Healthy No Bake Cookies
This post may include affiliate links. Thank you for your support.
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.
Table of Contents
“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
If you enjoyed this recipe, please consider leaving a ⭐ star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below.
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!
So this recipe is amazing. I’m thankful for a healthier version of tue classic. One thing I did differently is…. in the classic version of this you bring the peanut butter, butter (or in this case coconut oil) and sugar to a simmer then remove from heat and add milk. This process caramelizes the sugar helping to hold the cookie together afternoon cooking. I found this technique helpful. Just thought I’d share 🙂
Hi Tina! Thank you so much for sharing, I’ll definitely have to try this step next time I make these! 🙂 And thank you for coming back to leave a comment (and star rating). I so appreciate it!
These cookies are amazing. I totally messed them up but I can tell they would be good lol. I decided to double the recipe then suddenly realized it was going to make a ridiculous amount. I ended up adding a bunch of stuff to make it thicker because I didn’t have time to let them set properly so I added chia seeds, coconut, coconut flour, ground flax, and then quickly rolled them into balls. They were better before but I was short on time. I also didn’t have instant oatmeal and I realize they would have been way better with instant oats. There is a lot of oatmeal in these more than most and so the oatmeal was a bit too chewy. These cookies were good despite all my mistakes which shows how versatile this recipe is. I made 70 cookies and did the calorie count and it was 90 each. I am going to make them again as written if I ever eat all of these lol.
I grew up making no-bake cookies. This healthier alternative stands up to the original in taste! Delicious!!! (And super-easy!)
Woo-hoo! I’m so glad that you liked them, Anna! I feel the same way.
I was wondering if I could use sativa instead of sugar so I will try it and let you know how they turned out Thank you bet they are yummy
Your cookies look so great for healthy snacks! By any chance do you know the weigh and volume you are using? I don’t have cups in France. I should really get some as I want to try this recipe! Thanks in advance! 😉
I’m one of the pickiest person to eat healthy foods, only because I love sugar & good tasting foods. So in my mind I figured I’d be wasting my time & would probably be throwing these away, but this wasn’t the case. Shockingly these are really Good!! So good that I ate most of them by the end of the night ?? and they are very easy to make.
I can’t make these again. I have zero self control! They were yummy. I do miss eating them warm and gooey from the pan though.
This is too ironic…when you posted your recipe for the peanut butter balls last week, I discovered the link to these no bake cookies and I already bookmarked them to make ASAP! 🙂 I’ve made the protein version before, but I can’t wait to try these!
My name is Brice and I love to bake like cookies or double doozie or chocolate chip cookies or almond cookies bake cakes and more desserts to ship it to the United States of America
I just made these, followed the recipe exact, except added a handful of raw coconut, and they are sooo good, I accually think these are better than the original unhealthy recipe….Thank you Brittany…;)
Yay! So glad that you liked them, Lisa. Thanks for coming back to comment and let me know. 🙂