Crunchy Cornflake Cookies
on Dec 06, 2013, Updated Dec 13, 2023
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Cookies with cereal stirred into the dough might not be the first thing that comes to mind when baking, but these easy cornflake cookies will have you rethinking your next homemade batch. They turn out crunchy with lots of buttery flavor. The flakes end up layered into the dough and are in each crisp bite.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
If you like a lot of crunch in your cookies, this recipe is for you. Sometimes I like to have soft, thick cookies and other times I go for thin crisp ones. It’s good to enjoy both. The dough for these cookies on its own is crunchy, then the cornflakes enhance that.
These easy cookies have just 10 simple ingredients. You probably already have the majority of the expected ingredients like flour, sugar and butter in your pantry or fridge. Then, depending on your breakfast routine, you might have the cornflakes too.
You don’t need to refrigerate the dough before you bake the cookies. This cuts down on prep time. For some cookies you need to wait to bake them because you want them to turn out thicker. These are thinner cookies. Also, if you chill the dough in the fridge the cereal won’t be as crisp.
The Ingredients
This is what you need:
- Cornflakes: The cookies call for 2 cups cornflake cereal. This may sound like a lot, but they add so much crunch and texture. When you bite into a cookie or break one in half, you will see layers of flakes.
- Flour: This recipe requires all-purpose flour like most other cookies.
- Baking soda and baking powder are the leavening agents the cookies need to rise. As mentioned, they are a thinner cookie, but they shouldn’t turn out flat.
- Salt activates the flavors of all the ingredients. This is true for a savory recipe and a sweet treat.
- Butter: I like to use unsalted butter for baking. Since you have to cream the butter with the sugars, make sure to leave it out at room temperature to soften. If you forget to do this, you can use the large holes of a box grater to cut the butter into smaller pieces that will soften faster.
- Granulated sugar & brown sugar: The cookies have an equal amount of each. After testing the quantity and types of sugars a bunch of times, I go with this 50-50 split. It gives the cookies the right amount of spread, chewiness and buttery flavor with hints of butterscotch.
- Egg: This cornflake cookies recipe has one large egg in it.
- Pure vanilla extract goes perfectly with the buttery, corn taste in the cookies.
How To Bake Cornflake Cookies
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
1. Cream the butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar. It’s best to do this with a handheld electric mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix them for 4 minutes until they are pale and fluffy.
2. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract.
3. Combine the dry ingredients in another bowl. That includes the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
4. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. You can do this with the mixer on low speed or by hand with a spoon.
5. Fold in the cornflakes. Add them when you only see a dusting of flour left in the dough mixture.
6. Portion out the cookie dough on the baking sheets. Each one should be a little less than a 1/4 cup of dough. Using a cookie scoop is the quickest and easiest way to do this.
7. Bake the cookies until they are golden brown. This will take 12-14 minutes. Let them cool on the pan for 5 minutes before moving them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Serving
I love sharing these cookies at potlucks or cookie exchanges, especially during the holiday season. You can eat them warm or at room temperature. When they cool completely, they get even more crisp.
Leftovers & Storage
Store these homemade cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. You can keep them for 2-3 days.
You can freeze baked or unbaked cookies. Frozen baked cookies don’t take long to thaw at room temperature. Before you freeze unbaked cookies, portion the dough onto a pan or plate lined with parchment or wax paper. Then put them in the freezer. Once they are frozen, you can combine them in the same container. Frozen dough will take 2 minutes extra time to bake.
Recipe Tips
The butter should be soft at room temperature. You should be able to put your finger on it and easily make a dent, but it should still feel a bit cold to the touch. If your butter is too warm and sticky, the cookies will bake flat.
Use the scoop and sweep method when you measure the flour. With a fork or spoon, stir around the flour in the bag. It tends to pack down as it sits. Then take your measuring cup and scoop the flour. Use a knife to sweep across, so it is even with the top.
It helps to have two baking sheets. You never want to put dough on warm sheet pans because the cookies will end up spreading too much. Two pans make it efficient to alternate between batches.
When you use a cookie scoop to portion out the dough, it is fast and easy. Also, the size of the cookie dough balls will be more consistent.
Recipe FAQs
I don’t recommend doing this because the cereal will soften and lose its crunch.
Yes. With the corn flakes, you can stir in 1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts or pecans.
You can make this swap. Just keep in mind that if you use a sweeter variety, the cookies overall will turn out sweeter. For example, frosted flakes would probably be too much because they are very sugary on their own.
More Cookies Recipes
Peanut Butter m&m Cookies
Crispy m&m Cookies
Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
Blood Orange Icebox Cookies
Cinnamon Owl Shortbread Cookies
Brookies (Brownie Cookies)
Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
Cornflake Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups cornflakes
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two sheet pans with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl using an electric mixer, cream the butter and both sugars until they are pale and fluffy, about 4 minutes.
- Beat in the egg and vanilla extract.
- In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
- Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. When you only can still see a little of the flour, fold in the cornflakes.
- Drop the dough by the scant 1/4-cup-full, spacing the balls 3 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake for 12-14 minutes until the cookies are golden brown. Cool on the sheet pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
