These Vegan No Bake Cookies are seriously addicting and a chocolate and peanut butter dream! So easy to make using simple ingredients only, it will be hard to make just one batch. A perfect Summer dessert since you don’t have to turn on the oven!
If you’ve never had the luxury of eating these chocolate peanut butter oat cookies before, prepare yourself for a simple, no-hassle treat. You’ll love how easy they are to make. They’re so low maintenance and use pantry-staple ingredients you probably have on hand right now.
The winning combo of chocolate and peanut butter makes these cookies taste magical. They only get better and delightfully chewy with the addition of quick oats. Better yet, the recipe can instantly become gluten free by using gluten free oats instead.
If you love the combo of peanut butter and chocolate, check out any of these recipes: Vegan Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars, Vegan Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls or Vegan Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies.
Ingredients Needed (with substitutions)
- Sugar – Substitute coconut sugar if you need to.
- Cocoa powder – Any brand or quality of cocoa powder will work in this recipe, but I prefer natural instead of dutch processed.
- Vegan butter – Make your own vegan butter if you don’t have any at home. Coconut oil will also work as a replacement. Use virgin coconut oil to add a hint of coconut flavor to the cookies.
- Almond milk – Or your favorite plant-based milk.
- Creamy peanut butter – In order for the cookies to set properly, you need to use no stir creamy peanut butter. If you use the natural kind that needs to be stirred, they won’t set up correctly. Another nut or seed butter may work, but I haven’t tested it.
- Vanilla extract
- Quick cook oats – Rolled oats work just as well in this recipe but will make the cookies chewier. Use certified gluten free quick oats to make gluten free cookies instead.
How to make Vegan No Bake Cookies
- Add the sugar, cocoa, vegan butter, and milk to a medium pot over low heat. Stir with a wooden spoon until the butter melts, then increase the heat to medium. Stir constantly and bring the mixture to a boil. Simmer for 1 minute exactly, then remove the pot from the heat and keep stirring for 30 seconds.
- Add the peanut butter and vanilla to the pot. Stir until well combined.
- Pour in the oats.
- Stir in the oats until they’re coated in the mixture.
- Scoop 2 tablespoons worth of cookie “dough” onto the prepared parchment/wax paper.
- Allow the cookies to cool for about 20 to 30 minutes until they are hardened. Serve and enjoy!
Tips for success
- I love how flexible these cookies are. You can add plenty of other ingredients to suit your taste, like coconut flakes, chopped peanuts or chocolate chunks.
- Add a pinch of salt into the mixture if your peanut butter is unsalted.
- Need cookies right now? Once you’ve scooped the cookies onto the parchment paper, pop them in the fridge or freezer to help them harden faster.
- Double or triple this recipe to serve extra cookies on a road trip, at a picnic, or for treats throughout the week.
- Better yet, keep a batch in your freezer at all times. You never know when a craving might hit!
How to store
Store the finished cookies in an airtight container once they have cooled down and hardened. They can be refrigerated for up to 5 days or frozen for up to a month.
Leave them to thaw in the fridge overnight or enjoy them chilled.
More Cookie Recipes
When you actually feel like baking, try these delicious and always vegan cookie recipes:
- Vegan Lemon Shortbread Cookies
- Perfect Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Ultimate Vegan Chocolate Cookies
- Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies
- Vegan Shortbread Cookies
Vegan No Bake Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup vegan butter (8 tablespoons)
- 1/2 cup almond milk
- 2/3 cup creamy peanut butter must be no-stir!
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 3 cups quick cook oats
Instructions
- Line a counter or two cookie sheets with parchment paper or wax paper.
- Add the sugar, cocoa, vegan butter and almond milk to a medium pot over low heat. Stir with a wooden spoon until the butter melts, then increase the heat to medium. Stir constantly and bring to a boil. Simmer for 1 minute exactly, then remove from heat and keep stirring for 30 seconds.
- Add the peanut butter and vanilla and stir until combined well. Stir in the oats until they are coated in the mixture.
- Drop the mixture by about 2 tablespoons each onto prepared parchment/wax paper. You can leave them rounded at the top, or flatten them slightly if you prefer.
- Allow to cool for 20-30 minutes before serving, until they are hardened. Serve and enjoy!
Video
Notes
- These cookies set up best using no stir peanut butter, NOT the natural stuff that you have to stir first.
- May lower the sugar as desired for less sweet cookies, probably down to 3/4 cup. Or substitute coconut sugar.
- I prefer natural cocoa powder here instead of dutch processed, but that is fine to use as well. The cookies will be very dark in color if you use dutch cocoa powder.
- May substitute coconut oil in place of the vegan butter if desired.
- Any non-dairy milk will work here, so use your favorite.
- You can use regular rolled oats but the cookies will be chewier and a bit different. I prefer quick oats.
- To store: Store leftover cookies in an airtight container for a few days, up to 5 days in the refrigerator or longer in the freezer.
I made this and substituted sunflower butter because one of my daughters has a peanut allergy. It was a really hot day when I made these and they didn’t set perfectly, not sure if it was the heat or the substitution or something else. However, they were delicious and I kept a bunch in the freezer and straight out of the freezer they were perfect!
If it’s really warm they can have trouble setting up properly, so just transfer to the fridge if needed. Also make sure to cook the mixture for the full time listed, otherwise they won’t set up right either. So glad you enjoyed them, thank you!
You can make these in the microwave to save time and not have to wash a pan. I combine the sugar, plant milk, “butter” and cocoa ingredients in a microwave-safe bowl, microwave for a minute or however long it takes to melt the “butter” and blend the ingredients, stir, restart the microwave, and pay attention to when it starts boiling, then I start timing for a minute, remove, stir in peanut butter, oats, and vanilla, then let it set. This works well for 1/2 batch btw 🙂
Hi June. I have never tried making these in the microwave! Sounds like you’ve had great luck with that! Thanks for sharing your feedback and your positive review! Happy cooking!
What can I use instead of cocoa?
I don’t know of any substitute since it’s what makes them chocolate cookies. I haven’t tried it, but it might work without it for peanut butter no bake cookies.
I can’t have chocolate due to a strict no caffeine issue. I sub carob chips and powder for chocolate chips and cocoa powder. Different brands tend to have slightly different flavor notes, but imo the closest is brand “Aussie”. The only downside of this brand is the chips melt very quickly as they are flatter and softer than regular chips, have to be stirred in gently.
Made these for Easter and even the non-vegans LOVED them… my daughter even wanted the recipe and said they were the best no-bakes she’s had!
I didn’t have a problem with them setting up… it took a bit longer than the 30 min but they set up just just right! I followed the instructions and used Earth Balance vegan butterery sticks for my butter? Not sure if the type of butter used would make a difference or not but just fyi in case anyone is still having a problem after following instructions.
Thanks for a great recipe!!
Made these with coconut sugar and they are so good!
Thanks for sharing your wonderful review and recipe experience! I’m so glad you loved the cookies!
Hi Nora
I tried this no bake cookies and the recipe was easy to follow. Thank you for that. I did purchase a wooden spoon for this recipe. Also I used “raw sugar”(Turbinado sugar) which is vegan, non-GMO. @1cup. Awesome and will add walnuts next time.
Again, thanks for something tasty and Vegan!
You are welcome, Rose! Thank you for sharing your baking experience and fabulous review! Wishing you lots of happy cooking!
These were awesome!
Just made these and waiting for them to cool. They look perfect so far. Thank you for an old favorite done in a healthier way. I used pure organic cane sugar.
So easy and so delicious- especially gratefully it fits into my special diet. Thank you!
Would have been nice if you specified rolled oats. My friend made these and they were delicious! But I made the mistake of using steel cut quick oats and they came out awful. But I guess I’m just an idiot.
The type of oats is specified. Quick oats are also known as rolled oats. Steel cut oats are much coarser. I’m sure this was frustrating. But I’m sure you can appreciate that this wasn’t the recipes fault (so 2 stars doesn’t seem quite fair, imo).
Well duh, why give a poor rating when steel cut oats in cookies sounds ridiculous lol
Ive tried this twice now and they will not harden. I followed everything exactly and timed the cooking times and everything. Maybe its my butter. Are there vegan butters youd recomend?
Sometimes mine won’t harden if my house is too warm, and then I’ll stick them in the fridge and it works. So maybe try that. Are you using natural peanut butter by chance? That also makes them not harden as well, so I suggest using the no-stir peanut butter.
The flavor is delicious but I have unset cookies 🙁 I missed the part in the NOTES section at the very end of this recipe/blog….AFTER the ingredient listing AND the instructions where it lists to not use natural peanut butter. …. the 2 mentions of pb prior to this says to use creamy peanut butter and 1 of the 2 saying that you can use any kind you like …so I have delicious cookies that didn’t set which is pretty disappointing. I hope this gets corrected in all parts of the recipe as I find reading a blog before a recipe takes too much of my time. For consistency sake, I hope the recipe gets changed where all the parts indicating the use of peanut butter indicates a “no-stir peanut butter,” as I can see I’m not the first to have this negative experience. That change would increase my rating b/c I feel pretty confident I (and others) would end up with cookies rather than mushy mounds of tasty oats.
Thanks for the feedback! I have updated the post to be more clear about using no stir peanut butter and not natural. I hope that helps folks in the future!
Delicious! I only used 3/4 cups sugar as per the notes, and coconut oil as I only had vegan margarine (not butter). Mine took a little longer to set but they did after a couple hours. Still popped them in the fridge for a cool treat 🙂
The first time I made these they did not set, just like others had commented. Tasted so good I had to try again. After reading Nora’s reply about simmering for exactly one min. then stir off heat for 30 sec. Apparently this timing is critical. They set perfectly in about an hour.
Like others have said, mine did not set. I followed the recipe exactly. Used no stir peanut butter and used quick oats. Im so sad!!!! 🥺
There are a few things that need to happen to help them set. Using no stir peanut butter, boiling for the exact times listed in the instructions and letting them cool for long enough. Boiling long enough is essential, or they won’t set, so don’t cut this short. If it’s really warm in my house, I will even move them to the refrigerator and then they set up fine. Hope that helps!
I made these every week for my 5 children when they were young. Now I make them vegan for my grandchildren. My granddaughter can smell them when she walks in the door and yells “Grandma, you made no bakes!” A double batch never last 3 days. They get to take a filled cookie jar home with them each time I make them. They are a family tradition and favorite. Thank you 😘
I love this tradition! So awesome! Thank you for sharing your fun and wonderful feedback! Happy cooking Mama Peck!
these tasted great but did not set for me, natural peanut butter does not work. The no stir conventional peanut butter is not something I will purchase, anyway it might work with regular natural peanut butter? I had sad puddle cookies 🙁
Have you ever used date paste instead of sugar?
I haven’t, sorry!
I plan on trying these today. I wasn’t clear about the storing instructions – I understand they can last 5 days in the refrigerator, but do they have to be refrigerated? Thanks!
No, they don’t need to be refrigerated. They will stay good at room temperature for around 3-4 days. Hope you enjoy them!
Since I prefer to cook and eat things less processed I used coconut oil instead of vegan butter. I also added in some toasted coconut and chopped pecans for some added protein. Used the coconut sugar instead of white. Yum yum yum!!!! Terrific snack mid day at work!
So, so delicious! I don’t keep cows milk around now that the kids are grown, so I googled “how to make no bakes with almond milk” and your recipe was at the top. I used regular butter, but everything else was as written. Perfect! Glad I found an alternative recipe for my sweet tooth cravings!
Hi Megan. I’m so glad you love the no bake cookies! Thanks for sharing your great feedback! I’m really glad you found my recipe!
These cookies were super easy and delicious! I used rolled oats since I didn’t have quick and they turned out perfect. 🙂
I’m so glad you loved the cookies! I love these as well! I appreciate your positive review and feedback!
I made your Vegan no bake cookies. I followed the recipe exactly, but they have not set up. I did decrease the sugar to 3/4 cup. The sugar shouldn’t be what holds them together. Where do think I went wrong?
Hi Beth. It’s hard to tell what went wrong without being there, but 1) using regular peanut butter instead of the natural kind, 2) using quick cook oats, and 3) simmering the mixture for 1 minute exactly, then removing it from heat and stirring for 30 more seconds will help the cookies get firm every time. I’ve found that if I do #3 too quickly, they will not set correctly. I hope this helps!
I had a similar problem as Beth, my cookies didn’t set. Are you recommending to not use a peanut butter that requires stirring? I use the Costco brand creamy peanut butter, is that why it didn’t set?
Yes, I don’t feel like natural peanut butter works well for these cookies. They don’t set for me when I use it. So I always use the no stir kind.
Hi, If you think they only set up if you use no stir (as opposed to “natural”) peanut butter, why don’t you stipulate that in the directions. I went out to the store just to buy peanut butter for this, and after making, just happened to read some comments about this problem. They’re in the fridge now…not sure what to expect!
Thank you for the feedback, I thought I had specified that but you’re right, it wasn’t in the recipe card itself. I added a note about it now for future reference. They definitely set up more consistently with no stir peanut butter, and I tend to recommend it in all my baking recipes for that reason. Sorry about that, and I hope they still turn out yummy for you!
I decreased the sugar to 1 cup, but followed the rest and mine did not set up so maybe it does need the sugar? They taste great, but just no structure to them.
Hi Linda. It’s hard to tell what went wrong without being there, but 1) using regular peanut butter instead of the natural kind, 2) using quick cook oats, and 3) simmering the mixture for 1 minute exactly, then removing it from heat and stirring for 30 more seconds will help the cookies get firm every time. I’ve found that if I do #3 too quickly, they will not set correctly. I hope this helps!
Hi Nora I’m vegetarian, wanting to go more vegan. I only buy plant milks, they’re super affordable and delicious. But other vegan dairy for a family-it’s ridiculously expensive. It feels like such a $ grab because you know they didn’t have to raise animals and ship from farms etc etc to make them. Anyway, have you tried coconut oil with butter flavoring and maybe sea salt in recipes instead of vegan butter? How would that compare to the flavor of vegan butter in baked goods??
Hi Amy! I hear you, prices are out of hand and I know sometimes the vegan version is more expensive. By shopping around I can still usually find good deals on vegan butter. Melt or Country Crock tend to be the least expensive in my area at least. Often coconut oil works well in baked goods, but in things like cookies the texture will be quite a bit different and a little more unpredictable. That said, you can try it out and see if you mind. I’ve never tried adding butter flavoring but that could work. Hope that helps a bit!
They are nice but I added 3/4 of a cup sugar but it would have been much better if I had done 1/2 a cup. I also added coconut to mine and that was nice. I really like most of your recipes but I always add way less sugar.
Would these work with almond butter? We have a peanut allergy!
Hi Sarah. I have made these with almond butter before, and it works well! It changes the flavor quite a bit but they are still very good. Hope this helps!
The easiest and BEST classic no-bake recipe!
Thank you your wonderful feedback! I’m glad you love the no-bakes!
Quick and delicious! I used only 1/2 cup sugar and still sweet enough for me. Thanks for the recipe.
Thank you for your wonderful feedback, Barbara!
These cookies are amazing! I used crunchy peanut butter, old fashioned oats, and only 1 cup of sugar. They were perfectly sweet, and not too chewy at all. They didn’t last three days in my house, we ate them all!
The only issue I had was with the butter. It made the cookies a little too oily, and while they did set, they made a mess on your fingers when eating them. I also had trouble with my particular butter and Nora’s “Best Ever Vegan Brownies” recipe, which I’ve made four times now, so I know once I change try a different brand vegan butter on these cookies, I’m probably going to be blown away! Can’t wait to make another batch.
I’m glad you enjoyed the cookies! What brand have you been using? I prefer Miyoko’s these days, but it can be rather expensive so often I use Earth Balance, Melt or Country Crock. I haven’t had a problem with greasiness.