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These Vegan No Bake Chocolate Cookies are the easiest vegan dessert to make when you don’t want to turn on the oven! Rich cocoa powder, creamy peanut butter, quick-cooking oats, and a few other simple ingredients come together to make a soft and chewy cookie. They’re perfect for a holiday cookie tray next to my vegan chocolate crinkle cookies, and everyone will be coming back for seconds!
This is a vegan version of the classic chocolate peanut butter oatmeal no bakes. These dairy free no bake cookies use vegan butter and plant-based milk, and they’re ready for the fridge in about 12 minutes. A big thank you to Miranda Rivera, who first shared this recipe here on Plant-Based on a Budget back in 2013!
Table of contents
Simple Soft and Chewy No Bake Cookies
Aside from being the best cookies to make when you need to satisfy a sweet tooth without turning on the oven, these vegan no bake cookies are a recipe I have on repeat for several reasons:
- No fancy appliances: just a mixing bowl, spatula, saucepan, and baking sheet!
- Pantry-friendly ingredients: I almost always have what I need to make these cookies at a moment’s notice.
- Freezer-friendly: what’s better than a stash of cookies in the freezer, ready for holiday guests?
- Budget-friendly: don’t have everything you need? You can pick up the ingredients at any grocery store.
- Gluten-free cookies: when made with certified gluten-free oats, these cookies are naturally gluten-free.
- Dairy free and egg free: vegan butter and plant-based milk stand in for the dairy, so everyone at the table can enjoy them.
The Ingredients
- Oats: Quick-cooking oats work best. Old-fashioned rolled oats are thicker and can leave the cookies dry, and instant oats are too soft to give the cookies enough texture. If you eat a gluten-free diet, use certified gluten-free oats.
- Peanut butter: Runny, creamy peanut butter will work best. If you want to add an additional crunch to the cookies, use a natural crunchy peanut butter.
- Plant-based milk: Any plant-based milk will do. Try unsweetened almond milk, oat milk, soy milk, or coconut milk.
- Sugar: These no bake cookies use both sugar and brown sugar, just like the original 2013 recipe. For a lighter flavor, use light brown sugar. Avoid liquid sweeteners such as maple syrup, since they will make the mixture too wet.
- Cocoa powder: Adds a chocolate flavor while keeping the cookies dairy-free and vegan. Use unsweetened cocoa powder or cacao powder, as desired.
- Vegan butter: Adds moisture, saltiness, and flavor. If your favorite vegan butter is unsalted, add an additional dash of salt to taste.
Possible Add-ins and Substitutions
- Peanut butter substitutions: If you have a peanut allergy, cashew butter, almond butter, or homemade sunflower seed butter should work in its place, but I haven’t tested them.
- Nuts: Want to give your cookies an additional crunch? Add ¼ -½ cup of chopped nuts.
- Coconut: Add ¼-½ cup of desiccated coconut (toasted coconut would be delicious!).
- Vegan chocolate chips: Want additional vegan chocolate? Add ¼-½ cup of mini vegan chocolate chips.
- Pretzels: Add ¼-½ cup of chopped pretzels for a salty, savory crunch.
- Caramel: Once the cookies are hardened, drizzle them with a vegan caramel sauce and refrigerate for an additional 20 minutes to harden.
Note: When adding ingredients to the mix, add no more than a total of 1 cup of additions.
How to Make Vegan No Bake Chocolate Cookies
Before you start, line a baking sheet with a silicone mat, wax paper, or parchment paper. The chocolate mixture starts to set as soon as it hits the oats, so have everything measured and ready.
Step 1: In a large bowl, add the quick oats, peanut butter, vanilla extract, and salt. Don’t stir yet.
Step 2: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add the vegan butter, sugar, brown sugar, plant-based milk, and cocoa powder. Bring it to a full rolling boil, then set a timer and boil for exactly 1 minute and 30 seconds.
Step 3: When the timer goes off, immediately remove the saucepan from the heat, pour the chocolate mixture over the oats, and stir until well combined.
Step 4: Working quickly, scoop the mixture onto the lined baking sheet with a 1-Tablespoon cookie scoop or a spoon. You should get about 18 cookies.
Step 5: Place the cookies in the refrigerator until firm, 30 minutes to 1 hour, then enjoy!
Recipe FAQs
Dry, crumbly cookies usually come down to measuring. Use quick oats instead of old-fashioned rolled oats, level off your measuring cups, and include both the sugar and the brown sugar. Boil the chocolate mixture for the full 1 minute and 30 seconds, then mix and scoop right away before it starts to set.
Incorrect ingredient measurements, high humidity, and a shortened cooling time can all contribute to no-bake cookies not hardening. Boiling the liquid ingredients for a different length of time can also keep the no-bake cookies from setting.
It can vary depending on the environment, but these cookies should begin to firm up within 30 minutes to an hour in the refrigerator.
Absolutely. If you’re short on time, place the cookies in the freezer to harden. This will still take about 30 minutes, but it should speed up the process compared to the refrigerator.
Yes! Once they’re set, keep them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 3 months, so you can make them early for a cookie tray or cookie exchange. They soften at room temperature, so keep them chilled until you’re ready to serve.
Top Recipe Tips
- Measure the ingredients accurately. In order for the cookies to set properly the ratio between wet ingredients and dry ingredients needs to be exact.
- Work quickly! Once the wet mixture and the dry mixture are combined, the plant-based chocolate mixture will start to set. Mix and scoop the cookies as quickly as possible to prevent the mixture from hardening together in the mixing bowl.
- Use a runny peanut butter. These delicious cookies are low in added moisture. Using a natural, runny peanut butter keeps the cookies perfectly soft and chewy!
- Line the baking sheet. This will prevent the cookies from sticking to the baking sheet when the cookies are hardening in the refrigerator. I typically use a silicone mat or wax paper but parchment paper will work as well.
Serving Suggestions
No bake cookies are the perfect easy dessert or afternoon snack! Serve them with a glass of your favorite non-dairy milk or a mug of vegan hot chocolate, smeared with nut butter, or over a scoop of vegan ice cream like homemade banana nice cream. For the holidays, set them out on a cookie tray with a few of my vegan Christmas cookies.
Storage Instructions
Once the cookies are completely set, transfer them to an airtight container or a Stasher bag. These cookies will keep in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
If frozen, allow the cookies to thaw until softened in the refrigerator before serving.
Storing these cookies at room temperature is not recommended, especially in warmer climates. The cookies will melt and become overly soft.
More Vegan Cookie Recipes
Vegan Desserts
Vegan Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
Vegan Desserts
No-Bake Peanut Butter Cups
Vegan Desserts
Raspberry Jam Thumbprint Cookies
Vegan Desserts
Oatmeal Zucchini Cookies
If you tried these vegan no bake cookies or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks!
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Vegan No Bake Chocolate Cookies
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Ingredients
- 3 cups (240 g) quick oats
- ½ cup (128 g) peanut butter creamy and runny
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla extract
- salt a dash
- ¼ cup (57 g) vegan butter
- ½ cup (100 g) sugar
- ½ cup (75 g) brown sugar
- ½ cup (120 ml) plant-based milk any kind
- 3 Tablespoons (16 g) cocoa powder
Instructions
- Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat, wax paper, or parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, add the quick oats, peanut butter, vanilla extract, and salt. Don’t stir yet.
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add the vegan butter, sugar, brown sugar, plant-based milk, and cocoa powder.
- Bring the mixture to a full rolling boil, then set a timer and boil for exactly 1 minute and 30 seconds.
- Immediately remove the saucepan from the heat and pour the chocolate mixture over the oats in the bowl.
- Stir until well combined.
- Working quickly, scoop the mixture onto the lined baking sheet with a 1-Tablespoon cookie scoop or a spoon, making about 18 cookies.
- Refrigerate until firm, 30 minutes to 1 hour.
Notes
- Use quick oats. Old-fashioned rolled oats are thicker and can leave the cookies dry.
- Measure carefully and level off your measuring cups. The boil time matters too, so use a timer.
- The mixture sets quickly once it hits the oats, so scoop right away.
- Store the cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw frozen cookies in the refrigerator.
- Keep them chilled until serving, since they soften at room temperature.
- Thank you to Miranda Rivera for developing this recipe!
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Not enough liquid ingredients to mix with 3 cups of oats. I cooked up and added another 1/2 recipe of vegan butter, sugar and plant milk but they were still dry. I’ll try 2 cups of oats next time.
Thanks for letting us know! Hope you enjoy them the next go around 🙂
The ingredient picture shows white sugar, but there is none on the list. It seems quite low in sugar to the taste ….did I miss something?
Thank you so much for pointing this out! The recipe card was missing the ½ cup (100 g) of sugar shown in the photo, and I’ve added it back, so your next batch will be sweeter. Enjoy!
These were a crumbly mess. Not like a no-bake cookie at all.
Thank you for letting me know, Natalie. I’ve put the ½ cup (100 g) of sugar back on the recipe card, which helps the cookies set and hold together. Quick oats, leveled measuring cups, and a full 1 minute and 30 second boil also make a big difference. I hope you’ll give them another try!
Thank you for the recipe. I concur with the earlier comment that the ratio is off. They are a bit too dry, barely holding together. I used tahini, which is oilier than peanut butter and still not holding together well. I think I might make them again and adjust the level wet to dry ratio.
Thank you for trying these and sharing your notes, Sue! I’ve added the ½ cup (100 g) of sugar back to the recipe card, which gives the chocolate mixture more body and helps the cookies hold together. Quick oats and a full 1 minute and 30 second boil help too. I haven’t tested tahini in this recipe, so I’d love to hear how it goes if you make them again.
So oats don’t need to be cooked?
Not for this recipe 🙂 Hope you enjoy it if you give it a try! 🙂
how best stored? do you need to keep in fridge or freezer? gotta give it a try with my homemade almond butter caramel in place e of your butter sugar milk part. Fingers crossed!! Shortcuts are our friends 🙂
Bet your homemade almond butter is so good! Here are the storage notes:
Once the cookies are completely set, transfer them to an airtight container or silicone bag. These cookies will keep in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Storing these cookies at room temperature is not recommended, especially in warmer climates. The cookies will melt and become overly soft.
I tried this recipe with rolled oats instead of quick oats and the ratio was way off. Too many oats, too little chocolate.
Thanks for letting us know how it went with your sub! Hope you give it another shot with quick oats 🙂
Is it just me? or does the picture of all ingredients needed, show white sugar AND brown sugar. But i dont see white sugar iin the recipe?
Thank you so much for catching that, Tammy! I’ve added the ½ cup (100 g) of sugar back to the recipe card, so it now matches the photo. I hope you enjoy them!
This vegan no-bake chocolate cookie is a total keeper! I love that I can still enjoy these flavors without having to turn my oven on!
Obsessed with these cookies! I needed something quick to make for sugar cravings and these were perfect!
You and me both! They’re so addicting!
Love love love that these are no bake cookies!
These california cookies are so fun! They’re full of flavor, and so easy to make!
Yesss! So sweet and delicious!
love how easy these come together, and has everything I needed to make them.
Love the recipes that include pantry staples! So easy and delicious to whip up!