No-Bake Peanut Butter Cookies.
If the yellowed index card doesn’t give it away, the “White Karo Corn Syrup” ingredient must.
It’s another gem from the depths of Mother Lovett’s never ending recipe collection.
And you can imagine my excitement when I found this, for they are made with an ingredient I absolutely adore: graham cracker crumbs.
True story: sometimes I melt butter in the microwave, add graham cracker crumbs, add marshmallows, then add chocolate chips and microwave again for a “s’mores bowl.” I’m sort of embarrassed to admit that. But not really. And then I somehow convince myself that it is a healthy snack. I can work wonders.
I have never seen a non-cheesecake cookie, let alone a no-bake cookie, that is made with graham cracker crumbs. And there are a plethora of no-bake cookies making their rounds. My heart was singing as I rolled the dough into balls.
As we all know, there is only one way to make peanut butter better…
The best part of the graham cracker crumbs is that they cause these cookies to be a bit salty. If you know me, you know that chocolate + peanut butter + salt is my kryptonite.
And if you don’t know me, well… just look in the dictionary under the word “bacon” and there will probably be a picture of my face.
So since we have some salty, peanut buttery goodness going on here, you can only imagine how fabulous a drizzle of chocolate is on top.
The cookies are not super sweet, so the chocolate is perfect. Not too rich… they are just right.
I find that the cookies are best when cold, just coming out of hibernation in the fridge with a thick, cool layer of fudge drizzle on top. I adapted that original recipe a bit due to what I had on hand and through some trial and error. I’m not ashamed to say that I ate the rejects too.
I’ll take ten please.
makes about 20 cookies
1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon cup creamy peanut butter
1/3 cup brown rice syrup (you can sub corn or maple syrup)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch of ginger
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix together. Dough will be very crumbly, but continue to mix. Form 1 inch balls with hands – if dough is too crumbly to stick together, add a bit more peanut butter or syrup until it comes together a bit more. Just continue to work with it. Flatten balls and press with a fork to create indentations.
Melt chocolate in a double boiler and drizzle over cookies. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving.
Santa better leave diamonds under the tree.
176 Comments on “No-Bake Peanut Butter Cookies.”
Um, these are kind of perfect for me. I love it. Thank you. <3
Don’t be so ashamed about your s’mores bowl. The Husband’s idea of cereal is taking half of a WHOLE package of graham crackers, crumbling them, putting milk over them, and microwaving it until soupy. While yes that sounds delicious, it is certainly not breakfast. I’m scared to see what he teaches our children some day. Although I’ve already got the “food” card – he told me I can control that one! :)
Oh my… that sounds kind of yucky… hahaha.
We grew up eating graham crackers in a bowl with milk. Cold, though. I’ve taught my daughter to eat it that way too. My husband does not approve. :-)
I love that recipe card…typed! The card, the memories, and the recipe certainly are keepers!
I know… it was typed with a typewriter!
No baking? Love that idea!
Easy and delicious…and drizzled with chocolate– yum!
Yum! I’m over in the UK and can’t get graham crackers…can anyone suggest what I could use as a substitue?! Thanks <3
You could use any other kind of cookie, like a gingersnap or crisp vanilla cookie and crumble it?
Thanks! Just wanted something similar to graham crackers but haven’t had them since I was little so was a little rusty on remembering the taste. I just found your blog recenrtly and I love it!
Try digestive biscuits!
I love Mother Lovett. Thank you ML, for having these delicious recipes so Jessica can make me fat.
I love that recipe card as it reminds me of my own grandma’s recipes. Usually hers were handwritten, but a few of them were typed. This recipe looks amazing. I too like how there are graham crackers in there. How fun!
I have never seen a no-bake peanut butter cookie with graham crackers! This is awesome! Do you like these better than the peanut butter blossoms? I only have enough peanut butter to make one kind!
Hmmm… I don’t think I like any cookies better than peanut butter blossoms! Those are my all-time favorite. But these are really good too.
i am making these ASAP…. wish i could take a work personal day just to stay home and bake:-)
I’ve never heard of no bake peanut butter cookies. Do they get hard after a while or stay chewy? Suzanne
If you put them in the fridge, they will get a little firm but then soften once they come to room temperature. They never really get hard, they are more of a crumbly cookie.
These look so good. Im adding these to my list to bake!
Ummm, when I was searching for my post-dinner snack, why weren’t these mentioned? Is it perhaps because there were none left?
I just finished telling Mandi that my favorite dessert would be a straight up graham cracker crust with nothing in it :) So good. These look delicious. No bake=tastes like cookie dough :)
I could eat the same for dessert. It is SO good.
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Your s’mores bowl sounds like a genius mix!! These look amazing. I always make sure there are a few ‘casualties’ or rejects when I bake. You wouldn’t want to serve guests any broken ones, and you’ve gotta make sure they taste ok, right? I like to call it a good quality control system. ;)
I was intrigued by these at first, but then you showed the chocolate drizzle. Now I must have them.
The chocolate drizzle is so artful and pretty. And these would be an awesome summer cookie to make – you know, when it’s 95 and the idea of the oven being on is the worst thing ever.
So funny you say that… I made such a mess drizzling them and tried to do it so it looked “nice.” But that was such a disaster that I ended up just throwing chocolate on there.
I like it your way. Jackson Pollock-esque. Or maybe I just find all chocolate beautiful.
Chocolate and Peanut Butter together are heavenly!!!! Which is why, for my Christmas candy boxes, I’m making chocolate-peanut butter-pretzel truffles!!!! Yummy!!! Now, I might be making these, too!!!! =D
Those are soooo good. Enjoy!
Omg. You should write a recipe book based on Mother Lovett’s recipes. I would buy it in an instant.
Ooh, yum! Thanks Mother Lovett! Jessica I’ll be trying these for sure:)
OMG you need to check out the Post’s cookie section from today: bacon cookies: http://projects.washingtonpost.com/recipes/2010/12/08/haute-meal-cookies/
Be still my heart!
I’m in awe at how perfectly shaped and perfectly drizzled these are. They belong in a Martha Stewart feature.
Thank you!
Er…drool. Peanut butter cookies with chocolate!? And we don’t even have to turn on the oven!? Love love love.
I can’t believe something so delicious (and easy) exists…I’m just a trip to the grocery store away from these cookies. :-)
Amazing…and I have all of the ingredients, woohoo! If you saw my post yesterday, you saw how I complained my icebox snowballs needed salt…now I just need to finish off those so I can make these!
It’s amazing how you can taste the difference salt makes in cookies, isn’t it?
It is, and I need salt with my sweets at this point:)
these look spectacular! i also love graham cracker crumbs. i use them to make chewy pumpkin cookies, pumpkin truffles, and muffins too!
Chewy pumpkin cookies!? Recipe??
http://theblissfulbaker.wordpress.com/2010/11/05/chewy-pumpkin-white-chocolate-chip-cookies/
i originally found this recipe on visionsofsugarplum.com – it’s awesome!
Thanks!
Your last sentence made me laugh out loud! I hope he brings you some bling! : )
these are so thick! I want to make them! with lots and lots of chocolate.
Yum, looks totally delicious! I think when I try making these, I’ll put some Marshmallow Fluff on top, so they’d be like Fluffer Nutter Cookies! I probably will add the chocolate as well. :)
That may be the best thing I’ve heard all week. Brilliant!
Oh wow, I think I may give these a try tonight. YUM
Yum!! I’m going to try these today. Awesome.
We should make a deal…if you bake for me for the rest of my life, I will clean your kitchen for all of eternity…deal?
Lol…these look amazing!!!
Deal!
These look amazing!!! And you know what, they’re already vegan and there are GF graham crackers you can buy these days, so they could be vegan AND gf. This excites me! Anytime I dont have to figure out how remove flour and egg from a recipe I am happy!
Mother Lovett is a genius…and it seems she was in on the no bake AND pb cookie “Trend” about 40 years before we all were :)
This makes my heart sing.
These are healthy, right…since they are raw?! YUM!
Why yes… yes they are!
Ok good, cause I have a feeling I will be eating a lot of them!
Oh. My. Gosh. Girl, you’ve got me CRAVING pb&chocolate now!!!! These look so good. And I also loooove graham cracker crumbs. I love spreading them with a little bit of dark chocolate dreams peanut butter. YUM
These look really awesome. I am kinda sad I don’t have all the ingredients here.
:) Your blog is quickly becoming one of my favorites — love reading your stories.
I can’t get enough peanut butter and chocolate – I’m going to make these cookies as soon as I eat my way through all the other baked goods sitting in my kitchen…definitely going to need more stretchy pants this Christmas.
Thank you so much Corey – thanks for reading!
Yum! I love PB and chocolate too. Using graham cracker crumbs in a cookie is genius! Will definitely put this in my cookies list :)
these would kill me…death by chocolate and peanut butter! the only way to go :)
Love! This makes me so sentimental.. my mom & I also inherited my grandma’s “cookbook,” which was falling apart with scraps of other recipes in each page and changes made all over.. and yes.. many contain Karo syrup :p
Those pictures are killing me this morning.
If I were Santa, I’d definitely be leaving diamonds! I told my boyfriend that you get Tiffany’s ornaments every year for Christmas and that it would be a great tradition to start with me. All he said was, “Is that that really expensive place???” ahhh…is there even hope for him?? :)
LOL.
I love these kinds of cookies, where their messiness makes them look homemade. And delicious. :)
Oh my Jessica! You’ve combined some of my favorite things – pb, chocolate and graham crackers. Once I start on the grahams I just can’t stop. They are addicting.
Must make ASAP!
Oh these look so quaint and purty!
I have some no bake recipes I need to resurrect..that is if work ever slows down and lets me bake!
Yummy!! I loves me some peanut butter. Which PB do you prefer using?
I used White Chocolate Wonderful for these, but any creamy, non-oily peanut butter will do. I don’t recommend using a true natural peanut butter since these are no-bake. The cookies would probably be very oily.
I can tell how perfect + delicious these are by the photos!! Love how thick they are. 3rd last photo is my favorite!
Thanks! That is my favorite too. :)
I never knew a peanut butter no-bake existed outside of the ones with oatmeal and cocoa! (Which by the way NO ONE outside of Pittsburgh has heard of.) I am all about no muss no fuss so these may make an appearance in the gifting this year!
I know exactly which ones you are talking about. I always wondered if they were a Pittsburgh thing!