Cornflake oatmeal chocolate chip cookies

It amazes me that after more than 500 posts and all the recipes I've attempted in the last few years, there are still so many times I find myself saying/thinking, "this is something I've never tried before...".  I probably shouldn't be all that surprised but it's a constant reminder that there are endless things to explore and have fun with.  And it can be a very simple thing, like putting cornflakes into cookies!

We usually don't have cereal in our house.  My husband isn't a fan and the little guy is not into eating cereal in the traditional way - i.e., with milk.  He'll pretty willingly have it along side milk but not together.  So cereal isn't a morning routine but a few weeks back, I bought a box of cornflakes to make baked cornflake-crusted chicken.  I've wanted to make it for ages but never have cornflakes on hand.  I finally decided to just buy a box for the purpose and while my son has been enjoying occasional bowls of cornflakes with a side of milk, I had plenty left to experiment with...so why not make cookies!

You know what?  I kind of loved it.  Oatmeal chocolate chip cookies with crushed cornflakes thrown in turned out to be a very good thing.  My family and I devoured our batch of cookies.  The cornflakes added a mysterious little crunch and slightly sweet-caramelized flavor that was really enjoyable. 

I found it's key to add the cornflakes and mix it fairly well into the batter so that the cornflakes break up and crush into small pieces.  In one of my cookie bites, I had a lone large piece of cornflake and I just thought it was too hard, too large somehow, while the crushed bits melded rather perfectly into the cookie.  

This was a tasty experiment.  Making use of my cornflakes was a great excuse to bake a batch of cookies! These have the whole chewy, crunchy, melty elements all taken care of in one.  Now that I've tried this, I'm eager to try it out with rice krispies instead of cornflakes. It's yet another thing I haven't done but have been curious about.  Honestly, there are endless reasons to make cookies, which is not a bad thing in my book!


I was planning to simply take a good oatmeal chocolate chip cookie recipe I've made in the past and fit some cornflakes into it but I stumbled upon this recipe in my research and it fit right into the cookie I envisioned eating.  I'm glad I used it!

Add oats and cornflakes to the dough, then mix with the mixer to break up the cornflakes before stirring in chocolate chips

I like using old-fashioned oats because I love the chew it adds and I really want that to be prominent.  If you prefer, you can use quick oats instead.  It bears repeating that you should add the cornflakes into the batter, then let the paddle of your stand mixer mix it in and break up the cornflakes into smaller pieces.  Going in, I was a little hesitant and wondering if the cornflakes should be crushed or not.  Now that I've made them, I discovered that breaking them up a bit turns the cornflakes into ideal little bits within the cookie that add a bit of crunch and a slight sweet flavor that we really enjoyed. 

Have you had cookies with cornflakes?  How does it compare with rice krispies?  I need to try that next, and hopefully, soon.

Recipe: 

Cornflake Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies 
Adapted from Chef in Training

- Makes approximately 18 cookies (depending on size) -

1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar 
1 1/2 teaspoons milk
1 large egg
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup sifted all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup old-fashioned oats
1 cup cornflakes
3/4 cup dark chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and set racks in the upper and lower third position.  Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicon baking mats. 

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter together with the sugars.  Add milk, egg, and vanilla extract.  Mix until combined, scraping the bowl as needed.  

In a separate bowl, lightly whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together.  Add this to the mixing bowl and beat until combined.  Add oats and cornflakes and beat on low-speed to incorporate (you want to break the cornflakes up into smaller pieces). Stir in the chocolate chips with a rubber spatula.  

Scoop cookie dough into about 2-tablespoon mounds (or as desired) onto the baking sheets, spaced about 2 inches apart.  Bake for 10 minutes, rotating pans midway, until cookies are set and the sides are golden.  Remove baking sheets to wire rack and let cool a few minutes before transferring cookies to the rack to cool completely.