Best 1-Minute Cookie (No Bake)

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This recipe comes from my Aunt Peggy’s collection. This is Grandma Doris’s recipe. Aunt Peggy remembers her making these cookies as after-school snacks. I can see why. They’re rich and delicious, and you can whip up a batch in a flash!

My toddler son loves them. These were the cookies that got him to say the word ‘cookie’ for the first time, so he could ask for more!

Milk matters

I have had one-minute cookies many times over the years, and have made them with slightly different variations in the past. But I believe this version with evaporated milk is the original (and best). You can use whatever milk you have on hand, but evaporated milk helps this no-bake cookie harden quicker. It also adds a creamy, caramelized texture.

Evaporated milk (also sometimes referred to by the brand name “PET milk”), is a shelf-stable canned cow’s milk product where about 60% of the water has been removed from the fresh milk. Make sure you don’t confuse it with sweetened condensed milk, which is a similar product but contains added sugar. Using sweetened condensed milk will make your cookie too sweet. 

How to make a 1-minute cookie

The process is super simple. These cookies get their name from the one-minute that you boil the butter, sugar, milk, and cocoa. Begin by combining these ingredients, and once the one-minute boil is complete, remove from the heat and stir in your peanut butter, vanilla, oats… And viola! Your batter is complete (and you didn’t even have to dirty your mixer). 

Drop batter onto a baking sheet (parchment paper lined, or lightly spritzed with PAM). A cookie scoop works best for this. You’ll want to work somewhat quickly. If the batter begins to harden before you’ve finished dropping it onto the baking sheet, you can stick it back on the stove briefly to melt. 

Finishing touches and storage

Now here’s the hard part: you have to wait for the cookies to set up! It’ll depend a bit on the environment in your home, but I find these are ready to eat in a few hours. If I was preparing these for an after-school snack, like Grandma Doris, then I would plan ahead and make them in the morning or the night before.

Store them at room temperature in an air-tight container. Make sure cookies cool completely before storing. They’ll keep for about five days.

Notes on oats & other tips

• Gluten-Free: Oats are naturally gluten-free. However, buy certified gluten-free oats if you are cooking for someone with a sensitivity. The difference is that oats labeled gluten-free are ones that are not processed in a facility that also processes wheat, rye, or barely. 
• Oats: We use quick-cook oats in this recipe. The difference between quick-cook oats and regular oats is how they are cut. Quick-cook oats are cut thinner during processing which allows them to cook quicker when you’re making, say, a bowl of oatmeal. You could use either in this recipe, but the regular cut oats will have a thicker oat texture.
• Substitutions: You can substitute regular milk for evaporated milk. I haven’t tried it, but I think you could easily swap the peanut butter with an alternative nut butter such as almond, cashew, or sunflower. If you try this, let us know how you liked it in the comments below!
• Kid-Friendly: This is a great early recipe for inspiring young cooks. Little ones can help measure out ingredients and can operate the cookie scoop.

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Do you have memories of having these cookies as a child?