Lemon Oatmeal No Bake Cookies made easy with sugar, milk, oats, butter & lemon pudding mix for a delightful tangy no-bake cookie!
I’ve been making traditional No Bake Cookies with chocolate, peanut butter and oats for many years and we all love them. I recently found this recipe for Lemon No Bakes and was intrigued with the flavor! I love lemon. They are absolutely amazing! We were eating them by the spoonful before the cookies were set!
Lemon No Bake Cookies only need 6 ingredients and about 10 minutes of prep time. The lemon pudding mix in the recipe adds a great amount of lemon flavor! The cookies take just a few minutes to set up and then they are ready to eat.
Ingredients in Lemon No Bake Cookies
Sugar – Yep, you need sugar to make cookies. You will need 1 1/2 cups of granulated sugar.
Butter – The recipe calls for 3/4 cup of butter (1 1/2 sticks). For best results, use real butter.
Milk – Any type of milk will work fine. I usually use 2% because that’s what I have on hand, but you can even use a non-dairy alternative if you’d like.
Lemon pudding mix – You need a small box (3.4 oz) of instant lemon pudding.
Oats – Quick oats work best in no bake cookies. You will need 3 1/2 cups.
Vanilla – The higher the quality of the vanilla, the better. You could even add a little bit of lemon extract if you really want to intensify the lemon flavor in the cookies. Be careful not to add too much though – extracts are pretty strong!
How to add more Lemon Flavor
These cookies use a whole box of lemon instant pudding mix, but I’m all for adding even more lemon flavor! Here are some ideas:
- Add ½ tsp lemon extract or lemon emulsion. Flavor tip: lemon emulsion tastes so much better than lemon extract, but it’s something you’ll need to order from online, rather than pick up in the grocery store.
- Add 2-3 drops of lemon essential oil! I add this to my tea all the time so I keep it on hand. If you happen to have it in your pantry too, add a few drops to really add some zing!
- Have a fresh lemon? Wash it well then grate some zest and add it to the mixture while cooking. Lemon zest adds some delightful fresh lemon flavor! I’d start with 1-2 teaspoons and go from there.
- Lemon juice will increase that lemon flavor too! You can use fresh or bottled. BUT, if I were you, I’d add maybe 1 TBSP and taste the cookies and see how you like it. Surprisingly enough, adding lemon juice will add some tartness, but just about every other suggestion above will increase the actual lemon flavor more than just lemon juice.
Storing No-Bake Cookies
You’ll want to store no-bake cookies in an airtight container on the counter for up to 5 days. You can store them in the fridge if you’d like; they will last a couple days longer and I think eating them chilled tastes amazing!
Can you use ready-made pudding instead of the mix?
I don’t suggest using pudding that’s already been made because the amount of liquid vs pudding mix in this recipe is very different! This cookie recipe calls for just ⅔ cup milk for the entire 3.4oz box of pudding mix. We also add butter in the recipe, which is something instant pudding doesn’t need.
CAN NO BAKE COOKIES BE FROZEN?
Yes, these cookies can absolutely be frozen. It will help them firm up, and in my opinion, taste better! Especially in the summer. Although, mine are always eaten before I even open the freezer!
WHICH OATS ARE BEST FOR NO BAKE COOKIE RECIPE?
Different recipes will call for different kinds of oats, but to make the best No Bake Cookies, you should use quick oats. Using different kinds of oats will change the texture of the cookies, and you risk them not setting up right. Being the main ingredient in this recipe, it’s important to get the right kind of oats.
Do you love No Bake Cookies as much as we do? We have gathered all of our favorite No Bake Cookie recipes together here! I love no bake cookies because they are so fast and easy to make!
WILL NO BAKE COOKIES STICK TO FOIL?
I’ve seen these cookies stick to aluminum foil before, but it doesn’t always. To avoid the hassle and the risk I would recommend using wax paper or parchment paper as that’s what’s always worked for me!
DO NO BAKE COOKIES NEED TO BE REFRIGERATED?
Putting No Bakes in the fridge will help the cookies to hold a firmer shape. They also will last longer if you keep them in the fridge.
However, they technically don’t need to be refrigerated. You can store them in an airtight container in room temperature and they will be fine.
HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE FOR NO BAKE COOKIES TO SET UP?
These cookies only take about 15-20 minutes to cool and set up at room temperature, but you can reduce that time by at least half if you let them set up in the refrigerator. If you prefer the taste and texture of these cookies at room temperature just make sure to remove them from the refrigerator once set. You can definitely eat them while cold though too!
Love lemon? Here are some of our favorite lemon cookies!
- Lemon Crinkle Cookies
- Lemon Cream Cheese Cookies
- Meyer Lemon Cookies
- Lemon Cake Mix Cool Whip Cookies
- Soft Glazed Lemon Cookies
- Lemon Oatmeal Cookies
- Lemon Thumbprint Cookies
- Lemon Meltaway Cookies
- Double Lemon Cookies
- Lemon Cream Pie Cookies
- Lemon Jello Sugar Cookies
- Lemon Poppyseed Cookies
- Lemon Sugar Cookie Bars
Lemon Oatmeal No Bake Cookies are simple oatmeal cookies made with just a few ingredients. Delicious no bake cookie recipe packed with lemon flavor!
Cheryl Pender says
I these for my family and followed the recipe directions; they were really good but sweet. Since I’m diabetic, I’d like to know if they can be made using an artificial sweetener, ie Splenda, etc?
Tammy Knott says
Doing these today. Something my husband loves.
carol e hawley says
I made your Lemon Oatmeal No Bake Cookies & I must say they were delicious. I am looking for the recipe that is similar to this one but can’t find it now, It has butter,sugar oatmeal & chocolate chips in it. I would like to make this recipe, could you e-mail it to me please. Thankyou so much.
Jessica says
It looks like you found it Carol! (I saw your other comment!)
carol e hawley says
I made these cookies, they were delicious & so quick & easy to make, Keep these recipes coming.
Nellie says
Aren’t no-bake cookies the best?!
Shelley M Freeman says
I made these, but added some white chocolate chips – yum
Nellie says
What a great idea!
Terry says
Can you use ready made pudding in a can instead?
Nellie says
There may be a way to use ready made pudding, but I’m not sure what the amounts for the other ingredients would be.
Lorie Robertson says
Question with the lemon no bakes can jello lemon pudding be sued instead of the mix and no extra milk.. I dont have transportation and he local dollar store doesnt carry the lemon pudding mix. TIA
Nellie says
I’m not sure that ready made pudding will work for this recipe, but please let us know if you experiment!
Susan Collins says
I made these cookies exactly as the recipe says but has been 2 hours and still not set up.
Nellie says
Sounds like something definitely went wrong. Maybe cook for a little longer if you try again?
Robin Kelley says
Wow these are so yummy
Jessica says
So glad you like them!
Cheryl says
Do you use salted or unsalted butter?
Nellie says
I always use salted! Many bakers swear by unsalted, but I don’t like buying two kinds of butter so I just stick with salted for everything. And I’ve never had any complaints! 😉
Heather says
Lemon turned out ok, but I’ve tried butterscotch twice and they won’t set up. I cooked the second batch a full 6 minutes and still they won’t set. 🙁
Nellie says
Hmmm, I’m not sure why the butterscotch isn’t working. I’ve tried all kinds of pudding and they have all turned out the same way…maybe you need to boil that flavor a little longer?
Judy says
These are great! I used butterscotch instant pudding since that was what I had on hand. It doesn’t say anywhere in the description (at least I didn’t see it) but I’m assuming these are gluten free? I checked the ingredients on the instant pudding box and didn’t see and gluten or wheat listed. I’m hoping my GF friend will be able to eat them.
Nellie says
Make sure to use gluten-free oats – not all oats are certified gluten-free.
Cathy says
I tried to make these today. They were sooo dry and would not stay together to make. I have made the choc and peanut butter for years and havent had issues before. Not sure what I did wrong? Any suggestions?
Nellie says
It sounds like the mixture may have boiled for too long. Next time, maybe reduce the time by about a minute – if it boils too long, it can start to dry out too much so that the oats don’t stick together.
Debbie Perry says
Tasted great but didn’t firm up. Had to eat with a spoon.
Nellie says
Sounds like the mixture needed to cook just a little bit more!
Ashley says
I made these but used the sonic strawberry pudding and white chocolate chips was amazing my hubby office staff raved
Jane says
Easy recipe but these cookies definitely are not “packed with lemon flavor.” I even added 1/4 tsp of pure lemon paste. A so-so cookie. Will not make again
Nellie says
You can add a little bit of lemon extract if you want a more intense lemon flavor.
Francie Hancharuk says
How long will they last in an airtight container??
Nellie says
They should be fine for at least a few days. They’ve never lasted that long at my house though!
Carol says
Did I do something wrong? I followed the recipe as written. They were gritty, and set up in the pan while stirring, so I just had a bunch of crumbs. I did not care for the fake lemon flavor. Will not make again. 🙁
Nellie says
Bummer! It sounds like the mixture cooked too long which dries it out. If you don’t love the lemon flavor, you can use any other flavor of pudding. Oreo pudding is amazing in this recipe!
Jackie says
Do you really boil the sugar,butter and milk for 5 minutes
Nellie says
Yes, use a timer to make sure the mixture doesn’t boil too long.