We have Stacy from Stacy Makes Cents to thank for today's recipe for no bake chocolate peanut butter oatmeal cookies.
It's not her recipe, but as soon as I saw her post for these old-fashioned no bake cookies, I had to rush to the kitchen to make a batch of my very own.
No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies Recipe (5 SmartPoints)
They're an oldie but goodie from my past that I hadn't made (or thought about) for years. And I'm not sure why because they are...
- delicious
- quick and easy
- have a short list of ingredients that I usually have on hand
- can be made on the stovetop (no oven required)
And, most importantly, these easy delicious no-bake chocolate cookies remind me of home.
How Many Calories and WW Points in these No-Bake Cookies?
I love cookies because they're naturally portion controlled, so they're great for those of us who are watching our weight.
According to my calculations, each cookie has 107 calories and:
5 *SmartPoints (Green plan)
5 *SmartPoints (Blue plan)
4 *SmartPoints (Purple plan)
3 *PointsPlus (Old plan)
To see your WW PersonalPoints for this recipe and track it in the WW app or site, Click here!
Of course, you need to have the willpower to stop at one or two 🙂
If you're like me, a woman of questionable will power, share them or hide them, or keep them under lock and key!
You'll find this recipe, with all kinds of variations, all over the internet. It's an oldie but a goodie, probably dating back to the Great Depression, when no-bake cookies first became really popular here in the US.
And like Stacy mentioned, they go by lots of different names:
No-Bake Cookies. Boiled Cookies. Preacher Cookies. No-Bake Oatmeal Fudgies. Chew Charlie's. Cow Pies (Yikes!)
I turned to my tried and true recipe from a favorite old cookbook, The Yankee Church Supper Cookbook (affiliate link), which calls for a little less sugar than many others. They turned out delicious, just like I remember Mom's tasting.
Recipe Notes
I used old-fashioned oats, since that was what I had in the pantry. Many recipes specify either quick-cooking or old-fashioned. Since quick cooking oats are cut into smaller pieces, they will create a less chewy cookie.
I also used Dutch-processed cocoa, again since that was what was in the pantry. This helped give the cookies a darker color and richer flavor.
Be sure that your mixture is really boiling before you begin to count your boiling time. This is probably the trickiest part of boiled cookies. If you don't boil them long enough, they may not set up and too long can cause them to be hard and grainy.
It's likely they may not set up if you make these no-bake cookies when it's really humid. These cookies are not a fan of humidity! If they don't set up, it's not the end of the world. They'll still taste delicious!
If this happens, just eat them with a spoon, or keep them in the refrigerator so they stay firm.
I love that you can make these cookies lots of different ways…
Recipe Variations
more crunch: use crunchy peanut butter instead of smooth for added crunch
more spice: add a dash of cinnamon to the sugar/butter mixture
tropical taste: add ½ cup shredded coconut with the oats
nuttier: add ½ cup chopped nuts with the oats
fruitier: add ½ cup dried cranberries, or raisins, with the oats
cookie bars: press cookie mixture into a greased, foil-lined 8-inch square pan for no-bake chocolate peanut butter oatmeal cookie bars
Enjoy!
Are You Ready To Firmly Plant Yourself
On The Path To Lasting Weight Loss Success?
If you like these easy, no-bake cookies with chocolate, oatmeal and peanut butter, be sure to check out my other Weight Watchers friendly no-bake recipes including WW Crock Pot Rice Krispies Treats, Chocolate Marshmallow Bark, No-Bake Peanut Buttery Cookie Bites, Strawberry Cheesecake Parfaits and 4-Ingredient No-Bake "Brownies"
If you've made this No Bake Peanut Butter Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies, please give the recipe a star rating below and leave a comment letting me know how you liked it. And stay in touch on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for the latest updates.
No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder (I used Dutch-processed)
- 1-½ cups sugar
- ½ cup butter
- ½ cup milk
- ½ cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 3 cups rolled oats, quick cooking or old-fashioned (quick is better)
Instructions
- In a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat, combine cocoa, sugar, butter and milk. Bring to a rolling boil (surface will be covered with bubbles) and continue to cook for 2 minutes while stirring constantly.
- Remove from the heat and stir in peanut butter and vanilla until creamy and well blended.
- Then stir in the and oats until well combined.
- Drop by spoonfuls onto a cookie sheet lined with waxed paper or a silicone mat, making about 36 cookies and then flatten them slightly with your damp fingers or the back of a wet spoon.
- Let cool until set.
Recipe Notes
Source: Yankee Church Supper Cookbook (affiliate link) by Clarissa Silitch.
*Points® calculated by WW. *PointsPlus® and SmartPoints® calculated by Simple Nourished Living; Not endorsed by Weight Watchers International, Inc. All recipe ingredients except optional items included in determining nutritional estimates. SmartPoints® values calculated WITHOUT each plan's ZeroPoint Foods (Green plan, Blue plan, Purple plan) using the WW Recipe Builder.
Watch how you can easily make your own healthy no-bake oatmeal energy balls with chocolate chips:
More Lightened Up No Bake Sweet Treats
- No-Bake Upside-Down Peach Blueberry Pie (HungryGirl)
- WW No-Bake Peanut Butter Cheerio Bars (RecipeDiaries)
- Skinny No-Bake Peanut Butter Pie (SkinnyTaste)
- Healthy Vegan No-Bake Maple Cookies (Cookin'Canuck)
- No-Bake Skinny Strawberry Shortcake Trifle (SkinnyKitchen)
- Peanut Butter Chocolate Almond No-Bake Cookies (DrizzleMeSkinny)
In this video, April shows how easy it is to make your own version of healthy no bake cookies with peanut butter, oats and chocolate chips:
Martha is the founder and main content writer for Simple-Nourished-Living.
A longtime lifetime WW at goal, she is committed to balancing her love of food and desire to stay slim while savoring life and helping others do the same.
She is the author of the Smart Start 28-Day Weight Loss Challenge.
A huge fan of the slow cooker and confessed cookbook addict, when she's not experimenting in the kitchen, you're likely to find Martha on her yoga mat.
This post contains affiliate links to products I like. When you buy something through one of my Amazon links or other (affiliate links), I receive a small commission that helps support this site. Thank you for your purchase!
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Melissa S
Thanks for the comment on my blog! I love your website and will definitely be back - your photography is awesome. I'll also be baking your chocolate espresso cookies - they look wonderful!
Wendy
Oh my goodness! I just made my grandma's recipe for these this week for the kids and they only lasted 2 days. They love them!!!
Jacque
Mmmm, no-bake cookies are so addictive! Yours looks wonderful and chocolatey. Nice work!
Kathy Caruso
These cookies are delicious. I will be making them again and again!!
sara rodrigues
Thanks for the comment on my blog! I love your website and will definitely be back – your photography is awesome. I’ll also be baking your chocolate espresso cookies – they look wonderful!Oh my goodness! I just made my grandma’s recipe for these this week for the kids and they only lasted 2 days. They love them!!!
Mitzi Ward
I love these cookies too but am having trouble making them. I've made two batches (one double batch and one single) and they just won't set. What gives? Am I not boiling them long enough (1-2 minutes)? Thanks!
Martha
Hi Mitzi,
I've learned that these cookies don't set well when the weather is humid and they need to be really rapidly boiling before you begin counting your cooking time. You can try to cook them a little longer, but if you cook them too long, they get grainy. Putting the ones that won't set in the fridge should help them firm up!
Mark
uhhmm hi 🙂 … i know its kinda awkward that a guy ask a question about cooking cookies, cause basically wonderful lady’s are the one that do this task… well, im trying to cook for my girlfriend … she had a sweet tooth she loved cookies so much so im trying to cook cookies for her (kinda sweet right?) … well ,,, i would just ask … can i use powdered milk instead evap or whole milk? .. hoping for the answers of Goddesses 😉 ...
i really wanna make this cookies as soon as i get your response 🙂
Martha McKinnon
Hi Mark,
I've only ever made these with evaporated milk. I'm not really sure how they would turn out with powdered milk. Sorry I can't be of more help. If you try powdered milk, please leave a comment letting us know if it worked!
mark
the powdered milk work . thanks 🙂
Martha McKinnon
Thanks, for letting us know!!
mark
hi martha
i mx the oats and ... it is not cook? ... its like eating raw oats? .. or can i cook oats first? ...
Martha McKinnon
Hi Mark, yes you use the raw oats! So the cookies stay chewy.
Tracy
With the new Smartpoints these cookies are 5 weight watchers points each not 3!
Martha McKinnon
Thanks, Tracy!
Sandi
These are so good! We’ve been making them as long as I can remember. My grandmothers version is a little different from this recipe. Two cups of sugar, 1/4 cup of cocoa, a dash of salt and boil 1 minute. You have to work quickly or they’ll firm up before you’re finished. I’m in a humid area though air conditioned and they firm up every time but ingredients directions and have to be followed completely. We sometimes leave out the cocoa for a stronger peanut butter flavor...yum!
Susan
I’m looking for a Really old WW chocolate cookie. I use to eat them every morning. But they were baked.
Oatmeal, margarine, powdered milk, vanilla peanut butter or not. I can’t remember amounts but I’d have everything measured throw in the vanilla maybe water?? Bake them while I was doing my hair. Then I’d dunk them in my 1/4 cup of oj. Wish I could find hat recipe. It was on a WW news flyer maybe 39-40 years ago! Wow I just had an OLD moment.
Melissa
Just made these tonight. Used 2% milk and instead of sugar I used 1/4 honey and about 1 tsp stevia. Turned out good. They fall apart, but can't complain since I did change the recipe. They are semi firm though and refrigeration would probably firm them more. Definitely tasty though.
claudia walsh
I,ve been making these since I was a kid. It's a family favorite.SO GLAD I found this recipe again!!! ANOTHER PLUS-it's gluten free!!!
Shirley Boyd
Could you substitute Truvia for the sugar and Almond mild for the reg. milk? And, if so, do you know what the WW smart points would be? I have always loved these cookies.
Martha McKinnon
Hi Shirley, I'm really not sure. Haven't tried with nondairy milk or Truvia. If you do, please let us know how they turn out! - Martha
Eva
Wow...these brought back childhood memories. My mom use to make them quite often. I thought chocolate and peanut butter would be off limits with WW. Who knew dieting could taste so good!
Sheridan
One of my favorite go to cookie recipes. Easy to make and very yummy!