Description
Effortless and festive, these Easy No Bake Christmas Cookies combine rich chocolate and creamy peanut butter with chewy oats, topped with holiday M&M’s for a delightful, oven-free treat.
Ingredients
2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 cup whole milk
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
3 cups quick-cooking oats
1/2 cup red and green holiday M&M’s or sprinkles
Pinch of salt
Instructions
Prepare baking sheets by lining them with wax paper or parchment paper.
In a medium saucepan, combine the granulated sugar, unsalted butter, whole milk, and unsweetened cocoa powder. Place the saucepan over medium heat. Stir everything together until the butter is melted and the sugar begins to dissolve.
Bring this mixture to a rolling boil, meaning it should be bubbling vigorously. Once it reaches a full boil, let it boil for precisely one minute, stirring frequently to prevent scorching.
Carefully remove the saucepan from the heat. Now, stir in the creamy peanut butter, pure vanilla extract, and the pinch of salt. Keep stirring until the mixture is wonderfully smooth and all the peanut butter has melted in.
Gently fold in the quick-cooking oats until they are thoroughly coated in the chocolatey peanut butter mixture. Make sure every oat is embraced by that deliciousness!
Working quickly while the mixture is still warm and pliable, drop rounded spoonfuls of the cookie mixture onto your prepared baking sheets.
Immediately after dropping each spoonful, press a few of the red and green holiday M&M’s or sprinkles onto the top of each cookie. They’ll adhere best while the cookies are still soft.
Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheets for about 20 to 30 minutes, or until they are firm to the touch.
Notes
When boiling the sugar mixture, continuous stirring is key to preventing it from burning on the bottom of the pan.
While these are no-bake, the ratio of oats to the wet ingredients is important for texture. Use the measuring cup as directed.
Boiling for exactly one minute is crucial. Boiling for too short a time might result in cookies that don’t set properly, while boiling for too long can make them too hard or crystallized.
Ensure you have adequate lining for your baking sheets. This prevents sticking and makes removing the cookies effortless once they’ve firmed up.
Press the M&M’s or sprinkles in with just enough pressure to make them stick. You don’t want to flatten the cookies.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 minute
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Calories: N/A
- Fat: N/A
- Carbohydrates: N/A
- Protein: N/A