The Best No-Bake Cookies Recipe - with Coconut! - foodiecrush.com (2024)

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These easy no-bake cookies are loaded with goodness and they’re even a little bit of healthy. Old-fashioned oats, cocoa, and the surprise addition of coconut make these classic no-bake cookies (without the peanut butter!) the very best.

No-bake cookies are a starter-cook-in-the-kitchen classic recipe that’s oh so easy to make.

That’s the good part.

So what’s the bad part?

It’s just that they’re so dang easy to make you can whip up a batch whenever the craving strikes. And then eat the whole bowl. By yourself. In one sitting.

Just ask my husband. That was his M.O. when back in the day after high school football practice he would make no-bake oatmeal cookies at least once a week. As all big brothers do (or more aptly don’t), he refused to share any of the batch with his siblings. Brotherly love. It’s real.

But here’s the best part…

Once you make these no-bake beauties yourself, you’ll see why he was so selfish. And you won’t blame him one bit for keeping them all to himself.

What’s in These No-Bake Cookies?

If I made these cookies once I’ve been I’ve made them 1,000 times. It’s likely that after my award-winning snickerdoodles, no bake chocolate oatmeal cookies were one of the first cookies I made all on my own as a kid.

No bake cookies are always popular in the summer when no one wants to turn on the oven, but for some reason fall is when I crave them most. Maybe it’s my baking cravings for comfort rearing it’s sweet toothed head.

The ingredient list for these chocolate no-bake cookies is short and simple, and it’s likely you have all the ingredients sitting within arms reach right in your pantry.

  • Old-fashioned oats (side note: why does everyone call old-fashioned oats oatmeal?)
  • Shredded coconut
  • Sugar
  • Milk or almond milk
  • Butter
  • Cocoa powder
  • Vanilla
  • Kosher salt

One thing you won’t see in the ingredient list is peanut butter, because when I made them as a kid that was never in the recipe, so you won’t see it here now, either.

How to Make No-Bake Cookies

Okay, you ready for this?

In a saucepan, bring the butter, sugar, milk, cocoa powder, vanilla, and salt to a boil. Cook for a minute, then remove from the heat and stir in the oats and coconut.

Scoop the “batter” into balls and let them cool completely before diving in.

Seriously, that’s all it takes to make this easy no-bake cookie recipe.

Can I Omit the Coconut?

No-bake cookies with coconut not your thing? No worries, feel free to leave it out and make up the difference with ½ cup additional oats instead.

Can I Use Instant Oats?

Absolutely not. Instant oats are much more powdery than old-fashioned oats, and the texture of these chocolate no-bake cookies will be way off.

Tips for Making the Best No-Bake Cookies

While there’s no baking involved with this recipe, there is one step on the stove top for melting the butter and the milk together. But you can easily do this in the microwave too. Or take these guys camping and make them over the coals.

The “batter” will be pretty loose until the cookies cool and come together. I use this 56 mm or 4 ounce (¼ cup) stainless steel scoop for these cookies. That makes 12-14 cookies, depending on how much you eat before you get to the cookie portioning part of the recipe :)

I use sweetened coconut in my recipe, but you could use unsweetened if you prefer.

More Easy Cookie Recipes You’ll Love

  • Milk Bar’s Salted Chocolate Chip Cookies
  • Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
  • Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies
  • Chocolate-Dipped Coconut Macarons
  • Currant Cookies

If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a comment below or take a photo and tag me on Instagram or Twitter with #foodiecrusheats.

The Best No-Bake Cookies Recipe - with Coconut! - foodiecrush.com (4)

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4.77 from 47 votes

The Best No-Bake Cookies—with Coconut!

Old-fashioned oats and shredded coconut are the base for these easy, no-bake chocolate cookies that any beginner cook can master.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword cookies

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 2 minutes minutes

Total Time 7 minutes minutes

Servings 12 to 14 cookies

Calories 288kcal

Ingredients

  • 8 tablespoons butter (1 stick)
  • 1 ½ cup granulated sugar
  • ½ cup milk
  • 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • teaspoon kosher salt
  • 3 cups old-fashioned oats
  • 1 cup shredded coconut

Instructions

  • In a medium saucepan, bring butter, sugar, milk, cocoa powder, vanilla and salt to a boil and cook for 1 minute, stirring continuously, then remove from the heat.

  • Stir in the oatmeal and coconut and let cool for 5 minutes.

  • Spoon 1-inch balls onto a parchment paper. Cool for 20 minutes. Store in an airtight container.

Nutrition

Calories: 288kcal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 21mg | Sodium: 117mg | Potassium: 131mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 29g | Vitamin A: 250IU | Calcium: 27mg | Iron: 1mg

More No-Bake Desserts You’ll Want to Make Too

  • Nutella No-Bake Cookies
  • No-Bake Dulce de Leche Pie
  • 4-Ingredient Pretzel Turtles Treats
  • No-Bake Cookie Bars with Chocolate, Cherries and Chia Seeds
  • Peppermint Truffles Recipe
  • 4-Ingredient Ice Cream Pie with Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Crust
  • Salted Chocolate Peanut Butter Rice Krispies Treats

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The Best No-Bake Cookies Recipe - with Coconut! - foodiecrush.com (2024)

FAQs

Why are my no-bake cookies always dry? ›

Boiling too long will cause the cookies to be dry and crumbly. However, if you don't boil long enough the cookies will not set and will be runny. Some folks say bring the mixture to a rolling boil and then count to 60, while others swear by counting to 90.

Why aren t my no-bake cookies hardening? ›

Why Didn't My No-Bake Cookies Set? Likely, you didn't boil the mixture long enough. You want the butter, milk, sugar, and cocoa mixture to boil for 2-3 full minutes and reach between 190°F-200°F. If you don't boil them for long enough, they will turn out gooey and will not set.

Why are my no-bake cookies gritty? ›

Whisk it up until it's smooth, and let it cook slowly, until the sugar has dissolved. You can tell whether the sugar has liquefied just by placing a drop or two on your fingertip, then rubbing it against your thumb. If it feels gritty or grainy, it's not quite there yet. It should feel silky-smooth.

What is no-bake cookies made of? ›

No-Bake Cookie Ingredients

Milk: Milk gives the cookies more moisture and richness. Cocoa powder: Unsweetened powder is essential for the deep chocolate flavor. Peanut butter: This recipe calls for crunchy peanut butter, but you can use smooth peanut butter if you prefer. Oats: Make sure to use quick-cooking oats.

What can cause a cookie to be not moist enough? ›

Eggs bind the ingredients and make for moist, chewy cookies. Adding too many eggs can result in gummy, cake-like cookies. Adding too few eggs can result in dry, crumbly cookies. Beat each one in separately and thoroughly.

How do you make cookies chewy and not hard? ›

Cornstarch gives the cookies that ultra soft consistency we all love. Plus, it helps keep the cookies beautifully thick. We use the same trick when making shortbread cookies. Egg yolk: Another way to promise a super chewy chocolate chip cookie is to use an extra egg yolk.

How do you make cookies that don't get hard? ›

Baking at 375 degrees F as opposed to a lower temperature will help cookies stay soft: they'll bake faster which means they aren't in the hot, drying air of the oven too long. Pull the cookie sheet out of the oven when the cookies are just set: underbaking is better than overbaking.

How do I make sure my cookies don't get hard? ›

The bread/apple trick

Here's a baker's trick you'll find in our new Monster Cookies recipe: Adding a piece of fresh white bread to the storage container will keep cookies from becoming hard or stale.

How do you fix grainy cookie batter? ›

There are a few things you can do to add liquid to your cookie dough if it is too dry and crumbly. One option is to add milk, water, or another liquid until the dough is the right consistency. You can also try adding melted butter or shortening. If your dough is still too dry, you may need to add more flour.

Why is my cookies soft but not chewy? ›

Not using enough fat in the dough.

A greater fat ratio (butter, margarine, shortening, etc.) to flour will result in a more tender cookie. Start by adding just a ¼ cup additional to your recipe. Melting the butter before adding it to the sugar will also up the chew factor.

What are lady finger cookies made of? ›

Ladyfinger (biscuit)
Ladyfingers
Alternative namesSavoiardi, sponge fingers, boudoir
Region or stateDuchy of Savoy
Created by15th-century official cuisine of the Duchy of Savoy (may antedate in vernacular cuisine)
Main ingredientsFlour, egg whites, egg yolks, sugar, powdered sugar
4 more rows

Are Chips Ahoy cookies actually baked? ›

Chips Ahoy! is an American chocolate chip cookie brand, baked and sold by Nabisco that premiered in 1963. Nabisco referred Chips Ahoy! to the old naval warning of spotting other ships “Ships Ahoy!”, marketing these cookies baked with so many chocolate chips that you never take a bite without any!

How do you make cookies less dry? ›

To avoid this, try using as little flour as possible while preparing to roll your dough. Dry – “Dry” or “Crumbly” dough is a product of over-mixing or using too much of any ingredient during the mixing process. This can be reversed by adding one to two tablespoons of liquid (water, milk or softened butter) to your mix.

How do you add moisture to dry cookies? ›

To soften baked cookies that are too dry, you can add a slice of bread to the airtight container where you're storing the cookies. The moisture from the bread will give the cookies a softer texture. Or you can just pop the cookies in the microwave for 4-5 seconds until their texture softens a bit.

Why do homemade cookies dry out so fast? ›

Don't Overbake! This isn't a revolutionary tip and is probably quite obvious, but if you leave your cookies in the oven for even a few minutes longer than necessary, the mix will dry too quickly and lead to more rigid, dry cookies.

What happens if you don't bake cookies long enough? ›

There's such a thing as too underbaked

Slightly underbaked cookies yield chewier results, but you definitely don't want to end up with raw cookie dough either. To prevent this from happening, Southern Living recommends letting your cookies cool right on the baking pan instead of on a separate cooling rack.

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