use instead of butter?
Try olive oil (¾ the amount). See the substitutions section above for more swaps.
Can I scale this recipe up or down?
Yes — use the servings control above the ingredients and every quantity rescales automatically (fractions included). Cooking times stay roughly the same; very large batches may need a little longer.
Is No-Bake Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies vegetarian?
Its ingredients contain no meat or fish, so it's suitable for vegetarians. Check any cheeses for animal rennet if that matters to you.
Related recipes
No-Bake Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies is an original recipe developed in-house by Consomee. Photo: Baking oatmeal chocolate chip cookies 55.jpg by Wheeler Cowperthwaite, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons. We add the serving scaler, ingredient tools, timing and structure on top — how we source recipes.