No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies

No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies recipe

Some days, I just shouldn’t be in the bloody kitchen. Nothing goes to plan, I spill things, make a huge mess and should have just ordered a takeaway. Last Saturday I had to get up at 6am to take George to a regatta so decided I’d get going in the kitchen nice and early. Frankly, I should have gone back to bed. The chocolate covered honeycomb I planned to post this week was a burnt, sticky, pan ruining disaster. Twice. But, in a delicious turn of events, these No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies became a more than delicious stand in recipe.

In classic English summer tradition, it’s gone from being sodding freezing to like a furnace in the space of 3 days. My pasty legs have had to appear from a winter of jeans wearing and my hair is frizzing à la Monica from Friends in Barbados. So putting the oven on is the last thing you should be doing. These No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies, as the name suggests, don’t need an oven; they’re created in a saucepan and scooped onto a baking tray to set. I like to kid myself they’re healthy, it’s the oats, but sadly they’re not. But these no bake wonders fall into the ‘so worth the calories’ category for me. They’re fudgy, rich and soft and wonderfully addictive. A big thank you to Super Spun Run for the deliciousness.

These are perfect for children and adults alike. I would definitely get the children involved in making them, just not in eating them.

These are pretty much store cupboard standbys minus the butter and milk, but who doesn’t have those in their fridge? The best peanut butter for these is the cheap and dirty stuff; this is no place for the wholemeal variety.

Start by lining two large baking sheets, even though you’re not baking these and by not putting the oven on. Next, take a large saucepan and measure in the butter, milk, both sugars and the cocoa.

No overly promising looking at this stage, but bear with. Pop the pan on the hob and, over a low heat, bring up to the simmer. Don’t be tempted to turn the heat up to speed things along, this is meant to be a slow-ish process. Stir whilst the ingredients heat up.

Once the mixture’s come up to the simmer, turn up the heat and boil gently for 1 minute. Set a timer for this as this only needs a minute.

Take off the heat and as quickly as possible, stir in the peanut butter and vanilla.

Once smooth, tip in the oats and stir really well to combine and to make sure the oats are well coated.

Using a tablespoon or a small ice cream scoop, place dollops of this fudgy mixture onto the lined trays.

Pop these somewhere cool to set for an hour or so. If it’s a very warm day you may have to put them in the fridge, but this does mean they’ll lose their shine a little.

Once firm, these creamy, fudgy no bake cookies are ready for devouring. A big glass of cold milk is all that’s needed to accompany them.

I’ve been wanting to make these cookies for ages and thank God I finally have, albeit my default. They’re 100 times nicer than my burnt honeycomb efforts.

Lucy x

No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies recipe

Makes around 20 to 24 cookies

You will just need a large saucepan and lined baking sheets for these

110g butter

120ml whole milk

200g soft brown sugar

200g caster sugar

25g cocoa powder

165g smooth peanut butter, the cheap stuff is best here

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

285g oats, normal not jumbo

Make a start by lining 2 large baking sheets.

Next take a large saucepan and measure in the butter, milk, soft brown sugar, caster sugar and the cocoa powder. Put on the hob and bring up to the simmer over a low heat. Don’t be tempted to turn the heat up to speed this process along. Stir the mixture whilst it heats.

Once the butter’s melted and the whole lot has come up to the simmer, increase the heat slightly and boil for one minute. I really would set a timer here as you only need a minute.

Turn off the heat and as quickly as possible, stir in the peanut butter and vanilla and mix until you have a smooth mixture. Tip in the oats and stir well to ensure they’re well coated in the chocolatey business.

Using a small ice cream scoop or tablespoon, scoop heaps of the mixture onto your lined trays. Leave on the side to cool until set. Once they’re firm, tuck in.

These will keep in the fridge for at least 5 days, but they will lose their shine once chilled, but they’ll still taste amazing.