Classic no bake cookies made without peanut butter! If you had to give up no bake cookies because of a peanut allergy these Peanut Butter Free No Bake Cookies are for you. They are the classic no bake cookies without the peanut butter.
I have been making no bake cookies since I was a kid. They were one of the first recipes that I learned to make and I have made them many times since then.
They are one of my favorite cookies to make and to eat!
No bake cookies make a perfect summertime cookie. Kids love them. At least all the kids I know love them.
I love that no bake cookies do not require you to use an oven. That is something I look for in a summertime dessert, but really these are a quick and easy cookie to make anytime of the year.
Can I make no bake cookies without peanut butter?
Yes, you can make no bake cookies without peanut butter and today I am sharing how I turned a classic no bake cookie into a peanut butter free no bake cookie.
The recipe that I have been making for years comes from my mom, and it contained peanut butter.
It was one of those recipes that I knew I was going to miss when my daughter developed her peanut allergy back in 2010, but then I started wondering why if I could make them without peanut butter.
I figured that the worst that could happen would be that they might be a little dry or have a slightly different texture. I decided to give my mom’s no bake recipe, that I had been making for years, a try without the peanut butter.
I followed my mom’s recipe but left out the peanut butter.
Well, okay, I added a few chocolate chips, but they are the same basic recipe. I thought the chocolate chips might help the texture since I removed the peanut butter. Plus, more chocolate is always a good thing!
They turned out so good without the peanut butter. I was a little surprised at how well they turned out. We loved them.
Even those that can eat peanut butter enjoy these. I make these all the time and everyone enjoys them. Both those that are peanut free and those that aren’t.
Can I make no bake cookies gluten free?
If you are gluten-free, you can easily make a gluten-free no-bake cookie by using gluten-free oats. Make sure your chocolate chips are gluten-free as well. Most are, but always read the labels.
Can I make no bake cookies dairy free?
Yes, you can make no bake cookies dairy free? I have made them dairy free and it works great. I shared my dairy free no bake cookie recipe a few years ago and it is one of my daughter’s favorite quick and easy dairy free desserts to make.
If you need an easy and delicious dessert for those with a peanut allergy these no bake cookies are delicious!
Want to make these even faster to make? Make them into bars like I do for my no bake cookie bars.
Ingredients
- sugar
- butter
- milk
- cocoa
- vanilla extract
- quick oats or gluten free quick oats for gluten free version
- chocolate chips
Peanut Butter Free No Bake Cookies
The classic no bake cookies made without peanut butter. Peanut butter free no bake cookies are perfect for those with a peanut allergy.
Ingredients
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 cup butter
- ½ cup milk
- 4 tablespoons cocoa
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups quick oats ( I use gluten free quick oats)
- 3/4 cup chocolate chips
Instructions
- Bring first four ingredients to a boil and cook 1 minute.
- Add vanilla, oatmeal, and chocolate chips, and stir until combined and chocolate chips have melted.
- Remove from heat and let sit in the pan for about five minutes to thicken a little bit.
- Drop onto cookie sheet using 2-3 tablespoons of mixture.
- Refrigerate until firm.
- Serve and enjoy!
- These will keep in the refrigerator for several days.
Notes
For the gluten free version use gluten free quick oats.
You can vary the size of this cookies by making them bigger or smaller.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
30Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 157Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 17mgSodium: 69mgCarbohydrates: 21gFiber: 1gSugar: 16gProtein: 1g
Nutritional values are approximate and aren't always accurate.
Posted July 2010. Updated June 2019 and June 2024.
yea!! thank you for this recipe 🙂
I’ve been making these cookies for years! My mom made them as a cooking demo for our Girl Scout troop when I was around 10. They have been my favorite cookie ever since! I make them every Christmas for gifts. I can’t wait to try them without the peanut butter! I have a dear friend who cannot stand peanut butter but loves chocolate. I will make them this week for her. Of course, I will have to try them, too! Thank you so much, Lynn!!
Why do the bar cookies include sun butter but the drop cookies do not?
I have multiple versions of no bake cookies. This recipe is peanut butter free. I also make a sunbutter version and the bar version with sunbutter. We don’t always want to take sunbutter ones when serving others, so the peanut butter free no bake cookies work great when you can’t have peanut butter, but don’t want to use sunbutter. This recipe could easily be made into bars.
I will have to try it this way! My husband cannot stand peanut butter. I have substituted almond butter for the peanut butter before, I couldn’t taste a difference, but he could. I’m sure he’ll like these! Thanks!
Just found your website and I love it.
Do you think that you could sub coconut milk for the dairy?
I have peanut, dairy, and wheat allergies:(
I have not done much with coconut milk since we can have dairy, but I think it is definitely worth trying. You could always just make 1/2 a recipe to see if it works. I would love to know if it does.
I used to run an allergen free bakery and we made them with dairy free margarine and coconut frequently. It works great, although they may be a little softer.
I am glad to know that works. Many people have dairy issues so that is a great idea.
I use almond milk and Earth Balance instead of butter as I can’t have dairy. I found a recipe that completely eliminates the use of butter/margerine that I’m going to try. I don’t like that they are oily. I think the ones I make with natural peanut butter causes this.
We just made these (don’t like the peanut butter kind) and they were creamy and delicious! Thank you so much for the recipe!
I am so glad that you liked them!
You know, you can make them PB Free just by switching to Nutella, right?
Also? Amazing.
I love No-Bakes, thanks for sharing your recipe.
I agree that works great, but my daughter developed an allergy last year to not only peanuts, but all tree nuts, and sesame. So, we had to give up peanut butter and all nut butters like nutella.
we’ve always made them w/o peanut butter. I didn’t know the recipe included peanut butter. LOL 🙂 I’ll try them that way some time seems there are no allergies to peanuts here.
Lynn~ Thank you for this recipe! I like these cookies with peanut butter in them but I have been wanting to make them without it, and I just haven’t found a recipe yet. Sometimes I just want the chocolate without the peanut butter, ya know?!? Now I won’t have to look. I’ll be making these tomorrow!
Roughly how many cookies can you make with one batch?
I depends on how big you make them but it makes about 2 dozen.
Thank you!! I will be trying these out soon. Peanut butter has been sorely missed in my home since my daughter developed allergy to peanuts, especially no bake cookies! Can’t wait to try them!
Can I kiss you? My youngest has nut allergies and have always wanted to make these to share with him. As soon as DH comes home I am off to buy ingredients! Thank you.
I hope you enjoy them!!
Well we hit a homerun! Don’t think they will make it through the night.
Thanks again!
Thanks for letting me know. I am so glad that your family enjoyed them!
Just made these and threw in some dark chocolate and mint chips. They are great and a nice quick treat in our nut free house.
Hi! I followed the recipe and was able to make 4 dozen flat, 1.75-2″ cookies. Can’t wait for them to cool! Thank you for the recipe.
Lynn, Thank you for posting this, I haven’t tried a “no bake cookie” recipe and this is my first time, I can’t wait to make them.
Is there a reason why the cookies won’t harden up? Followed directions to a T.. and they are still soft. What did I do wrong?
If they don’t harden up try placing them in the refrigerator. That should help the chocolate harden. I hope that helps.
I just made these and put half of the chocolate chips in with the first 4 ingredients and after the 1 minute boil I stirred in the rest of the chips until melted then added the vanilla and oats. This is a little like tempering chocolate which makes it harden and shine. The cookies came out shiny and set up very well. No need to refrigerate.
Hi Lynn,
I’ve been making a variation of these cookies for years–an old family recipe. When I lost that recipe, I tried yours! It was good, but I HAD to find mine, which yields more of a dark chocolate cookie:
2 c sugar, 1/2 c butter, 1/2 c milk, 1/2 c cocoa. Boil that and add it to 3 c oats with some coconut! Tastes like a brownie…
Thanks for the recipe; I’m definitely going to have to try this! I recently have become either mildly allergic to peanuts or am sensitive to them, so I’m trying to find cookie recipes that emulate the ones I’ve loved before the problems. It seems that the cookies I really loved revolved around peanut butter- go figure!
THANK you THANK you THANK you for posting this recipe! I have a severe nut, tree nut, and sesame allergy so I am not able to substitute Nutella and have been looking everywhere for a recipe that will allow me to enjoy no-bakes without the allergens! Worked great!! 🙂
Cant wait to make these for my daughters class! We are using Gluten Free Products though because there are students with both Gluten and Peanut Allergies in her class! Thank You! Thank You!
This recipe does not work the cookies never set up they are soupy had to throw out first batch and second batch was no different right and all this before my holiday party! Just wish I would have followed the original recipe with peanut butter
Thank god you posted this. I love peanut butter but n ot in no bake cookies!
I made this receipe BUT ended up having to use 5 cups of oats instead of the 3 recomented because it was too runny. But wih the 5 they turned out perfect
Would you be able to use Splenda?
My whole life we never used peanut butter in them. I didn’t know the recipe even called for it until I went to a party with my mom and ate one made with it. I hated it. I have always loved them and they are my quickest chocolate fix.
Can you make these with soy milk instead of regular cows milk?
I have not tried it, so I am not sure, but I would say it would be worth trying to see if it works. Maybe half the recipe at first to see how it turns out. I would love to hear if it works.
Works great! I used dark chocolate cocoa and dark chocolate chips. They are delicious=)
The cookies were wonderful! I only made a half batch and used mini chocolate chips and they still turned out. I’ve read complaints about the initial look of the cookie being too runny. Mine were too but I gave them plenty of time to cool and they came out perfect. Thanks for such a yummy recipe.
I am so glad that you liked them! Thanks for letting me know.
Ooou I loved it to!!!! Mine turned out perfect
Thanks for letting me know. I am so glad they turned out perfect for you!
Hi!
We are tree-nut, peanut, gluten, and oat-free (my son is allergic to oats themselves) at our house, but I substituted quinoa flakes for the oats in this recipe and they came out great!! Thanks for sharing!
Heather
Thanks for sharing that it worked. I am glad you were able to adapt it. Where do you get your quinoa flakes? I have been wanting to try them, but have not found a good place to get them. The few times I have checked online they were not in stock and I have not found them in stores in my area.
Can You make cookies without oats and peanut butter????????????
I have made them without peanut butter or have used sunbutter or another pb substitute, but I have never made them without the oats.
I just modified the recipe to eliminate the oats. I used a combination of chopped almonds, dried cherries, and toasted coconut. They smell delicious, but don’t seem to hardening. I’m going to be patient and may eventually refrigerate. Regardless, I won’t throw them away….maybe just eat them with a spoon!
I would love to know how they turn out without the oats. I hope you enjoy them!
The combination is DELICIOUS!!! They are just gooey. I’ve had this happen with the oat version too. It may be due to the altitude. I’m in Sao Paulo, Brazil and everything is a little off when it comes to baking and these candy like bases are a little tricky. I highly recommend the almonds, toasted coconut and dried fruit combo. It’s like a candy bar!
12/28/12 Was looking for a no bake recipe without p.b. and was so glad to find Lynn’s. First one I tried and don’t need to try any others.I love it,especially better with the chocolate chips.Thank you.Raggy.
Thank you for this! This was my favorite thing my mom made when I was a kid, but my husband is severely allergic to peanuts AND chocolate. I was able to use carob powder instead of cocoa, and they are so good! This really takes me back! Thanks again!
I am so glad you enjoyed these. We missed them too when my daughter developed her allergy. I am glad you are able to make them again.
Thank you! I HATE peanut butter and my oven just broke down so this will be awesome for my kids!
I wanted to make something quick and easy and thought of no-bake cookies, but discovered that I had no peanut butter in my cupboard. I made these this evening after searching online for a peanut butter free recipe. THEY ARE AMAZING!!! Just after I started melting my butter I realized that I had used up all my milk too…oops. I substituted powdered creamer after reading on the container that it can be added to water as a substitute for milk! Totally saved my evening and helped me realize just how awesome these are. Thanks for the great recipe!!!
I am so glad you enjoyed them and that you were able to have dessert this evening! Thanks so much for letting me know!
When I was a kid, we made no bakes all the time without peanut butter. The first time I had them with peanut butter I was disappointed! Then I learned to like them. Then I developed a peanut allergy… GR! In the meantime, we lost the original recipe. So I’m thrilled to see this. Thank you so much!
I hope you enjoy them. I agree they really are great without the peanut butter. I also like to make these as bars in a 9×13 or bar type pan. They work great that way and cut into squares. I hope you enjoy!
Oh, good idea!! I’ll have to try it in the 9×13. I bet my 8 year old daughter could make these too. 🙂
thank u, my daughter has a tree nut and peanut allergy and i hate that when people make these ( with peanut butter) she can’t eat them. Now I have these to make and she won’t feel left out. thank u
I hope she enjoys them. These were one of our favorite cookies before my daughter’s nut allergy so I knew I had to come up with a peanut free one. If you want to make them even easier you can make them in a bar pan or 9×13 and just cut them into squares once they set up. I love to make them that way as well.
WOW! These are amazing! I don’t miss the pb in them at all. My girl goes to a peanut free school and I wanted to make her no bake cookies to bring in ( actually I was craving them and needed a good excuse to make) I came across this recipe and thought I would try it. Boy am I glad I did! I have always loved no bake cookies and make them for home parties and such, but have held off on making them for school functions due to some children having allegies to peanuts. Not anymore! I will swap over to this recipe always. If you think they won’t live up to the original, you are doing yourself a great injustice. They are wonderful! Thank you for the recipe.
I make these with almond butter all the time. So, if peanuts are your specific problem, but you can have other nuts, you can substitute any nut butter for the peanut butter. I’m pretty sure I’ve made the with sesame butter as well. It has the consistency of nut butters, but no nuts.
Could I substitute butterscotch chips for chocolate chips?
I have not tried it, but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work.
how long does it take to cool down after im done making it
Don’t substitute honey for sugar in this recipe or you’ll end up with chocolate plops, not chocolate cookies.
Lynn,
Thank you for the recipe! I have been trying many different recipes… Hubby agrees, this one is it! The cookies were shiny, moist, and they set up! (Many have not) I have found my no bake cookie! Merry Christmas!
Just felt that this should be edited as all oats are gluten-free. They are not wheat, barley or rye. As I have celiac disease, this is something I am very aware of. Unless processed to include gluten (microwaveable pkgs, etc.) it is not an issue.
How many does this recipe make?
It makes 18-24 depending on the size you make them.
Will brown sugar work the same as white sugar? And should the measurement/amount be the same if using brown sugar?
Thanks
I have not tried them with brown sugar. I think it would probably work, but it might change the taste and texture slightly. If I was going to try it I would probably use the same amount. If you try it and it works I would love to hear about it.
I have made no bakes for several and have found that if you don’t let them “hard boil” they can turn rather runny. However if you cook them too much they will turn out very dry. The first couple times I tried this recipe I used a candy thermometer and was better able to see the difference. Good Luck!
I have made a similar no bake only I used nutella also. I have a son who is peanut allergic. I am glad I found this on Pinterest. He doesn’t care for nutella. Not much into nuts, because they usually roast them on peanut oil, or shared factory lines. Thank you!
Thank you! I have made no bakes with other nut butters, but we didn’t like them as well. My son is allergic to peanuts. I will try this over the weekend. One of my husband’s favorite varieties of no bake was when I used a jar of Biscoff spread instead of a nut butter.
I hope your husband and family enjoys them! I will admit that the peanut butter ones taste a little better, because well they have peanut butter in them. 🙂 However, I have been making these for about 6 years now and we love them. They are close enough to the real thing that we don’t miss the old version. And I would have never thought to use Biscoff for no bake cookies. That is a great idea for those that can have Biscoff!
I grew up in Michigan and my mom’s recipe for no-bake cookies didn’t include peanut butter. Instead, it had coconut in them. They were one of my favorites. When I moved to the south I was surprised that no-bake cookies had peanut butter instead of coconut. I made them for my husband but I missed the version I was used to. It’s funny how our taste buds get accustomed to certain flavors.
Oh Thank you Lynn. I like your daughter have a peanut allergy after yrs (I”m 73), of eating Peanut butter, one of my favorite foods. I miss my oatmeal cookies because of PB. I love this
I hope you enjoy them! They are one of our favorite cookies!
I have a diabetic person and she loves no bakes….. was wondering if there is a recipe just as good as the one without peanut butter that can be not so bad on her suger level? Can anyone give me advice? And suger free stuff that is delicious?
Thanks for the recipe. May I use pumkin puree instead of peanut butter and or unsweetened applesauce instead of butter? I am new at this. Thank you
I have not tried that. I would totally change the flavor of the cookie and I am not sure applesauce would set up like butter and peanut butter would. It might be worth trying if you have extra ingredients, but I am really not sure if it will work.
My mother in law is allergic to all sorts of nuts, especially peanuts. The allergy developed later in her life and her favorite cookies are no bakes. I found this recipe a year or two ago and she absolutely loved them I lost the recipe and could never find your recipe until I saw a screenshot I took of the comments about the solution some people had for them not setting properly. the screenshot showed up in my photo memories today and I decided to look once more and I finally found your recipe again and I wanted to thank you so much for this recipe now I can make my mother-in-law’s favorite no-bake cookies again. thank you so much! they are such a big hit whenever I bring them.
I am so glad that you were able to find the recipe again! And I am happy that you are able to make them for your mother in law again. I am sure that she really appreciates it!