No-bake cookies have to be one of the simplest cookie recipes out there. They are especially ideal as a summer dessert when I don’t want the oven heating up the whole house! Just one sauce pan for the whole mixture, so minimal dishes too!
I’ve been on a journey of replacing white and brown sugars with natural sweeteners. So far I’ve converted favorite recipes such as Honey-Sweetened Sourdough Chocolate Chip Muffins, Sourdough Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies, Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls | Naturally Sweetened, and more!
This means my childhood no-bake cookie recipe needed some adjustment. I tested this recipe with both honey and maple syrup, so I can tell you that either option will reap delicious results!
It’s so nice to know that my family can have a healthier dessert option for these warm summer nights.
A quick, simple, and no refined no-bake cookie recipe! Sweetened with honey or maple syrup. No nasty white sugars here! All the needed supplies and ingredients are listed below. You’ll even find a list of more healthy dessert alternatives at the very end of this post. Enjoy!

How to Make Naturally Sweetened No-Bake Cookies
What You’ll Need
- Medium sauce pan
- Wooden spoon
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Wax paper or parchment paper
Ingredients
- ½ cup creamy peanut butter
- ¼ cup honey
- ¼ cup melted butter
- 2 TBS unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¼ tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 cup quick cooking oats
Instructions
- In a medium sauce pan, combine peanut butter, butter, salt, and honey.
- Melt the mixture and stir for about 2 minutes.
- Stir in the cocoa powder and vanilla.
- Add the quick oats and stir to combine.
- Line a cookie sheet with parchment or wax paper.
- Drop about 1 TBS full on wax paper and allow to cool until hardened.
- Let cool in the refrigerator or freezer until hardened.
Notes:
- Since I like to freeze all of my no-bake cookies, I place wax paper on 1 or 2 baking sheets, drop the cookies on it, and send it straight to the freezer to harden there. I then transfer the cookies to a plastic bag or container.
How to Store Them
Store in an air-tight container for up to 1 week. They last longer than that, but they become dry and crumbly.
Store in an air-tight container in the fridge for about two weeks.
Wrap in wax paper, place in a storage bag, and freeze for up to 2 months. These work really well frozen! In fact, I like to make a large batch, store in the freezer, and simply pull a few out as needed.

If you make this recipe and love how it turned out, feel free to come back and comment about your experience. I’d love to see your creation and how you served it!
More Healthy Desserts
- Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls | Naturally Sweetened
- Sourdough Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies
- Honey-Sweetened Sourdough Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Naturally Sweetened Monster Cookies