Peanut Butter No Bake Cookies
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Peanut butter no bake cookies are filled with peanut butter and oatmeal for the perfect chewy cookie. Easy to make, only 6 simple ingredients, and completely addictive.
**This recipe was originally posted March 17, 2018 and updated October 12, 2019 with new photos and new recipe tips**
These no-bake peanut butter oatmeal cookies might be my new favorite peanut butter recipe. They’re chewy, filled with peanut butter, and you likely have all the ingredients in your pantry.
I’ve made chocolate peanut butter no-bake cookies before and haystack cookies (aka chocolate coconut no-bake cookies) before. But today we’re making their peanut butter cousin. 
How to Make Peanut Butter No Bake Cookies
For these peanut butter no-bake cookies, there are only 6 ingredients:
- 1/2 cup butter
- 2 cups white sugar
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 cup peanut butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 1/2 cups oats
Can I use crunchy peanut butter or smooth? Whatever you prefer. And you can use old-fashioned or quick oats. However, I do not recommend steel cut oats though because they’re too hard or instant oats because they behave like flour.
Now here’s what to do:
- Line your cookie sheets with parchment paper and measure out all your ingredients.
- In a medium saucepan melt together the butter, sugar, and milk while stirring.
- Then bring to a gentle boil for 2 minutes while stirring (you need to keep stirring/whisking so that the milk doesn’t burn). **Make sure to use a timer here**
- Then remove from the heat and stir in the peanut butter and vanilla, followed by the oats.
- Drop tablespoon (or really whatever size) mounds onto a cookie sheet lined with wax paper (or parchment) and flatten the tops slightly.
- Place in the fridge to set.
Pro Tip: Make sure the butter, sugar and milk are truly boiling for a full 2 minutes. Otherwise, the cookies won’t set. It’s really important to constantly whisk so the milk doesn’t burn.
Variations:
This recipe is infinitely adaptable and delicious. You can:
- Use crunchy peanut butter for more texture
- Add in 1/2 cup shredded coconut
- Mix in 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
- Or even dip the bottom of each cookie in melted chocolate after they’ve hardened.
You’ll seriously love these no bake peanut butter oatmeal cookies thanks to their delicious texture and big peanut butter flavor. Not to mention that they’re crazy easy to make too. So seriously? What’s stopping you????
For more no-bake cookies, be sure to try:
- Avalanche Cookies – only 4 ingredients
- No-Bake Peanut Butter Chocolate Cookies
- Haystack Cookies
Or for more peanut butter cookie recipes:
- Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies – the baked variety
- Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
- 3 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies
Peanut Butter No Bake Cookies
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 cup peanut butter
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 1/2 cups oats, quick oats or old-fashioned
Instructions
- Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper or wax paper.
- Measure out all your ingredients.
- Melt together the butter, sugar and milk in a medium saucepan.
- Bring to a boil for 2 full minutes while whisking constantly. Use a timer to ensure the mixture boils for the full 2 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the peanut butter and vanilla.
- Stir in the oats.
- Drop tablespoons of the batter on the lined cookie sheets. Flatten the cookies slightly with your fingers.
- Place in the fridge to set for 30 minutes.
Notes
Nutrition
Made these tonight cause I had a sweet tooth craving & boy oh boy did they do the trick 😋 Not only delicious but also easy peasy. Would highly recommend this simple recipe.
This is a great recipe. Easy to follow. Great results. Thank you
Dry dusty mess. After scooping 3 onto parchment I realized something was way wrong. I’ve triple checked measurements, followed instructions exactly. Not a good recipe.
I grew up eating these like they were going on a style my mother couldn’t make them fast enough and no I did not share them with my brothers and sisters 🙂 they are hard to make you have to stir that consistently and it has to be a full boil for the 2 minutes. Or it’s going to be too soft or too hard or just right.
They were amazing, very moist very very perfect. I let my milk butter and vanilla boil for two and a half minutes and they stayed together perfect
These were good, but a little too sweet. Do you think you could lower the amount of sugar used?
Very good recipe
Easy great recipe, if young kids I’d half this and make them smaller. Also a little more vanilla I think blends flavor and you can add some cocoa powder if your kids like chocolate flavor. 1 grandkids loved, other didn’t. Wish I’d added cocoa powder then I think he’d love them. Easy quick and great option for gluten free people. If true gluten allergy get the gluten free oats.
Mined seemed to be over cooked, dry and brittle, maybe a min and half next time. They taste good tho!
Very dry and crumbly. Should boil for 1 minute instead of two minutes.
This recipe was awesome!! Tasted amazing and was really easy!! Definitely will be making it again.
They are amazing.
Can you substitute monk fruit sweetener instead of regular sugar?
I haven’t tried with monk fruit sweetener – so I can’t be sure of the results.
You have to boil recipe two and half minutes just like the choc.no bakes.