No-bake Drop Cookies

Easy chocolate and peanut butter saucepan cookies combine oatmeal and nuts with a chocolate peanut butter fudge that is spooned out in chewy puddles that make an irresistible fudgy cookie.

Why I love no-bake cookies

I have been making no-bake cookies since the beginning of time; since the dawn of the universe; well actually since approximately 1978. I did a little bit of research and found out rather quickly that this type of fudgy saucepan drop cookie first came on the scene in 1928. The Kellogg Company created the recipe using cornflakes not oats. This is a great recipe to start your kids out in the kitchen with. It has a simple ingredient list, it can be done by hand, they can help measure and stir, and drop the cookies on to the parchment paper. There will surely be much licking of little fingers! No matter, getting our kids in the kitchen teaches them so many life skills. Below is a photo of my son Luke. He was ten year old. Now he’s twenty-five. Excuse me while I go cry into my pillow. Time where dulst thou goist?

Gather these ingredients

How to make no-bake cookies

Do as I say not as I do. Melt Butter in 3 quart sauce pan, then add sugar, unsweetened cocoa powder, and salt. Whisk until sugar has dissolved and it’s starting to boil. Add milk.

Continue to cook the fudge at a very low boil / simmer for 3 more minutes after sugar has dissolved and mixture is smooth like above. Stirring the entire time.

Remove from heat and add vanilla and peanut butter or nutella and stir vigorously until combined.

Add rolled or quick oats to the fudge and mix to thoroughly combine. At this point you can put a sheet of parchment paper on your countertop or you can also drop these out onto a baking sheet.

If you can restrain yourself, allow no-bake cookies 15 minutes to set up before partaking.

I wanted to share something with you. The photo before this shows a cookie that is dropping out on to the parchment paper in puddles, and then the next photo the no-bake cookie was scooped out with a cookie scoop into a ball. The reason is the second batch of cookies the fudge was cooked longer making the fudge stiffer. They actually set up in the pan before I could drop them onto the parchment. The taste wasn’t any different, however the texture was different. They were not as creamy and soft as the first batch. They all were eaten just the same, apparently I was the only one that noted the difference. I just wanted to share it with you in case the same thing happens to you. If you have a candy thermometer you can test the fudge before removing it from the stove to add peanut butter, it should be 230 F. I never use a thermometer I just watch the clock for 3 minutes. I understand if you are not one to throw caution to the wind and you want to know these will turn out. No fail no-bake cookies.

Thanks for being here. I am working on getting new photos up for this recipe soon. If you make this and love it like we do please take a second to give it all the stars in the recipe card! XO, Sheila