No Bake Oatmeal Cookies

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5 from 1145 votes
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My family is obsessed with these no bake oatmeal cookies. They need just 3 ingredients to make and use wholesome and simple ingredients.

no bake oatmeal cookies

No Bake Oatmeal Cookies in minutes.

meet arman

My family and I always need a post-dinner sweet treat, and these 3 ingredient no-bake oatmeal cookies have become a savior. Unlike other no-bake cookies, these skip out on the butter and sugar but are still thick, chewy, and stable at room temperature. They take minutes to make and are so fun to customize.

Love no bake cookie recipes? Try my unicorn cookies and chocolate peanut butter no bake cookies.

Key Ingredients

  • Rolled oats. Also called old-fashioned oats, they provide the chewy texture we love in a good oatmeal cookie! If you’d prefer a softer texture, quick oats work well.
  • Peanut butter. Smooth and drippy peanut butter works best, as it is the easiest to mix into the dough. Try to avoid peanut butter with added sugar or ones with a crunchy texture.
  • Maple syrup. A refined sugar free sweetener that not only adds sweetness but helps bind the cookies together. I’ve tested this with honey and agave syrup and both worked just as well.

How to make no bake oatmeal cookies

I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Make the batter. Start by adding your oats into a large mixing bowl. Add the peanut butter and syrup and mix well until combined. Fold through your mix-ins of choice using a rubber spatula.

Shape. Next, lightly wet your hands. Form small balls of the cookie mixture and place them on a lined plate. Press down to form a cookie shape and refrigerate them for 20 minutes to firm up.

3 ingredient no bake cookies

Arman’s recipe tips

  • Boil the mixture. Sometimes, peanut butter can be a little firm, so I like to combine that and the maple syrup in a saucepan and bring it to a boil. Once boiling, add the oats, mix, and shape into drop cookies.
  • Add mix-ins. Like any good no bake cookie, be creative by adding in nuts, seeds, chocolate chips, vanilla extract, coconut flakes, or even candy buttons. 
  • Wet your hands. My secret trick to shaping the cookies and preventing the oats and syrup from sticking to your fingers!
no bake cookies

More no bake desserts to try

no bake oatmeal cookies recipe

No Bake Oatmeal Cookies (3 Ingredients!)

5 from 1145 votes
These are the best no bake oatmeal cookies made with just three ingredients! No butter, no milk, and no sugar needed, this healthy dessert take less than FIVE minutes to make. Watch the video below to see how I make it in my kitchen.
Servings: 12 cookies
Prep: 1 minute
Cook: 5 minutes
Total: 6 minutes

Video

Ingredients  

Instructions 

  • Line a large plate with parpchment paper and set aside.
  • In a large mixing bowl, add all your ingredients and mix well, until combined. Fold through your mix-ins of choice.
  • Using your hands, form into 12 small balls and place on the lined plate. Press each ball into a cookie shape.
  • Refrigerate for at least 20 minutes, before enjoying.

Notes

* Can substitute this for smooth almond butter, cashew butter, sunflower seed butter or tahini.
TO STORE: Leftover no bake cookies should be stored in the refrigerator, covered. They will keep well for up to two weeks. 
TO FREEZE: Either wrap cookies individually in parchment paper and place in a ziplock bag, or place them all together in one ziplock bag (no parchment paper needed). They will keep well frozen for up to 6 months. 
Keep it vegan. While the original recipe is naturally vegan, if you opt to use honey as the sweetener, some consider that not to be vegan-friendly.
Keep it gluten-free. I used certified gluten-free oats. If you use other brands or makes of it, this is often not the case.
Swap out the peanut butter. If you have a peanut allergy or don’t like the taste of peanut butter, you can use almond butter, sunflower seed butter, or tahini.
Add protein. Add a scoop of your favorite protein powder to make these cookies even more satisfying (just like in classic protein cookies).

Nutrition

Serving: 1cookieCalories: 120kcalCarbohydrates: 17gProtein: 7gFat: 8gSodium: 100mgPotassium: 190mgFiber: 3gCalcium: 17mgIron: 1mgNET CARBS: 14g
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Author: Arman Liew
Tried this recipe?Give us a shout at @thebigmansworld or tag #thebigmansworld!

Originally published January 2016, updated April 2023, and republished April 2024

Arman Liew

I’m a two time cookbook author, photographer, and writer, and passionate about creating easy and healthier recipes. I believe you don’t need to be experienced in the kitchen to make good food using simple ingredients that most importantly, taste delicious.

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Comments

  1. Loved this! They turned out delicious! Do you think it would still work if I halved or quartered the amount of syrup?

  2. Thanks for the recipe! I mixed in mint chocolate bits and these are absolutely addictive! I’ll never buy another mass produced version again!

  3. the only syrup i have on hand is that fake maple syrup. i don’t think i would like peanut or almond butter w/ maple. i don’t have any nut butters or marshmallow cream. could you suggest a substitute for nut butter? btw, bars seem easier than cookies..lol!

  4. Oh my soul, these are “baking” in my fridge right now. Can I tell you that my 3 year old son & I each ate our cookie in dough form before putting the rest into the fridge?? These are incredible!
    I can’t wait to try out the rest of your no-bake recipes.
    Perfect for Summer when you don’t want to use an oven…. And great for my daughter & husband’s lunch boxes! 😀

    1. 😀 YAY! This makes me so happy, Eden- I hope you all enjoy it and confession- Eating the batter while baking is non-negotiable 😀

    1. Hi Natasha! If you add the ingredients to a calorie calculator, it will provide that information for you! 🙂 Enjoy!

  5. Looks good, but am I missing something? Where’s the nutritional info? Seems that most people that would be interested in these would want the nutritional info.

    1. Hi there- You aren’t missing anything actually- I don’t include nutritional information as it’s easily able to be calculated using a calorie calculator for those interested- I focus on ingredients. Have a great day!

  6. I do this all the time with my loaf recipes. I always prefer loaves to muffins but most people I know prefer muffins. So I give them to my taste testers in muffin form and if I’m making it for myself, it’s a loaf. Strange AF but it works LOL
    p.s. These look awesome. Pinned!

  7. I was happy to see that these did not include bananas, I love bananas but this is a great variation! The less ingredients the better I say! On the whole bar or circle debate, I have to say that a bar pleases me more, it’s as if my mind thinks a bar is more filling then a cookie, and would prefer that! However, to say that I am opposed to cookie shapes is totally false!

  8. Interesting that the bran had a different texture!
    Cookie shaped things always catch my attention. NOM.

  9. I love either cookies or bars, and how quickly this recipe comes together! In my cupboard I have two bottles of light Agave, so will try it with these cookies.