Christmas is right around the corner and I know a lot of you will be busy baking sweet Holiday treats in the weeks to come. My mom is one of them; she bakes enough cookies for a small army and gives them all away as gifts. My older daughter loves to bake, a tradition she shared with grandma since she was very little.
Me, I always preferred cooking to baking. Baking is so precise where cooking is easier to improvise. Which is why I love these cookies... no baking required!
They are pretty addicting and quite filling too. Oh, did I mention they are gluten-free (if you use gluten free oats) and egg-less? I even had a few of these for breakfast! Milk, oatmeal, peanut butter... why not?
Last year was the first time I heard of no-bake cookies. Someone had sent me their recipe and asked me to lighten them up. This year, once again someone asked me to lighten these up, so after a few attempts to get them just right, we finally had success!
To lighten these up I used Better'n Peanut Butter which you can find at Target, health food stores, Amazon, or even Trader Joe's. Some supermarket's even carry them. Yes, you could use light peanut butter instead, but the fat content is higher and honestly, I liked them better with the Better 'n Peanut Butter!
You can roll them in powdered sugar or cocoa just before serving, or leave them as is. Keep them refrigerated if you don't plan on eating them right away.
Skinny No-Bake Cookies
Skinnytaste.com
Servings: 20 • Size: 2 cookies, 1 tbsp each • Old Points: 2 pts • Points+: 3 pts
Calories: 105.9 • Fat: 2.3 g • Carbs: 18.8 • Fiber: 2.3 • Protein: 3.1 g • Sugar: 7.9
Sodium: 12.2 mg
Ingredients:
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
- 2 tbsp Smart Balance Light butter
- 1/2 cup fat free milk
- 2 1/2 cups quick oats (for gluten free, use gluten free oats)
- 3/4 cup Better'n Peanut Butter
- 1 tsp vanilla
- powdered sugar, cocoa powder (optional)
Directions:
Combine the first 4 ingredients (sugar through milk) and boil in a small sauce pan for 2 minutes.
Remove from heat and mix in oatmeal, Better n' Peanut Butter and vanilla.
Drop by tablespoons onto a wax paper or roll into balls with slightly moist hands and refrigerate overnight.
The next day you can roll them in powdered sugar or cocoa powder if desired. Keep refrigerated if storing for several days.
Makes 40 cookies.
























Gina, I made your Make over Corn Cassarole yesterday and it was every bit as good as the higher fat/calorie version. Also had the no bake Pumpkin cheesecake. I have tried so many of your recipies since discovering your site that I don't hesitate to try anything that remotely sounds like I'd like it. Oh, and my crockpot goes practically non stop with the applesauce, my daughter and I love it! I can't wait to try these cookies, they look like a good option for replacing the 3lb batches of fudge I used to make at Christmas, pre WW. Thanks again and keep em coming!!
ReplyDeleteThose look so pretty and I love no bake cookies. At 105 calories each I could even have one. :) Thanks!! Jessica
ReplyDeleterunningtobeskinny.com
Yum! I love making no-bake bites, balls, 'cookies', truffles and things like this. So many things you can do with oats, cocoa, sugar, and some PB. Yummy work!
ReplyDeleteIt's actually 105 calories, for 2 cookies!
ReplyDeleteNo bake cookies are my absolute favorite! Thank you for making a skinny version. I cannot wait to try them!
ReplyDeleteHey Gina :)
ReplyDeleteI'm from Germany where peanutbutter isn't very popular so I won't find a light one I guess. Do you think they work without peanut butter? Or are they something to glue those balls together?
And also I'm not quite sure what quick oats means. Is it just usual oat in smaller peaces?
I also wanted to mention that your page is really great! Eventhough I sometimes have to change the recipe because I can't buy the original ingredients in Germany, all recipes were really delicious!!
You've probably already found the answer, but I just made these without peanut butter, and they are wonderful!
DeleteI am going to try these but use PB2 that I've mixed up. I'll let you know how they do.
ReplyDeleteGreat Jenny!
ReplyDeletePamela, let us know!!
Kathi - The peanut butter are any nut butter is a must. If you can't find low fat, you can use regular but the points will be higher. Keeping that in mind, peanuts are so good for you and the fat in them are good fats so it's still a healthy treat.
Thanks for the fast answer!
ReplyDeleteInbetween I just did your Best Low Fat Chocolate Chip Cookies. They just came out of the oven and they are sooooo delicious :)
I love little homemade gifts like this for Christmas. Lovely idea!
ReplyDeletewouldn't mind trying these using vegan butter and soy milk :) i bet they taste delicious!!!
ReplyDeleteHow did these turn out with vegan butter and soy milk?
DeleteYou are my hero for always helping me with great recipe ideas for me and the Granddaughter. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteSounds awesome! Question: will these work with Splenda instead of sugar? Any idea what the point change would be, if one?
ReplyDeleteThanks for the recipe!
ReplyDeleteI love your web site and your wonderful recipes but I'd like to pring them out without all the pictures. I really don't need 4 pages for one recipe. Is there a way to do that?
ReplyDeleteOf course I mean PRINT them out not pring...
ReplyDelete3 points for 1 cookie!!! THAT'S MY KIND OF TREAT :D
ReplyDeleteJoyfulartist there is a printer friendly version at the bottom of the recipe. Works like a charm.
ReplyDeleteoh my gosh, you are amazing! these are my FAVORITE cookies! I never make them because I cannot be trusted around them. My mom always made these when we were growing up. I cannot wait to make this skinny recipe and have my Mom try! Thanks so much!!!! I can enjoy them again!
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to hear from Pamela D - I have some PB2 that I'd love to try on these! Peanut Butter & Chocolate - doesn't get better than that!
ReplyDeleteNo Bakes are my absolute favorite, I ate 3 at the dining hall on Tuesday :/ whoops!
ReplyDeletexx Emily @ laughliveandshop.blogspot.com
These look great! Could you use splenda or splenda for baking (which is 1/2 splenda and 1/2 sugar)?
ReplyDeleteYumm! These look really good and festive!
ReplyDeletehttp://mytastyliving.blogspot.com/
Gina, these are amazing! Your recipes have changed my life! You are pretty much my hero.
ReplyDeleteYou had me at No Bake...
ReplyDeleteI spent enough time in the kitchen yesterday. So now I need a skinny recipe :-)
Making these tomorrow! Your recipes are truly spectacular. I'm so grateful for this source of healthier recipes.
ReplyDeletePB2 does work great I have tried it before. Just not sure what the point value would be. Less Im sure beings PB2 is very low in calories!
ReplyDeleteThese are pretty addicting!
ReplyDeleteSplenda would work, not sure if the points change. Non dairy milk would work too!
It's 3 points for 2 cookies.
There is a print friendly button to the person with printing issues.
Enjoy!!
WOW!! I JUST mentioned wanting these the other day. My mother made these (not skinny, of course) all the time when I was younger. I love COCOA and I LOVE PEANUT BUTTER! I hadn't even thought to use Better'n Peanut Butter. I have a fresh jar! Making these TOMORROW!!! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!
ReplyDeleteI love raw ball like cookies. Great recipe. Thanks again for another great light recipe!
ReplyDeleteGina you are amazing. I tried your scalloped potatoes for Thanksgiving. Awesome! My husband even liked the dish. I am trying the Spinach Artichoke Dip this weekend.
ReplyDeleteAnne
@Kathi,
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure how well it would work, but perhaps you could try it with Nutella? A friend of mine lives in Germany, and has used Nutella in place of her peanut butter addiction. It might be a more chocolate-y, so you might need to omit the cocoa powder. =] Just a suggestion!
Oh! and quick oats are an oatmeal that is designed to cook a bit quicker than usual oats. The same that you'd use for a quick oatmeal breakfast, if its available there.
ReplyDeleteGina, I love you, so please know that my comment is said with a good-natured smile. You said that you prefer cooking to baking since it's not as precise, so you love these because no baking is required. However, these cookies require just as much precision as the ones that goes in the oven, because the first step is to measure the ingredients.
ReplyDeleteAnyhow, thanks for the recipe -- I appreciate it (and you)!
With so many people having restricted diets these days, this looks like a great gift idea (or bring-along platter) that everyone will love. I'll be adding these to my list! :)
ReplyDeleteYum! These look wonderful! I'm going to make these today!! I love no bake cookies!! Time to clear the fridge to fit room for these! Yum!!
ReplyDeleteGina,
ReplyDeleteWhen printing with the print friendly button, Is it possible for you to add a small picture of the food with the recipe?
Gina,
ReplyDeleteYou rock....we can always count on you to deliver
to the person printing, If I were you I would copy and paste the picture into microsoft word, and copy and paste the recipe into microsoft word and then mess around with the font and size however you want. its a lot easier.
ReplyDeletewould this work for other nut butters? I am thinking of almond/pecan. Both of them go great with chocolate.
ReplyDeleteLove how pretty these are!
ReplyDeleteGina
ReplyDeleteThese look awesome, can't wait to try
them. Wonder if you could substitue
Splenda for the sugar.
Can you freeze them for Christmas.
ReplyDeleteGina....Thank you soooo much for making these skinny for me, I will be making them this week.
ReplyDeleteYour the BEST!!
I hate to sound dumb....but what is PB2?
ReplyDeleteI can't wait to make these, they look and sound Awsome!! Low points and cookies= yumm without guilt.
Gina, you must be inside my head this week! I just ordered a jar of PB2 and started thinking of ways to use it. Well, no-bake cookies came to mind first, because I adore them... and low and behold, what's on SkinnyTaste today? Skinny no-bake cookies!
ReplyDeleteNow I just have to wait for the PB2 to arrive... :(
Did they retain that "boiled fudge" texture? That's the selling point of no-bake cookies for me.
Hope you all enjoy... oh yes I suppose these are still precise with measuring!
ReplyDeleteRight now there is only an option of printing with or without photos but I think they are working on making improvements.
I'm sure Splenda can be used instead!
Rebecca, yes with petter n peanut butter they are actually gooier. Not sure how they would be with PB2.
YUMMMMMMY!!! No Bake cookies are my favorite! :D
ReplyDeleteGina, I had to leave a comment to thank you for the amazing recipes you continue to post. My daughter has lost over 80 lbs since March by using your recipes to prepare healthy meals along with exercise. It has been life changing for her and you are one part of her success. Your recipes have changed the way I cook. Thanks!!
ReplyDeleteGina, Do you think that 10 of these cookies would fit into a 4" X 6" gift bag?
ReplyDeleteWade
Made them last nite. Another home run. Thanks for your hard work!
ReplyDeleteI made these today and I had company and they are gone! I think I like them better with old fashioned oats, but I love the flavor with the better n peanut butter!
ReplyDeleteI love your recipes Gina! I was just wondering if the powdered sugar was included in the PP count or if I need to calculate it again with the powdered sugar added? Thanks for all the great recipes!
ReplyDeleteThese look like great treats to bake over the holidays as gifts. Thanks for making this recipe available online.
ReplyDeleteI was going to suggest using PB2 but I see someone else already did! If someone has tried it, please do comment back with how it went, please. :)
ReplyDelete(To the person who asked, PB2 is defatted peanut powder - the only ingredients in it are peanuts, sugar, and salt, but it has very low fat/few calories, and you reconstitute it with water or just add it to things. I think it's yum!)
I made these this morning!!! I couldn't believe I actually had all ingredients in my house!! Was quickest thing I have ever made- problem is is too hard to wait overnight for them to chill- I already had two!!!
ReplyDeleteThese look AMAZING and I can't wait to make them. Quick question though... I want to make a batch with something else aside from Peanut Butter as one of my son's is allergic; can I substitute the peanut butter for like Nutella?
ReplyDeleteGina, can I make these ahead of time and freeze them ? Many thanks for all your wonderful recipes !!!
ReplyDeleteI have to make cookies for a holiday party at work, and these might just be my recipe pick! They're super cute.
ReplyDeleteOh my! I can't wait to try these. I LOVE no bake cookies, but they are so fattening. Thank you so much for making these treats 'skinny.' I'm looking forward to trying them :)
ReplyDeleteHi Gina! My sister made these the other day for dessert just as I was planning on making them for dessert this weekend, lol!
ReplyDeleteI was wondering about using crushed candy cane on some and powdered sugar to coat the others. Do you think the peppermint flavour will offset the PB taste inside?
For those who were wondering if Splenda will work, NO it will not. I tried making the regular version of these before with Splenda and it was horrible. Splenda doesn't boil and thicken like regular sugar does. The taste and the consistency was disgusting. I thought maybe I had done something wrong, but when I told a friend about my experience she said that the same thing happened to her. It's sad to have to throw away a whole pan of what could have been such yumminess. I have never tried the Splenda baking mix though, so if someone has experience with that, please share.
ReplyDeleteI am so new to baking so please excuse the dumb question. Is there a difference between the unsweentened cocoa and the cocoa powder?
ReplyDeleteI made them with reduced fat butter and they were AMAZING!!:) Love them, love their texture and ate a few for breakfast this morning! :)
ReplyDeleteI made these last night without Peanut butter - have a peanut allergy in the house and they turned out fine! Yummy and addictive I have been thinking of them all day!
ReplyDeletethis may be a silly question, but can you use old fashioned oats for these? I have everything else in my pantry - just no quick oats. thanks for any help!
ReplyDeleteGina - Your website is amazing. Thanks for including WW points, you have made my life "immeasurably" easier! I've asked Santa for a frozen yogurt maker- do you have any recipes for that gizzmo- or similar- somewhere? I think he's getting me the 1 1/2 quart Cuisinart ICE 21
ReplyDeleteStephanie, by Splenda "baking mix" I guess you mean Splenda's Sugar Blend? I am curious about this too. Please anyone who tries this with Splenda sweetener or Splenda Sugar Blend let us know your results! Tnx!
ReplyDeleteI just made these and they are SO GOOD!And easy! I can't wait to share them! Thanks!!
ReplyDeleteI made these tonight using PB2 instead of the Better'n Peanut Butter. My PB2 could have used a touch more water in it, but otherwise, still great flavor and delicious. If using PB2, the PP+ changes to 1 PP+ per cookie, if you make 40 cookies. I however could not make that many. I only ended up with about 28 cookies, so mine are 2 PP+ each.
ReplyDeleteOverall - another great recipe!! Thanks!
I love the way you served these up. They look so pretty!
ReplyDeleteI grew up with these cookies, although a higher points plus version. My grandmother makes these and after 40 years of her making them, they are still the first thing to go when family gets together. Thanks so much for making a lighter version!
ReplyDelete@cc, yes you can use old fashion oats.
ReplyDeleteI meshed this with a powerball recipe I have... less oats and add walnuts, flax, raisins, unsweet coconut, and sunflower seeds... and replace the sugar with half honey half splenda... delish! I've never heard of BTPB til now - it has found a permanent place in my pantry, THANKS!
ReplyDeleteI'm super happy you like them!!
ReplyDeleteSorry, I was on vacation, I will try to get to all the questions here.
Wade, I'm not really sure?
The powdered sugar is extra if using but I don't think it would alter the points for the amount used.
Diana, what about soy nut butter? Bet it would be great!!
I think they would freeze great.
I personally feel peppermint would clash with the peanut butter.
Fawn- one is sweetened, the other isn't.
Anonymous, yes I have lots of recipes using my ice cream maker.
Never made them with Splenda, but I guess the answer is no you can't judging by what others are saying.
Unsweetened cocoa and cocoa powder are two names for the same thing. Cocoa is unsweetened, period. Whenever you see cocoa as an ingredient in recipes, it is the unsweetened powder they are referring to.
DeleteOf course, there is "Hot Cocoa Powder" which is a totally different product, being a hot beverage mix including cocoa, sugar, milk powder, and other ingredients. This is almost never called for in recipes.
Personally I'm a huge fan of mint and peanut butter together. I know it sounds odd, but trust me, it's delicious! I think I'm making these for a potluck next week. I'll test one with mint and report back :)
ReplyDeleteI just made these using Splenda Mix, Naturally More peanut (from Sam's) & almond milk. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that they turn out well tomorrow. I tasted the mixture warm and it tasted delicious. We'll see! Thank you for a great recipe!
ReplyDeleteThese are awesome - great for a chocloate fix and PB too. I prefered them rolled in the cocoa as the powdered sugar was just too sweet for me. Great idea Gina and thrilled you are focusing on desserts for Xmas. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteThese were fabulous and so easy to make! Thanks, Gina!
ReplyDeleteIf you do freeze these do you wait until just before serving to roll them in the powdered sugar or cocoa powder?
ReplyDeleteI would not suggest to use Better n Peanut Butter for this recipe for a few reasons. 1. It has a funky aftertaste 2. It has mono and trans as the 2 grams per serving (which is REALLY unhealthy by the way) 3. You have to refrigerate it after opening and that just scares me. I love your recipes, but this one was a bit disappointing. WW can be great, but this proves that cannot look a 4 things a label and know all you need to eat healthy. That's my 2 cents.
ReplyDeleteI've made several of your recipes so far & they've all been great!! Just made these cookies for a holiday cookie swap I have tomorrow night!! They're chilling in the fridge & I'm going to roll them in powdered sugar before going. I tried some of the leftover in the pot...YUM!! Can't wait to try them once they've set up & been dusted!! Keep the great recipes coming!!
ReplyDeleteMade these over the weekend and had two for breakfast yesterday morning. So good!
ReplyDeleteI am not sure if I did it right, but using Spark's recipe calculator, I just calculated the nutrition information using PB2 and Splenda as a substitute and came up with an unbelievable 65 calories per serving (2 cookies). I would like to emphasize this is considering that I have not done something wrong, which I am wondering since 105 is so great, 65...well, it just can't be!
ReplyDeleteI have 2 cookies as a serving size so if you did it per cookie that's probably right... U will eat more than 1 I'm sure!
ReplyDeleteI failed in my task. I skipped the mint part, but I'm sure the candy cane crumbles would have been great on this! They were well received at the holiday party we attended!
ReplyDeleteI used Splenda and they were great! I use it in place of sugar for just about everything. Took these in to work and everyone raved over them, men and women alike.
ReplyDeleteI'm elated I have found your site today! I suffer from candida overgrowth and it limits my intake of sugar, dairy, gluten, yeast, and pretty much anything else that is good. But I have been going through your site and I've found so many things I can make minor adjustments too. I can't wait to add recipes to my sad list of things my poor family has to eat because of me! These cookies sound wonderful. Do you by any chance know what changes I could make to substitute the sugar with Stevia extract and the milk with a non-dairy milk? Thanks so much for your wonderful ideas!
ReplyDeleteI made the skinny no-bake cookies tonight. SO easy! Start to finish was about 20 minutes. Next time I would cut the oats to 2 cups (rather than 2.5). They got a bit dry trying to roll them with all of those oats! Can't wait to serve them tomorrow at girls' night.
ReplyDeleteI just made these and they are delicious! I used brown sugar instead of white since I didn't have any on hand and they turned out great. Thank you for all of the wonderful ideas!!
ReplyDeleteI bought Better N Peanut Butter for the first time today and tried it in this recipe. AMAZING! My little ones love it too. You know that skinny recipes are good when the kids love them. Thank you for putting together such an amazing site to help us all live more healthy lives.
ReplyDeleteI didn't have light butter so I used regular unsalted and ended up with 36 balls. I calculated it and it is about 2 PP per ball that way, although 3 are just 5 points. :)
I love love love your blog. Searching for the old stand-by no-bake oatmeal peanut butter cookie recipe, I googled it and found your recipe.
ReplyDeleteI used the brown sugar/splenda mixure I had in the cupboard (almost 2/3 cup), replaced soy milk for non fat milk, a tablespoon more smart balance (i used the regular omega 3 mixture) and Krema peanut butter - everything else was the same.
I rolled them in dark cocoa and oats and they look and taste delicious!!! They'd make a nice little gift - almost like truffles.
Thank you!
Has anyone tried these with a nut butter alternative like sunflower butter? My daughter can't have gluten, eggs, or nuts due to allergies and I'm wondering if I can modify this for her.
ReplyDeleteI needed something sweet tonight and whipped these together. I love, love, love your recipes! Thanks for your hard work!
ReplyDeleteThis looks delicious. I'd love to make this for my husband. He is deployed right now. Does anyone knows if I can send this overseas? Any advise/ideas would greatly appreciated.
ReplyDeleteThank you,
Mags
I don't think they would last that long.
DeleteYou may have just saved my life! After butchering another dessert I am supposed to bring for tonight for our Bible study, I did not have time to start something that was going to take me all afternoon. Although it says these are supposed to cool overnight, I am hoping if I put them in the freezer for a bit, then switch to the fridge, they will be ok. I just happened to have all these ingredients on hand (well, I'm using Adam's Natural peanut butter). Really hope they turn out, though, otherwise, I really may be out of luck for tonight.
ReplyDeleteThese were sooo good, I made these twice in the last one week and I'm addicted to these!! The problem is, I eat 5-6, instead of sticking to the serving size. So easy to make, this will be a go to recipe for quick dessert.
ReplyDeleteMy no-bake cookies did not turn out good. They looked nothing like the no-bake cookies in the picture. Mine was a sloppy mess. I could not roll them into balls even after I refrigerated for a hour. I used salted butter instead of Smart Balance light butter and I do believe it actually made them taste better. The peanut butter was the difficult part to measure. I just found out that 12 tablespoons of peanut butter is 3/4 cup. This would have been more helpful information before I made these. Also my no-bake cookies had chunks of oatmeal and the picture did not, do you mash the oatmeal before you make these? I halved the recipe just to try these out, they're not bad. They were satisfying. Next time I'm going to use powdered sugar instead of granulated sugar to try it. I will add half as much powdered than granulated.
ReplyDeleteOh! Could you add whole wheat flour to this to make these no-bake cookies less gooey and more under control? It would be easier to roll into balls and may just taste more like a cookie.
ReplyDeleteI don't know if it's the same with this recipe as the older, less healthy one, but for the older one, I was taught if you boil for too long, they will not harden properly; you end up with a cocoa peanut butter flavored oatmeal if the oats get too hot!
ReplyDeleteThank you Gina for this recipe! I was actually just going to make the "unskinny" version of this recipe for my family and try not to touch them. Now I can make this recipe and indulge a little. This was always one of my favorite recipes, thank you for lightening it up.
ReplyDeleteWhat about stevia for this recipe? Also, is butter a must?
ReplyDeleteGina I love your recipe. A friend of mine taught me how to fix a recipe like this... Not healthy of course. But I love this version. I will definitely be making this recipe. I am on weight watchers now and your recipes help me stay on my diet. A friend of mine turned me on to this website and I'm glad because I have fixed so many of your wonderful recipes from your website. Thanks Gina for what you do.
ReplyDelete