If you've got a box of cereal sitting in your pantry, you're about ten minutes away from the best cookie dough you'll make all week. These rice krispie cookies are crispy, chewy, buttery, and packed with chocolate chips and coconut in every bite.
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I first made these on a rainy Saturday when Alex wanted chocolate chip cookies and I realized we were low on flour. I stretched the dough with Rice Krispies, crossed my fingers, and honestly? They came out better than the original. That crackly, light crunch mixed with melty chocolate won everyone over fast.
Now Sarah asks for them almost every weekend, and Donald sneaks two with his coffee before I've even moved them to the cooling rack. If your family loves fun cookie mashups like this, you'll also want to try my chocolate marshmallow swirl cookies next. They're another one my kids fight over.
Why You Will Like This Recipe
- Quick to make. Just 10 minutes of prep and 12 minutes in the oven. Done in 22 minutes total.
- Simple pantry ingredients. Butter, sugar, flour, cereal, chocolate chips. Nothing fancy, nothing hard to find.
- Amazing texture. Crispy edges, chewy centers, and that light crunch from the cereal that regular cookies just don't have.
- Kid approved. Alex and Sarah both give these two thumbs up, and my kids are honest taste testers.
- No chilling required. The dough goes straight from the bowl to the oven. Actually, it has to (more on that below).
- Perfect for sharing. They hold their shape well, so they're great for school events and cookie trays.
Ingredients For Rice Krispie Cookies
Here's everything you need. I always lay it all out on the counter first so nothing gets forgotten halfway through.
- ½ cup butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 ¼ cups all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 ¼ cups Rice Krispies cereal
- ½ cup sweetened shredded coconut
- 1 cup chocolate chips
A quick note on substitutions. Not a coconut family? You can swap it for chopped pecans or just leave it out. And semi sweet chocolate chips are what I use, but milk chocolate works great if that's what your kids prefer. Sarah votes milk chocolate every single time.
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Easy Rice Krispie Cookies With Chocolate Chips And Coconut
- Total Time: 22 minutes
- Yield: 24 cookies 1x
Description
If you've got a box of cereal sitting in your pantry, you're about ten minutes away from the best cookie dough you'll make all week. These rice krispie cookies are crispy, chewy, buttery, and packed with chocolate chips and coconut in every bite.
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 ¼ cups all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 ¼ cups Rice Krispies cereal
- ½ cup sweetened shredded coconut
- 1 cup chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C) and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, or a large bowl with a hand mixer, cream the butter and sugar together for 2 to 3 minutes until light and fluffy. Don't rush this part because it's what gives the cookies their soft centers.
- Mix in the egg and vanilla until combined, then scrape the bottom of the bowl so nothing hides down there.
- Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt, then add them to the wet mixture. Mix until just combined and no longer.
- Gently fold in the Rice Krispies, coconut, and chocolate chips with a spatula so the cereal stays crispy.
- Scoop the dough with a small cookie scoop (about 1 tablespoon) onto your prepared baking sheets, leaving 2 inches between each cookie.
- Bake for 12 minutes, or until the edges are set and the bottoms are lightly browned. The tops will still look pale, and that's exactly right.
- Move the cookies to wire racks and let them cool completely.
Notes
Bake the dough right away so the cereal doesn't soak up moisture and turn soggy. Don't wait for golden brown tops, since these cookies should stay light in color. Cool completely before storing in an airtight container at room temperature for 4 to 5 days. Skip the fridge and freezer, and warm day two cookies in a 300°F oven for 3 to 4 minutes.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 140
- Sugar: 13g
- Sodium: 55mg
- Fat: 7g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 19g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 13mg
How To Make Rice Krispie Cookies
This recipe is honestly hard to mess up. I've made it with both kids helping, which says a lot.
Cream The Butter And Sugar
Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C) and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, or a large bowl with a hand mixer, cream the butter and sugar together for 2 to 3 minutes. You want it light and fluffy. Don't rush this part because it's what gives the cookies their soft centers.
Add The Egg And Vanilla
Mix in the egg and vanilla until combined. Grab a spatula and scrape the bottom of the bowl so nothing hides down there. (I skipped this once and found a butter pocket in my last cookie. Lesson learned.)
Mix In The Dry Ingredients
Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt, then add them to the wet mixture. Mix until just combined and no longer.
Overmixing is the fastest way to tough cookies, so stop the second the flour disappears.
Fold In The Good Stuff
Gently fold in the Rice Krispies, coconut, and chocolate chips with a spatula. Be gentle here so the cereal stays crispy. This is Alex's job in our kitchen, and he takes it very seriously.
Scoop And Bake
Scoop the dough with a small cookie scoop (about 1 tablespoon) onto your prepared baking sheets, leaving 2 inches between each cookie.
Bake for 12 minutes, or until the edges are set and the bottoms are lightly browned. The tops will still look pale, and that's exactly right. Move the cookies to wire racks and let them cool completely.
Storage And Reheating
Let the cookies cool completely before storing. Warm cookies trap steam, and steam is the enemy of that crispy texture we worked for.
Place them in an airtight container or resealable bag at room temperature. They stay fresh for 4 to 5 days, though mine have never survived past day three.
I don't recommend freezing these. The cereal softens as it sits in the freezer, and you lose the crunch that makes them special. Same goes for refrigerating the dough. This is a mix it and bake it recipe.
If you want that fresh from the oven feel on day two, pop a cookie in a 300°F oven for 3 to 4 minutes. Donald does this every morning and acts like he invented it.
Tips And Variations For Rice Krispie Cookies
After making these more times than I can count in my little Manhattan kitchen, here's what I've learned.
- Bake the dough right away. This one matters most. If the dough sits, the cereal soaks up moisture and turns soggy. No make ahead dough here.
- Don't wait for golden brown tops. These cookies should stay light in color. If they look golden all over, they're already overbaked and will be dry.
- Room temperature butter is key. Cold butter won't cream properly. I set mine out about an hour before baking.
- Try different chips. Caramel chips, peanut butter chips, and white chocolate chips are all wonderful here. My maple loving family also goes crazy for my maple bacon chocolate chip cookies when we want something a little different.
- Measure the flour correctly. Spoon it into your measuring cup and level it off. Scooping straight from the bag packs in extra flour and dries out the dough.
Ever wonder why some homemade cookies turn out crispy and others come out cakey? It usually comes down to the butter temperature and the bake time, so watch both closely with this recipe.
These are also fun to serve at parties next to something cool and creamy. I like putting a plate out with my Oreo dirt cake for birthdays, and the cookie plate always empties first.
Rice Krispie Cookies FAQ
Can You Use Rice Krispies Cereal In Cookies?
Yes, absolutely! Rice Krispies add a light, crispy crunch to cookie dough that you can't get any other way. Just fold the cereal in gently at the very end and bake the dough right away so the cereal stays crunchy. I've been doing this for years, and it's one of my smartest kitchen shortcuts.
How Do You Keep Rice Krispie Cookies Crispy?
Two things matter here. First, bake the dough immediately after mixing so the cereal doesn't absorb liquid. Second, cool the cookies completely before sealing them in a container. Trapped warmth creates moisture, and moisture softens the crunch fast.
Why Did My Rice Krispie Cookies Turn Out Dry?
Overbaking is almost always the reason. These cookies should come out of the oven looking pale on top with lightly browned bottoms. Too much flour can also dry them out, so spoon and level when you measure. I made both mistakes my first year of baking, so trust me on this one.
How Should You Store Rice Krispie Cookies?
Keep them in an airtight container or a resealable bag at room temperature for 4 to 5 days. Skip the fridge and freezer, since cold storage softens the cereal and changes the texture. If you want them warm again, a few minutes in a low oven brings them right back.
Recipes You May Like
- Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies That Melt In Your Mouth - The classic that started it all in my kitchen, with soft centers and gooey chocolate in every bite.
- Turkey Rice Krispie Treats For A Festive Treat - Another fun way to use that cereal box, and the kids love decorating these.
- Decadent Chocolate Caramel Cookies You'll Crave Daily - Rich, gooey, and perfect when you want a more chocolatey cookie night.
Conclusion
These rice krispie cookies prove that the best treats are usually the simplest ones. Cream the butter and sugar, mix in your dry ingredients, fold in the cereal, coconut, and chocolate chips, and bake for 12 short minutes. That's it.
This recipe has become a regular in our home because it works every single time and uses things I already have. There's something so satisfying about turning breakfast cereal into a cookie the whole family cheers for.
Give them a try this weekend and let me know how they turn out for you! And don't forget to save this one to Pinterest so it's ready the next time a cookie mood hits.
