Apple Cinnamon Cereal Cookies Recipe

Using cereal in cookies is a clever and delicious baking trick with endless possibilities. You get built-in sweetness and crunch, not to mention fun colors, and of course, a big serving of nostalgia. These apple cinnamon cereal cookies use 2 classics that everyone will remember from childhood — Apple Jacks and Cinnamon Toast Crunch. To really take advantage of the fall-flavored, sweet-spiced cereals, I'm using them 3 ways. 

First, I break them down into chunks to add to the batter for pops of sweetness and crunchy texture. I also roll them into crushed cereal crumbs, which coat the cookies in an almost streusel-like crust. Finally, I use whole Apple Jacks, pressed into the tops before they bake, to add a festive and colorful accent to the cookies. Each bite has a cinnamon sugar crispiness, a chewy center with satisfying chunks of cereal, and extra crunch and color from the Apple Jack toppers. I like to use vanilla paste instead of vanilla extract for a deeper vanilla flavor that blends so well with the dark brown sugar.

These cookies are the perfect treat to make with kids. They can have fun smashing the cereal and pressing the Apple Jacks into the dough balls before baking, and snack on the cereal as they go. As an added bonus, your house will be filled with a delicious autumnal aroma of apples and cinnamon.

To make this recipe, start in the cereal aisle and grab a box of Cinnamon Toast Crunch and a box of Apple Jacks. Then hit up the refrigerated aisle and pick up unsalted butter and eggs. Check your pantry for dark brown sugar. I'm using dark instead of light because it has more molasses in it and will add chewiness and a caramel flavor. You'll also need granulated sugar, which will help the edges to slightly crisp up. Other baking basics needed are all-purpose flour, ground cinnamon, baking soda, kosher salt, and vanilla paste. I love the punch that vanilla paste adds to the cookies, but you can substitute vanilla extract if necessary.

Preheat the oven to 350 F

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Seal 1 cup Cinnamon Toast Crunch in a zip-top bag and crush it with a rolling pin into small crumbs. Pour them into a shallow bowl and set aside.

Place the remaining 1 cup Cinnamon Toast Crunch and 1 cup Apple Jacks in a zip-top bag and tap gently with a rolling pin until broken into larger pieces but broken down.

Beat the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar in a large bowl on medium speed until creamy and lighter in color, 1 to 2 minutes.

Beat in the egg and vanilla until smooth.

Whisk the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.

Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix on low speed just until no dry flour remains.

With your hands, fold in the larger crumb-sized cereal pieces.

Scoop the dough into 3-tablespoon balls.

Roll each ball in the fine Cinnamon Toast Crunch crumbs, pressing gently so they stick and place 8 cookies on each baking sheet about 3 inches apart.

Press 3 or 4 of the remaining whole Apple Jacks into the top of each ball.

Bake until the edges are golden and the centers look puffy and slightly underdone, 11 to 13 minutes.

Transfer to a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes before serving.

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There are a few tricks to making sure the cereal pieces stay crunchy in the cookies. In order to limit the moisture from the dough becoming absorbed by the cereal, don't over-crush the batch of cereal that we mix into the dough. Tiny pieces will soften much faster as they incorporate into the batter, but larger chunks will retain their crunchiness. The batch that is broken down into finer crumbs for the exterior will stay crispy because they are on the outside of the cookie and exposed to the heat of the oven to dry. Another thing to keep in mind is that this isn't a dough that can be made ahead and baked later. If the cookie pieces spend too much time mixed in with the dough, they will certainly become soft and mushy.

When the cookies are done baking, they will need ample time to cool before you seal them up in an airtight container. If sealed up too early, any heat will be trapped in the container, creating moisture in each cookie and turning them soggy rather than crispy and chewy.

If you want to turn these cereal cookies into larger jumbo cookies or cookie bars, you can do so easily by making a few modifications. For the jumbo bakery-style cookies, portion out about ½ cup of dough and roll each cookie the same way into the crumbs. Since they are bigger, expect them to spread more. You should get about 8 large cookies, so put 4 per sheet pan with plenty of room in between. Cook them for 15-18 minutes at the same temperature. Look for golden edges to indicate they are done.

To make cookie bars, start by lining a 9 x 9-inch baking dish with parchment paper. Press the cookie dough firmly into the pan, then sprinkle on the fine crumbs to cover the entire top layer. Add the whole Apple Jacks to the top, making sure they are evenly distributed, so when the bars are cut, each will have a few Apple Jacks on top. Bake the bars at the same temperature for 20-25 minutes or until the edges are golden and a toothpick comes out with light crumbs. Let the pan cool completely before lifting the parchment out of the pan to cut into bars.

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