Get ready to fall in love with these Cornflake Cookies Recipe — slightly thick, crisp, chewy, and lightly crunchy with every bite. A buttery dough studded with chocolate chips gets a crunchy twist as each cookie is rolled in golden cornflakes before baking. The best part? No need to chill the dough. From mixing bowl to oven to your plate, you can have a batch of warm, crisp-edged cookies ready to enjoy in less than an hour.
When I first tried these cornflake cookies there’s something wonderfully nostalgic and comforting about cookies that remind us of childhood. The cornflakes give these cookies a unique texture while the chocolate chips add just the right touch of sweetness. If you’re looking for a recipe that’s a little different from the classic chocolate chip cookie but still simple to make, these are going to be your new favorite.
These cornflake cookies bring back childhood memories
I grew up sneaking handfuls from the cereal box — crunchy, golden, and just a little sweet. So the first time I folded them into cookie dough, it felt like a full-circle moment. These Cornflake Cookies are everything I love in a treat: soft in the center, crisp around the edges, and packed with that irresistible crunch in every bite. It’s like a hug from your childhood… in cookie form.
You can see our recipe: Chocolate chip cookies without brown sugar and Peanut butter cookies recipe
Ingredients You’ll Need
Butter: For this recipe, use unsalted butter — either regular dairy or dairy-free. Unsalted is best since salted butter varies by brand and can make the cookies too salty. If you only have salted butter, simply skip the added salt in the dough. Always bring the butter to room temperature for easy creaming. And for an extra sweet-and-salty finish, try sprinkling the baked cookies with a touch of sea salt.
Brown sugar & white sugar: You need both brown sugar and white sugar for this recipe. Brown sugar contains molasses, which adds moisture and makes cookies soft and chewy. It gives cookies a deeper, caramel-like flavor compared to white sugar. I like to make my own powdered sugar from regular white sugar because it dissolves more quickly, which saves time when mixing cookie dough. If you prefer, you can absolutely stick with regular white sugar instead — both will work just fine for this recipe.
Use fresh Cornflakes: For best results, I recommend using Kellogg’s Cornflakes in this recipe. Be sure to avoid the frosted variety, as the added sugar would likely make the cookies overly sweet. Lightly crush the cornflakes before coating the cookie dough — you want smaller pieces for crunch, not fine crumbs.
Chocolate chips: I like to use semi-sweet chocolate chips for a balanced flavor, but you can use any type of chocolate chips you love — or even skip them altogether. Feel free to swap in chopped nuts, raisins, or any other mix-ins you enjoy.
Flour: Use all-purpose flour for this recipe — it works best. Just be sure to measure your flour correctly for the perfect cookie texture.
Baking soda: Helps the cornflake cookies spread and rise.
Vanilla: For the best flavor, use pure vanilla extract — it really enhances the taste of the cornflake cookies.
Egg: Use one large egg at room temperature — it helps bind the ingredients together and gives the cookies structure.
Cornflake Cookie Recipe Variations and Substitutions
One of the best things about these cornflakes cookies is how versatile they are. You can easily customize them to suit your taste, dietary needs, or just what you have in the pantry. Here are a few ideas:
- Skip the chocolate chips: Not a fan of chocolate? No problem! Try adding sweet and chewy mix-ins like raisins, dried cranberries, or chopped dates. For a bit of crunch, chopped nuts such as walnuts, almonds, or pecans make a wonderful substitute.
- Add extra flavor: Warm spices can take these cookies to the next level. A pinch of cinnamon adds coziness, while nutmeg or even cardamom brings a lovely depth of flavor.
- Cereal Alternatives: You’re not limited to just cornflakes! Rice Krispies or even plain cornflakes all work beautifully and give slightly different textures and flavors. Also you can add a handful of crushed potato chips for a salty-sweet twist that’s surprisingly addictive!
How To Make Cornflake Cookies (Step By Step)
Note: You’ll find the full list of ingredients and step-by-step instructions in the recipe card below
Preheat the oven: Preheating your oven to 180°C (350°F). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone liner and set aside.
Cream the butter & sugars: In a large bowl, beat butter, brown sugar, and powdered sugar until light and fluffy (about 2–3 minutes).
Add wet ingredients: Beat in the egg and vanilla until smooth.
Mix dry ingredients: In another bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, and salt. Add to the wet mixture and mix until just combined.
Add chocolate chips: Once the dry ingredients are combined, gently fold in the chocolate chips.
Crushed cornflakes: Place the cornflakes in a separate bowl and gently crush them with your hands until they break into smaller pieces — just enough for a light crunch without turning them into crumbs.
Scoop the dough: Scoop the dough into balls (about 1½ tablespoons each or 30g) or any size you like, then roll them in cornflakes, gently pressing the flakes into the dough with your hands so they stick well.
Bake and enjoy: Bake for 10–11 minutes, or until the cookies are golden brown. Carefully transfer them to a wire rack and let them cool completely.
Expert Tips
- Use a kitchen scale: For cookies that bake perfectly, accurate measurements are key. I highly recommend using a kitchen scale—especially for flour because even a tablespoon too much can make cookies dense. No scale? Fluff the flour, spoon it into your cup, and level it with a knife.
- Mix gently: When adding the dry ingredients and chocolate chips, fold them in gently. Overmixing can develop too much gluten in the flour, which may make your cookies dense or hard rather than soft and tender.
- Use a cookie scoop: I highly recommend using a cookie scoop or weighing the dough on a kitchen scale (around 30g per cookie, or any size you prefer). Using a scoop ensures all the cookies are the same size, so they bake evenly and look perfect.
- Under-bake: I always recommend slightly under-baking your cookies. The centers will look a little soft when you take them out, but they’ll continue to set as they cool on the baking sheet, giving you perfectly chewy cookies.
- The Secret to a Picture-Perfect Cookie: For the final touch before baking, gently press each cookie dough ball to slightly flatten it — this helps them bake into the perfect cookie shape.
Storage Instructions
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. The baked cookies can be frozen in a ziploc freezer bag or in a box for up to 1 month. You can freeze the dough balls for up to 2 months — bake directly from frozen, adding 2 extra minutes to the baking time.
Cornflake Cookies
Equipment
- Kitchen measuring scale/cups
- Baking try
- Baking sheets or parchment sheets
- Mixing bowls
- Electric hand or stand mixer
- Spatula
- Strainer
- Medium cookie scoop
- Wire cooling rack
Ingredients
- 115g unsalted butter, softened (½ cup)
- 100g brown sugar (½ cup, packed)
- 50g powder sugar (¼ cup)
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 150g all-purpose flour (1 cup + 2 tbsp)
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- 60g cornflakes (about 2 cups, lightly crushed)
- 50g chocolate chips (⅓ cup)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat and set aside.
- Cream the butter & sugars: In a large bowl, beat together the butter, brown sugar, and powdered sugar until light and fluffy (about 2–3 minutes).
- Add wet ingredients: Mix in the egg and vanilla extract until smooth and well combined.
- Mix dry ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add to the wet mixture and stir until just combined — don’t overmix.
- Fold in chocolate chips gently with a spatula.
- Prepare the cornflakes: Place them in a shallow bowl and lightly crush with your hands so you have smaller pieces but not crumbs.
- Scoop the dough: Roll about 1½ tablespoons (30g) of dough into balls, then roll each ball in the crushed cornflakes, pressing gently so they stick.
- Bake for 10–11 minutes, or until golden brown around the edges.
- Cool: Allow cookies to rest on the baking sheet for a couple of minutes, then carefully transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- After cooling the cornflake cookies store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. The baked cookies can be frozen in a ziploc freezer bag or in a box for up to 1 month.
Video
Notes
- Use a kitchen scale For cookies that bake perfectly, accurate measurements are key. I highly recommend using a kitchen scale—especially for flour because even a tablespoon too much can make cookies dense. No scale? Fluff the flour, spoon it into your cup, and level it with a knife.
- Mix gently When adding the dry ingredients and chocolate chips, fold them in gently. Overmixing can develop too much gluten in the flour, which may make your cookies dense or hard rather than soft and tender.
- Use a cookie scoop I highly recommend using a cookie scoop or weighing the dough on a kitchen scale (around 30 g per cookie, or any size you prefer). Using a scoop ensures all the cookies are the same size, so they bake evenly and look perfect.
- Under-bake I always recommend slightly under-baking your cookies. The centers will look a little soft when you take them out, but they’ll continue to set as they cool on the baking sheet, giving you perfectly chewy cookies.
- The Secret to a Picture-Perfect Cookie For the final touch before baking, gently press each cookie dough ball to slightly flatten it — this helps them bake into the perfect cookie shape.
