My Chocolate Season 2024: Grandma's Chocolate Peanut Butter No Bake Cookies

In case you're wondering, this recipe for Grandma's Chocolate Peanut Butter No Bake Cookies didn't come from my Grandma. I found it online  earlier this year, and likely in a link from a food-focused e-newsletter. It's easy to create this simple batter, which yielded about three dozen cookies that I am now storing in our refrigerator.

Equipment

Mixing bowl
Medium saucepan
Measuring cup
Large mixing spoon
Rubber or silicone spatula
Measuring spoons

V.O.E. (Voice of Experience): Parchment paper and two baking sheets​

Since the original recipe is MANY decades old I'm sure the character of several ingredients may have changed, too.

For instance, I have no doubt peanut butter has changed over many decades - especially when (V.O.E.) the variety we have bought forever is only made with peanuts and salt. I'm sure the texture is different from what was available at the time somebody initially wrote down this recipe, and this peanut butter adds no sugar to the recipe either. 

I doubt organic sugar was available at the time this recipe emerged, either. And (V.O.E.), since the organic sugar I typically use is more granular than traditional sugar, I used a combination of the two sugars.

​V.O.E.: I also reduced the amount of sugar from the original recipe by 1/4 cup, which still left a very sweet taste on my tongue. Perhaps adding 1/4 cup more cocoa powder would have pleasantly enhanced the flavor, as well as the texture (see below). ​

Above: Stirring and incorporating the chocolate mixture.

Above: Incorporating the chocolate mixture with the oatmeal and peanut butter yielded a fairly liquid consistency; perhaps because I reduced the amount of recommended sugar. With or without a cocoa powder for sugar substitution, I would also reduce the amount of milk in this recipe by at least a few tablespoons.

​V.O.E.: But, this time around, I chilled the final batter for about 15 minutes before distributing dollops across two parchment-topped cookie sheets.