Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Crunch Patties No-Bake

The following Peanut Butter and Dark Chocolate Crunch Patties No-Bake recipe dates back three generations in our family. My grandmother made these for me when I was a young girl. Now I make them for my daughter. Hopefully someday she will make them for her children.

Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Crunch Patties are one of my favorite no-bake cookie recipes. They are super easy to make and include common ingredients most of us have on hand in our pantry and refrigerator. These are a great standby when unexpected guests show up because you can whip up a batch in less than 15 minutes.

I recently updated this recipe by using dark chocolate instead of regular cocoa. If you don't care for dark chocolate, feel free to substitute with unsweetened cocoa powder. While this recipe calls for smooth peanut butter, there is no reason you can't use chunky.

These no-bake cookies are exceptionally rich, so avoid the temptation to make them larger than the instructions state. Keeping them small also helps eliminate some of the guilt. I hope you enjoy them so much that you begin your own family tradition of serving them!

DARK CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER CRUNCH PATTIES NO-BAKE RECIPE
Yields 18 cookies
Prep Time: 10-15 minutes
Cool Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

1/2 stick unsalted Butter
3/4 cup granulated Sugar
2 Tablespoons Hershey's Special Dark Cocoa (or Unsweetened Cocoa, if preferred)
1/4 cup low-fat Milk (substitute with Soy or Almond milk, if desired)
1/4 cup Creamy Peanut Butter
1-1/2 cup + 2 Tablespoons quick-cooking Oats
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

1) In a large saucepan, combine butter, sugar, cocoa and milk.
2) Over medium-high heat, cook the mixture until it boils; stir constantly. Once this comes to a boil, it will begin to bubble. At this point, remove pan from heat.
3) Add peanut butter, vanilla and oats. Stir well to combine all ingredients.
4) Drop mixture by teaspoonful on waxed or parchment paper. Flatten with backside of spoon to create 1/4-inch patties.
5) Let cool 15 minutes and serve.