Loaded with salty-sweet
peanut butter and chewy oats, these no-bak cookies are the perfect desser when you’re craving something sweet but don’t want to bother turning on the oven. These no-bakes are dense, rich, and fudgy . . . can you see why we’re obsessed?
Pick the right peanut butter.
You can never go wrong with peanut butter, right? Well, in this case, you actually can. For best success, you MUST use smooth, processed peanut butter to make these cookies. All-natural peanut butter (the type that separates in the jar) can be inconsistent in texture, and the lack of homogenization can really throw off the texture of the cookie, which will make it tricky to get them to set properly.
Choose right oats.
Regular, old-fashioned rolled oats are the way to go. Quick-cooking oats have an almost powdery chew, and steel cut might crack a tooth or two. Old fashioned oats, on the other hand, give these cookies a wonderful chewy texture, similar to a soft, freshly baked cookie.
Another note about oats: because these cookies don’t use flour, they’re naturally gluten free. However, some oats are processed in factories that also process whole grains and can be cross-contaminated, so if you’re making these cookies for someone with gluten allergies, be sure to choose oats specifically marked “gluten-free.”
Ingredients
- 1 c.granulated sugar
- 3/4 c.packed brown sugar
- 1/2 c.(1 stick) butter, cut into cubes
- 1/2 c.milk
- 1 c.smooth peanut butter
- 2 tsp.pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp.kosher salt
- 2 1/2 c.old-fashioned oats
Directions
-
- Step 1
Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine sugars, butter, and milk. Bring mixture to a boil and boil 1 minute.
- Step 2Remove from heat and stir in peanut butter, vanilla, and salt until combined, then stir in oats.
- Step 3Drop tablespoonfuls of mixture onto prepared baking sheet and let set until cooled and hardened, about 30 minutes.
- Step 1