easy, no bake cookies
These no bake cookies are seriously so delicious. They are easy to whip up and are a crowd favorite. Growing up I thought that these cookies were called "preacher cookies," because that is what my parents called them. I guess whenever they went to potlucks at church, this was the dessert they would bring. Through the years they began to call them preacher cookies because they always made them for church gatherings. It wasn't until I was older that I realized the general public just referred to them as no bake cookies. Either way, I still like to call them preacher cookies for old times sake, and because it is something special to me and my family.
This previous Christmas I asked my son what kind of cookies he wanted to make for Santa and these are the ones that he picked out. It struck me as a sweet compliment because I haven't made them for quite some time, but he remembered that we made them the year before, during the winter, and took them to our new neighbors. So we made Santa our famous no bake chocolate peanut butter oatmeal cookies and put out the carrots and milk, too. A friend of mine saw the pictures I posted for Christmas and requested I do a blog on this recipe. So without further ado, I give you, preacher cookies. (Or no bake cookies; but where is the fun in that?)
It's really such a simple recipe. I think it takes longer to get everything prepped and to get all of your ingredients together, then it does to make the actual cookies.
Grab a stick of butter, white sugar, cocoa powder, milk, salt, vanilla extract, peanut butter, and quick cooking oats. I like to use unsalted butter, personally, because you can customize the salt flavor easier. For the cocoa powder, I prefer to use the Hershey's brand of unsweetened cocoa baking powder. The peanut butter is best when it is rich and creamy; if possible find the Reese's brand of peanut butter, it is to die for in this recipe. For the oats you can use regular oats but it often leads to a more chewy cookie. The quick cooking oats has a better texture.
It's important that you grab all of your ingredients (and measure them) before you begin because these cookies cook quickly and cool down quickly, so you have to work fast. I also like to set up my work space before I begin cooking. Over the years I have found that using a baking sheet or a cookie tray lined with plastic cling wrap makes for the easiest and quickest clean up. This makes it easier to transport, it's easier to remove with no crumbling, and you can just throw the plastic away and not have to clean up.
Add your stick of butter, milk, white sugar, salt, and cocoa powder to a pot on the stove. Turn the heat on to about medium and allow the butter to melt. Stir to combine all of the ingredients until it is a smooth consistency.
Once the mixture is smooth, allow it to sit and come to a boil for about a minute or two. You want to make sure that it boils long enough that the sugar dissolves. There is nothing worse than having a grainy no bake cookie... I usually let mine go for a couple minutes just to be sure.
Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract and peanut butter. Stir until it is nice and smooth. Combine everything together very well before adding in the quick cooking oats.
Pour in the quick cooking oats and begin to stir. Make sure they are nice and coated before you begin spooning out the mix. Once all of the oats are covered, spoon out tablespoons at a time onto your prepared work surface to make your cookies. These can be flat, rolled up, or just freestyle shapes, they are so delicious it doesn't really matter either way.
Allow your cookies to set at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before transferring to a container. If you have the space you can quick set them in the refrigerator or freezer. Store these cookies in an airtight container for three to five days; if they last that long...
I hope you enjoy this recipe of our family "preacher cookies." Don't forget to save this blog so that you can come back to this recipe. Also feel free to share this with your favorite foodie friends. Click the button below to subscribe to my email newsletters so that you never miss an issue!
No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies Recipe:
2 cups white sugar
1/2 cup milk
1 stick unsalted butter
1/4 cup unsweetened Hershey's cocoa powder
16 ounces Reese's peanut butter
3 cups quick cooking oats
1 tablespoon Vanilla Extract
Large pinch of salt
1. Place the milk, butter, white sugar, cocoa powder and salt into a pot. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until everything is melted and combined.
2. Allow the mixture to come to a boil for one to two minutes.
3. Remove the pot from the heat and pour in the peanut butter and vanilla extract. Mix very well before pouring in the oats
4. Combine all of the ingredients thoroughly until the oats are evenly coated in the chocolate peanut butter mixture.
5. Spoon tablespoon sized amounts out onto a prepared surface (cling wrap and parchment paper work best).
6. Allow the cookies to set for at least 30 minutes to an hour. Store in an airtight container for three to five days. (If they last that long!)
Enjoy!
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