Healthy No Bake Cookies
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These healthy no bake cookies are soft, chocolatey and full of peanut butter flavor. They mix up fast and set into the perfect chewy cookie.
No bake cookies have always had a special place in my heart. I grew up making them with my mom every Christmas and I still remember standing on a chair in the kitchen so I could reach the stove and help her stir the pot. They were one of the first treats she taught me how to make on my own and I loved that I did not have to wait for anything to bake.
This healthier version has the same rich chocolate peanut butter flavor I loved as a kid but is made with simple ingredients and comes together so quickly. They are the kind of cookie you can mix up on a busy afternoon or make for a quick treat when the craving hits.
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“these are the best healthy no bakes i’ve ever had, and that’s after multiple different tries ! they taste so much like the traditional ones i remember making growing up, and i’m definitely going to write down the recipe in my cookbook to keep.”
Why I Love These No Bake Cookies
- Healthier take – This version skips the butter and refined sugar and uses coconut oil almond milk and coconut sugar instead. It still tastes rich and chocolatey but feels lighter and more balanced.
- Perfect sweetness – These cookies use half the sugar of the classic kind and honestly I think they taste even better this way. The coconut sugar adds such a nice warm flavor.
- Quick to make – Everything comes together on the stove in just a few minutes. No baking and no fuss which makes them great for last minute cravings.
- So addictive – I make a batch and somehow they disappear fast. They are the kind of cookie you can enjoy any time of day and still want one more.
Ingredients Needed
You only need a few simple ingredients to make these cookies and they all bring something special to the mix.
- coconut oil – this is what gives the cookies that rich melt in your mouth texture. It firms up as the cookies cool so they set perfectly.
- natural creamy peanut butter – the star of the show. It adds that classic peanut butter taste and makes the cookies feel thick and satisfying. I always reach for a drippy natural peanut butter here so it stirs in easily.
- coconut sugar – my favorite part. It sweetens the cookies with a warm caramel flavor that makes these taste even better than the traditional version.
- cocoa powder – brings all the chocolate goodness. It makes the cookies rich and fudgy without being overpowering.
- unsweetened vanilla almond milk – just a splash helps everything come together. The vanilla adds a little sweetness and keeps the mixture smooth.
- sea salt – a small pinch balances the chocolate and peanut butter and makes each bite taste even better.
- vanilla extract – adds warmth and rounds out the flavor.
- quick oats – the base of the cookie. Quick oats soak up the chocolate mixture so the cookies hold their shape and set with that classic chewy texture.
How to Make No Bake Cookies
Step 1: Stir the melted coconut oil and peanut butter together in a bowl until smooth and glossy.
Step 2: Add the coconut sugar, cocoa powder, almond milk, sea salt and vanilla. If you want the coconut sugar to fully dissolve, warm the mixture on the stovetop for about 5 minutes over medium low heat.
Step 3: Pour the chocolate peanut butter mixture over the oats in a large bowl and stir until everything is evenly coated.
Step 4: Scoop the dough onto a parchment lined baking sheet, gently press into cookie shapes and refrigerate until firm.
Tips for Success
- Mix while warm: Everything blends together so much easier while the chocolate mixture is still warm and silky. Once it cools, it thickens and becomes harder to stir.
- Shape before chilling: These firm up fast in the fridge, so take a moment to press them into cute little cookies before they chill. They hold whatever shape you give them.
- Give them time to set: I know it’s tempting to grab one early, but they’re so much better once they’ve chilled completely. The texture becomes fudgy, soft and perfect.
How to Store
Store in the fridge: Keep your no bake cookies in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1–2 weeks. They stay soft, fudgy and hold their shape best when chilled.
Freeze for later: These freeze beautifully. Place the cookies in a single layer on a baking sheet to firm up, then transfer to a freezer safe container or bag. They’ll keep for about 2–3 months. When you’re ready to enjoy, let them thaw in the fridge for a few minutes or enjoy them straight from the freezer if you like a firmer bite.
More Holiday Cookies to Try
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Healthy No Bake Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup melted coconut oil
- ½ cup natural creamy peanut butter, or almond butter
- ½ cup coconut sugar
- ¼ cup cocoa powder
- ¼ cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
- pinch of sea salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 cups quick oats (also called instant oats)
Instructions
- Add melted coconut oil and peanut butter in a medium mixing bowl and stir until combined. Add coconut sugar, cocoa powder, almond milk, sea salt, vanilla.
- If desired you can heat the peanut butter cocoa mixture on the stovetop over medium low heat to fully dissolve the coconut sugar, about 5-6 minutes. Sometimes I do this and sometimes I don't. Depends on how much time I have.
- Add oats to a large mixing bowl and top with peanut butter cocoa mixture. Stir until well combined.
- Using a small/medium cookie scoop, scoop the dough on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Use your hands to press the dough down a bit and form the cookies into a cookie shape.
- Place baking sheet in fridge until cookies are set, then serve. Store any leftover cookies in an airtight container in the fridge for 1-2 weeks.
Video
Notes
- No oil version: I’ve also made this recipe with a mashed banana in place of the coconut oil. The cookies will turn out a little bit more dry without the coconut oil, but still yummy.
- Sugar: You can use granulated sugar instead of coconut sugar, but you will definitely want to heat the peanut butter cocoa mixture to dissolve the sugar.
- Storage: Keep these cookies in an airtight container in the fridge for 1–2 weeks or freeze them for up to 3 months. They hold their shape best when chilled.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like This Recipe? Rate & Comment Below!
I just tried this recipe, but I got stuck on first step. I put the natural pb and mashed ripe banana into the saucepan and stirred but it never got close to melting. I tried turning it up but it just started to brown. The directions say that the pb should be melted before adding the rest of the ingredients. Am I missing something?
Hi Alisha. So sorry for your trouble. I should probably change the wording because the peanut butter doesn’t really have to “melt”, it just needs to get warm and thin out. Did yours do that?
Would you be able to put the nutritional facts on here?
Sure! Just added them, Annette.
I like to watch my calories so I did the math and thought I would share the calorie count so no one else has to try and calculate it 🙂 If you use stevia it is roughly only 75 calories a cookie. This is great for kids considering it’s no sugar added and I looove cookies so it’s nice to treat myself every once in awhile. Thanks so much for sharing!
Okay I just made these with coconut oil and stevia. I used 3 tbs truvia and that seemed the perfect amount of sweetness but next time I will adjust with less cocoa and probably a little more pb – they’re just a little too dry and bitter from the cocoa. Thanks for posting this!!
No-bake cookies were the only homemade treats my mom ever made when I was a kid. I have missed them dearly since becoming a vegan and now with this recipe I can have my cookie and eat it too! I may try the sugar-free option (using either stevia or date sugar) and see how they turn out.
Yay! Let me know how they turn out.
These look fab! I’ve been looking for a healthier version of peanut butter no bakes. I must try these. Thanks!
LOVE this. I have been mulling over a no-bake treat idea or two for awhile now, and this is perhaps an excellent jumping off point for me. [They look delicious as is, but you know I just can’t follow a recipe as written. Ever. I’ve tried.]
Oh-my, you just saved me with these cookies, thank you Brittany! I was really feeling a need for sweet just now, when I read this recipe I realized I had everything that it took to make a healthy no-bake cookie on hand.
Well, minus the banana. I substituted with coconut oil and this makes them taste like something that is almost too good to be healthy.
I will make the lower-caloric version with banana another time, to get something that I can really feel guilt-free about eating.
Like I said, the ones with coconut-oil taste so yummy that I feel like they can’t be innocent. 😀
I saw this on Instagram and had to try it! So easy and so yummy!!!
Oooh, they look delicious! I love no bake cookies, but hate all the sugar they always seem to have. I’m going to have to give this recipe a try!