Mom's No-Bake Cookies

Possibly the ugliest cookies ever

Note:

I originally shared this no-bake cookie recipe a few years ago, on a now defunct blog. Since Passover season is approaching once again, I thought I'd re-post it here.

I've been meaning to share one of my favorite recipes for ages, but between the tea room, and the garden, and the farm, and kids, and sleep, something has always come up. Since I'm enjoying a whole lot more time at home than usual lately, and Passover is just around the corner (these aren't baked, and they don't contain leavening, or even flour), it's time to finally share. But first, a little back story:

My mom used to make no-bake cookies for us to take in our sack lunches when I was a kid. I loved them. Since she wasn’t around to show me how to make them, I went looking online for a recipe. I assumed it would be a simple matter to find the same recipe, or at least one close enough to satisfy my craving.

You know what happens when you assume.

Every recipe I found had peanut butter in it. Now I may not have paid attention to cooking time and measurements, but I was sure of one thing: Mom never contaminated those cookies with peanut butter. I love peanut butter, but I’ve had no-bake cookies with peanut butter in them, and they don’t hold a candle to the ones that my mom made.

I mentioned to my sister one day that I’d sure like to make some no-bake cookies, but I had no recipe, and no idea how they were made. She replied “Oh, I know how to make them”. I may have suggested that she hang up the phone immediately and get busy making some, and while she was at it, write down the directions.

FYI: These are not like other no-bake cookies. They will be sticky, and you cannot eat them with any decorum at all. They are totally worth it. Also: Yes, I know exactly what they look like!

Mom’s No-Bake Cookies

4 cups quick oats

7 Tablespoons cocoa powder

1/2 stick margarine or butter

2/3 cup milk

1 2/3 cup sugar

1/2 Tablespoon vanilla extract

Mix the oatmeal and cocoa in a large bowl and set aside:

cocoa powder and oatmeal

Combine margarine (or butter), milk and sugar in a sauce pan and stir constantly over medium heat until it comes to a boil.

milk, sugar butter mixture coming to a boil

When it begins to boil and foam, remove from heat and stir in the vanilla.

Pour into oatmeal mixture and mix thoroughly.

With a cookie scoop (#40) or a spoon, drop onto waxed paper and allow to cool. This part isn’t strictly necessary. I’ve been known to just start eating with a spoon when no-one’s looking. If you allow them to sit out for several hours or overnight, they will be much less sticky.

Makes about 24 cookies.

Cookies drying

No-Bake cookies.pdf

Download PDF • 2.55MB