This old-fashioned no bake peanut butter cookie recipe proves that a few simple ingredients can create an unforgettable treat that disappears almost as fast as you can make it.
A Timeless Treat Worth Sharing
This recipe is one I found in my grandmother’s cookbooks. It makes me think of a time of handwritten recipe cards and sneaking treats as fast as mom could make them.
Unlike classic chocolate oatmeal no-bake cookies, these peanut crunch cookies are packed with crispy cornflakes and rice cereal then smothered in a gooey peanut butter coating for a tasty hand-held treat!
You don’t need an oven to make this peanut butter no bake cookie recipe, which is great for those hot summer days.
No bake peanut butter cookies are incredibly easy to make, even for little bakers! Make them for after-school snacks, holiday cookie trays, or wrap them up for a thoughtful hostess gift.
Gather Your Goodies
Brown Sugar: Adds sweetness and helps create give the coating it’s soft, chewy texture.
Corn Syrup: Holds everything together, gives a glossy finish, and a chewy bite.
Butter: Is essential to melt the sugar into a smooth mixture.
Salt: Used to balance the sweetness a bit.
Vanilla: Adds warmth and rounds out the flavors.
Peanut Butter: Gives these cookies their creamy texture, nutty flavor, and helps bind everything together. You can use crunchy peanut butter for even more texture. I don’t recommend using natural peanut butter for this recipe.
Corn Flakes: Add a light and crispy crunch.
Crisp Rice Cereal: Fills in the mixture with extra crunch while keeping the cookies light.
Fun Variations
Once the mixture cools a bit, stir in your favorite mix-ins! Try mini chocolate chips, chopped nuts, or even mini marshmallows.
Sprinkle the top of each cookie with flaky sea salt while they are still warm or drizzle with melted chocolate after they’ve set.
Fold mixture into a parchment lined pan, spread it out, and press. Cool to firm up, then cut into squares.
How to Make No Bake Peanut Butter Cookies
Line a baking sheet or tray with parchment paper.
Melt together butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, and salt over medium heat.
Bring the mixture to a boil, remove it from the heat, stir in the peanut butter and vanilla until smooth.
Fold in the cornflakes and crisp rice cereal until everything is evenly coated.
Drop spoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheet and chill until firm.
Crunch Time Tips
Make sure mixture comes to a boil so the cookies set properly.
Don’t overboil the syrup mixture. Boiling too long can make the coating hard instead of soft and gooey so as soon as it reaches a boil, remove it from the heat.
Fold in the cereals to keep them crisp and prevent them from breaking apart too much.
The mixture will set as it cools, so scoop the cookies soon after mixing.
Use a cookie scoop or two spoons for evenly sized cookies. But the beauty of this recipe is that they are dropped so they have a rustic look.
Create small or large cookies, whatever size you like!
Cool in the refrigerator so they firm up enough to enjoy.
Sweet Shelf-Life Secrets
Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days at room temperature for the best texture.
You can freeze these in a sealed container with parchment paper between the layers for up to 3 months.
Thaw at room temperature for a few minutes before serving.
