These no bake chocolate chip cookies are just 3 ingredients and take about five minutes to make. They don’t contain any flour, butter or eggs. The cookies store well and are great for a quick snack, dessert, or whenever you’re in the mood for something sweet.
Now that it is summer, I love making recipes that don’t require using an oven and that only take a few minutes to make. This cookie dough is so easy to whip up.
Ingredients
- Natural Peanut, Almond or Cashew Butter
- Maple Syrup
- Chocolate Chips
When the maple syrup is combined with nut butter, it actually changes the texture of the nut butter from a sticky spread to a firm cookie dough that you can roll and make into a cookie shape. Chocolate chips are then added to make a chocolate chip cookie.
Natural Peanut/Almond/Cashew Butter: This recipe will work with peanut butter, almond butter or cashew butter. You must use natural-style (just nuts in the ingredient list). Nut butter processed with hydrogenated oils will not work. You will definitely taste the nut butter in this recipe so choose one you like the most. I personally prefer cashew or almond butter.
Maple Syrup: I have only tested this recipe with pure maple syrup. I believe it will also work with other syrup substitutes if they are as watery as maple syrup. Thick syrups like honey or agave will not work. I have not tested this with pancake syrup.
Chocolate Chips: I used semisweet chocolate chips but you can use milk chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, etc. You can also use chopped chocolate if you don’t have chocolate chips.
No Bake Chocolate Chip Cookie Texture
These are no bake cookies so they will not be the same as traditional baked cookies. These cookies are more like energy protein bites or cookie dough that is safe to eat raw.
It is possible to bake these but the texture will not be the same as a traditional baked chocolate chip cookie. I share the details for the baked version in the recipe card notes.
More Easy No Bake Recipes
- 2 Ingredient No Bake Banana Cake
- 2 Ingredient No Bake Peanut Butter Cookies
- 3 Ingredient No Bake Chocolate Cookies
- No Bake Almond Cookies
- No Bake Keto Chocolate Chip Cookies
3 Ingredient No Bake Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (128 g) creamy natural peanut butter (or cashew or almond butter) unsweetened
- 2 tbsp (1 oz) maple syrup
- 1/4 cup (40 g) semisweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl add peanut butter and syrup. Use a spatula and mix the syrup into the peanut butter. Stir until the peanut butter becomes as thick as cookie dough and pulls away from the sides of the bowl and forms a dough. You can mix in the chocolate chips at this point, but if you want a prettier presentation, add them later.
- Scoop 1 tbsp of dough and roll between palms until it forms a smooth round ball. Place onto baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough, spacing dough balls 1 inch apart. Press down on each ball with the palm of your hand to form a thick round disk (about 1/2 inch thick). If you did not add the chocolate chips yet, press several into the surface of each cookie now. You can eat the cookies right away. If your kitchen is a little warm, you can refrigerate the cookies for about 30 minutes so that they are slightly firmer.
Notes
- If you need a nut-free substitute, I recently made these successfully with natural Sunbutter (this is a brand of sunflower seed butter). The cookie dough was slightly softer but it still worked.
- Make sure to use a fresh or fairly new jar of nut butter. The nut butter should be dripping off of your knife. If your nut butter is no longer drippy, then it is too dry to use for the recipe and the recipe will not work.
- This recipe will only work with natural nut butters (just nuts in the ingredients). It will not work with nut butters that include oils like palm oil in the ingredient list. Sometimes peanut butters are labeled natural and no stir. These will not work if they contain oils in the ingredient list.
- Peanut butter will yield a strong peanut butter flavor in these cookies. I prefer using almond or cashew butter because the nut flavor is more mild.
- When the maple syrup is mixed with the nut butter, it transforms the nut butter into a thick dough.
- If you have questions regarding substitutions for pure maple syrup, I address this in the Ingredients section of the post.
- It is possible to bake these cookies but they will not turn out like regular chocolate chip cookies. If you want to bake them, you may want to leave out the chocolate chips because the cookies are quite delicate after baking and the chocolate chips may make them fall apart too much. My baked version is here.
- Nutrition estimate is calculated using peanut butter.
Nutrition
The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a professional nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.
It is very handy and convenient. But the only issue I have is that nut butter is not commonly founded and can’t use normal butter. Other than that it’s definitely handy and can be used if you want a quick and tasty snack.
We’re glad you enjoyed this recipe!
These are a quick to make and FANTASTIC! I made these with cashew butter.
Thanks for letting us know!
The title of the post explains exactly what they are – no-bake chocolate chip cookies.
Oh! Little peanut butter boops! In 5 minutes or less!
Hope you enjoyed them!
Is there other ingredient that i can use instead of maple syrup ?
For the nut butter, can i replace it with usual plain butter ?
Regular butter won’t work – you need to use natural nut butter. As far as maple syrup, we’ve only tried that so don’t have a good suggestion for you.
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How do you store these?
It’s best to keep them in the refrigerator and enjoy them within a few days.
Sounds great and easy. Great for kids especially since they have been home so much.
We hope you and your kids love them!
This sounds pretty easy and great for kids to do. Going to give it a try.
Yes definitely a great recipe to make with kids!
Is there anything you can substitute for those with nut allergies
yes! I just tested it with Sunbutter and it worked. The cookie dough is a bit softer than when I make it with nut butter, but it still works
Any recommendations on a substitution for peanut butter??
Almond butter, cashew butter, sunbutter
adding oatmeal makes it even better
Thanks for the tip!
Thank you for Awesome Recipe.
You’re welcome!
Would this recipe work with Sunbutter?
yes!
it’s really really good!
I’m so glad you liked them!
Wondering if you could substitute sugar free syrup.
We think it will also work with other syrup substitutes if they are as watery as maple syrup.
Anxious to try & going to , Thanks for the short recipe .
Sounds easy! Can’t wait to try this recipe, thanks!
We hope you enjoyed the cookies!
I used a fresh natural peanut butter. They looked perfect, but, it was a no from my husband. He’d prefer not so much peanut butter! lol I liked them and my but is, I eat peanut butter by the table spoonful!
So glad you enjoyed them! You might want to try the almond butter or cashew butter version for your husband.
I use regular old P.B with enough confectioners sugar so as they can be rolled into yummy B.B balls ever, with choc chips or not.
Thanks for sharing that variation!
Great recipe although wouldn’t they be Peanut Butter, Maple Chocolate chip cookies? Unless you found flavorless PB and Maple because they both could overpower the ships.
As we say in the post, we prefer almond butter or cashew butter because the flavor is milder. The peanut butter will yield a strong peanut butter flavor, which some people may enjoy. As far as the syrup, the flavor is also mild. It really just adds sweetness.
By using nut butter, they aren’t chocolate chip cookies. It’s peanut (or whatever nut) butter and chocolate chip cookies. And basically cookie dough, not a cookie.
Thank you for your comment, but there are many kinds of chocolate chip cookies. This one happens to be a no-bake cookie that can be made with different kinds of nut butter depending on the flavor you like. As we say in the post, we like almond butter or cashew butter because they have a mild flavor. Some people like peanut butter chocolate chip cookies and may opt to use that. If you prefer a traditional chocolate chip cookie you should try our Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies – it’s one of our favorite classic baked cookies.
Pretty good-i added quick oats and sprinkled w coconut. Definitely need to refrigerate. All in all a delightful quick snack
Thanks for sharing your comment! We’re happy you enjoyed the recipe.
Not a cookie. Not even a cookie dough. This is a “recipe” for toddlers. Silly.
We don’t agree and many other readers don’t either. Maybe you’d like to try one of our other chocolate chip cookie recipes?
I made this recipe back in 1981 for my kindergarten classmates. I remember watching A kids program at that time where the host made peanut butter play dough as a snack. We used chocolate chips and pretzels to decorate rolled out circles and balls of peanut butter and maple syrup.
thank you for sharing! I stumbled upon this one day while making a different recipe in my kitchen. I was completely amazed that adding the maple syrup would change peanut butter so much that it actually acted like a dough. I spent a lot of time searching the internet but couldn’t find anything about it! I knew I couldn’t have been the first to discover this so thank you for sharing this.
I love it it’s so easy and quick I am enjoying
I’m so glad you liked them!
I melted the chocolate chips and spread them on top and they were amazing. I love these so much I’m definitely gonna keep making them.
I like the idea of melting the chocolate chips! I’m so glad you enjoyed!
Do you think it would work with Sun flower seed butter? This sounds good but I am allergic to all nuts.
We have made these successfully with natural Sunbutter (this is a brand of sunflower seed butter). The cookie dough was slightly softer but it still worked.
I just love your recipes!
Thank you! That’s so nice to hear.
Nice recipe ? Anyone can make it. Good vacation project for children ?
yes it is a great project to make with kids!
Do you mind sharing what brand of peanut butter you use? I use natural peanut butter but it’s not drippy like you describe in the notes section. Excited to try these.
I use Kirkland organic peanut butter
I appreciated all your recipes but it’s not perfect for us coz I’m already in my senior days. Thanks for your recipes
We hope you find some to try!
What about walnut butter? I make my own at home and add sugar and vanilla to it
I have not tested the recipe with walnut butter. I think it may work