No Bake Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

A classic no bake chocolate oatmeal cookies made with cocoa powder, oats, and peanut butter. These no bake cookies area classic and you’ll be remiss to not try them at least once in your life.

There is no baking involved with these Chocolate Oatmeal No Bake Cookies but, there is cooking. It involves boiling ingredients so they melt together to bind these classic cookies. 

This cookie ranks up there with all the other classics like chocolate chip cookies, bourbon chocolate chip cookies, andpeanut butter cookies.

A Family Chocolate Oat Cookie Recipe

Brandon and I were sitting at the table talking about things our mothers made that we still love today. You know, the recipes that never get old and will live on from generation to generation. Both our moms made Chocolate Oatmeal No Bake Cookies when we were growing up. Now it is our turn to make it for our kids to enjoy.

Brandon has the recipe that his mom wrote for him in a little notebook. So for our house when we crave these Chocolate Oatmeal No Bake Cookies he is the one who makes them. Once he is done spooning them out onto the wax paper we can’t even wait more than 2 minutes without sampling. No, they haven’t formed up yet and the chocolate is still hot but who could resist?

Ingredient Highlight: Quick Oatmeal 

For these no bake cookies, quick-cooking oats (also called quick oats) are the best choice. They’re cut smaller and rolled thinner than old-fashioned oats, which allows them to absorb the hot chocolate mixture more quickly and evenly. This results in a cookie with a soft, cohesive texture that holds together beautifully.

If you use old-fashioned rolled oats, the cookies will still work, but expect a chunkier, chewier bite—and they may not bind as smoothly. Avoid steel-cut oats altogether, as they’re too tough and won’t soften without extended cooking.

We always keep oats in the pantry because they’re so versatile—whether you’re simmering them into a cozy breakfast like our Crock Pot Oatmeal with Apples and Cinnamon, blending them into a creamy Oatmeal Cookie Superfood Smoothie Bowl, or baking a batch of Oatmeal Cookies with Craisins, oats are a pantry staple for good reason.

How to make No Bake Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

1. Prepare a large cookie sheet lined with wax paper and set aside. 
2. First, grab a large mixing bowl and mix together oats, peanut butter, and vanilla extract.  In a medium saucepan add butter, sugar, milk, and cocoa and bring to a hard boil. 
3. Once the mixture comes to a hard boil set a 3-minute timer and stir consistently for those 3 minutes. Three minutes doesn’t sound long but when you are stirring the mixture your arm muscles are going to burn! 
4. Now, pour the boiling mixture into your large mixing bowl of oats and peanut butter. Start stirring immediately until fully mixed. 
5. Quickly, scoop out large spoonfuls of the cookie mixture onto your baking sheet. 
6. Let cookies cool before serving.

Top Tips To Make No Bake Cookies

• Stick to the 3-minute boil. It might seem like a small detail, but timing the boil exactly is what helps the cookies set correctly. Undercook and you’ll get gooey puddles, overcook and they’ll be dry and crumbly.
• Work quickly. Once you mix the hot chocolate mixture into the oats, the cookies will start to set fast. Have your spoon and wax paper ready to go.
• Make them your own. Feel free to stir in chopped nuts, shredded coconut, or even a few mini chocolate chips at the end for extra flair.

Storage Instructions For No-Bake Cookies with Chocolate and Oats

These chewy no bake cookies store beautifully. Once cooled and set, transfer them to an airtight container. They’ll keep at room temperature for up to 5 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks if you like them extra firm. You can also freeze them for longer storage—just layer them with wax paper in a freezer-safe container and thaw at room temperature when ready to eat.