Love no bake cookie recipes? Try my unicorn cookies and chocolate peanut butter no bake cookies. As someone with a raging sweet tooth, I often make no-bake desserts. They require minimal preparation and usually few ingredients. While I have a handful of favorites on rotation, nothing beats my famous 3 ingredient no bake oatmeal cookies.
Why I love this recipe
Wholesome ingredients. Traditional no bake cookies typically contain butter, sugar, and milk, but not these… they taste just as good! 3 Ingredients only. All you need are oats, peanut butter, and maple syrup. Easy to customize. These cookies act like a blank canvas, so you can fold through your favorite mix-ins, like chocolate chips, coconut flakes, raisins, and more. Perfect texture. Thick, chewy, and stable at room temperature. They are naturally sweetened and satisfy the sweet tooth!
Ingredients needed
Rolled oats. Also called old-fashioned oats, they provide the chewy texture we love in a good oatmeal cookie! You can use quick oats if you like, but it will have a softer texture. Peanut butter. Smooth and drippy peanut butter works best, as it is the easiest to mix into the dough. Try to avoid peanut butter with added sugar or ones with a crunchy texture. Maple syrup. A refined sugar free sweetener that not only adds sweetness but helps bind the cookies together. You can also use agave nectar or honey.
How to make no bake oatmeal cookies
I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post. Step 1- Make the batter. Start by adding your oats into a large mixing bowl. Add the peanut butter and syrup and mix well until combined. Fold through your mix-ins of choice using a rubber spatula. Step 2- Shape. Next, lightly wet your hands. Form small balls of the cookie mixture and place them on a lined plate. Press down to form a cookie shape and refrigerate them for 20 minutes to firm up.
Arman’s recipe tips
Use quick cooking oats. Most no bake oatmeal cookie recipes call for these oats as they are softer and smoother in texture. Boil the mixture. Sometimes peanut butter can be a little firm, so I like to combine that and the maple syrup in a saucepan and bring it to a boil. Once boiling, add the oats, mix, and shape into drop cookies. Add mix-ins. Like any good no bake cookie, be creative by adding in nuts, seeds, chocolate chips, vanilla extract, coconut flakes, or even candy buttons.
Storage instructions
To store: Leftovers should be stored in the refrigerator, covered. They will keep well for up to two weeks. This recipe is very forgiving and easy to adapt to fit most diets out there. Here are some suggestions:
Keep it vegan. While the original recipe is naturally vegan, if you opt to use honey as the sweetener, some consider that not to be vegan-friendly. Keep it gluten-free. I used certified gluten-free oats. If you use other brands or makes of it, this is often not the case. Swap out the peanut butter. If you have a peanut allergy or don’t like the taste of peanut butter, you can use almond butter, sunflower seed butter, or tahini. Add protein. Add a scoop of your favorite protein powder to make these cookies even more satisfying (just like in classic protein cookies).
To freeze: Either wrap cookies individually in parchment paper and place them in a ziplock bag, or place them all together in one ziplock bag (no parchment paper needed). They will keep well frozen for up to 6 months.
More no bake desserts to try
No bake brownie bites No bake brownies Cookie dough bites Vegan edible cookie dough
Originally published January 2016, updated April 2023, and republished April 2024
