Caramel No-Bake Cookies

Double the sweetness, minus the guilt! Our Caramel No-Bake Cookies are a gooey blend of caramel, vanilla, and peanut butter, perfect for topping off your day without any remorse.

Who can really say no to chocolate and caramel?

These Caramel No Bake Cookies are one of my favorite ways to indulge my sweet tooth without feeling bad for it.

How?

Old-fashioned oats and peanut butter.

A great source of fiber and iron, traditional rolled oats temper the sweet aspects of the sugar and caramel flavors.

While the peanut butter gives my stomach something solid to work on, which helps keep me going throughout the day.

I especially enjoy taking caramel no-bake cookies with me to meetings and conferences.

Nibbling on a few in-between breaks prevents snack attacks and derailing an otherwise healthy meal plan.

WHY YOU'LL LOVE CARAMEL NO-BAKE COOKIES

• Long refrigerator life
• A good source of fiber
• Not overly sweet
• Guilt-free snacks the kids can enjoy

Now imagine shaving off a few minutes of your morning routine by preparing these the night before.

Yes, breakfast while tussling with your hair.

Or rounding up the kids.

And speaking of the kids, it's a great afternoon snack to have at the ready!

Simply bag up and have them on hand when wrangling your crew together or sit them out on a plate for when they walk through the door.

I'm always looking for effortless ways to cut tasks and enjoy life.

And Caramel no-bake cookies are an excellent option to have on hand for making things simple.

WHAT YOU'LL NEED FOR CARAMEL NO-BAKE COOKIES

• Sugar
• Milk
• Butter
• Cocoa
• Old-Fashioned Oats
• Peanut Butter
• Vanilla
• Caramel

As far as prep work goes, you will need a cookie sheet, parchment paper, a medium-sized saucepan, and an air-tight container.

HOW TO MAKE CARAMEL NO-BAKE COOKIES

1. Grab a large cookie sheet and line it with parchment paper. Set aside.
2. Bring your milk, sugar, and cocoa to boil in a medium saucepan, and then add in your peanut butter and vanilla. Stir constantly.
3. Once the mixture is well blended, add in your oats and continue to stir so that the oats do not clump together.
4. Next, add in your caramel and allow it to melt for approximately 5 minutes.
5. After your mixture begins to thicken and form a paste-like consistency, remove from heat.
6. Taking a teaspoon at a time, add the caramel drops to your parchment paper and allow to sit for 45 minutes.

For complete instructions, please scroll down to the recipe card below.

TIPS FOR MAKING CARAMEL NO-BAKE COOKIES

The best time to shape your cookies is while they are still hot! This means if you're looking for a round, oval, or square shape, take your spoon and mold the mixture before it cools.

CAN I USE INSTANT OATMEAL FOR CARAMEL NO-BAKE COOKIES?

I wouldn't recommend using instant oats due to the cooking time of preparing the caramel blend.

Plus, instant oats can get mushy.

Quick oats and instant oatmeal cook between 3-6 minutes on average and have a gooier texture. On the other hand, traditional oats have a much slower cook time and aren't as gooey. This means you won't have a mush-like texture while blending the other ingredients.

Still, if you would like to use them, I would suggest preparing the other ingredients first and then simmer on low heat. Next, make your quick oats in a separate dish for no more than 2 minutes, and then incorporate them into your caramel mixture. Your quick oats will continue to expand while inside the mixture but won't be as much of a mushy mess as cooking altogether.

COULD I MAKE THESE VEGAN?

The best part about this recipe is that the cookies are customizable! You can add fruit, berries, or nuts without much change to the taste.

If you want to substitute the milk and butter for a plant-based alternative, cashew and almond milk will go perfectly with this! You can try an almond-flavored brand for the butter, such as Country Crock Almond Plant Butter or Earth Balance. Each one will give you a similar buttery taste without using actual butter.

IS CARAMEL GLUTEN-FREE?

It depends on the way the caramel is prepared. Generally speaking, basic caramel is made with sugar and water through a stovetop melting method. However, some caramels can be made with heavy cream, milk, extracts, and other ingredients.

It is best to always read your ingredient labels before purchase to ensure the item is suitable for your needs.

ADDITIONAL RECIPES TO TRY

• CHOCOLATE CHIP AND COCONUT MAGIC BARS
• MINI CHEESECAKES WITH SUGARED CRANBERRIES
• WHIPPED SHORTBREAD COOKIES
• NO BAKE CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER COOKIE
• BLUE MACARON COOKIES WITH WHITE CHOCOLATE GANACHE