No-Bake Peanut Butter Cookies

These No-Bake Peanut Butter Cookies with oats require very little effort to make. This easy and delicious recipe comes with the bonus of no oven time required, and eggs are needed to make the cookie dough. They’re a retro dessert that kids of all ages will love.

Easy No-Bake Peanut Butter Cookies Recipe

I really do love these easy Peanut Butter Cookies. They’re one of those wonderfully old-fashioned, vintage no-bake cookie recipes from childhood that have stood the test of time, and for good reason. Made with simple pantry staples you likely already have on hand, they come together without turning on the oven, making them especially handy when you need a quick homemade treat.

And since old-fashioned oats take the place of flour, these cookies are naturally gluten-free, too. They’re chewy, peanut buttery, and just the kind of simple little treat that brings back memories of cookies made in the kitchen when you were growing up.

Key ingredients to make easy Peanut Butter Cookies with Oatmeal: (Scroll down for the full printable recipe card and quantities.)

• Oats – Three cups of quick cooking oats, not instant oatmeal.
• Peanut Butter – One cup creamy peanut butter is the star flavor in these no-bake cookies. You could use Jif, Peter Pan or Skippy peanut butter. I used Jif.
• Sugar – Granulated sugar adds sweetness.
• Liquid – Whole milk to thin the peanut butter and add moisture to the oatmeal.
• Butter– You can use salted or unsalted butter for richness.
• Flavoring – Vanilla extract balances the flavor and enhances the flavor of the oats.

How to Make No-Bake Peanut Butter Cookies Recipe

• Before You Begin – Line two large sheet pans with wax paper. Set aside.
• Make Sugar Mixture – Combine sugar, milk and butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a rolling boil then lower the heat to medium-low. Boil for 2 minutes stirring constantly.
• Peanut Butter – Stir in peanut butter and vanilla extract. Stir until the peanut butter has completely melted.
• Work Quickly – Stir in the oats, stirring until evenly coated.
• Divide the Cookie Dough – Drop using a tablespoon or a small ice cream scoop (1 1/2 Tbsp scoop) onto the prepared baking sheets. Use the back of a spoon to gently flatten the centers.
• Serve – Let peanut butter no bake cookies cool until set, then enjoy.

Tips for Making No-Bake Peanut Butter Cookies with Oatmeal

• Kitchen Equipment You’ll Need – Large heavy bottomed pot or saucepan, measuring cups, rubber spatula, measuring spoons, baking pans, wax paper, cookie scoop or tablespoons.
• Use the Right Oats – It’s important to use quick oats for these cookies, not instant oats, which would be far too finely ground. If you have old-fashioned oats on hand, pulse them a few times in a food processor to make them smaller for this recipe.
• Measure the Oats Accurately – If you add too many oats, the cookies will be dry and crumbly. If you add too few oats, the mixture will be runny.
• Work Quickly – The peanut butter-oatmeal mixture begins to set up rather fast making it imperative that you work quickly dividing the oatmeal dough once the remaining ingredients are added to the peanut butter mixture. Namely, the oats.
• Troubleshooting – If the mixture becomes to stiff too quickly add milk in small increments, like 2-3 tablespoons at a time to loosen it up. Likewise, if it’s too thin, add a few more oats and stir like crazy to combine.

Recipe Variations

• Creamy Peanut Butter – You could use chunky peanut butter in place of creamy peanut butter, using the same amount. I don’t recommend using natural peanut butter for this recipe.
• Peanut Butter Substitution – You could swap out the peanut butter with almond butter, sunflower seed butter, cookie butter or an alternate nut butter that suits your taste.
• Salt – Peanut butter has ample salt for this recipe but you can add more to your taste.
• Sugar – You could swap out 1/2 cup of granulated sugar and use 1/2 cup of light brown sugar.
• Chocolate Chips – You could add 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips to the oats mixture.
• Glaze – You may opt to dip these cookies in warm chocolate or drizzle the tops with a simple ganache. When doing so, make sure the cookies are completely cool before handling them too much. 
• Cocoa Powder: If you’d like to make the chocolate version of these cookies, see my recipe for no bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies.

Storage and Leftovers

• Storage – Store leftover No-Bake Peanut Butter Cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. You can pop them into the refrigerator, if you prefer them chilled. 
• Freezer – You can freeze these cookies for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge and enjoy.

More Cookie Recipes to Make

• Rich and chewy White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies.
• Candy Bar Pretzel Cookies have that sweet and salty flavor profile we all love.
• Loaded Turtle Cookie Bars are a fan favorite.
• Treat the family to these White Chocolate Chip Cookies for dessert.
• Homemade Almond Joy Cookies are the bedtime snack of champions!
• Ooey gooey Carmelitas!
• The best ever Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars.
• Linzer Cookies from Yummi Haus.

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Helpful Kitchen Items:

• Baking Sheets
• Measuring Set
• Dutch Oven
• Scoop