If you’re looking for the world’s most simple, yummiest treat (you could totally whip these up in minutes and serve them for New Year’s Eve tonight), this is the cookie! There was recently a very small feud (not really a feud, just an observance) between a fellow food blogger and I about these classic no bake cookies. This recipe I’ve made and posted today are THE original cookies, THE recipe I grew up making. There are no other True No Bake Cookies. ; ) That said, Blaise from Blaise the Baker posted a step-by-step tutorial about these cookies yesterday on his Facebook page. You can get his (not original, hehe) recipe on the link to his blog. After I saw his post, it dawned on me that every time I have seen these cookies, for years—they have always had peanut butter in them. I’m here to tell you, even as a chocolate and peanut butter lover, that these should not be made with peanut butter. It’s wrong.
Okay, okay, it’s probably not wrong. But THE True No Bake Cookies I grew up with do not have peanut butter, so it has always seemed wrong to me. After chatting with Blaise, I looked through my good old recipe box for the recipe. And when I say old, I mean it—I have in that box recipes from when I took a cooking class in 7th grade, so we’re talking 34+ years ago. Whew! Anyway, there I found THE recipe!
And here I share THE recipe with YOU! Peanut butter not necessary. If you need the chocolate/peanut butter combo fix, eat a Reese’s.
True No Bake Cookies, by Katrina, Baking and Boys!
2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup 2% milk
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups old fashioned oats
1/2 cup nuts (I always remember walnuts, peanuts are not an option, haha), optional
1 cup sweetened, shredded coconut, optional
In a large saucepan, over medium heat, combine together the sugar, butter, milk, cocoa and salt. When it comes to a good rolling boil, boil for exactly one minute. Remove from heat and add the vanilla. Stir well. Add the oats, coconut, and nuts and stir together to combine. Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto waxed paper and let cool. They don’t even take 30 minutes to cool and set up. Serve the plateful and watch them disappear. Makes 18-20. (The nuts and coconut are optional. I left out the nuts as my kids don’t love them.)
You do not need to make these all perfectly uniform. They shouldn’t be. That is what makes them “true”.
How do you make no bake cookies? Wondering if I have other fellow non-peanut butter no bake cookie people out there. I’m sure Blaise and all the others out there who put peanut butter in theirs still have a great cookie. Just having a little fun.
Happy End of 2015! And here’s to a wonderful New Year to you all! Make it a great one! I plan to do so!