4.37 from 222 votes

Healthy No Bake Cookies

Name: Healthy No Bake Cookies
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
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)

Brittany MullinsUpdated Dec 08, 2025

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225 Comments

Servings: 24

15 mins

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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.

Multiple chocolate no bake cookies stacked on one another on a white plate.

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.

Why I Love These No Bake Cookies
Ingredients Needed
How to Make No Bake Cookies
Tips for Success
How to Store
More Holiday Cookies to Try
Healthy No Bake Cookies Recipe

“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.”

– emily

224 More Reviews

Why I Love These No Bake Cookies

Woman (Brittany Mullins) wearing a white shirt and sipping a green smoothie.

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.

Quick oats, peanut butter, cocoa powder, coconut sugar, vanilla almond milk, vanilla extract, sea salt, melted coconut oil

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

Wet ingredients used for no bake cookies being whisked in a bowl.

Step 1: Stir the melted coconut oil and peanut butter together in a bowl until smooth and glossy.

Dry ingredients like cocoa powder and sugar added to the wet ingredients used to make no bake cookies.

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.

Melted chocolate being poured from a large bowl into another bowl that is full of quick oats.

Step 3: Pour the chocolate peanut butter mixture over the oats in a large bowl and stir until everything is evenly coated.

No bake cookies on a baking tray with parchment paper.

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.

Seven no bake cookies stacked on one another with the top cookie having a bite taken from it.

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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Chocolate Peppermint Cookies

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4.37 from 222 votes

Healthy No Bake Cookies

By: Brittany Mullins

These healthy no bake cookies are made with peanut butter, oats and coconut sugar for a naturally sweet, rich chocolaty treat. They take just minutes to mix together and set up perfectly in the fridge.

Prep Time: 15

Total Time: 15

Servings: 24

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.