Special Dark Chocolate No Bake Cookies

Make perfect decadent Dark Chocolate No-Bake Cookies. This easy recipe has Quaker Oatmeal, Natural Peanut Butter, and Hershey's Special Dark Cocoa Powder. A delicious no bake dessert with that chocolate peanut butter combination everybody loves so much.

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What is a No Bake Cookie?

It is a cookie that is not baked in the oven as a method of cooking it. It's a cookie, that is made like fudge. In a nutshell, it's different flavors of fudge, with different ingredients mixed in to form a cookie shape.

There are many variations of no-bake cookies from ones made with cereals to shredded coconut. Some are made by melting chocolate or chocolate chips.

What is generally considered the Classic No Bake Cookie is one made with cocoa powder, oats, and peanut butter. It's like a piece of very sweet old-fashioned fudge with a hint of peanut butter and chewy oat bits.

Then & Now

I was the little girl who loved school lunch. Attending elementary school in the 1980s, was different than it is now. Schools were smaller.

We had lunch ladies that fixed meals just for our school. Nothing was bulk made and transported like it is done these days with public schools. All the kids loved the No-Bake Chocolate Oatmeal Peanut Butter Cookies, but I doubt we knew exactly what they were called.

When was Hershey's Special Dark Cocoa Powder introduced?

This recipe is primarily unchanged from the one I grew up on. I started using ultra-dark cocoa in recipes as soon as I noticed it in stores. It can make a cake look like black chocolate. The darker the better for me!

I wasn't sure if one product was different from the other because the label changed over the years.

I contacted Hershey's to find out more detail about the production of this product. They explained the transformation.

Here is what they said:

"The product was initially introduced as Hershey's European Style Cocoa in August 1989. This cocoa was made with all dutched process cocoa. However, the name was changed from "European Style" to "Dutch Process" in August 1998. Then in February of 2005, the product was renamed from Hershey's Dutch Processed Cocoa to SPECIAL DARK Dutch Processed Cocoa."

While I love Hershey's classic regular cocoa powder too, there is just something really RICH and dense about the flavor that the Special Dark "European Style" type brings out. They are both considered Unsweetened Cocoa Powder.

Who is the child in the Cocoa Pod?

I visited the theme park in Pennsylvania, Hershey Park. However, back then I was more interested in the rides than learning the history!

When I started digging into the rich history and stories of the Hershey Company, I was left with one nagging question. Who is that child? They have a page on their site dedicated to the question, but it's still a mystery! Hershey's History.

Can you use Natural Peanut Butter?

YES. You know I love Natural Peanut butter. It's my number one pick for Old-Fashioned Peanut Butter Cookies. I started eating natural peanut butter many years ago so I had to incorporate that into this recipe as well.

You can use regular ole creamy peanut butter in this recipe if you are not familiar with Natural.

No Bake Cookies Using Natural Peanut Butter

The important tip about using Natural in this recipe is that if you have already opened the jar, it's probably cold (because it requires refrigeration.)

Measure out your peanut butter ahead of time and let it get to room temperature or defrost it in the microwave before you stir it into the oats. Adding chilled peanut butter to a hot chocolate mixture would cool down the mixture too fast and you risk them not setting properly.

As with my other favorite peanut butter cookie recipe, it is best to use the ultra-smooth type.

I usually just open a fresh jar, stir it up and use it before it gets chilled. As you will see in the video, it's very thin and stirs right in. The peanut oil gives it that glistening texture.

Can I use Old Fashioned Whole Oats?

For best results, I like to use Quick 1-Minute Oats for these cookies. But guess what? If you have regular old-fashioned oats, just lightly grind them in a blender or food processor, and whallah! You will have Quick Oats just for this recipe. It's the exact same thing just broken into smaller bits.

Can I use other nut butter in this recipe?

Yes. I have not tried them all but just make sure they are smooth and creamy for the right texture. A very smooth Almond Butter or Cashew Butter would be delicious variations.

Instruction Preview

Ingredients Needed: Unsalted Butter, Evaporated Milk, Granulated Sugar, Salt, Vanilla Extract, Dutch Style Cocoa Powder, Natural Creamy Peanut Butter, Quick 1-Minute Oats.

Tools Needed: Wet and Dry Measuring Cups, Stainless Steel Saucepot, Wooden or Metal Spoon, Whisk, Baking Sheet, Parchment Paper or Baking Mat, Baking Sheet or Heat Proof Cutting board or counter space, optional Cookie Scoop.

How to store No Bake Cookies

You can store them at room temperature in an airtight container and if you want them to last for a few weeks, put them in a zip-lock bag and place them in the refrigerator. #nobakejuly #wellfedbaker

View the quick video below to see how easy they are to make!