No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies

These no bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies cookies are pure nostalgia for me.  My mum used to make them for us quite frequently growing up, but I honestly forgot all about them until recently when I was at one of our sweet friends grandchildren's lemonade stand, and there they were staring me in the face.  I only bought four of them for the hubby and I to share, but by the time we got home and started digging in, we were wishing we had bought the whole lot!  I immediately had to dig out the old recipe and decided we need to make these much more frequently.  A no-bake cookie that takes just a few minutes to whip up and doesn't require the oven to be turned on - these are the perfect summertime cookie!

These cookies have all the yummy ingredients - butter, sugar, cocoa powder, peanut butter and oats.  They are so easy to throw together, have little to no clean up, and literally the hardest part of making them is just waiting for them to set so you can dig in!  I like to use my smallest cookie scoop to make these because then they all come out evenly and it helps give them a rounder, taller shape, but you can absolutely just use a spoon to scoop them out if you don't have one.  If you like a thinner cookie, just press them down gently to make them a bit flatter.  This is one of our favorite quick-make treats - we've even been known to throw them together late night while watching a movie. ;)

This recipe makes about 30 small cookie scoop size cookies!  Store in an airtight container.  (I like mine stored in the refrigerator.)

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• pinch of salt
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 3-1/2 cups quick-cooking oats

Instructions:

1. Measure your peanut butter, vanilla and oats so you have them ready to add when necessary at the end.
2. Add the butter, sugar, milk, cocoa powder and salt to a large saucepan and cook over medium high heat until it reaches a boil.  Let boil for 1 minute  
3. Reduce the heat and stir in the peanut butter until melted.  Remove from heat and add in the vanilla extract and oats, mixing until well combined.  
4. Let sit five minutes.  
5. Drop by spoonful's on to parchment or wax paper, (I use my small cookie scoop.)  
6. Let cool on the counter until set.  (Usually about 30 minutes - after 30 minutes feel free to put in the refrigerator to speed up the cooling process!)

*Photo updated June 30, 2019