Out of all the peanut butter no-bake cookie recipes out there, this one is bound to become your go-to. This classic treat combines the rich, savory-sweet flavor of peanut butter with the satisfying, chewy texture of oats. After testing countless variations, I’ve cracked the code for the perfect peanut butter cookie!

a couple of peanut butter no bake cookies on the table.

There’s nothing better than a No-Bake Peanut Butter Cookies recipe that turns out perfect every time! Good news! I’ve tested and tweaked these simple steps and done all the troubleshooting for you, so you’ll have peanut butter oatmeal cookies that set without making a sticky mess.

Always moist and never crumbly or dry, these drop-style desserts are packed with peanut butter flavor and have a soft and tender chew. But if you’d rather taste the classic Reese’s peanut butter chocolate combination, simply add some cocoa powder or a scoop of Nutella to this same no bake oatmeal cookies recipe!

If you like the concept of drop cookies, then you will LOVE making mounds of my Avalanche Cookies and Haystack Cookies.

No-Bake Peanut Butter Cookies Ingredients

Peanut Butter No-Bake Cookies ingredients.

Quick cooking oats: I suggest using quick oats instead of old fashioned oats or rolled oats for this no bake cookies recipe because they provide a better consistency. If you only have rolled oats, you can pulse them quickly in a food processor to make them a little smaller before getting started — your cookies will turn out much better!
Salt: Just a bit to balance the sweetness.
Butter: I recommend using unsalted butter but if you use salted butter, omit the dash of salt from the recipe.
Sugar
Milk
Creamy peanut butter: Make sure to use processed peanut butter (like Jif or Skippy) rather than natural peanut butter for best results. It can have a slightly different consistency and can make your cookies runny. To make these cookies allergy-friendly, you can swap the peanut butter for almond butter, Sunbutter, cashew butter, or even Nutella.
Vanilla extract

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

a couple of peanut butter no bake cookies served on a stone board.

How to Make Peanut Butter No-Bake Cookies

Stir: Stir together the oats and salt. Set aside.
Make The Peanut Butter Mixture: Whisk together the butter, sugar, and milk. Bring to a boil and then remove the mixture from the heat. Whisk in the peanut butter and vanilla until combined.
Pour In The Peanut Butter: Pour the peanut butter mixture over oats and stir until combined.
Create The Cookies: Drop spoonfuls of cookies onto wax paper. Allow them to cool on the countertop.
Serve: Serve and enjoy!

Whisk in the peanut butter and vanilla until combined. Pour the peanut butter mixture over oats. Drop spoonfuls of cookies onto wax paper. Serve.

Serving Suggestions

No bake cookie recipes are great for times when you don’t want to turn on the oven or heat up your whole house. They’re easy to make-ahead for holiday parties, potlucks, cookie exchanges, dessert platters, and cookie trays.

Serve these PB no-bake cookies with a glass of cold milk or a steaming mug of hot chocolate for an after-school snack, enjoy them with afternoon tea or coffee, or indulge after dinner for dessert.

a couple of peanut butter no bake cookies scattered on the table.

Tips & Variations

Bring To A Boil: When boiling the butter, sugar, and milk, start the 60 seconds after reaching a rolling boil, not when you see the first few bubbles. If you start counting too soon, your cookies may not set properly.
Make The Sugar Mixture: If your cookies are too hard, you may have boiled your sugar mixture too long or at too high of heat. If your cookies are too gooey, you may not have boiled your sugar mixture long enough.
Cool Your Cookies: It’s very important to let the cookies cool on the counter before placing them in the fridge, or they will become gooey.
Stop the Sticking: To fix gooey no-bake cookies, place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet and heat them in the oven for 1-2 minutes at 325°F.
Make With Mix-Ins: You can add mini marshmallows, chocolate chips, or candy such as Reese’s Pieces or M&Ms to your mixture. You can even press a Hershey’s kiss on top of each treat!

Proper Storage

To Store: Once the cookies have cooled and set, place them in an airtight container or a resealable plastic bag. You can store them at room temperature for up to a week or in the fridge so they don’t become gooey.
To Freeze: No-bake peanut butter cookies can be frozen for up to 2 months if stored in an airtight container.

a stack of peanut butter no bake cookies on the table.

More No-Bake Recipes

If you tried this Peanut Butter No Bake Cookies Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!!!

5 from 3 votes

peanut butter no bake cookie featured image

Peanut Butter No Bake Cookies

Author — Jennifer Fishkind

Serves —

These easy peanut butter no bake cookies are a timeless treat that's always a family favorite! Get ready for a simple recipe that sets up perfectly every time.

Print Rate Pin Save

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 10

Setting 1

Total Time 20

Ingredients

Instructions

In a large bowl stir together oats and salt. Set aside.
3 cups quick-cook oats, ¼ teaspoon salt
In a small saucepan, over medium-high heat, whisk together butter, sugar, and milk.
1 stick butter, 2 cups sugar, ½ cup milk
Bring the mixture to a boil for about a minute and then remove from heat.
Whisk in peanut butter and vanilla until well combined.
1 cup peanut butter, 2 teaspoons vanilla
Pour the peanut butter mixture over oats and stir until combined.
Line a baking sheet with wax paper. Drop cookies onto the wax paper using a medium cookie scoop.
Let the cookies cool on the countertop. Store in the refrigerator once cookies are cool and dry.

Jenn’s Notes

Storage:

When you’re not enjoying them, it’s best to store your cookies in the fridge. You can also store them in the freezer if you plan to save them for a future occasion. Just make sure they are in an air-tight container or freezer bag to prevent them from getting freezer burn.

Tips:

I recommend pulsing your oats in the food processor to make them smaller before adding them into the mix. This step isn’t necessary but I do think it makes your cookies better in the end!
When bringing your mixture to a boil in the instructions above, it’s important that you start to time out your 1 minute when you’ve already reached a rolling boil, not when you initially see bubbles forming. If you start the minute countdown too soon, your cookies may not set correctly.
If your cookies are too hard you likely boiled the mixture too long. If your cookies are too gooey, you likely did not boil the mixture long enough. This can take a couple of tries to get it down just right, so it’s good to make notes on your own recipe!
It’s very important that you leave the cookies out to let them cool on the countertop before putting them in the fridge or it can cause your cookies to become gooey.