This No Bake Cookie Recipe is a healthier version of your favorite no bake cookie. Coconut oil, honey, cacao powder, peanut butter, instant oats and shredded coconut come together to create a sweet treat that will cure your sweet tooth.
I grew up in Kalamazoo, Michigan and have a special place in my heart for the state of Michigan.
To this day we take at least a couple of trips back to my old stomping ground along with a summer vacation to Traverse City. I love visiting Kalamazoo because it brings back so many good childhood memories going to school, playing sports and hanging out with my friends.
I recently posted a picture of these No Bake Cookie Recipe on Instagram and had a high school friend mention that she had recently been dreaming of them and she remembered eating them in Michigan. These are a super easy cookie recipe. I always loved coming home from school and having these no bake cookies waiting for me.
The nice thing is you can make these in a few easy steps and they are perfect for hot summer days because you don’t have to heat the oven. I love the mixture of peanut butter with the unsweetened cocoa powder, oatmeal and coconut. They are just the right amount of sweetness to cure your sweet tooth and create the perfect treat.
We love making easy treats like these no bake cookies, easy cake mix sugar cookies, dirt pudding or these chocolate crinkle cookies.
Recipe Ingredients You’ll Need
- Coconut Oil: This recipe uses coconut oil. You will want to heat the coconut oil with the honey and the cocoa powder making sure to stir it continuously.
- Honey: Honey helps to sweeten the cookies.
- Cacao Powder: You can use either natural cacao powder or Dutch-Process Cocoa Powder.
- Peanut Butter: I like to use creamy natural peanut butter. If you like a crunch in your cookie you can use crunchy peanut butter.
- Quick Cook Oats: Quick cook oats works nicely in this recipe. I find that these have a finer texture, so they absorb the mixture well. I think quick oats help the cookies set properly and create a nice, chewy consistency. They blend more smoothly into the batter without making the cookies overly chunky.
- Shredded Coconut: You can use sweetened shredded coconut or unsweetened shredded coconut. I find sweetened coconut is soft and blends well into the cookies and adds a sweetness. The unsweetened version is good if you want a less sweet cookie. I do not suggest large flake coconut or toasted coconut.
- Chia Seeds: The chia seeds are optional and can be left out if you want.
- Vanilla Extract: The vanilla extract adds a touch of sweetness and vanilla flavor. Once again you can leave this out if you don’t have it on hand.
Please see the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts and instructions.
Modifications for these No Bake Cookies
- Gluten-free: You could use gluten-free oats instead of regular oats.How to Make these No Bake Cookies
- Nut Butter: You could sub the jif peanut butter with almond butter, cashew butter or a seed butter like sun butter.
- Chocolate: Chocolate chips or white chocolate chips would be a nice addition to these cookies.
- Crunch: I used creamy peanut butter but you could use crunchy peanut butter to add some texture.
How to Make these No Bake Cookies
- Step 1: Boil Coconut Mixture: Start by boiling the coconut oil, honey and cocoa powder for 2 minutes over medium heat in a medium saucepan.
- Step 2: Add Remaining Ingredients: From there you will mix it in with the peanut butter, 2 cups of oats, shredded coconut, chia seeds and vanilla into the chocolate mixture.
- Step 3: Drop Cookies on Baking Sheet: Line a cookie sheet {it might take two cookie sheets} with parchment paper or wax paper and use a cookie scoop to scoop the cookie mixture onto the prepared baking sheets.
- Step 4: Cool Cookies: Cool the cookies on the counter until they are hard. If you want you can also refrigerate the cookies after they are cooled down. Store in an airtight container on the counter or in the refrigerator.
Storage Tips:
No bake cookies can be stored in an airtight container or a freezer bag at room temperature or in the fridge for up to three week or you can freeze them in an air tight container.
Recipe FAQ
You probably didn’t boil the sugar mixture long enough. The mixture needs to reach a gentle boil and stay there for 1–2 minutes (start timing once it’s fully bubbling).
You do not necessarily need to but it speeds things up. Room temp works too but it will take longer.
Make sure to use parchment paper lined in the baking sheet for easy removal.
More Dessert Recipes
No Bake Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup coconut oil
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1/4 cup raw cacao powder
- 1 cup creamy all- natural peanut butter {or nut butter of your choice}
- 2 cups instant oats
- 3/4 cup shredded coconut, unsweetened
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds {optional}
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a medium pot bring the coconut oil, honey and cocoa powder to a boil over medium-high heat stirring frequently. Boil for 2 minutes and remove from heat.
- Stir in the peanut butter, rolled oats, shredded coconut, chia seeds and vanilla and stir until the peanut butter is melted and the mixture become smooth.
- Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and drop teaspoons of the cookie mixture onto the cookie sheets.
- Cool the cookies on the counter until they are hard. If you want you can also refrigerate the cookies after they are cooled down.
- Store in an airtight container on the counter or in the refrigerator.
Oh yes, these look amazing! I’m from Michigan too…maybe that’s why 😉 Thanks for sharing. Always love little treats that have a tid bit of healthiness to them too 😉
Ha! Yes that must be why! 😉 I am starting to think it is a Michigan thing??
These no bake cookies look unreal! Can you ever go wrong with chocolate and pb? Pinning!