Crunchy No-Bake Peanut Butter Cookies made with only 4 ingredients! This healthier no-bake cookie recipe is made with crispy rice cereal for the most delectable crunch! Gluten-free, refined sugar-free, and dairy-free, these treats are an amazing loveable treat by all!
Do you remember by 6-Ingredient No-Bake Cookies featuring oats, almond butter and cacao powder I posted a few weeks ago? Have you tried them yet??
Those cookies were such a hit that I wanted to revisit the no-bake cookie topic and take a different approach, using crispy rice cereal for the ultimate crunch.
…and my complete adoration for crunchy puffed rice cereal had nothing to do with my decision to make these.
Okay, I fibbed. I’m obsessed.
Sometimes I eat crispy rice cereal for dinner with blueberries, pumpkin seeds, a scoop of nut butter and coconut milk. Coconut milk, people! Like a straight-up teenager.
As I was saying…
Crispy rice cereal makes these no-bake peanut butter cookies nice and crunchy and addicting. You can consider them to be a healthier treat recipe, as they are refined sugar-free, gluten-free, and dairy-free – great for those with dietary restrictions and no dietary restrictions alike!
I have a feeling you’re going to go bonkers over these if you’ve ever been a fan of rice crispy treats, and/or if you’re a peanut butter lover.
Also, have I mentioned they only require a whopping FOUR ingredients to fashion up? What a dream.
This is also a lovely kitchen project for children! It requires minimal ingredients, all of which are easy to measure, and the process of making them is a cinch. Not to mention, it is super gratifying when you get to lick liquid sweet peanut buttery rice puffs off your fingers.
Ingredients for No-Bake Peanut Butter Cookies:
Peanut Butter: use unsweetened natural peanut butter that has been well-stirred (not a lot of oil separation). You can use creamy or crunchy! I go with crunchy.
Coconut Oil: Coconut oil not only provides a marvelous buttery flavor to these cookies, but it also helps bind them together. Since refrigeration is necessary to solidify the cookies, coconut oil is the choice binder, as it hardens when chilled.
Honey: The natural sweetener for this adventure! Honey is a sticky sweetener that hardens when refrigerated, making it ideal for no-bake cookies. You want to use a sweetener that does not stay liquid when refrigerated (like pure maple syrup), so be sure you’re using honey! To make recipe vegan, you may find success with Brown Rice Syrup, but I haven’t tested the recipe with it yet.
Sea Salt: If your peanut butter is unsalted, be sure to add a sprinkle of sea salt! It provides rich flavor and also enhances sweetness without the need for excess honey.
Crispy Rice Cereal: The ultimate crunch to your no-bake cookie! I use this brand of Organic Brown Rice Crisps Cereal, which does contain a tiny amount of cane sugar, but you can choose whatever rice cereal you’d like.
Just note that cereal made using white rice, like Rice Crispies, may be more fragile so there may be a bit of breakage. Be aware that not all cereals will yield the same result.
While puffed rice cereal will also work for this recipe, the crispy rice is what will give you the amazing crunch.
Optional Add-Ins: ½ tsp pure vanilla extract and/or ½ to 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon. Neither are mandatory, but either or both will bring more flavor!
What You Need to Know Before Making This Recipe:
I’m going to give it to you straight: these no-bake cookies are a bit of a mess. If you’re someone who doesn’t love having sticky hands, it may not be a good fit for you, as dropping the cookie “dough” on the baking sheet will definitely make your hands sticky.
If you’re like me, and you’re 3000% cool with licking said sticky fingers, proceed forth!
You also need to know that these cookies are insanely addicting! You won’t be able to keep your paws off of them!
How to Make No-Bake Peanut Butter Cookies:
Add the peanut butter, coconut oil, honey and sea salt to a large saucepan and heat over medium low. Stir constantly, heating just until everything has melted and is well-combined. Remove from heat.
Pour the rice cereal into the saucepan and carefully stir it into the peanut butter mixture until all of the cereal is well-coated.
Drop spoonfuls of the cookie “dough” mixture onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Note: don’t attempt to form cookies/balls prior to dropping the dough on the baking sheet, as it will just stick to your hands.
Once the dough is on the baking sheet, you can press it together with your fingers to form cookie shapes, or leave them like little nests/drop cookies.
Place the baking sheet in the refrigerator and chill at least 2 hours, or until cookies have set up.
You should be able to peel them off of the baking sheet or loosen them up with a spatula after they have chilled.
How to Store No-Bake Peanut Butter Cookies:
I recommend storing the cookies in a large glass container with a lid in the refrigerator. Since it is hot this time of year, the cookies may melt if left out at room temperature, so storing in the refrigerator is best.
I like using a container rather than a zip lock bag to ensure they stay flat to minimize breakage. You can also freeze the cookies if you don’t think you’ll be able to get through them within a couple of weeks.
Get your peanut butter crunch on!
More No-Bake Dessert Recipes:
- No-Bake Keto Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
- No-Bake Paleo Lemon Bars
- Vegan No-Bake Strawberry Cheesecake
- No-Bake Vegan Key Lime Tarts
- Carrot Cake Fat Balls
My cookbook, Paleo Power Bowls, is now available! CLICK HERE to check it out. Thank you for your support!
If you make this recipe, please feel free to share a photo and tag @The.Roasted.Root on Instagram!
No-Bake Peanut Butter Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups unsweetened peanut butter well-stirred
- 3/4 cup coconut oil
- 3/4 cup honey
- 1 pinch sea salt
- 5 cups puffed rice cereal
Instructions
- Add the peanut butter, coconut oil, honey and sea salt to a large saucepan and heat over medium low. Stir constantly, heating just until everything has melted and is well-combined. Don’t allow mixture to boil. Remove from heat.
- Pour the puffed rice cereal into the saucepan and carefully stir it into the peanut butter mixture until all of the cereal is well-coated.
- Drop spoonfuls of the peanut butter cookie “dough” mixture onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Note: don’t attempt to form cookies/balls prior to dropping the dough on the baking sheet, as it will just stick to your hands. Once the dough is on the baking sheet, you can press it together with your fingers to form cookie shapes, or leave them like little nests/drop cookies.
- Place the baking sheet in the refrigerator and chill at least 2 hours, or until cookies have set up. You should be able to peel them off of the baking sheet or loosen them up with a spatula after they have chilled.
Nutrition
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What can you use instead of coconut oil when you’re allergic to coconut.
Hi Nicole! The best replacement for the coconut oil in this application is butter! The cookies will taste extra yummy with butter, too! 😀 xoxo
Honey is not vegan. Could you substitute for maple syrup or anything else?
Hi Jordin,
Agh, my apologies! You can make the recipe using brown rice syrup. Hope you enjoy! xo