No-Bake Preacher Cookie Recipe With Chocolate And Peanut Butter
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These easy preacher cookies are the perfect peanut butter and chocolate no-bake cookie recipe! Made with only a few simple ingredients but packed with oats, peanut butter, and chocolate they are the perfect dessert that’s ready in just a few minutes.
Preacher cookies are one of the easiest cookie recipes you’ll ever make.
They were a go-to recipe for me since I was a kid and I really can’t remember a time that our family didn’t make these simple treats.
Jump forward to when I was a young mom and really busy they were the perfect quick and easy dessert idea.
I also love that they are gluten-free and egg-free that was a lifesaver when it came to desserts and treats when one of my little ones had gluten allergies for a few years.
How Did Preacher Cookies Get Their Name?
According to the legends that I’ve heard, preacher cookies got their name because of how quick and easy they were to make.
When a woman looked out her window and saw the preacher coming along the road, she could make up these fast cookies and have them ready before he got to her doorstep for a visit.
Easy Peanut Butter And Chocolate No-Bake Cookies
These peanut butter and chocolate no-bake preacher cookies are one of the simplest cookie recipes I’ve ever made. You probably have everything you need on hand to make these right now.
If you are looking for a fast dessert idea, these are perfect! Made without eggs and flour, they seem different compared to most cookies, but that’s because they really are more of a candy.
Yup a candy that’s pretending to be a cookie, and that works great for me.
Ingredients
- 2 cups white sugar – I use white sugar because it’s simple and I always have it on hand. However, you can also use brown sugar or a mix of the two.
- 1/2 cup salted butter – I use salted butter in this recipe and always use butter, not margarine. Margarine gives no-bake cookies a terrible taste.
- 1/2 cup milk – Whole milk is my favorite to use but you can use skim milk, 2% or even powdered milk that’s been mixed up.
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder – unsweetened
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup peanut butter – Both creamy and crunchy peanut butter work great, but avoid using natural peanut butter. The oils can separate causing the cookies not to set as well.
- 3 1/2 cups quick oats – I really recommend using quick oats for this recipe. To me, they give a chewier, more bite-sized texture.
How To Make No-Bake Preacher Cookies
Step 1: Get Everything Ready
First, get all of your ingredients out and measured before starting. Since you need to add things before the mixture cools it’s so helpful all the ingredients are ready to go.
Get 2 cookie sheets out, line them with parchment paper, and set them aside.
Step 2: Melt The Butter
In a large saucepan, melt the butter on low until it’s fully melted and sizzling hot.
Step 3: Boil The Chocolate Mixture
Once the butter is melted, add in the sugar, cocoa, and milk and stir well. Increase the heat to medium and bring the mixture to a boil while stirring constantly.
Boil the mixture for 3 minutes, remembering to stir it the whole time.
Step 4: Stir In The Peanut Butter And Oats
When the timer is up, remove the pot from the heat and add in the vanilla and peanut butter, stirring until it’s well combined.
Finally, add the oats and stir until they have been mixed in well with the chocolate.
Step 5: Drop And Let Them Set
Drop by heaping tablespoons onto parchment or wax paper-lined baking sheets. Allow the cookies to cool before eating.
Tips For Making Preacher Cookies
Do Preacher Cookies Need To Be Refrigerated?
No, they don’t need to be refrigerated. No-bake cookies can be stored in airtight containers at room temperature. Stored this way, they should last for about a week.
If you prefer to refrigerate them, you can, and they will last longer.
Can You Freeze Preacher Cookies?
Yes! Preacher cookies freeze very well. Simply line an airtight container with parchment or wax paper and place the cookies on top. Cover them with parchment or wax paper between layers of cookies.
Can I Leave Out The Peanut Butter?
Yes, you can leave out the peanut butter. The cookies will turn out the same, but without the peanut butter flavor, of course.
Can I Leave Out The Cocoa Powder?
Yes, you can leave out the cocoa powder, and the cookies will turn out fine. They won’t, of course, taste like chocolate, but will still have a sweet taste and a hint of peanut butter.
Why Are My Cookies Gooey?
If your cookies turned out gooey and didn’t set up, then they probably weren’t cooked long enough to.
No-bake cookies are more like making candy than true cookies that are baked in the oven. To get them to set up properly you need to boil the mixture until it reaches the softball stage. This is 235–240°F (113–116°C) on a candy thermometer.
There are many factors that can affect your cookies setting up. If you live at a very high altitude, it can take longer to reach the softball stage, and if you live close to sea level, it can take less time.
If it’s very humid outside, it can also take longer for the cookies to set up.
If your cookies haven’t set after you have let them cool for 30 minutes, just place them into the fridge to help them firm up.
Why Are My Cookies Dry?
The most common cause of no bake preacher cookies coming out too dry is that they were boiled for too long.
If your no-bake cookies are always coming out on the dry side try cutting the boiling time back to 1 minute.
In a pinch, you can add a little bit of milk to the mix while it’s still warm.
I once got distracted while making preacher cookies and boiled them a little longer than I should have. After I added in the oats, the mixture got very dry and crumbly.
But when I poured in a little milk (about 1/2 a cup), the mixture turned out perfectly.
Substitutions
- Milk: Whole milk is my favorite, but skim milk, 2%, or powdered milk that’s been mixed up all work.
- Sugar: Use brown sugar or a mix of white and brown sugar instead of all white sugar.
- Oats: Use certified gluten-free oats to make these gluten-free. I recommend quick oats for the best texture.
- Peanut butter: Creamy or crunchy both work, but skip natural peanut butter. The oils can separate and keep the cookies from setting.
- Butter: Always use butter, not margarine. Margarine gives no-bake cookies a terrible taste.
Want to leave out the peanut butter or cocoa powder? See the tips above. The cookies still turn out fine.
More Easy Cookie Recipes
- 25 No Bake Christmas Cookies
- Dutch Butter Cookies
- Soft Peanut Butter Cookies
- Chewy Oatmeal Cookies
- Peanut Butter Blossoms
- No Bake Coconut Snowball Cookies
- Easy Christmas Cookies
Preacher Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups white sugar
- 1/2 cup salted butter
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder unsweetened
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup peanut butter
- 3 1/2 cups oatmeal GF if you're on a GF diet
Instructions
- Get 2 cookie sheets out and line them with parchment paper and set them aside.
- In a large saucepan, melt the butter on low until it’s fully melted and sizzling hot.
- Once the butter is melted, add in the sugar, cocoa, and milk and stir well. Increase the heat to medium and bring the mixture to a boil while stirring constantly.
- Boil the mixture for 3 minutes, remembering to stir it the whole time.
- When the timer is up, remove the pot from the heat and add in the vanilla and peanut butter, stirring until it’s well combined.
- Finally, add the oats and stir until they have been mixed in well with the chocolate.
- Drop by heaping tablespoons onto parchment or wax paper-lined baking sheets. Allow the cookies to cool before eating.
Video
Nutrition
These values are from a nutritional database and automatically calculated, and should only be used as an approximation.
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Kim Mills is a homeschooling mom of 6 and lives on an urban homestead in Ontario, Canada. Blogging at Homestead Acres she enjoys sharing tips to help you save money, grow and preserve your own food.
