The dark chocolate cocoa in these Dark Chocolate No Bake Cookies makes them even more rich and delicious!
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When I could not find my go-to no bake cookie recipe, I hit the internet to find it. It seems there are a million different versions of these cookies and a few ways to actually cook them to get the desired end result (dry vs. gooey). I found something close, but I knew a couple of the measurements were different than my original. I changed what I could remember, and got lucky! My version of these Dark Chocolate No Bake Cookies turned out perfect…in my opinion. Everyone has their favorite version of these, but I think this version may just be my *new* favorite!
It seems the large majority of people who make no bake cookies will boil the chocolate mixture to end up with a dryer cookie. Honestly, that probably is more cookie-like than the gooey version I prefer, but I just do not like them that way at all. I remember once, a coworker bringing some in and everyone was raving about how good they were. I think I was the only one who took one bite and could not finish it. Dry no bake cookies and me just don’t mix. If you like yours dry, you can still use this recipe, just boil the mixture for a minute or so rather than just melting things down, like I describe.
So then, what does gooey mean? The method I use won’t result in cookies that are so loose you can’t pick they up. Yes, they will be softer and more flexible and chewy, but that’s all good stuff, if you ask me! And yes, you may have a little more chocolate on your finger tips when you’re done, but just lick it off – it’s okay!
My 8-year-old son, Jaxon, loves dark chocolate and is the one who actually chose to make these using dark cocoa powder instead of regular cocoa powder this time around. This was the first time I have ever done this and I may never go back to regular cocoa powder again!
For most of Jaxon’s early years, it was just me and him. We did everything together and I have always loved making him special treats. So, it hurt my heart a little bit that he didn’t remember all the times we’ve made these cookies before (it’s been a couple years). He took one look at the finished product and told me that they looked gross and that he was not eating them. They are till chocolate cookies so of course he ate them! And he loved them, just like before! But, even after eating them, he still did not remember ever having them. Why can’t they remember every “special” moment we mothers do?
Guess I will just have to make them more often now!
Dark Chocolate No Bake Cookies
Prep!
It’s always a good idea to have your ingredients out and pre-measured. You will also need a saucepan, spoon, and baking sheet. I would recommend lining your baking sheet with wax paper or a Silpat mat, as well.
Create!
Add the sugar, milk, butter and dark cocoa powder to a saucepan over medium heat (for gooey cookies you do NOT want to let the mixture boil) until the butter melts.
Add the peanut butter and vanilla extract and stir until the peanut butter is blended into the chocolate mixture.
Remove from heat and add 3 cups of the oats. If the mixture still seems too runny, gradually add more oats until it’s a nice thick consistency. Drop by tablespoons onto wax paper and let cool until set.
Store in a tightly sealed container in the fridge!
Do you have a favorite version of no bake cookies? Are you a dry or gooey no bake cookie lover? Have you tried Dark Chocolate No Bake Cookies before? If not, I think you should! Let me know how it goes in the comments section or send me an email anytime!
Enjoy!
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Dark Chocolate No Bake Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 Cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 Cup milk *unsweetened almond milk works too!
- 1/2 Cup butter
- 1/2 Cup dark cocoa powder
- 1/2 Cup creamy peanut butter *natural works too!
- 3-4 Cups rolled oats *use Gluten Free if needed
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Add the sugar, milk, butter and dark cocoa powder to a saucepan over medium heat (for gooey cookies you do NOT want to let the mixture boil) until the butter melts.
- Add the peanut butter and vanilla extract and stir until the peanut butter is blended into the chocolate mixture. Remove from heat and add 3 cups of the oats. If the mixture still seems too runny, gradually add more oats until it's a nice thick consistency.
- Drop by tablespoons onto wax paper or Silpat Mat and let cool until set. Keep in a tightly sealed container in the fridge!
Jacqueline Debono says
October 4, 2018 at 9:58 amI love that these cookies are no-bake! Just up my alley, as is the fact that they are so gooey and chocolaty!
Lauren says
October 6, 2018 at 4:29 pmThanks!
Melinda Fewless says
October 4, 2018 at 9:57 amWhat a great GF snack!! They look so decadent!
Lauren says
October 6, 2018 at 4:30 pmThank you Melinda 🙂
Bintu | Recipes From A Pantry says
October 4, 2018 at 9:55 amThese would go down a treat in my household! We all love dark chocolate and I love that these are no bake!
Lauren says
October 6, 2018 at 4:30 pmThey never last long around here!
linda spiker says
October 4, 2018 at 9:24 amDark chocolate is my jam! This look fabulous!
Lauren says
October 6, 2018 at 4:30 pmThanks Linda!
Shanika says
October 4, 2018 at 9:01 amAnything No-Baked is awesome! This recipe looks so easy and good.
Lauren says
October 6, 2018 at 4:30 pmThank you Shanika!
Dunja says
August 25, 2016 at 5:28 pmLooks delicious! I’ll try to make them soon 🙂
Cathy @ Our Mini Family says
May 21, 2016 at 5:45 pmMy husband loves dark chocolate, so I’d love to make these for our family and see how he likes them. Thanks for the recipe idea!
ourlittleeverything says
May 22, 2016 at 5:39 pmHope everyone loves them Cathy 🙂
Jenn says
May 20, 2016 at 12:00 pmI make a similar no bake cookie without the butter. Sometimes making these cookies are hard because I tend to eat them before I separate them into cookie form 🙂 I will have to give your recipe a try but use a dairy free butter option instead! Thanks for sharing.
ourlittleeverything says
May 20, 2016 at 3:20 pmI actually use Earth Balance often and usually can’t tell a difference, but I think I made these with real butter, so I can’t say for sure how it works with this recipe. I also eat it out of the pan sometimes!
Maintaining Me says
May 19, 2016 at 10:55 pmYou are so speaking my language! Dark chocolate is my absolute favorite!
ourlittleeverything says
May 20, 2016 at 3:21 pmIt’s quickly becoming mine too, especially with baking!
Denay DeGuzman says
May 19, 2016 at 7:03 pmOh my gosh! This is chocolate heaven. I’ve never experimented with a no-bake cookie recipe before, so I’m completely intrigued. This is one recipe I need to try ASAP!
ourlittleeverything says
May 19, 2016 at 9:49 pmIt’s so easy! This is actually a pretty classic cookie recipe but everyone seems to have their own version 🙂
Leah says
May 19, 2016 at 5:52 pmThese sound great! I love gooey chocolatey cookies better, too!
ourlittleeverything says
May 19, 2016 at 9:48 pmGlad to see I’m not alone! Everyone around me seems to like them dry and crumbly…bleh
craftycookingamanda says
April 14, 2016 at 10:16 pmThese look delicious – I love dark chocolate! No bake cookies are great – I totally agree with you – I like them chewy & gooey not dry. Pinning!
beth says
April 11, 2016 at 6:01 pmI love no bakes!! They are my absolute favorite. These look awesome. I will have to try.
ourlittleeverything says
April 11, 2016 at 6:30 pmThanks Beth! I checked out your blog too! It could be very helpful – I’m swamped over here all the time! Lauren
Ava says
April 11, 2016 at 3:34 pmI’ve been making the “dry” version of these for years. I called them Poodles when I was growing up. I only recently started using dark cocoa. I always think when they come out gooey that I messed up and didn’t cook them look enough, but you are right, They are delicious like that.
ourlittleeverything says
April 11, 2016 at 3:44 pmJust a little messier 🙂 I’ve never heard of them called Poodles before! That’s so much cuter than “No Bake Cookies” 🙂
Sofia says
April 11, 2016 at 3:16 pmMy mouth is watering – these look so good!!
ourlittleeverything says
April 11, 2016 at 3:44 pmThank You Sofia!
Malibu Mama Loves says
April 11, 2016 at 3:09 pmThis looks amazing! I love how you added a recipe card at the end so we can print it out! Thank you so much for sharing this, keep up the yummy work!! Malibu Mama Loves Xx
Eva @ 1BigBite says
April 11, 2016 at 3:08 pmMy mom used to make similar cookies with raisins. Very yummy! Thanks for sharing!
xo Eva
ourlittleeverything says
April 11, 2016 at 3:36 pmRaisins would be so good! Kinda like those Chunky candy bars! I might try that next time! Thanks!
Bree says
April 10, 2016 at 1:24 pmThese look and sound kind of amazing!
xo Bree || http://bree-west.com
ourlittleeverything says
April 10, 2016 at 7:00 pmThanks Bree! If my oldest son didn’t love dark chocolate, I never would have ever thought to try these! They are good!