Grandma's Peanut Butter No-Bakes

These no-bake peanut butter chocolate cookies are a grandma classic for a reason: six ingredients, no oven, and they’re done in about 15 minutes of active time. Sugar, cocoa, milk, and margarine boil together into a fudgy base, then oats, peanut butter, and optional walnuts get stirred in off the heat.

The one-minute boil is the make-or-break step. Too short and the cookies won’t set. Too long and they turn dry and crumbly. Set a timer and keep the mixture at a gentle, rolling boil for exactly one minute.

Stir in the oats and peanut butter quickly after removing from heat. The mixture thickens fast as it cools, so you need to work efficiently to get it dropped onto waxed paper before it sets up in the pot.

Let the cookies sit at room temperature until firm, then store in a covered container in a cool spot. They soften if stored somewhere warm.

Kitchen Tips

• Use quick oats for a smoother cookie or old-fashioned oats for more chew
• Measure all the stir-in ingredients before you start boiling so you’re ready to go
• If the mixture gets too thick to drop, stir in a splash of milk to loosen it
• Work fast when dropping, two spoons speed things up

Variations

• Use almond butter or cashew butter instead of peanut butter
• Add a teaspoon of vanilla extract with the peanut butter
• Stir in shredded coconut with the oats for a tropical twist