Peanut butter cookies are one of the most popular sweet treats in the US. With their nutty flavor profile and signature chewy texture, these confections are incredibly irresistible.
On top of that, they’re exceptionally easy to make. All you need is a few ingredients, a baking tray, and an oven.
However, if you live in a dorm or don’t have access to an oven, fear not! You can still enjoy peanut butter cookies with a few simple adjustments.
If you tweak the recipe or use a different heat source, you should be able to make the confections in no time.
In today’s article, I’ll teach you how to make peanut butter cookies without an oven. I’ll walk you through the recipe and the steps you’ll need to follow to bake the tasty treat.
How to Make No-Bake Peanut Butter Cookies
If you don’t have an oven but still want to make peanut butter cookies at home, you’re in luck. Thankfully, there are recipes that don’t require a stove at all.
If that sounds interesting, then you’ve come to the right place. In this section, I’ll cover the steps you need to follow to make no-bake peanut butter cookies.
Step 1: Gather Your Ingredients
Right off the bat, the first step of the process is gathering your ingredients. This will make following the recipe much easier later on.
For classic no-bake peanut butter cookies, you’ll need:
- 1½ cups of creamy peanut butter
- 3 cups of white granulated sugar
- 4 cups of quick-cooking oats
- 1 cup of butter
- ¾ cup of milk
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
Fortunately, most of these components should already be in your pantry. So, you won’t even have to make a trip to your local grocery store to get started.
Besides that, it’s a good idea to have cooking spray or parchment paper on hand. These will ensure your cookies don’t stick to your baking tray.
Step 2: Cream the Peanut Butter and Sugar
Once you gather and measure out your ingredients, you can start combining them. In a large bowl, add the peanut butter and sugar.
Then, using a hand-held mixer, cream the two ingredients until you get a homogenous batter. The moisture content of the peanut butter will melt the sugar granules and leave you with a smooth mixture.
That way, you ensure your cookies don’t turn out grainy. This process should only take two to three minutes.
It’s best to rely on room-temperature peanut butter for this step. You can use cold peanut butter, but it’ll make the process more challenging and time-consuming.
Step 3: Mix the Butter and Milk
Now that you have sweetened peanut butter, you can set this mixture aside and focus on the milk and butter.
In a medium-sized saucepan, add the two ingredients and turn the heat up to medium. Then, bring the mixture to a roaring boil.
It’s crucial that you constantly stir the mixture while it’s on the heat. This will ensure that the milk and butter don’t burn while you’re waiting for them to reach the desired temperature.
As soon as you can no longer see any streaks of butter, take the mixture off the heat.
Step 4: Combine Your Two Mixtures
Once you turn off the heat, all you have to do is drizzle the milk into the peanut butter while whisking the mixture continuously.
This should melt all the components and leave you with a smooth batter. Plus, the constant whisking will add air to your mixture.
Not only will this increase the volume of your batter, but it’ll also result in fluffier, flaky cookies.
Finally, you can add the vanilla extract to your mixture.
Step 5: Add the Oats
With the heavy lifting out of the way, all that’s left is to add your oats to the batter. So, stir the grains into your mixture and ensure everything is well combined.
Then, set your bowl on your kitchen counter and allow it to rest for 10 to 15 minutes. The residual heat in your batter should be enough to cook the oats and soften their texture.
Step 6: Shape Your Peanut Butter Cookies
Now comes the final and most exciting part of the process. At this stage, your cookie dough should be ready to eat.
So, grab an ice cream scoop and portion your batter into 48 dough balls. Next, you can shape the cookies however you like.
This part of the process is particularly fun for children. So, if you have any little ones running around, ask them for help with this step.
It makes for an incredibly fun family activity.
Then, place your cookies on a tray lined with parchment paper and pop them in the fridge for about 10 minutes to firm up. After that, your peanut butter treats are ready to eat!
What Can You Use as an Oven Alternative for Peanut Butter Cookies?
While no-bake peanut butter cookies are exceptionally tasty, their flavor profile differs slightly from the traditional sweet treats we all grew up with.
The oats will add new nutty notes that may not be everyone’s cup of tea. So, if you have a craving for traditional peanut butter cookies, you don’t have to worry.
You can still use your favorite recipe, even if you don’t have an oven. That’s because there are a few alternative heat sources you can rely on.
1 – Microwaves
If you don’t have an oven, you can use a microwave to bake peanut butter cookies. Yet, you’ll need to tweak the recipe instructions.
You have to remember, a microwave will heat food much faster than an oven. So, it’s crucial that you adjust the cooking time.
As a general rule, you should reduce the baking duration to about a quarter of the original time. For example, if your recipe calls for 40 minutes in the oven, it’ll only take about 10 minutes to cook in the microwave.
Besides that, microwaves don’t heat food evenly. Because of that, you may have to flip your cookies halfway through the cooking process.
2 – Toaster Oven
A toaster oven is another excellent option for baking your peanut butter cookies. However, it’s not a good idea to drop the sweet treats directly into your device.
Otherwise, you’ll have a tough time fishing out your cookies once they’re done. For that reason, it’s best practice to wrap your treats in parchment paper before you place them into your toaster oven.
This may be a little tedious and time-consuming, but it beats having to clean out your heating device.
Moving on, toaster ovens typically heat food faster than an oven. Yet, this depends on the power rating and size of your device.
So, figuring out the cooking time can be a little finicky. To ensure your cookies don’t burn, you have to keep a close eye on them.
3 – Slow Cooker
As an alternative to baking in the oven, you can cook peanut butter cookies in a slow cooker. Yet, this will take a long time.
Depending on your cooker, the process can take anywhere from two to six hours. Because of that, it’s best to only use this method if you’re not in a hurry to serve your peanut butter cookies.
Can You Make Peanut Butter Cookies in an Air Fryer?
Yes, if you don’t have an oven, an air fryer should work in a pinch. However, you’ll need to reduce the temperature by about 25℉ and decrease the cooking time by five to ten minutes.
Can You Make Peanut Butter Cookies in the Microwave?
Yes, as long as you make the necessary changes to the cooking time, you should be able to bake peanut butter cookies in your microwave.
Final Thoughts
If you’re trying to figure out how to make peanut butter cookies without an oven, there are many options for you to try.
First up, the easiest way is to follow a no-bake cookie recipe. Yet, when the craving for traditional peanut butter treats hits, you’ll need an alternative heat source.
Thankfully, you can use a microwave, slow cooker, or a toaster oven to bake your cookies. However, you may have to tweak the cooking time and temperature.
Sarah is the founder of Baking Kneads, LLC, a blog sharing guides, tips, and recipes for those learning how to bake. Growing up as the daughter of a baker, she spent much of her childhood learning the basics in a local bakery.