Chewy, marbled Cereal Cookies are made with your favorite flavor of cereal for a personalized, special order treat! Swirled with your choice of baking chips, these cookies are eye catching and delicious.
Why you'll love this recipe
- Bring back childhood memories with cookies that contain your favorite sugary breakfast cereal.
- This versatile recipe works well with any cereal or baking chip and can be made with butter or shortening.
- The marbled effect makes these cookies eye catching for special occasions and at bake sales.
For many people, childhood breakfast memories involve cereal. Whatever your childhood favorite cereal was (Lucky Charms, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Cocoa Pebbles, etc.), use that favorite to customize these crunchy, chocolate swirled Cereal Cookies.
When these cookies are made with butter, they start out chewy with crunchy edges. Using vegetable shortening produces a crunchy cookie that's perfect for hot weather care package shipping.
Ingredients
Instructions
This is an overview of the instructions. The full instructions are in the recipe card below.
- Melt chocolate chips.
- Use a rolling pin to crush cereal in a large ziplock bag.
- Combine cookie dough ingredients and stir in crushed cereal.
- Fold in the melted chocolate to form ribbons of chocolate and dough.
- Scoop cookie dough onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet.
- Bake until edges are golden brown.
Storage
Store at room temperature in an airtight container for up to one week. The cookies get less chewy and more crunchy over time.
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Tips and variations
- Any breakfast cereal works with this recipe.
- Crush the cereal into small pieces, not into powder.
- Cereal may absorb some moisture from the dough while baking. Allow the cookies to cool completely and the cereal will regain its crunchiness.
- This cookie can be made with shortening for hot weather shipping. The cookie will start out crunchier when shortening is used.
- Other flavors of chips, such as butterscotch, peanut butter, or white chocolate can be substituted for the semi-sweet chocolate chips.
More cereal cookies
Chewy and crunchy Granola Bars are packed with oats, dried fruit, and peanut butter. A great recipe for a quick breakfast.
Orange Cranberry White Chocolate Cookies get their crunch from rice cereal and lots of amazing flavor from orange zest, cranberries, and creamy white chocolate chips.
Frosted Flakes Sugar Cookies are super thin and crunchy sugar cookies coated in frosted flakes for extra crunch and sweet flavor.
Creamy chocolate and peanut butter combine with a cereal puffs making No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies a crunchy, one bite cookie treat.
Oatmeal Cutout Cookies are deliciously spiced oatmeal cookies that you rollout and shape with cookie cutters.
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Cereal Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 3 cups sugary cereal Frosted Flakes, Cocoa Puffs, Cocoa Krispies, etc.
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter margarine, or vegetable shortening
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- Place chocolate chips in a small microwave safe bowl. Heat for 1 minute. Stir. Continue heating for 10 second intervals, stirring inbetween, until completely melted. Set aside to cool slightly.
- Place cereal in a large zip lock plastic bag and crush into small pieces with a rolling pin.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together sugar and butter/margarine/vegetable shortening, until fluffy.
- Add eggs and vanilla. Mix for at least 3 minutes.
- Gradually add the flour mixture and combine thoroughly.
- Stir in the crushed cereal.
- Gently fold in the melted chocolate, leaving ribbons of chocolate throughout the dough.
- Scoop 2 tablespoon sized (golf ball) balls of dough and place on the prepared baking sheet, at least 2 inches apart.
- Bake cookies for 10-12 minutes. (Slightly under-baking is recommended for long distance care packages.)
- Remove cookies from baking sheet to cool on a wire rack.
- Store at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 1 week. Cookies will get crunchier over time.
Notes
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- Any sugar cereal works with this recipe.
-
- Cereal may absorb some moisture from the dough while baking. Allow the cookies to cool completely and the cereal will regain its crunchiness.
-
- This cookie can be made with shortening for hot weather shipping. The cookie will start out crunchier when shortening is used.
-
- Other flavors of chips, such as butterscotch, peanut butter, or dark chocolate chips can be substituted for the semi-sweet chocolate chips.
- Double wrap pairs of cookies (with bottoms together) in plastic wrap.
- Stack wrapped bundles in an airtight container or zip lock bag.
- For longer storage, vacuum sealing is recommended.
Nutrition
First Published: August 23, 2013. Last Updated: November 9, 2024. Updated for additional information, improved photographs, and better reader experience.
Melody
Made these cookies with Oreo pillow cereal - wow wow wow. Thank you for this delicious recipe- I used coconut oil instead of butter. Turned out super crisp and light.
Delicious 🤤 will do again for sure.
Noelle Olson @Dusty Britches Farms
Hello, thank you for sharing this recipe, I always seem to have a gross leftover amount of cereal these days and it's nice to find something to make with it all.
I only had 1 egg so I added a cup of applesauce in its place, I also used plain cornflakes. And due to a crunch on time (pun intended) I made these into 9x9 square pa upped the cook time to 21 minutes. The ladies loved it!
Thank you!!
Wendy Sondov
Thank you for sharing your adaptations. This really is such a versatile recipe! I've never tried it as bar cookies so it's good to know that this recipe works for that as well.
Melanie
I made these with Meusli 9-grain cereal and they were wonderful!
Wendy Sondov
I wouldn't have thought of using Meusli! That DOES sound wonderful!
Karen
Special K with coconut, almonds and cranberries, switch to White Chocolate, best cookies ever by 30 people at a Xmas party. Thanks for the recipe.
The Monday Box
Fabulous! Your Special Order sounds great, Karen!
Shiloh Barkley
These look fantastic!
themondaybox
Thanks, Shiloh! They are fun cookies because you can customize them with your favorite cereal which changes up the flavor (and sometimes color) while providing a great crunch! I hope you enjoy them. 🙂
BruCrew Life
These cookies sound amazing!! I love that you can make them with your choice of cereal!! Great idea!! 😉
themondaybox
Thanks, Jocelyn! Another solution to the overfilled baking/cereal cabinet.....bake it up and eat it ! 🙂 I think kids especially like that they get to special order, but personalized cookies are fun at any age. 🙂
riversidebaking
Thanks for the follow back, I found your blog through a cookie pinterest link and loved your concept and posts. Can't wait to try one of your recipes 😀
themondaybox
Thanks, Stephanie! Pinterest is amazing! I have found lots of great recipes and great blogs from my Pinterest addiction. 🙂 I am looking forward to following your baking adventures. Those Biscoff bars on your home page had me hooked immediately!
Monica
Hi Wendy - loved reading that story! : ) I haven't had cereal cookies yet but I bet it's really good. I loved Frosted Flakes as a child and I'd love to try it in a cookie! My son would love it, too, I'm sure.
themondaybox
Thanks, Monica! The Frosted Flake cookies were my favorite. I had to buy sugary cereal just for these cookies. 🙂 We don't often eat dry cereal, and when we do it is unsugary stuff like Cheerios and Wheat Chex. But all of the sugary cereals make fabulous add-ins and toppings for cookies, bars, and ice cream!
Ashley
haha My thought process was pretty much the same after my freshman year away at college... I had no desire to spend the entire summer in my home town (no where near as exciting as college I thought!). These cookies are so fun - especially since you can use whatever cereal you want. And singing while baking is a must - well at least in my kitchen : )
themondaybox
Thanks, Ashley! My new little sheltie must never have heard singing in his previous life. Every time I sing in the kitchen, he cocks his head to the side and gives me the funniest look. At least he doesn't howl. 🙂
shannon
Wendy, i know from experience that cereal cookies are incredibly delicious; i would bet these are no exception! I like the customizable element to them, also; you don't always get to do that with a baked good, but being able to tailor them to your own personal cereal loves is delightful. I love the way they came out, especially the marbled ones.
that whole "coke/soda" thing is, from what i know, a Southern thing. more specifically, i think "coke" stands for any brown soda? i've at least never heard it applied to anything but those. geographical differences with words are fun; like how my friend from wisconsin (whom i went to middle and high school with) never stopped referring to soda as "pop." 🙂
themondaybox
Thanks, Shannon! I was getting tired of chocolate chips and cereal offered so many possibilities. I never used to buy sugar cereal until I started using it in baking! My daughter was never a cereal eater and my son, though I know its unusual, actually preferred wheat chex. 🙂
I run into geographical language differences all the time with my southern family. My favorite happened long ago when I offered to push my then 3 year old niece in a "shopping cart" at the supermarket. She looked at me as if I was a fool and told me that it wasn't a "shopping cart", it was a "buggy". 🙂
crazyforcrust
I remember that song! And I love how you applied it to cookies. Cereal cookies? YES PLEASE.
themondaybox
Thanks, Dorothy! Cereal is a perfect cookie add-in, don't you think? Crunchy and sweet in flavors found no where else. What flavor is Captain Crunch besides delicious?
noyomoco
I can't believe people made you sing the jingle! Crazy. These cookies look fabulous!
themondaybox
Thanks, Jennifer! Entertainment and a burger for one low price. What a deal! 🙂 These cookies are so adaptable. The Frosted Flakes using butter was my favorite cookie but that could be because I didn't make one with Captain Crunch. 🙂
Tricia @ Saving room for dessert
I loved Cocoa Krispies and bet they are super tasty in a cookie. Loved your story of work, family, school and life!
themondaybox
Thanks, Tricia! I have never liked sugary cereal as a breakfast food but I think it makes a great crunchy snack(not in any way healthy even if fortified with gazillion vitamins) and a crunchy, flavorful add-in for baking. 🙂 My son rarely reads my posts, so I was not concerned when I sort of mentioned him here. He did, however, read this. I was not sure how he would react, but his response after reading my comment about his sleeping was to smile and say, "Fair enough." 🙂
gottagetbaked
Gah, that whole Coke = soda thing would drive me nuts! Although not as nuts as the people forcing me to sing the jingle. I didn't even know BK had a jingle! This brings me back to my days of working at Taco Time. I think every person should have a job in fast food at least once in their lives - it's gruelling! These cookies look incredible - you just happened to use my two favourite cereals when I was a kid. Love these!
themondaybox
I agree, Nancy. Working at a fast food place does give you a perspective unavailable elsewhere! Thanks for your cookie comment! I never buy sugar cereal except for baking. 🙂 The flavors and crunch are perfect for cookies!
Suzie
I love your stories that go with the recipes. I can see why you would have been better suited for Wendy's but, you singing the Burger King jingle gave me a good chuckle. I still keep college hours, I think it's just that I'm a night owl and always will be. I am thinking of all kinds of cereals that could be made into cookies. I really like the Frosted Flakes one though 🙂 Have a great weekend!
themondaybox
Thanks, Suzie! All that singing practice is probably why I still remember the words to that silly jingle! I am an early riser and I guess compared to some, an early to bed person. That is why we say my son, whose hours are so different from mine, must be part vampire. 🙂 Enjoy your weekend too!