Classic No Bake Cookies
Making candy and anything that requires boiling to a set temperature is never my thing. But these classic no bake cookies are easy, easy, easy and don’t require any of the fuss of candy making.
This cookie starts wars. Big ones.
No bake cookies have been around for decades, and so has this recipe. It’s nothing new, but it’s mine and it’s made the way that I like a no bake. I like mine soft-ish.
I’ve eaten some that are hard. Like a sugar-coated, grainy, dry, hard rock. Gag.
When I posted this recipe originally I called it a “no fail no bake” because (I’m still sticking to my story) that these have never failed to set up for me. Well, after about 500,000 Facebook views I received more than one nasty comment from readers saying things like “These are terrible!” and “Mine ran all over the counter and I had to throw them all out! What a waste!” and my personal favorite” “Three cups of oats?! That’s absurd! Who puts three cups of oats in a no bake cookie?!”
Oh snap. I do lady, I do.
But being the professional that I am, I held my peace and said nothing.
So here’s what I say before you try these: they come out soft. They hold together, but they are soft. Be warned. And remember there are starving children in Africa, civil wars ruining lives, and bad things happening everywhere–this, IS A COOKIE. Let’s keep some perspective, shall we?
Classic No Bake Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 stick butter or margarine
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup evaporated milk
- 1/2 cup cocoa
- 3 cups quick cooking oats
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter almond or sunflower may work as well
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- Cook the first four ingredients in a sauce pan over medium high until the butter melts completely and the sugar dissolves most of the way.
- Allow the mixture to just start to bubble and cook one minute over medium-low heat.
- Turn off heat and add the peanut butter, oats and vanilla and stir well.
- Drop by spoonfuls onto wax paper to cool. Allow a longer set time for humid days or you may need to place them in the fridge to firm.
I love this vintage recipe! I wanted to make them but realized I had no quick oats only oat bran. Unsure of how it would turn out I took the plunge anyway.
They turned out great. Only difference is appearance. This cookie doesn have the chunky appearance. That could be easily remedied with some fine chopped nuts or coconut. Best part…. Without knowing it, I’ve made a super healthy cookie! Comparing Oat Bran to Oatmeal, this cookie has 2x more fiber, 4x more protein, 20%more Thiamin and Riboflavin and Calcium and Iron with the replacement of Oat Bran. Woohoo a win!!!
Good for you Donna! I think you’d have to make some changes to alllll the sugar in these to make them truly healthy, but I’m glad you had the improvements you did. 🙂 –Rachel