These no bake chocolate oatmeal cookies are the perfect combination of wholesome ingredients: oats, cocoa, creamy peanut butter, coconut, and sweetened with maple syrup.
This delicious no bake cookie recipe is chewy and crunchy, leaving you longing for another bite.
The Best NO BAKE Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies
There is no baking or cooking involved. All you need to do is mix and chill the "cookie dough" (shortly), and that’s it!
Like oatmeal cookies? Try our breakfast cookies, oatmeal cookies, pecan cookies or banana oatmeal cookies next time.
Want to Save This Recipe?
Enter your email and we’ll send the recipe directly to you!
By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from The Yummy Bowl.
Ingredients
- Oats - Quick oats, steel-cut oats, old-fashioned rolled oats—whatever you want and like in terms of cookie texture. For even-looking uniform cookies, use quick oats; for chunky rolled oats, use certified GF oats if needed.
- Salt - Salt is optional but helps enhance all the flavors and intensify the taste of cocoa and maple syrup.
- Peanut butter - or Almond butter. Yum! I don't recommend using natural peanut butter, which can create dry cookies. Although check the ingredients in your peanut butter, I recommend no sugar added if possible.
- Vanilla bean paste or pure vanilla extract can be used interchangeably in baking. For me, vanilla paste has a stronger vanilla flavor.
- Maple syrup - or honey or agave syrup.
📋 You can find the full ingredient list in the Recipe Card below the article.
How To Make Them
- Let the peanut butter warm to room temperature so it mixes easily. Microwave for 30 seconds or heat in a pot until pourable.
- Stir in maple syrup and vanilla, then add oats, cocoa, salt, and coconut. Pour in oat milk and mix.
- Scoop 1 ½ tablespoons of the mixture onto a baking sheet, form into balls, and press gently.
- Shape as desired, but avoid making them too thick.
- Chill in the fridge for 40-60 minutes.
- Afterward, store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, but refrigerate for more extended storage to avoid dryness.
Tips
- We prefer using sugar-free peanut butter and maple syrup instead of refined sugar. Check that your oats are pure, as some have added sugar.
- Shape the cookie dough easily to your liking. Please don't make them too thick (too chewy = bad cookies!).
- Avoid refrigerating for too long, as it can make the cookies too hard or affect the flavor.
Leftover Tips: If you have leftover rolled oats, use them for cranberry overnight oats for a quick make-ahead breakfast.
Julia's Tip
Measure your ingredients correctly.
Since these cookies don't require baking, the ratio of ingredients is crucial to achieving the perfect texture and consistency.
Freezing And Storing Instructions
- To Store. After refrigerating, store the cookies in a clear glass cookie container at room temperature for up to 3 days. For longer storage, refrigerate them to prevent drying out.
- To Freeze. Place cookies in an airtight container or freezer bag for 2-3 months. Defrost in the fridge and let them reach room temperature before eating.
👩🏫 Related: Are Oats and Oat Flour Gluten Free?, 7 Easy Gluten Free Oatmeal Alternatives.
Mix-ins and Add-ons
Add more fiber and nutrients to these no bake oatmeal cookies. We like:
- Dried fruit - Cranberries and raisins (sultanas).
- Seeds - Pumpkin seeds, Chia seeds, flax seeds, sunflower seeds, or hemp seeds can also be used in these nutritious cookies.
- Nuts - Almonds and walnuts. Or, for flavor, use regular or dairy-free chocolate chips.
My Recipe Note: I first made these cookies without nuts, but later tried adding them on top by gently pressing them in before refrigerating.
The nuts added a delicious crunch and extra flavor! Yum!
Did You Like This Recipe?
Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below and share it on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest!
More Oatmeal Recipes
Did You Like This Recipe?
Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below and share it on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest!
Recipe Card
No Bake Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies
Want to Save This Recipe?
Enter your email and we’ll send the recipe directly to you!
By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from The Yummy Bowl.
INGREDIENTS
- ½ cup creamy peanut butter, no sugar added
- ⅓ cup maple syrup, or honey
- 2 cups quick oats or rolled oats, certified gluten free if needed
- 4 tablespoons cocoa powder, pure, no additives
- ⅓ cup oat milk or almond milk, or your favorite plant based milk
- 3 tablespoons desiccated coconut
- 2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt sea salt
INSTRUCTIONS
- Let the peanut butter warm to room temperature so it mixes easily. You can microwave it for 30 seconds or heat it in a small pot over low heat until pourable.½ cup creamy peanut butter
- Once ready, stir in maple syrup and vanilla, followed by oats, cocoa powder, salt, and coconut. Add oat milk and mix well.⅓ cup maple syrup, 2 cups quick oats or rolled oats, 4 tablespoons cocoa powder, 3 tablespoons desiccated coconut, 2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt sea salt, ⅓ cup oat milk or almond milk
- Scoop about 1 ½ tablespoons of the mixture onto a baking sheet, forming balls and pressing them gently. Shape as you like, but don’t make them too thick.
- Chill in the fridge for 40-60 minutes, then enjoy with coffee or milk!
VIDEO
NOTES
- After refrigerating, store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Beyond that, the texture may change and become dry, so it’s best to refrigerate them.
- Avoid freezing for too long, as this can make the cookies hard or affect their flavor.
- We prefer sugar-free peanut butter and maple syrup over refined sugar.
- Check that your oats are pure, as some contain added sugar.
- The right texture and consistency for no-bake oatmeal cookies depend on accurate ingredient measurements. Since this recipe isn’t baked, the ingredient ratios are crucial to the final result.
ADD YOUR OWN PRIVATE NOTES
NUTRITION
Note: Nutrition information is estimated and varies based on the products used.
Full Nutrition Disclaimer can be found here.
No Bake Cookies: FAQs
Oatmeal cookies are a great choice for health-conscious people, made with wholesome ingredients like oats, dried fruit, and nuts.
They’re a good source of fiber, helping you feel full while satisfying sweet cravings.
Refrigerate the cookies until set, usually 1-2 hours.
If they’re still too soft, check the ingredient amounts, especially the liquids.
We don't boil the mixture like other recipes, so high-quality peanut butter, maple syrup, or honey is essential for binding the cookies.
Adding more of these ingredients will make the cookies stickier.
Healthy Cookie Recipes
For all baking recipes, hop on to our Desserts collection.
GaryD
Not sure how I feel about no-bake cookies. Seems like a shortcut that might compromise on taste. Convince me otherwise.
LizBeth
Absolutely in love with these healthy cookies! I've been looking for something exactly like this. Fits right into my diet. Thanks a ton, Julia!
Marcie K.
I experimented with the mix-ins and add-ons section by adding dried cranberries. It turned out to be a delightful twist to the no bake oatmeal cookies. Would recommend others to try incorporating their favorite nuts or fruits!
TheRealMVP
These no bake oatmeal cookies are a game changer for my meal prep! Loving the idea to add more fiber. Gonna try adding chia seeds next time. Keep these healthy recipes coming!
Aly
these are really good and I've made a lot of different varieties of "healthy" cookies similar to this. taste is amazing and very easy directions with not too many or "weird" ingredients. thank you!
Julia | The Yummy Bowl
thank you!
Lori Conwright
Yummy! My husband won’t eat coconut, so I added half cup of pepitas, and half cup of raisins as substitution. I used my ice cream scoop and the spatula to put the cookies down on the cookie sheet lined with wax paper and then I covered them with another sheet of wax paper and then left them alone overnight in the refrigerator.
Put into airtight container in AM. Yield 15 cookies.
We love them! Thank You!
Julia | The Yummy Bowl
thank you Lori!
Samantha Winkelman
I have been making these No Bake Oatmeal Balls ever since I was a young girl. (always added raisins and dates) This time I made these with Hersheys Special Dark Cocoa Powder, and they were very delicious!
I used almond butter, grade A honey, rolled oats, Hersheys Special Dark Cocoa, almond milk, desiccated coconut, pure vanilla extract and sea salt. They are way to yummy to just be protein bites! Going back for more when I'm done here 😀
Julia | The Yummy Bowl
thank you Samantha, what a great snack right!
Cynthia Wright
These were surprisingly delicious. Sweet enough for such a small amount of sweetener and melted in your mouth in a chocolatey peanutty kind of way. Very good!
Julia | The Yummy Bowl
thank you so much Cynthia!
Julia | The Yummy Bowl
These no bake oatmeal cookies are excellent to make ahead and can be stored frozen for many months ahead.