No Bake Cookies

These easy no bake cookies are made with just a handful of pantry ingredients – no butter, milk, or cocoa powder necessary. Here’s proof that healthy cookies can still taste amazing!

It always seems like my kids want to make cookies at the worst times…like when the oven is already full, or when it’s 90+ degrees outside, or when I’m in the middle of several other projects.

I hate saying no, so I went out searching for a good no bake cookie recipe that my kids could make on their own, and that was healthier than most.

We made some tweaks and settled on these easy no bake cookies, which we’ve had pretty much on repeat since then!

HEALTHY NO BAKE COOKIES RECIPE

While testing recipes for these healthy no bake cookies, I came across several that LOOKED promising…

• Some only had 3 ingredients
• Others were made with a lot of brown sugar
• A few were made with milk…
• And I found some that were made with banana (which just seems weird for a cookie recipe to me)

None of these things are BAD, per se. But I didn’t want a cookie that was super sweet, and honestly, I didn’t want to use bananas.

I like bananas in my Caramelized Banana Bread and in my 5 Ingredient Banana Bread Muffins and especially in my Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Banana Ice Cream…but not in my cookies!

PEANUT BUTTER NO – BAKE COOKIES

After some tweaking, we ended up with no – bake cookies that are:

• SUPER easy and fast to make
• Use a lot less granulated sugar (with the option to increase the quality)
• Naturally vegan + gluten-free
• Made with 8 pantry staples you likely already have on hand, and they’re all from the pantry (no whole milk, eggs, or butter necessary!)
• Perfectly soft and chewy texture
• Just sweet enough, without the guilt!

Both my kids and my husband requested that we make this sweet treat again, and I have to say yes because they’re so good!od!

HEALTHY UNBAKED COOKIE RECIPE INGREDIENTS

I regularly keep everything for these easy unbaked cookies in my pantry, and I bet you do too!

• Peanut Butter. Use crunchy peanut butter if you like the texture, or creamy peanut butter if you like it smooth. If you use natural peanut butter, make sure you’ve poured off or mixed in the excess oil. (See my note below.)
• Coconut Oil. You want virgin coconut oil here, the kind that is solid at room temperature. This will help your cookies firm up once they’re mixed together.
• Granulated Sugar. I chose to use coconut sugar, but you can use any kind of granulated sugar, including white or brown. (Psst! Here’s how to make homemade brown sugar!)
• Dark Chocolate Chips. Mini dark chocolate chips are perfect for this unbaked cookie recipe.
• Honey. Just a little bit goes a long way! (I use this brand)
• Coconut Flakes. These add texture and flavor to the no bake cookies.
• Quick Cooking Oats. You can easily make oatmeal unbaked cookies with old-fashioned oats instead of quick oats if that’s what you keep on hand.
• Cinnamon (optional). You only need a pinch here, and the cookie won’t taste like cinnamon! Cinnamon tricks your taste buds into thinking something is sweeter than it actually is (vanilla extract and coconut flakes do the same thing!).

If you’re looking for a Chocolate Peanut Butter No Bake Cookies Recipe, use this one! It does require natural unsweetened cocoa powder, just so you know! It’s SO GOOD!

USING NATURAL PEANUT BUTTER IN UNBAKED COOKIES

The oil in natural peanut butter tends to separate, so here’s what I do to keep this from happening:

1. Open a new jar of peanut butter. Pour the whole thing (oil and all) into a food processor or blender.
2. Blend the peanut butter until the oil is well incorporated into the solids. You may have to do this in batches. The peanut butter is super thick, and you don’t want to overheat your appliance!
3. When you’re done, scoop the peanut butter back into the jar.
4. Store the jar in the FRIDGE, upside down.

The Harvard School of Public Health says that natural peanut butter contains healthy fats, as well as vitamins and minerals, which are important for our health. A definite win-win!

HOW TO MAKE A NO BAKE COOKIE INSTRUCTIONS

These healthy unbaked cookies come together SUPER fast and require no baking at all. You can even skip the stove!

Step 1. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper, wax paper, or a silpat mat.

Step 2. Melt the peanut butter and coconut oil together in a saucepan on the stove over medium heat. Alternatively, melt in the microwave, stirring every 30 seconds until smooth.

Step 3. Stir in all the other ingredients until everything is well combined.

Step 4. Spoon the dough mixture onto prepared baking sheets with a cookie scoop, about 2 Tablespoons per cookie. Flatten slightly and chill in the fridge. When they’re solid, enjoy!

Note: No bake oatmeal cookies can be kept at room temperature on the counter without losing shape, but they will be soft. Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks or freeze in a freezer bag for up to 3 months.

ADDING PROTEIN TO NO BAKE OATMEAL COOKIES

No bake oatmeal cookies contain mostly carbohydrates from the oats, sweeteners, and add-ins, and fats from the peanut butter and coconut oil. Notice what’s missing?

If you said protein, you’re correct!

Luckily, there are a few options to boost the protein in these yummy no bake cookies:

• Add protein powder. Chocolate, vanilla, or even peanut butter flavored protein powder would all be yummy here. Adjust the sugar if your protein powder is sweetened already.
• Mix in a scoop or two of collagen. If you’ve never heard of collagen, read more about it here. Make sure you’re buying LEGIT collagen. I’ve tried a few brands, but this brand is the only one that actually gave results.
• Add extra mix-ins and modifications. Chopped nuts, chia seeds, hemp hearts, or flax seeds will each add a bit more protein to your unbaked cookies, plus a delicious nutty flavor!

NO BAKE COOKIES FAQS

MORE HEALTHY COOKIE RECIPES

• Chocolate Unbaked Oatmeal Cookies
• Molasses Breakfast Cookies
• Healthy Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies
• Pumpkin Cookies with Naturally Sweetened Cream Cheese Frosting
• Healthy Thumbprint Cookies