The Best of the Peanut Butter Cereal Cookie Recipes
If you’re a peanut butter lover like me, then you know there’s nothing better than peanut butter cornflake cereal cookie recipes. They are the perfect combination of crunchy, sweet, and salty! I’ve tried several recipes but keep coming back to this family favorite.
So grab a jar of peanut butter (and a cup of coffee), and let’s make some cookies!
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Cookies! Yum!
I have been feeling nostalgic lately and have been revisiting many of my favorite recipes from my childhood.
When I was little, my mother would bake cookies that would disappear as soon as she made them.
Snickerdoodles, sugar cookies, and oatmeal raisin cookies.
(Don’t get me started on the oatmeal raisin/chocolate chip debate…my mother did not like chocolate chip cookies and so never made them. I do like them but a good oatmeal raisin cookie wins this contest with me every time.)
When I was in high school, she would also make what we called “Laverna’s Cookies.”
They were so good for an after-school snack and, truth be told, they were so much fun to stuff in my pocket and become quick weekday breakfasts! Don’t fool yourself…if people eat chocolate chip cookie cereal for breakfast, you can eat Laverna’s cookies early in the day!
Laverna was my grandmother’s youngest sister and this great recipe was hers.
Do you name recipes based on who gave it to you? My family does!
Grandmother’s Meatloaf, Nana’s Mexican Casserole, My Favorite Lemon Curd…I have a recipe box full of them!
Well, Laverna’s cookies are the ultimate peanut butter cornflake cookie!
There are lots of cereal cookie recipes that are a variation of the famous Rice Krispie Treats.
Take some cereal flakes and add something sticky!
Let’s Make Cookies!
​If you have never had them, get ready… they might become your new favorite cookie!
These cookies consist of 5 simple ingredients that are usually in the pantry.
Corn flakes, white sugar, white corn syrup, vanilla extract, and peanut butter…these cookies are always one of the best cookies in the cookie jar!
This recipe is so easy! You mix everything but the corn flakes over head and, once you get a slight soft boil in the center, you add the corn flakes.
Once you stir in the corn flake cereal, the key is to work quickly as you scoop the cookie mixture onto a cookie sheet.
I like to use an ice cream scoop.
These are sticky when you put them on the baking sheet so it is a good thing these cookies are finger-lickin’ good!
You can let them cool and get firm.
Or you can dive in and start eating them right away! If you are a coffee drinker, these cookies are perfect with a cup o’ Joe!
Peanut Butter Cornflake Cookies
Equipment
- 1 Saucepan
- 1 Wooden spoon
- 1 Baking Sheet
- 1 sheet parchment or wax paper
- 1 ice cream scoop optional
Ingredients
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup light corn syrup
- 1 cup chunky peanut butter You can use creamy peanut butter.
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 6 cups corn flakes cereal
Instructions
- In a large saucepan, combine the sugar, corn syrup, and peanut butter. Heat the mixture over medium-high heat until it reaches a gentle boil at the center. Be sure to stir continuously to prevent the sugar from burning.
- Once the sugar mixture reaches a boil, promptly remove it from the heat. Stir in the vanilla extract and add the corn flakes, ensuring they are evenly coated in the sugary mixture. Keep mixing the cereal mixture until the corn flakes are thoroughly incorporated.
- With a large spoon or ice cream scoop, drop spoonfuls of the cookie mixture onto parchment or wax paper. Work quickly as the cookies cool and harden very quickly.
- Let cool for 30 minutes.
Can I Use a Cereal Other Than Cornflakes?
While these are classic cornflake cookies, you can create your own cereal cookies recipe by substituting your choice of crisp cereal into this recipe:
- Honey Bunches of Oats Cookies
- Honey Nut Cheerios Cookies
- Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cookies
- Lucky Charms Cookies
- Fruity Pebbles Cookies
What is the best way to store fresh baked cookies?
Have you ever baked cookies only to have them dry out and lose their freshness? Here are some tips for storing your favorite cereal cookies.
- Make sure you allow the cookies to cool completely at room temperature on a wire rack.
- Store in an airtight container and separate the layers of cookies with parchment paper so they don’t stick together.
- Or, store your cookies in a zipper-lock freezer bag.
- If you are tucking into a lunch box (or your pocket!), wrap the cookies in plastic wrap.
Other Cereal Cookie Recipes to Try
Of course, I want you to try this classic peanut butter corn flake cookie recipe. But if you are feeling adventurous, try adding or substituting one of these and create your own fun recipes:
- ​Add a little maple syrup.
- Sprinkle a little bit of cinnamon for a peanut butter cinnamon flavor.
- Substitute almond butter for peanut butter.
- Stir in a few dark chocolate chips into the cookie mix for a peanut butter cup cookie.
Thanks for walking down my recipe memory lane with me!
Peanut butter cornflake cookies are a great way to enjoy an indulgent, classic treat!
They’re the perfect combination of crunchy and sweet, and their versatility means they can be enjoyed at breakfast, lunch, snack time, or dessert…any time of day!
After throwing together the easy ingredients you’ll have a delicious batch ready to eat in no time! Bon appetit!
Cheers!
Don’t Forget to Pin It!
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Feed Your Sweet Tooth
Do you have a sweet tooth like me? Here are a couple more of my favorite recipes. My family really love them too but they disappear quickly! Evidently, we really like chocolate!
How to Make Scrumptious Symphony Brownies!
A Melt-In-Your-Mouth-Chocolate Trifle
Hi Missy, I loved reading about where the cookie name came from. Isn’t that a great memory? These cookies look so delicious. I’m definitely adding them to my cookie-baking rotation! Thank you for sharing a great recipe and your family memories! Loved this!
It really is a great memory, Susan! I don’t remember Laverna herself very much because I was so little when she passed. But it is a connection to my grandmother that I love!
Oh my goodness, Missy! My mom made those, too, (probably your mother’s recipe), and they were so delicious!!! I’d forgotten all about them. I’ll be making them soon! Thanks for sharing!😊
Aren’t cookies from out childhood the best? I used to make them for my kids all the time when they were little and then I kind of forgot about them. Glad to bring them back into our household! It was SO great seeing you! I wish we lived closer!
Oh my, I sure wish I had these cookies right now with my coffee! I am going to try them for sure. Pinned.
Thanks, Wendy! Make sure you have a good cup of coffee to go with!
Yum! I was thinking as I read this that I might like to add chocolate chips or a chocolate drizzle to these, and then I saw that you suggested this as a variation! You knew there are people like me who always want to add chocolate!
A drizzle of chocolate is always a good thing! Thanks for taking a look and commenting, Julie1
Those cornflake cookies do look so good. Pinned it
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Thank you so much for stopping by, Esme’!
LOVE these peanut butter cereal cookies!
It is a family favorite! Including you!
I’ve made these using instead of Corn Syrup Marshmallows. I have another idea for a really good recipe: 1 bag Mini Marshmallows, 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil (if you use this keep stirring don’t walk away it melts faster than butter) or Butter melt in a pot after melted on low heat, after completely melted dip apples in I suggest Granny Smith or Pink Ladies then roll in Graham Cracker Crumbs then drizzle with melted chocolate.
This sounds amazing, Tara! I’m going to have to give this a try! Thank you for sharing!
I have always made these as bars – we called them Special K bars as the recipe called for using Special K cereal, but I always use corn flakes. And we do top them with a chocolate/butterscotch frosting. So good!
Love the idea of topping with a frosting! YUM! Thank you so much for the idea!
Breakfast cookies!
Believe me, I have eaten them for breakfast and loved every bite! Thanks for stopping by, Jenna!
What yummy looking cookies! Thanks for sharing at the What’s for Dinner party. Hope your week is wonderful and warm!
Thanks, Helen! This is a fav of my daughters and such fun to share!