No Bake Cookies I

My family and friends love this cookies. I do have problems with them setting. The last time I made them, I used a candy thermometer to make sure that I boiled them long enough. I had to boil the mixture about 2.5 minutes for the temperature to reach the soft ball stage. The cookies set perfectly.

I just made this recipe...I did add a slight amount more oatmeal than called for because it seemed like it should have been a little thicker. Also, I added the vanilla into the wet stuff way before adding the PB and oats. Also--I didn't time it. Apparently people have a very difficult time with this step--I have no idea why! I brought it to a rolling boil, stirred it a little, and then took it off the heat after I thought a couple minutes passed. I am sure I cooked it longer than the 90 seconds posted. Lastly, I stirred in the PB after turning the heat off and stirred the PB to let it completely melt before adding the oats. After dropping on wax paper, I waited an hour, and they were PERFECT!! DEEEEEELICIOUS!

This is one of the old favorites. The key is to boil exactly one minute from the time it hits a rolling boil, then remove from the heat and to stir constantly while it boils. Excellent!

These are awsome!!! The nice thing is that I had everything for them already in my kitchen!! I made these EXACTLY by the recipe and they turned out perfectly. Just a hint: once you drop them onto the wax paper, go back and "push" each one together so that you end up with less little crumblies.

I made this recipes twice following the directions and ingredients exactly and they turned out crunmbly each time. The second time I even decreased the cooking time to 1 minute, and still a crumbly mess. They tasted good, but I hate how they crumble everywhere. I am still looking for a chewy no bake cookie.

These were delicious!! I used creamy peanut butter, instead of crunchy. These disappeared fast, and i would make them again and again!

I have always had crumbly cookies, but this recipe was perfect!! The only thing I did different was add creamy peanut butter because I don't like chunky. I found it really helpful to have all the ingredients ready to dump in. I tried this recipe last night and again this mormomg. The first time I made them (last night), it took a little longer for them to set up. When I made them again this morning, they set up within a few minutes. My hubby said this mornings cookies were better, that the chocolate tasted like candy bar chocolate. Since he liked them so much better, here is how I made them this morning. I started my pan on low and added butter (it was cold, right from the fridge). I mixed the milk and cocoa together first, so the wasn't clumpy, and then poured it in. I didn't add the sugar all at once. As the butter melted more, I would added a little bit of the measured sugar (just enough to make it thick again). After the butter was all melted and the sugar was in. I turned up the heat (gas stove) and stirred as it boiled for the 1 1/2 minutes (this is where I had always gone wrong before). I turned off the heat and moved the pan to a different burner, added the peanut butter and when it was mostly melted in, I added the vanilla and finally the oats. It was just so simple, that this is now our only No Bake Cookie recipe. Thanks for sharing!!

For once I was trying desperately to follow this recipe exactly so I could give it a fair rating! Unfortunately, I discovered I didn't have any vanilla extract, so I had to substitute almond extract. I think these were still delicious. They are definitely SWEET. Don't expect otherwise and you won't be disappointed!

ok a little secret that my mom told me is to have a bowl of room temp water by you when your boil your mix. when it gets to about a min and half after boiling drop a little in water if it stays together its good if it separates its not quite ready. it has always worked for me :)

I've made these from memory since I was about ten years old. I decided to see how this recipe compares to the one given to me by my mother. It's close to identical. Just a couple of tips: add a quarter tsp of salt to the sugar/cocoa and use real butter; also, use a little more peanut butter than the recipe calls for and an additional tsp of vanilla (amazing how much difference this makes!). Also, the key - as others have mentioned - is the right boiling time. I've messed up so many batches this way. The 1.5 minutes is PERFECT. But you have to wait until it comes to a full rolling boil to start the countdown. Don't wait too long or you'll get a dry nasty batch, and don't start too soon or you'll end up with cookies that never set. GREAT recipe here!!!

I followed the recipe to a T....even set the timer for the boiling....they didn't harden!!! Any suggestions?

great quick recipe. Definitely wait till it comes to a full boil before counting the 1.5 minutes. Also, I didn't have crunchy peanut butter, at the very end I added crunched up mini pretzels to the mix...and O my goodness...DELISH. Sweet and Salty Heaven

I LOVE these amazing cookies!!!! They are my depression food. My boyfriend and me are having some problems and i make them every day when i get home from school, and eat them while i cry :(

I have tried making no-bake cookies for 30 years. Sometimes they would turn out okay and other times they would not set up. This recipe is perfect everytime. None of my previous recipes told how long to boil the mixture before adding the oats and peanut butter. This recipe plainly states 1 1/2 minutes of boiling time. I have found this was where I was making my mistake. Try it !!!

I have made these so many times this summer it's crazy. The first time they wouldn't set right and were soft and mushy but the next and each after I timed it right and they turned out fabulous. I've added coconut to one batch and once when I ran out of milk I used vanilla coffee creamer. I've gotten requests for the creamer ones again. DD loved it!

My recipe was m.i.a. since I recently moved. This was exact, and soooo tasty! Just like I remembered from grade school!

*********if u are having trouble with your cookies not setting up(hardening), make sure to boil your mixture for at least 1 min. and use unsalted stick butter not margarine********

I've made no bake cookies for years and always turn to them for comfort food. I never have had a recipe written down so I always end up on the internet looking for one. Today I ran into this one and I'll definitely be putting this one in my recipe file! The addition of extra peanut butter and coconut as a previous reviewer suggested made these already wonderful cookies, even more wonderful. These are the absolute best!

My first time making these, I followed the instructions exactly, and the cookies were good, but turned out too runny/sticky, too sweet, and too shiny. The next time I made them, I changed the sugar to 1 1/4 cup and the oats to 3 1/2 cups, and they turned out perfect! Great recipe though! It gave me a base to work from for my own preferences!

NO NO NO!!! Do NOT use the amount of sugar indicated!!! I lost my only recipe and came on here and tried this one and my cookies were like liquid!!! TWO *2* cups of sugar is what is needed..after finding my original recipe!! Sure screwed up my Father's Day! Good luck and ENJOY!!

This is identical to the one I have used for years that I got in home economics class way back in the 60's. Its the best one ever. I agree the trick is to boil 1 minute to 1 1/2 minutes from a rolling boil and they set perfectly!

These were great! I live in Denver at a higher altitude. So to tweak, I used about 1 TBSP less sugar, & boiled 1 min 45 sec, & got great results. If you prefer your no bake to not be slightly gooey, I would increase that to about 2 minutes at high altitude.

Finally! Seriously, I've been trying to make No-Bakes for the last 5 years with no luck. I was able to successfully make them in high school all the time, but not since.... until today! I've tried different methods, recipes, etc. I chose this one because it has a little less sugar than some. (Still a lot of sugar though, and I would reduce it, but I think that's why mine have not set up in the past). I read a bunch of reviews on this recipe, and other no-bake recipes on this site. Decided to boil the mixture for 2 minutes after it came to a rolling boil, and then I boiled it a little more. I cooked it to about 230 degrees (using my meat thermometer, lol) because some reviewers said to cook to the soft-ball stage, but I was afraid to cook it too long, so I stopped at 230. Used natural peanut butter, and a mix of quick and old-fashioned oats, adding about 1/4 cup extra. After about 20 minutes, these cookies had set up perfectly, I can actually pick one up and eat it! Every other time I've tried to make them in the past few years, they stay goopy, soft, and just not right. They set up perfectly today. Thanks for the recipe, and thanks everyone here for their great and helpful reviews!

This is the first cookie I every made, some 43 years ago. The difference in my recipe and this one, 2 cups sugar, 1/2 cup cocoa, 2 cups oatmeal and boil for 1 minute. If it is humid, I always increase the time by 15 seconds and have never had them fail.

First time ever making these. Followed the directions exactly, for the most part...at least the boiling part. I eyeballed the peanut butter and vanilla and used old fashioned rolled oats because I never buy quick oats. They set up nicely and tasted delicious and were not crumbly at all! Super easy, definitely a keeper!

Ive made these forever. Was a Hand me down recipe from my great grandmother. Alot of times when yall say they wont set. Be sure you are doing it on a sunny day. not a cloudy day. Wives tale I know but Its tried and true by me. Tried on a cloudy day, cookies never set. Just like divinity.

Delicious! Though even my husband who has the sweetest tooth of anyone I know says they'll put you in a diabetic coma. I think cutting the sugar back by 1/3 would take nothing away from them.

This is one of the easiest recipes for the Vegan's in my family. I just substitute soy milk and vegan spread and serve to all the vegans. Fast and easy. Thanks.

First time making no-bake cookies and these came out AMAZING! Only thing I didn't do was add vanilla because I am snowed in and don't have any. I will be making these again and again for sure!

They were ok...nothing I'd make again. I made them for someone else and they said they were good, but didn't seem too impressed.

I made these saturday with my kids and they turned out great! I didn't exactly let them boil as long maybe only 45 seconds or a minute and they are so creamy and moist! Everyone loves them! We made 3 batches they were so good! So maybe that will help to those who got dry ones, don't let it boil as long!

Love this recipe over the other ones I have tried. Instead of the normal 2 cups, I think the smaller amount of sugar works best (I use even less). I do add more peanut butter (about 3/4 cup), and it is perfect for my taste. I make these every week for the FCA kids at school, because they keep asking for them!

We were in the process for renovating our kitchen and I was looking for a recipe that didn't involve an oven. I made these to take to a weekend event and everyone liked them, but my niece especially loved them and ate half the batch! I thought they were just okay.

The recipe with 3 T of cocoa powder is much better. Or just use this recipe, with less cocoa.

These came out perfectly on my first try! I followed the recipe exactly as written. I should mention that I heated the sugar, milk, butter, and cocoa on medium-low heat until the butter was fully melted and then turned the heat up to about medium-high to bring to a boil, and boiled for exactly 90 seconds after that. These were just what I was craving! Thanks!

I waited until the sugar/butter/milk/mixture was at a FULL rolling boil before I began timing. These came out great, but took a very long time to harden. I was expecting them to be ready once they cooled, but it took much longer than that before they were ready to eat. I ended up just letting a bunch of them sit out overnight, and in the morning they were perfect. If I make these again, I will reduce the sugar by 1/4 or 1/2 cup. I love sweet chocolatey things, but I felt like I was eating spoonfuls of sugar when I ate these. That didn't stop me from eating them though, they were delicious!

Having made no bake cookies very frequently growing up, I was looking for a close recipe to make them again. I never used peanut butter growing up because my dad didn't like it but I've made this recipe with it included and found it to be very good - not an overwhelming peanut butter taste like I've had before. I do think the boiling time is the key and 2 minutes seems more ideal for me. Good cookies!

These are so fast and easy. My son loves these. We used to make them at Girl Scout Camp so this is an old favorite recipe. Thanks for posting this.

Super easy. I made two batches within a week and this was so easy. I stirred the sugar mixture over low-med heat for about 10-15 minutes to make sure that the sugar was disolved before bringing it to boil. After turning off the burner, I stirred in the peanut butter and vanilla until melted before adding the oatmeal. Makes it a lot easier to stir all of the oatmeal in without chunks of peanut butter here and there in the finished cookies. I made fudge before the cookies and had a dab of marshmellow fluff left over so I added it to the cookies and they are fantastic! Thanks!

Recipe is tasty! One thing was to be sure that the peanutbutter is melted in nicely before adding the oatmeal, otherwise it's hard to blend the pb in well. If your cookies are too soft, put them in the fridge and eat them cold-still delicious.

When I was a teenager my sister and I used to get up during a commercial break and while she was pouring ingredients in the pan I was stirring and by the time our show came back on everything would be melted together and we would eat them straight from the pan with a spoon. They never needed to set up because they didn't last that long. Now though as I make them for my family I am glad to have found the timing to make them set up. We used to add a little corn syrup to them but they taste just fine without it.

These are ALWAYS good! And I love that the ingredients are usually on hand. I didn't have butter OR stick margarine, so I used my light tub margarine and reduced fat peanut butter. I used just a tad less milk to make up for the extra water in the tub margarine and they came out GREAT! Using a cookie scoop works great too.

I remember these as a kid, but I don't recall making them as an adult. These were just as good as I remember :-) I followed the recipe except I added the oats last. Vanilla, then PB, then oats. Right on the money. Thanks for the memories :-)

a long lost family recipe. Thanks for posting Denise. i didn't have any problem with the cooking time, but I remember these being tastier when I was younger, but I think the last time I had one of these cookies was about 36 years ago! Maybe more peanut butter!

These cookies taste delicious! So why the 4 star? Well, if you like chewy soft no bakes, this recipe is perfect for you, but if your like me and like them to be a tad on the hard side, add more oats. I made these twice, the first exactly as the recipe calls for, and they barely even set, so I made them again 2 days later, adding an additional 1/4 cup of oats, and increasing the boiling time to 2 1/2 minutes, and they came out perfect. They still have the same great taste when made either way.

Great recipe, it has replaced the recipe Ive used for years :) One tip to know if you have reached "hard boil" stage you can take a small glass of water and drop a few drops of your mixture in the water, if it stays in a ball youve made it if it spreads out your not there yet.

Only change I made was to use smooth peanut butter and I used the new Jif Natural. The cookies turned out perfectly!! My little guy is gobbling them up. Thanks for the recipe. The boiling time is perfect.

Thanks! I had this recipe a long time ago and lost it...these are the best cookies. We can hardly let them set before we start eating them. I put an extra spoonful of peanut butter, but otherwise followed the recipe exactly, boiling time, etc and they're perfect!!!

Try substituting 1 pack of any maple and brown sugar instant oatmeal within the 3 cups required. It adds a unique and flavorful aspect.

This is the original receipe. I had lost mine and was happy to find it here. The only difference is I boil 3 minutes. I had bought some natural peanut butter with no sugar in it that worked fine in this recipe.

The trick to this recipe is to follow instructions exactly and use ONLY OLD FASHIONED OATS. The quick oats will start cooking and your cookies will be soupy. I have the original recipe.

This is my husbands favorite cookie that I make during the holidays. He calls them reindeer doppings

very easy and delicious! I ran out of oatmeal and used coconut and it worked beautifully!

These could not have been more easy to make- seriously, one pot, 10 minutes, and you're done. And they turned out soooo tasty. I made the mistake of giving a little piece to my one year old and he kept running back to the kitchen counter and pointing at them. 2 tips though: Mix in the peanut butter and vanilla in thouroughly before you add the oats, and don't wait at all before dropping them onto the wax paper- it gets harder to do the more they cool.

TASTY! Next time I will modify it just a little bit because they are honestly just a little TOO sweet (and that's something coming from me). I would recommend adding slightly less butter and sugar than called for in the recipe. DELICIOUS!

added the extra 1/4 c of pb and did 1 1/2 min at a full boil and turned out great! thanks these were a childhood fav and they are for my kids also!

These were yummy cookies, just like I remembered...EXCEPT...I changed a few things and they didn't set up very well. First off, I cooked these 2 minutes after the ingredients started boiling, and they only set up slightly. I could still remove the cookie intact, but it was so soft that it eventually fell appart. I think that the best way to make sure that these come out right is to just break out the candy thermometer and cook it till it reaches the "soft ball" stage. It just really beats trying to guess it and messing up an entire batch. Secondly, I didn't have some of the exact ingredients either. I only had old fashioned oats, cause that is all my family will eat, and I didn't have any butter, so I substituted margerine. This made the oats not quite done, and the margerine may have been the cause for it not setting up right. Overall, the flavor was wonderful. But I am still on the journey of experimentation to perfect this cookie.

I used this recipe in a pinch because I could not find my mother's recipe. It turned out very nicely although they were a little crumbly. I did learn however that this happened because I'd boiled it too long, not because of a flaw in the recipe. I'd warn folks NOT to boil ANY longer than recommended.

Perfect. And they did taste better the next day after they set all the way. I put a piece of wax paper in between each one in a tupaware containier. Turned out great!

YUMMY! Likely we made a double batch because everyone loved them!

Love this recipe! I always use creamy peanut butter because I prefer it and Nesquik powder for the unsweetened cocoa powder because when I first made it I used Nesquik and it came out perfectly.

It was so great! I would only suggest to use more oatmeal just so it can stick together easier.

I didn't realize there was a step to let them cool! They barely make it out of the sauce pan! This recipe makes them just the way I remember them. DELICIOUS!

Yummy Yummy Yummy! I added a 1/2 t of cinnamon. It added a little bit of dimension to these.

I followed the recipe exactly and had no problems with the cookies setting properly. You have to make sure you use quick oats and don't overboil the milk mixture! Delicious just the way the recipe is :)

My mom used to make these. She called them chocolate haystacks. I was worried about these for a bit the first time I made them. After over an hour, they were still gooey and kind of greasy. A few hours later, though, they had set up just like I remembered. I like them better with 1/4 cup less sugar and 1/4 teaspoon salt added.

Very good easy setting.

Oh, Denise, Denise, Denise! Thank You so much for this recipe. I lost mine and even though I make plenty of pastries these are one of my families favorites. The only thing I did differently was add a pinch of salt. It really enhances the flavors. My following any recipe this close is a miracle. Thank You again and God Bless!

Great cookie.

these never last long, they are so tasty! super easy to make too!

A five all the way! I wanted to make something for an after school snack for the kids but didn't have any eggs, so my options were limited. Found this recipe and the kids (and I!) loved them. I have tried no bake cookies before and if I remember correctly they didn't set properly, but these set beautifully. I didn't have crunchy peanut butter but the creamy worked out just fine. Thanks Denise!

This recipe is awesome!! I even got my picky 12 year old to eat them and he hates oatmeal! Thank you!!!

My mamaw made these for us when I was a girl and now I make them for my own grandchildren. Here's the trick for nice, firm cookies -- do not make them when it's raining. High humidity keeps the cookies from "setting". But they're always good on a spoon! Another trick is to keep them in a ziplock bag in your freezer. It keeps them tasting fresh like the day you make them. My grandmother called them "boiled cookies", but my granddaughter calls them "frozen cookies":)

My mother in-law made it this weekend & they turned out good. Hard to just eat one. We doubled the cocoa. Next time I will use creamy peanut butter.

Great recipe. I followed the 1.5 minute time exactly and they turned out perfectly.

This recepie was simple and yummy. I am 14 years old, and I make these all the time. Although they may need to be altered for your own personal tastes, this has great base ingrediants.

I was craving something sweet and easy when I came across this recipe. I wasn't sure if I wanted to make a whole batch so I modified it and only made a dozen. What a big mistake that was! Now I have to go back and make more. I ate 4 of them while they were still warm, they were that good. I used creamy peanut butter instead and you MUST start timing right after the boiling point in order for them to roll properly. Thanks for that tip. My batch came out perfectly and were fast and easy to make. This is a keeper for sure.

I have used this recipe time and time again and never had a bad batch! SO YUMMY!!!

I used creamy peanut butter and old fashioned oats. Very yummy!

WONDERFUL! I cooked the first batch at 1 1/2 minutes, they were a little too runny, didn't set up. I cooked the second batch at 2 1/2 minutes - PERFECT!!!!! Everyone in my house loves this recipe!

I tried to follow the recipe exactly but came up short 1C of oats. I took some dry cho mein noodles and crunched them a bit to make-up the missing C of oats. The taste is very good and they look very appealing. They are a bit more moist than I recall no bakes being but set up pretty well(over night). I will make these again; for certain I will use ALL oats and add 1/3C more based on another review.

Love these cookies!! quick and so easy. This was always my mothers go to recipe when she needed something sweet, easy and fast. I started making this myself @ about the age of 10 and always made it for my children and now my grandchildren. I have recently made these with my granddaughter and use less sugar about 1 cup and natural peanut butter.

We enjoy these cookies a lot and find them delicious with just 1 1/3 c. sugar.

That's a darn good cookie! I have tried No Bake cookies before and failed horribly, so I was grateful for the tip to let the liquid come to a rolling boil and time it 1 1/2 minutes from there. Worked perfectly and they set up so nicely. I put my vanilla in with the sugar/butter combo, added my peanut butter until it was completed melted in and then added the oats. The result was fantastic!

Excellent cookies! I decreased the sugar to 1-1/4C and added 1/4C coconut and they turned out great.

Yum!!!! :D

I entered these in a cookie contest at work and they won 2nd place out of 15. They were really fudgey and couldn't be easier.

I have loved this recipe! I used to eat this all the time when I was a kid and have been looking for the recipe a long time

This is the one I have been looking for!! I followed directions exactly and they turned out perfect. I have always had a hard time getting them to set up, even with a candy thermomoter. But I waited for a FULL rolling boil THEN started timing. I boiled for 1 1/2 minutes and they have turned out perfectly every time. Thanks so much Denise!

These are great. They turned out perfectly. Also,anyone who gives this recipe a lousy review based on their own lack of cooking skills,or simply because they didn't follow the recipe correctly, aren't being fair. You can't down a recipe for failing when it was because of you the recipe failed.

Whomever posted the tip about starting the timer once you have a rolling boil, thank you!! That was very helpful. The first batch I made of these came out well, just like I remembered them from back in the day. I always seem to wish they were a bit chocolate-yer. I tried them a second time in the same week, but replaced the peanut butter with nutella!! Much more chocolatey! (Everything else stayed the same...)

There is only one word to describe these cookies. DELICIOUS!!! They are the same cookies that my mom made when I was a child and I like them as much now as I did then! My children love them as well.

This is a childhood favorite of mine that I make all the time for myself and family. I make them for my mother all the time I subsitute the white sugar with splenda and they still taste great! Lisa

I made these cookies and they were wonderful. I timed it right before a full boil and they set very nicely. I just added more oats because the mix was thin.

I had my husband make these when I was feeling under the weather (bless him but he can't cook) but the cookies turned out great! I also have made them since and they turned out just as well. Unlike some of the no bake cookies recipes I have made over the years this one is NO FAIL!

When I make this recipe I use creamy peter pan peanut butter (sometimes mixed with crunchy and also honey flavored P.B. made by Jiff) and I always add a little more cocoa....maybe 2 tablespoons more than what the recipe calls for. Since I started adding more cocoa and using the honey,I have to make more than just 36 cookies because friends who rarely just stop by are finding any excuse to "be in the neighborhood" so when I make the recipe for 50 servings they are gone in 2 days tops! To sum up use more cocoa and use peter pan creamy mixed with Jiff honey, and also crunchy peanut butter! People will rant and rave over it and beg you to make more!

these are very yummy and bring me back to memories with my grandmother! The only thing I want to stress in the directions is when bringing the mixture to a boil, maintain the boil or 1 1/2 minutes or the cookies will not harden when cooling!

Good cookie friends at work make me bake these as often as I can.

Delicious! Made it just as recipe read! Was the perfect recipe for my 3 yr old to help me with, she loved it!