Discover how to make the easiest chocolate no-bake cookies with only 5 simple ingredients in under 10 minutes.
These allergy-friendly cookies are egg-free, gluten-free, sugar-free, nut-free, and perfect for those on a low-sugar diet, keto diet, or diabetic diet.
No-bake cookies are one of those nostalgic cookies many of us learned to make in our grandma’s kitchen. They are a great treat when you want something chewy and sweet, or to make with your family.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Allergy-friendly
- No bake recipe
- Full chocolate flavor
- Gluten-free, sugar-free, egg-free
- No peanut butter, no oats, nut-free
- 5 ingredients
- 10 minutes
These no-bake cookies were inspired by other no-bake recipes on this site like this no-bake keto peanut butter fudge, but this time this no-bake cookie is peanut butter free.
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What are no-bake cookies?
No-bake cookies are a classic cookie recipe usually made with a rolled oats cookie recipe that is heated together in a large saucepan to a rolling boil but not baked in the oven.
The cookie mixture is cooled and then rolled onto waxed paper. The no-bake cookies set to have a nice chewy texture.
Are no-bake cookies healthy?
Most no-bake cookies use granulated sugar, butter, peanut butter (or another nut butter), and old-fashioned oats.
All these ingredients are high carb so are generally avoided on the low-carb diet, keto diet, sugar-free diet, and diabetic diet.
These sugar-free no cook cookies will please your sweet tooth but without the sugar.
🛒 Ingredients you need
Traditionally, no-bake cookies are made using oatmeal and peanut butter. To make these sugar-free chocolate no-bake cookies keto friendly you’ll be using unsweetened shredded coconut flakes in place of oatmeal. You’ll still get that nice chewy texture in your cookie with fewer carbs.
To make cookies without peanut butter you’ll need different ingredients that help the cookie mixture bind together with a real chocolate flavor.
I decided to use sugar-free chocolate chips and cream cheese instead of unsweetened cocoa powder to ensure the cookies firmed up but were still fudgy as they cooled.
See the recipe card below for exact quantities, recipe instructions, and full nutritional information on the cookies.
- unsweetened shredded coconut – these coconut flakes replace old-fashioned oats found in most no-bake cookie recipes
- full-fat cream cheese – makes the chocolate cookie mixture chewy (without the need for peanut butter in the cookie recipe).
- butter – unsalted butter or salted butter will both work
- sweetener of choice – the most popular sugar-free sweeteners are erythritol, xylitol, allulose, and monk fruit sweetener. Try to avoid stevia drops or pure stevia powder. You need a granulated or powdered sweetener to help bind the no-bake cookies together.
- sugar-free chocolate chips – or semi-sweet chocolate chips, dark cacao chocolate, or sugar-free milk chocolate chips. What you use will change the carb count of the cookies so always calculate the carb value using the ingredients you used.
- vanilla extract – or vanilla essence
🍪 How to make no-bake cookies
Making chewy sugar-free chocolate no-bake cookies recipe is a simple process. You basically melt all the ingredients together then scoop the cookies onto a plate and chill. In the end, you have chewy chocolate cookies.
STEP 1: Make the butter mixture. Add the butter, sweetener, cream cheese, and sugar-free chocolate chips into a microwave-safe bowl. Then microwave on medium heat for 1 minute (you may need to adjust times depending on the strength of your microwave). Mix to combine.
STEP 2: Make the chocolate mixture. Mix in the shredded coconut and vanilla extract with the buttery chocolate mixture until the coconut is completely coated.
STEP 3: Scoop your no-bake cookies. Use a tablespoon or small cookie scoop to scoop 12 cookies onto a plate or prepared baking sheets lined with parchment paper. You can flatten the cookies or leave them in mounds.
STEP 4: Chill the no-bake cookie recipe. Place the no-bake cookies in the refrigerator to chill for 5-10 minutes on the cookie sheet. The longer you chill them, the chewier they become. Then serve your delicious treats and enjoy!
Expert recipe tip: If your cookie dough seems too wet let the dough rest for a few minutes before scooping to allow the melted chocolate and melted butter to begin to set. This allows the dough to firm up and easier to roll into balls.
Substitutions
One of the best parts about chewy no-bake chocolate cookies is that they are made with pantry staples that are easy to find in your local grocery stores.
Just in case you are missing a key ingredient though below are some common substitutions you can use when making these cookies.
- Chocolate Chips – you can use sugar-free white chocolate chips and a tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa powder in place of sugar-free chocolate chips. The texture of the cookies will be a bit different though.
- Shredded Coconut – Use a combination of crushed nuts and seeds.
- Butter – coconut oil can be instead. You want an oil that will harden when cooled.
- Sweetener – instead of a regular sugar-free replacer, use brown sugar sweetener so your delicious treats taste like brown sugar oat cookies.
Keep in mind that any substitutions made will alter the nutritional values listed in the recipe.
6 Flavor variations
So you have made sugar-free chocolate no-bake cookies recipe and absolutely love them, but you want to mix it up and keep it interesting? Check out the delicious variations below for some awesome inspiration.
- Chewy chocolate chip no-bake cookies – Add unmelted chocolate chips, 1 teaspoon xanthan gum, or gelatin into the cookie dough.
- Cinnamon no-bake cookies – Mix in 1/4 tsp cinnamon or sprinkle a little bit over the top of the cookies.
- Peanut butter no-bake cookies – Use creamy peanut butter in place of cream cheese.
- Mint chocolate no-bake cookies – Add a few drops of peppermint extract.
- Almond no-bake cookies – use almond butter (or any other nut butter) in place f the cream cheese.
- Tahini no-bake cookies – use tahini (sesame seed paste) instead of cream cheese.
- Chocolate dipped no cook cookies – once your cookies have set, dip each one in melted chocolate and allow to harden.
See these easy keto peanut butter granola bars on my website for another easy no-bake recipe!
Equipment
One of the best parts of these cookies is that all you need to make these cookies is a microwave to melt the ingredients. No oven is needed. You don’t even need a saucepan to get the sugar and butter mixture to reach a full rolling boil.
If you want to make these cookies without a microwave you can melt the ingredients together in a pot on the stove or campfire.
This means you can make them in a dorm, while camping, or even in a hotel room.
I let my cookies chill in the fridge because I like them better cold, but they will firm up resting on the counter for 10 minutes too.
How to store no-bake cookies
Your no-bake cookie dough has dairy in it, so any leftover cookies need to be stored in the refrigerator. Store them in an airtight container lined with wax paper for up to 5 days.
Since these chewy no-bake cookies are so easy to make the recipe was designed to only make a dozen cookies. You can easily double or triple the recipe to make 2, 3, or even 4 dozen cookies.
Expert recipe tip
Sometimes your no-bake cookie dough can be a little wet when mixed together. If this happens let your dough sit for a few minutes at room temperature to allow the coconut to absorb some liquids. Then scoop your cookies and let them finish setting.
Recipe FAQ
If your cookies won’t harden then likely just need to chill in the refrigerator for a bit longer. Keep in mind that the no-bake cookie texture is chewy and fudgy. They will not have the same texture as baked cookies.
Some desiccated coconut has a very fine texture so is more absorbent so you may need to add a few more melted chocolate chips.
Place your cookies without peanut butter in an airtight container lined with parchment paper and sheets of parchment paper between each chocolate cookie to prevent them from sticking to one another.
Yes, this recipe for no-bake cookies without peanut butter only uses simple ingredients without peanut butter or nut butter.
Usually no, oatmeal, quick oats, steel-cut oats, gluten-free oats, and old-fashioned oats are all avoided on the low-carb diet. This everyday food raises blood sugars too high for diabetics too.
If the recipe uses a large amount of steel-cut oats or quick oats, then this will make the chocolate oatmeal cookies too high carb for the keto diet.
You can use salted butter instead of unsalted butter, then add salt according to your taste and dietary needs.
Milk chocolate has a milder flavor than dark chocolate so you can swap them but you might need to add additional cocoa powder for a real chocolatey flavor.
More cookies without peanut butter
Each of these delicious cookies without peanut butter are simple recipes your whole family will love.
- Keto chocolate chip cookies (coconut flour recipe)
- Sugar-free snowball cookies (almond flour recipe)
- 3-ingredients shortbread cookies (coconut flour)
- Sugar-free gingerbread cookies
Chewy Chocolate No-Bake Cookies Recipe (without peanut butter)
Equipment
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Microwave
- Large Microwave Safe Bowl
- Parchment Paper
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp butter
- ⅓ cup cream cheese
- 1 cup desiccated/shredded coconut unsweetened
- 3 tbsp granulated sweetener of choice or more, to your taste
- ¼ cup sugar-free chocolate chips
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Add the butter, sweetener, cream cheese, and chocolate chips to a microwave-safe bowl. Then microwave for 1 minute. Mix to combine.
- Mix in the shredded coconut and vanilla extract until the coconut is completely coated.
- Use a tablespoon to scoop 12 cookies onto a plate or cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. You can flatten the cookies or leave them in mounds.
- Place the cookies in the refrigerator to chill for 5-10 minutes. Then serve and enjoy!
Nutrition
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Excellent recipe, Libby! Thank you!! I’ve made a different blogger’s new no-bake recipe a couple times in the past month, but these are lower carb, much easier to make, and fool-proof! I made your version with white chocolate chips from ChocZero and cacao powder. They looked EXACTLY like the ones my grandmother used to make for me. Next time, I’m going to try all butter and no cream cheese, and see how close I can get to hers. Those cookies hold so many precious memories from my childhood. This recipe is a definite keeper!
Aw, Jeanie, this warms my heart that this recipe reminds you of your grandmother and your precious memories of her. I miss my grandma too and the wonderful memories we made in her kitchen. If only we could have them back for one more baking session together.
These are so easy to make and so delicious… too delicious!! Thank you for this great recipe, it provides a delightful after dinner treat.
Fantastic! I’m so glad you love these no-bake cookies.