Quick Fudge Cookies

These no-bake fudge cookies are the kind of recipe you memorize because you’ll make them that often. Boil butter, sugar, milk, and cocoa together, pull it off the heat, stir in oats and coconut, and drop them on wax paper. That’s it.

Speed matters here. Once you add the oats and coconut to the hot fudge mixture, stir fast. The mixture sets up quickly as it cools, and if you move too slowly the last few spoonfuls will be crumbly instead of holding together in neat mounds.

The coconut gives these a slightly chewy texture that sets them apart from the classic no-bake cookie. Each one has a fudgy chocolate shell with soft oats and sweet coconut throughout.

Kitchen Tips

• Bring the butter-sugar-cocoa mixture to a full rolling boil. If you don’t boil long enough, the cookies won’t set firm
• Work fast when dropping. Have your wax paper laid out and ready before you start stirring in the oats
• If the mixture gets too stiff before you finish dropping, add a splash of warm milk to loosen it
• Store in a single layer until fully set, then you can stack them

Variations

• Add a spoonful of peanut butter to the hot mixture for chocolate-peanut butter no-bakes
• Use quick oats for a smoother texture or old-fashioned oats for more chew
• Stir in chopped nuts or dried cranberries with the oats