These Classic Peanut Butter Delights are irresistible peanut butter no bake cookies that everyone is guaranteed to fall in love with!
I crave fresh baked goods year-round, but in the summer I am super reluctant to turn on the oven because of how hot it can make the house! When I need a sugar fix during the warmest months of the year, I always turn to these sweet no bake Classic Peanut Butter Delights and No Bake Cherry Cheesecake. These cookies are seriously so addicting!
CLASSIC PEANUT BUTTER DELIGHTS
Like this recipe? Pin it to your DESSERT board!
Follow Real Housemoms on Pinterest
No bake desserts are some of my favorite desserts to make because my kids are always willing to help. I think there’s some comfort in knowing that these are the kind of cookies you can’t burn that make this peanut butter delights recipe the perfect recipe to make with your family. There’s also the fact that chocolate and peanut butter happens to be the most beloved flavor combination in my household. When these cookies make an appearance in my house they do not last for long.
PEANUT BUTTER DELIGHT INGREDIENTS
Butter- Definitely go with real butter over margarine or other alternatives for the best outcome!
Milk- Use whatever milk you keep on hand. I have made this peanut butter delight recipe with whole milk, 2%, almond milk, and even oat milk!
Cocoa Powder- Use any natural unsweetened cocoa powder to make rich chocolatey cookies!
Peanut Butter- I always use good ol’ creamy Skippy peanut butter, but you can use whichever nut butter you prefer. You can even add a little extra crunch to your peanut butter delights and use crunchy peanut butter.
Oats- I use quick oats but old-fashioned oats will also work. Just be aware that old-fashioned oats will make the cookies chewier.
HOW TO MAKE PEANUT BUTTER NO BAKE COOKIES
Any cookies that I don’t have to worry about over-baking in the oven are instant favorites in my house!
- First, prepare a baking sheet by lining it with sheets of parchment paper, waxed paper, or silicone baking mats.
- Now, in a large pot over medium heat, combine the milk, butter, vanilla, sugar, and cocoa and bring it to a boil. Once it reached a full boil, boil it for one minute.
- Next, add the peanut butter and stir it into the mix until it is melted.
- Stir the oats into the chocolate peanut butter mixture. Remove from the heat.
- Now you’re ready to drop individual cookies onto the prepare baking sheet using a spoon or cookie scoop.
- Allow the cookies to cool for 30 minutes in the fridge or flash freeze them for 15 minutes.
- You can serve chocolate peanut butter no bake cookies immediately or store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.
WHY DIDN’T MY NO BAKE COOKIES HARDEN?
If you’ve waited the 30 minutes for your peanut butter delights to set and find that they still won’t harden it is most likely because you didn’t cook the mixture over the heat for long enough.
Remember to let the completed mixture boil for 1 full minute, starting the timer once it has reached a full boil. You are aiming for a temperature of about 230 degrees. It is also important not to overcook the cookie mix as it may result in dry cookies.
CAN I USE OLD FASHIONED OATS IN NO BAKE COOKIES?
You can definitely substitute old-fashioned oats for quick oats in this recipe! Just like their name suggests, quick oats cook fast and also cook down easier. Using old-fashioned oats will make the cookie chewier and nuttier tasting than the quick oats, which if you love oatmeal cookies is definitely not a bad thing!
HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE FOR NO BAKE COOKIES TO HARDEN?
It will take about 30 minutes for these no bake peanut butter oatmeal cookies to harden. If you have reached that point and they still seem soft, try sticking the baking sheet of cookies into the freezer to give them a helping hand. If that still doesn’t work you may be facing the reality of undercooked cookies!
If you are in a rush to start enjoying your cookies you can always place them directly into the freezer and cut the setting time in half! Not only do you get to enjoy the fruits of your labor sooner, but on a hot summer day there’s nothing yummier than a chilled cookie!
TRY THESE OTHER CRAZY EASY DESSERTS
- No Bake Chocolate and Peanut Butter Bars
- Easy Ice Cream Sandwich Cake
- No Bake Apple Cheesecake Dip
- No Bake Berry Icebox Cake
- Grasshopper Pie
- More DESSERT recipes…
TOOLS USED TO MAKE THESE NO BAKE PEANUT BUTTER OATMEAL COOKIES
Cookie Sheet: Having a large cookie sheet is important for obvious reasons! The larger the sheet, the more cookies I can make!
Parchment Paper: The best part about parchment paper is getting to literally just throw the mess away when I am finished baking!
*This post originally posted on 06/24/2015.
Ingredients
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup milk
- 4 tablespoons butter
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons cocoa
- ½ cup peanut butter
- 2 cups quick cooking oats
Instructions
- Prepare a cookie tray by lining it with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
- To a large pot over medium heat add the sugar, milk, butter, vanilla, and cocoa powder. Bring to a boil and then cook for one minute.
- Add the peanut butter to the chocolate mixture and stir till melted.
- Pour in the quick cooking oats and stir to combine. (You can pour the oats into the pot or pour the chocolate peanut butter mixture over the oats in a bowl.)
- Drop spoonfuls of the oat mixture onto the prepared baking sheet. Allow the cookies to cool for 30 minutes in the fridge or flash freeze for 15 minutes. Serve immediately or store for later. (see note)
Eunice Weaver says
If I double the recipe for peanut butter delights, how much ingredients do I use, 1 cup of milk instead of 1/2 cup? Thanks
Wanda Akers says
Great recipe from Nancy Piran on peanut butter delights. I loved them, so did everyone else. I found them on realhousemoms.com
June Mccraw says
Delicious just as I remembered. I made these twice already and my family loves them.