Easy Vegan No Bake Cookies
No oven required! These easy Vegan No Bake Cookies are soft, chewy, and packed with rich chocolate and peanut butter flavor. Made with simple pantry ingredients in just minutes, it’s a healthy-ish, gluten-free treat everyone loves!
With lots of peanut butter leftover from testing my Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies, I set out to put the remaining jars to good use. That’s how these easy Vegan No-Bake Cookies with peanut butter, chocolate, and oats were born. And they turned out even better than I hoped!
After a few rounds of testing, I’m happy to say these little cookies are absolutely delicious. They quickly became a family favorite and disappear fast whenever I make them.
The best part? This recipe brings together healthy and decadent in one simple treat. You only need a few minutes (about 15!) to mix everything together — no oven required — and the result is always incredibly tasty!
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How To Make Vegan No Bake Cookies
These vegan no-bake cookies are incredibly easy to make, and you’ll have a batch of rich, chocolatey cookies ready in no time! (Note: The full instructions are in the recipe card below)
Ingredients You’ll Need
These no-bake cookies come together with just a handful of everyday ingredients. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Oats: Old-fashioned rolled oats give the best texture.
- Peanut Butter: Creamy natural peanut butter is our favorite (the kind with just peanuts and salt). Swap with what you have on hand.
- Pure Maple Syrup: Adds natural sweetness. Swap with coconut sugar or pure cane sugar as noted in the recipe card below.
- Coconut Oil: Helps the cookies set up and harden nicely. Vegan butter works too!
- Unsweetened Almond Milk: Swap with your favorite non-dairy milk.
- Cacao or Cocoa Powder: For that rich chocolate flavor (use Dutch cocoa for a deeper color and milder chocolate taste).
- Vanilla Extract: A generous splash brings all the flavors together.
Step-by-Step
Here are the simple steps to making them:
Start by warming the peanut butter, coconut oil, maple syrup, almond milk, vanilla, and cacao powder over low heat, stirring constantly until warm and starting to thicken (shown above right).
Remove from heat, and stir in the oats, and mix well to coat.
Drop 2 rounded tablespoonfuls of the mixture on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or Silpat. Shape them nicely and flatten the tops a little if you like, or simply leave them as craggy-looking mounds of chocolatey goodness.
Place the cookie sheet in the refrigerator to chill. They will set up nicely after about 6 hours in the fridge. You can grab one out after about 30 minutes if you can’t wait! Recipe yields about 2 dozen cookies.
No Bake Cookies Tips
- Don’t warm too long. When warming the mixture, don’t let it heat too long, or it will turn into an unpleasant, stiff texture. I learned this through experience. ;)
- Make uniform cookies. For scooping, I used this 1.5-tablespoon trigger scooper to create uniform-looking cookies. A 2-tablespoon scoop will do fine, too. You don’t want them too big. I find them best when they’re more bite-sized.
- Sub old-fashioned oats for quick oats. In fact, you may find you prefer quick oats over old-fashioned. The quick oats absorb the chocolate a little more, but I’m partial to regular oats.
- Use almond butter or sun butter (nut-free) in place of peanut butter. A crunchy style will work great here, too!
How To Store & Freeze
These no-bake cookies store beautifully and are perfect for making ahead!
- Refrigerator: Keep the cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
- Freezer: They freeze wonderfully for up to 2 months. Place them in freezer-friendly containers or zip-top bags. When you’re ready to enjoy, simply thaw them in the refrigerator for a few hours or overnight.
More Easy No Bake Recipes!
If you love these no-bake cookies, you’ll definitely want to try these other quick and easy favorites:
- Vegan No Bake Raspberry Cheesecake
- Raw Pecan Energy Bites
- Raw Chocolate Brownies
- Chocolate Chia Pudding
- See all No-Bake recipes on TSV!
If you try this easy cookie recipe, please let me know! Leave a comment and rate it below. I love to hear what you think, or any changes you make.
Print Recipe
Print
EASY VEGAN NO BAKE COOKIES
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: Makes 20 – 24 1x
- Diet: Dairy-Free, Vegan
Description
Vegan No-Bake Cookies with a chocolate + peanut butter + oats is a winning combination! This classic cookie recipe is easy to make with simple pantry-staple ingredients and has become a family favorite!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup peanut butter (almond butter works too)
- 1/3 cup pure maple syrup*
- 1/4 cup almond milk
- 1/4 cup coconut oil or vegan butter
- 3 tablespoons cacao, cocoa or Dutch cocoa
- 1 – 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 2 cups old-fashioned oats (quick oats are fine too)
Instructions
Warm mixture: Start by warming the peanut butter, coconut oil, maple syrup, almond milk, vanilla, and cacao powder over low heat, stirring constantly until warm and starting to thicken.
Remove from the heat and stir in the oats, mixing well to coat.
Drop 2 rounded tablespoonfuls of the mixture on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or Silpat. Shape them nicely and flatten the tops a little if you like, or simply leave them in rustic-looking mounds of chocolatey goodness.
Place the cookie sheet in the refrigerator to chill. You can grab one after 30 minutes, but they set up best after 6 hours in the fridge.
Recipe yields about 20-24 no-bake cookies.
Notes
*Substitute maple syrup with coconut sugar or pure cane sugar. Just add 2 extra tablespoons of almond milk.
Storage: Keep no bake cookies in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks, or freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
Nut-Free: Use sun butter for a delicious, allergy-free cookie.
RECOMMENDED EQUIPMENT: For scooping, I used this 1.5 tablespoon trigger scooper to create uniform looking cookies. A 2-tablespoon scoop will do fine, too.
- Prep Time: 10 min
- Category: Dessert, No Bake
- Method: chilling, stovetop
- Cuisine: American
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Bravo and thanks so much for sharing this recipe and all the others. I’ve got to say these no bake nutritious and delicious snacks have become a staple in our humble home. :)
Great recipe, thanks. I put cinnamon in mine. Also I made a date paste as my sugar instead of maple syrup.
Could we use a different oil if we do not have coconut oil?
I suggest using plant-based butter in place of coconut oil. We like that coconut oil hardens in the fridge, and non-dairy butter will do the same. I hope that helps!
Easy, delicious. What a great recipe!
Can I leave the coconut oil out?
Great questions, Meg! You can use your favorite vegan butter in place of coconut oil. Enjoy, and do let us know how it goes!
Loved these! As someone who avoids refined sugars and animal products, these were simply delicious! Highly recommend.
so yummy and healthy! i’d say more like granola bites than cookies. i added some cinnamon and a pinch of salt. thank you for sharing this recipe!
I love it, cinnamon is a nice touch! Thanks for the inspiration, Alex! Cheers :)
Delicious! I will be making these regularly. Very simple to make too. Thanks for another great recipe.
Easy and delicious base recipe, with a few of my own adjustments. I did use raw cacao, and then substituted local honey for the syrup, and added 1 tbsp raw sugar, along with a 1/4 tsp of sea salt. I also did 1/2 cup almond meal and 1/2 cup fresh ground oat flour plus one cup of whole oats. Super yum!