No bake cookies recipe without milk – quick and easy

Every household needs a no bake cookies recipe without milk. It’s easy, it’s quick, and something kids will love to make. Next time you’re up for middle school bake sale duty, get your children involved in this super easy cookie recipe. 

I love an easy dessert. The first time I made these classic no bake cookies was during the school holidays. I had heard of no bake oatmeal cookies before, but knew that my kids wouldn’t eat anything that’s been through a food processor. Quick-cooking oats were an alternative, but I’m working with a tough crowd in this house. Quick oats weren’t going to cut it. Should I just revert to regular cookies? I wasn’t willing to give up quite yet. 

So off I went, opening my pantry to see what I had in. There was a jar of our favorite peanut butter. A great start, as my family loves anything with peanut butter flavor. Coconut milk would be too liquid, coconut oil on the other hand seemed to be a good “vegan butter” choice. And while I would have loved to use agave nectar for a healthier recipe, honey was a good middle ground to create the perfect sweet treat. With these few simple ingredients I started to work on easy cookie recipes. I have to say, this one turned out delicious. Check out the recipe at the bottom of the post.

Tools You May Need

Cookie sheet for laying out your cookies to set.

Parchment paper to keep your cookies from sticking.

Large bowl to mix everything together.

Ingredients For This No Bake Cookies Recipe Without Milk

Rice puffs, Millet puffs and Spelt puffs as the base of your cookie mixture. I usually opt for puffed grains over old-fashioned oats in any no bake cookie recipe. I find the consistency to be more appealing for my kids, which makes it an easy recipe for some added grains in their diet. Feel free to double the recipe and add cups of oats if you prefer.

Coconut oil. I love using coconut oil in this recipe, as it easily hardens in the fridge. 

Natural peanut butter. Who could resist the delicious peanut butter flavour? Its smooth consistency allows our cookies to become a little less crunchy. Feel free to supplement with almond butter or cashew butter. 

Honey as our natural sweetener. I find honey works better than maple syrup, as it has a thicker consistency. This helps keep our non-bake cookies together.

Dark chocolate. A lot of recipes recommend cacao powder or natural cocoa powder, but I find dark chocolate to be a great alternative that’s much more delicious. 

Vanilla extract to make these cookies extra tasty.

Pinch of salt to balance your flavours.

How to make this No bake cookies recipe without milk

Place a layer of parchment paper on a baking sheet. 

In a large bowl, combine your grains and mix them well. 

Place your creamy peanut butter, coconut oil and honey into a small saucepan. Allow all to melt on medium heat on your stove top. 

Once the mixture starts to heat, add small pieces of the chocolate and mix until melted. Add the vanilla and salt and keep mixing. You want all wet ingredients to be well combined before adding your dry ingredients. 

Pour the melted chocolate mixture over your grains and mix until everything is well combined. All grains should be evenly coated.

​Place a teaspoon of cookie dough on your prepared baking sheet. Continue until all dough has been used. 

Allow your no bake chocolate peanut butter cookies to set in the fridge or at room temperature over night. 

Tips and tricks to make this tasty treat a success

You can turn these into vegan cookies by choosing dairy free chocolate and replacing honey with maple syrup. 

If you want a healthier version, use less sugar by leaving out the honey and using lots of peanut butter instead. 

For a gluten free version, replace the suggested grains with gluten-free oats or any other favorite gluten free grain. 

Make ahead in bulk as the perfect treat for busy days. For best results throughout the week, store the cookies in an airtight container in the fridge. 

Other variations and recipes to try

Sprinkle a tiny bit of coconut sugar over the top for some extra sweetness. 

Add coconut flakes to make this recipe more tropical.

Chocolate chips pair well with any cereal based cookie. 

During Christmas time, add glazed fruits like orange peel or chopped cherries. 

​Other sweet treats I’d recommend you to try are:

Frequently asked questions

Why are my no-bake cookies not hardening?

If your no-bake cookies aren’t hardening, check if the recipe contains any type of milk. Some no bake recipes list almond milk or soy milk as part of their ingredients, which won’t harden when mixed. My no-bake cookies recipe without milk is a great recipe to try instead. 

Is there a way to make cookies without an oven?

Yes, no-bake cookies are a selection of cookie recipes requiring no oven when making. These easy treats often call for old fashioned oats and a selection of dry, or easy to harden ingredients. 

​What happens if you don’t put butter in cookies?

Cookies need some type of fat to bind them together and make them chewy. The last thing anyone wants is a mouthful of sawdust, and butter often helps make your favorite cookie recipes chewy and delicious. Saying this, butter can be easily substituted for plant based options like nut butters.