Description
Crunchy, peanut buttery, and perfectly sweet Cornflake Cookies are a classic, easy-to-make treat that’s always a crowd-pleaser.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 6 cups cornflakes cereal, lightly crushed
Instructions
- Cream the Butter and Sugars: In a large bowl, or the bowl of your stand mixer, cream together the softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy (3-5 minutes). Scrape down the sides of the bowl occasionally.
- Incorporate the Wet Ingredients: Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla extract and peanut butter until fully combined.
- Combine the Dry Ingredients: In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
- Gradually Add Dry Ingredients to Wet Ingredients: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Fold in the Cornflakes: Gently fold in the lightly crushed cornflakes until evenly distributed.
- Chill the Dough: Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill the dough in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, or up to 2 hours.
- Preheat the Oven: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Position the oven rack in the center.
- Prepare Baking Sheets: Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- Scoop the Dough: Use a cookie scoop or spoon to drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between each cookie.
- Optional: Flatten Slightly: Gently flatten the cookies slightly with the back of a spoon or your fingers.
- Bake: Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown and the centers are set.
- Cool on Baking Sheets: Remove the baking sheets from the oven and let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Peanut Butter Chips: Fold in 1 cup of peanut butter chips along with the cornflakes.
- Chocolate Chips: Add 1 cup of chocolate chips (milk, semi-sweet, or dark).
- Sea Salt: Sprinkle a pinch of sea salt on top of the cookies before baking.
- Different Cereal: Experiment with other cereals like Rice Krispies or Special K.
- Storage: Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
- Freezing: Freeze cookie dough balls on a baking sheet, then transfer to a freezer bag. Bake from frozen, adding a few extra minutes. You can also freeze baked cookies for up to 2 months.
- Adjusting Sweetness: Reduce granulated sugar by 1/4 cup for a less sweet cookie.
- Nut Allergy Alternative: Substitute peanut butter with sunflower seed butter or another nut-free alternative.
- Making them Chewier: Substitute some of the all-purpose flour with bread flour.
- Preventing Spreading: Chill the dough for a longer period of time. You can also add a tablespoon or two of flour to the dough to help bind it together. Make sure your oven is properly preheated and that you are not using old baking soda or baking powder.
- Cookies are too dry: Make sure you are not overbaking the cookies. Also, ensure that you are using the correct amount of butter and that it is properly softened.
- Cookies are too flat: This is usually caused by using butter that is too soft or not chilling the dough sufficiently. Make sure to chill the dough for at least 30 minutes and use butter that is softened but still slightly firm.
- Cookies are too hard: Overbaking is the most common cause of hard cookies. Also, overmixing the dough can develop the gluten, resulting in a tougher cookie.
- Cookies are not spreading enough: This could be due to using too much flour or not enough butter. Also, make sure your baking soda and baking powder are fresh.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 minutes