I found these Peanut Butter Cornflake Cookies in an old church cookbook, and I’ve been hooked ever since! They’re chewy and crunchy, and you don’t need an oven!
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Have you ever signed up to bring treats to your kid’s class party, then totally forgotten about it until the night before? No? Well, I’ve done it more times than I’d like to admit. These easy Cornflake Cookies have saved me more than once!
This no-bake recipe is the easiest way I know to make a sweet treat. To make these cookies, I boil sugar and light corn syrup on the stove. Then I stir in creamy peanut butter, vanilla and a little salt.
I pour that over a bowl of cornflakes and scoop them onto wax paper. They set up all on their own.
What You’ll Learn
- How I make these no-bake Cornflake Cookies in one saucepan on the stovetop.
- The one thing that keeps them chewy instead of rock hard.
- My favorite ways to dress them up for a Christmas cookie tray.
- How I store them, make them ahead and freeze them.
Why You’ll Love These Old-Fashioned Cornflake Cookies
I’m not sure where the original cornflake cookie recipe came from. I love flipping through old church cookbooks, though, because they’re full of old-school treats nobody makes anymore. These little retro cookies are totally delicious!
They’re salty and sweet all at once, like peanut butter candy with a nice crunch in every bite. Think Rice Krispie Treats, but with peanut butter.
Even better, you only need six pantry ingredients. There’s no electric mixer to wash, and you never turn on the oven.
That makes them one of my favorite no-bake Christmas cookie recipes. They’re a lifesaver during the holiday season, when my oven is already busy with everything else on my list!
Some folks call them cornflake candy, cornflake chews or cornflake clusters. There’s also a baked cornflake cookie made with butter and flour, but that’s a whole different cookie.
Whatever you call them, they make great bake sale cookies. They’re great at a cookie exchange or on a Christmas cookie tray, too. Fair warning, though, it’s hard to eat just one. Ask me how I know. đź‘€
Cornflake Cookie Ingredient Notes
You probably have these simple ingredients in your pantry right now. A few of them are worth a quick word.
Cornflakes: Plain cornflake cereal is what I use. Spoon the flakes loosely into your measuring cup, and try not to crush them. Those big, crunchy cornflakes give you the perfect texture.
White sugar and light corn syrup: I stick with white sugar here, not brown sugar. It boils with the corn syrup into the sweet, sticky sugar mixture that holds everything together without any baking.
Peanut butter: I use regular creamy peanut butter, and chunky peanut butter is great if you want extra crunch. Skip natural peanut butter here, though. The oil level and texture are all wrong for these cookies.
Vanilla extract and salt: A little vanilla rounds out the flavor. The salt makes the peanut butter taste even more peanut buttery.
How to Make Cornflake Cookies
I stir the sugar and corn syrup in a saucepan over medium-high heat, just until it boils.
Off the heat, the peanut butter, vanilla and salt go in. I pour that over the cornflakes and gently fold until every flake is coated. Scrape the sides of the bowl as you go.
They’re old-fashioned drop cookies, so I just scoop them onto the wax paper and let them set.
When you’re ready to make a batch, the recipe card below has every amount and step. Keep it right next to the stove.
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My Best Tips
Get ready: First things first, line a baking sheet or cookie sheet with wax paper or parchment paper. Then measure your cornflakes into a medium bowl. Do it all before you turn on the stove, because the syrup firms up fast.
Fold, don’t stir: Fold with a silicone spatula instead of stirring hard. Bring the flakes up from the bottom of the bowl. It keeps them big and crunchy.
Use a cookie scoop: A scoop keeps them all the same size, so they look so pretty lined up on a cookie tray. I scoop with a little circular motion to round them off.
Doubling the batch: Use a large bowl so every flake gets coated.
For thinner cookies: Press each one down a little while it’s still warm.
For crispier cookies: Let them sit out a little longer before you put them away.
Substitutions & Variations
- Peanut butter cornflake bars: Press the warm mixture into a buttered 8×8 pan, let it set and cut it into squares.
- Chocolate drizzle: Melt a handful of chocolate chips in a small bowl. Drizzle the chocolate over the set cookies for chocolate cornflake cookies.
- Christmas sprinkles: Shake red and green sprinkles over the top of the cookies right after you scoop, while they’re still sticky.
- Other cereal: Frosted Flakes work, too, but the cookies come out a little sweeter than the original recipe. Rice Krispies make lighter cereal cookies.
How to Store Cornflake Cookies
Make ahead: Need easy cookies for a bake sale or class party? I make these a day or two early, so the night before is stress-free.
Room temperature: Once they’ve set, keep them in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days. There’s no need to refrigerate them.
Freezer: Layer them in a freezer-safe container with wax paper in between. They keep for up to 3 months. Let them come to room temperature on the counter before serving.
Cornflake Cookie FAQs
Why are my Cornflake Cookies hard?
The syrup cooked too long, which happens to a lot of us the first time. Take your pan off the heat as soon as the syrup boils. Extra boiling turns it into hard candy instead of soft, chewy cookies.
Why are my Cornflake Cookies sticky or falling apart?
Usually the syrup didn’t quite reach a boil, so it never got thick enough to hold everything together. Next time, wait for those bubbles. Packing the cornflakes into the cup can do it, too, because there isn’t enough coating to go around.
Are Cornflake Cookies gluten-free?
Not always. Many brands of cornflakes have malt flavoring, which comes from barley. If you need them gluten-free, look for a cornflake cereal labeled certified gluten-free.
Old-fashioned Cornflake Cookies are proof that the simplest recipes are often the best. They’ve earned a spot with my favorite cookies. Try a batch with red and green sprinkles this year. Then tell me in the comments how your family likes them best!
More Potluck Desserts
- Peanut Butter No-Bake Cookies
- Chocolate No-Bake Cookies
- Buckeye Balls
- Easy Peanut Butter Fudge
- Old-Fashioned Pecan Pralines
- Best Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Texas Chocolate Sheet Cake
- Cherry Dump Cake
Cornflake Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ cup light corn syrup
- ½ cup peanut butter
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- 4 cups cornflakes
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Add the cornflakes to a medium bowl and set aside.
- In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar and the corn syrup. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat, then add the peanut butter, vanilla and salt and stir until blended.
- Pour the mixture over the cornflakes and stir until all the cornflakes are coated.
- Drop by rounded tablespoons (I used a medium cookie scoop) onto wax paper.
- Let sit at room temperature for 30 to 40 minutes.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition is an estimate from an online calculator, not medical advice, and depends on your portion size.
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OMG! I have been looking for this recipe for a long time ! I tried these for the first time when I was around 5 years old at school! I am so glad I found the recipe and of course I made them with my little ones , they enjoyed them as much as I did , they asked to make a new batch when the last one was gone! THANK YOU FOR THE RECIPE!
My mother used to make a cookie similar to this back in the 1950s or 1960s. Â I remember helping her make a shortbread crust which got baked, then melting butterscotch morsels over the crust and spreading this cornflake mixture over it. Â Do you happen to have a recipe for this? Â It was printed in the Sunday Parade magazine as I recall. Â Thanks.
They’re great when you throw them in the freezer once a harden up.
They are delicious, easy and so Awesone, thank you
Hi! I have dark Karo syrup and honey in my pantry. Which one would you recommend as a replacement for the light syrup?? Thank you!  Can’t wait to make these!!Â
Just in case anyone else is wondering this same question…I only had dark corn syrup as well and they came out just as good as when I’ve used light corn syrup!
Super easy, and super good! A little too good, perhaps… I can’t seem to stop eating them. I had to put them up in the cabinet so they wouldn’t tempt me every time I walked in the kitchen.
Rachel, I totally know what you mean! These bad boys are GOOD! Glad you loved them and thanks so much for leaving a review. :)