There are some combinations in the kitchen that just make perfect sense. Then there are the ones that sound a little unusual at first, but once you try them, you wonder how you ever lived without them. These Rice Krispie Chocolate Chip Cookies fall firmly into that second category. They take the beloved, classic chocolate chip cookie and introduce a delightful, unexpected crunch that transforms it into something truly special. The malty, toasted flavour of the breakfast cereal adds a layer of complexity you just don’t see coming.

I stumbled upon this combination by accident one weekend, trying to use up the end of a cereal box before the weekly shop. My son was helping me, and he enthusiastically suggested we tip them into the cookie dough. I was sceptical, but I’m so glad I listened. The result was a batch of cookies with chewy middles, crisp edges, and these incredible little pockets of crackle and pop. It’s been a staple baking recipe in our house ever since, a fantastic twist on a treat we all know and love. If you’re looking for a new cookie idea, this is one that always gets compliments.

This recipe is for anyone who appreciates texture in their bakes. It’s for the family looking for a fun weekend project or for the home baker wanting to add a secret weapon to their repertoire. They work wonderfully for filling up the biscuit tin, bringing to a friend’s house, or simply enjoying warm from the oven with a cold glass of milk. For another unique cookie experience, you might also like my Stuffed Cookies Recipe With Gooey Center.

Recipe Overview

This recipe creates a batch of chocolate chip cookies with a remarkable texture. The dough is rich and buttery, studded with generous pools of melted dark chocolate. The star, however, is the addition of toasted Rice Krispies, which lend a light, airy, and satisfying crunch to every single bite. From my own testing, I’ve found that taking a minute to lightly toast the cereal before adding it to the dough significantly enhances its nutty, malty flavour.

• Prep Time: 20 minutes (plus 30 minutes chilling)
• Cook Time: 12-14 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour 2 minutes
• Servings: Makes approximately 24 cookies
• Difficulty: Easy

Why You’ll Love These Rice Krispie Chocolate Chip Cookies

• A Unique Textural Experience: The interplay between the soft, chewy cookie, the molten chocolate, and the crisp, crackly cereal is what makes these so memorable. It’s a genuine step up from a standard chocolate chip cookie.
• Comes Together in About an Hour: Including the crucial chilling time, you can have these delicious crispy cookies ready to enjoy in just over 60 minutes.
• A Wonderfully Flexible Recipe: This recipe is a fantastic base. You can easily swap the dark chocolate for milk or white chocolate, add a handful of chopped walnuts, or even stir in some mini marshmallows for a rocky road-inspired treat.
• Ideal for Sharing: These are great for bake sales, packing in lunchboxes, or bringing along to a casual get-together with friends. They always disappear quickly from the plate.
• Family Tested and Approved: I make this recipe often, and my kids are always thrilled. They love the sound they make and often try to pick out the extra-crispy bits first!

Rice Krispie Chocolate Chip Cookies

⏱️ 20 min prep  •  🍳 18 min cook  •  👥 12 servings

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Ingredients You’ll Need

For this recipe, we’re using standard baking ingredients, but the quality really does make a difference. Using good, creamy unsalted butter will give your cookies a richer flavour. For the chocolate, I always reach for a high-quality dark chocolate bar (around 70% cocoa) and chop it myself. This gives you a mix of fine chocolate shards and bigger chunks that create those glorious melted pools throughout the cookie.

• 150g unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 100g light brown soft sugar
• 75g caster sugar
• 1 large free-range egg, room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 225g plain flour
• ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
• ½ tsp fine sea salt
• 50g Rice Krispies breakfast cereal
• 200g dark chocolate, roughly chopped (or chocolate chips)

Marcus’s Tip: Don’t be tempted to skip the salt! It might seem like a small amount, but it’s essential for balancing the sweetness of the sugars and enhancing the deep flavour of the dark chocolate.

How to Make Rice Krispie Chocolate Chip Cookies

The process for making these cookies is straightforward. The key is in the technique—creaming the butter and sugar properly to incorporate air, and gently folding in the mix-ins at the end to preserve their texture. Follow these steps for perfect results every time.

1. First, prepare the cereal. Spread the 50g of Rice Krispies on a small baking tray and toast in a preheated oven at 180°C (160°C fan) for 3-4 minutes, or until they are very lightly golden and smell nutty. Watch them carefully as they can catch quickly. Set aside to cool completely.
2. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer or a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the softened butter, light brown sugar, and caster sugar together on medium speed for about 3-4 minutes. The mixture should become pale, light, and fluffy. This step is crucial for the cookie’s texture, as explained in this great BBC Good Food guide on creaming.
3. Add the room temperature egg and vanilla extract to the bowl. Beat again for another minute until everything is well combined and the mixture is smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure everything is incorporated.
4. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the plain flour, bicarbonate of soda, and fine sea salt. This ensures the raising agent and salt are evenly distributed.
5. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in two additions, mixing on low speed until just combined. Be careful not to overmix at this stage; stop as soon as you no longer see streaks of flour.
6. Gently fold in the chopped dark chocolate and the cooled, toasted Rice Krispies using a spatula. What works best for me is to use a light touch here to avoid crushing all the cereal. You want to keep that wonderful texture intact.
7. Cover the bowl with cling film and chill the cookie dough in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, or up to an hour. This step is vital—it prevents the cookies from spreading too much in the oven.
8. Once chilled, scoop heaped tablespoons of the dough onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Leave about 2 inches of space between each cookie to allow for spreading.
9. Bake in the preheated oven for 12-14 minutes, or until the edges are a lovely golden brown and the centres look set but are still slightly soft. They will continue to cook on the hot tray.
10. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5-10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. This allows them to firm up so they don’t fall apart.

Tips From My Kitchen

• Temperature is Everything: Using room temperature butter and eggs is non-negotiable for the best texture. Cold ingredients don’t emulsify properly, which can lead to a greasy or dense cookie. Take them out of the fridge about an hour before you start.
• The Chilling Secret: I learned that chilling the dough isn’t just about preventing spread. It also allows the flour to fully hydrate and the flavours to meld together, resulting in a chewier cookie with a more developed taste. Don’t skip it!
• Make-Ahead Magic: You can prepare the cookie dough, roll it into a log wrapped in cling film, and refrigerate it for up to 3 days. Simply slice and bake when you’re ready. The dough balls also freeze beautifully for up to 3 months for on-demand cookies.
• Perfect Storage: To maintain that signature crunch, store the cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. They will keep well for up to 5 days, though they rarely last that long in my house.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Overcrowding the Baking Sheet: It’s tempting to fit as many cookies as possible on one tray, but this is a mistake. They need air to circulate to bake evenly, and they will spread. Give them space—bake in batches if you need to.
• An Inaccurate Oven: Ovens can be notoriously unreliable with their temperature. If your cookies are consistently burning on the bottom or not cooking through, your oven might be running hot or cold. An inexpensive oven thermometer is a baker’s best friend.
• Skipping the Cooling Time on the Tray: Moving the cookies to a wire rack immediately after they come out of the oven can cause them to break. Letting them rest on the hot tray for 5-10 minutes allows them to set, making them sturdy enough to move.

Delicious Variations to Try

Once you’ve mastered the basic recipe, it’s a lot of fun to experiment with other flavours. This dough is an excellent canvas for your own cookie idea. For other zesty treats, have a look at my popular Lemon Crumb Bars Recipe.

• Salty Caramel & Pretzel: Swap half the chocolate chips for soft caramel chunks and fold in 50g of roughly crushed salted pretzels along with the Rice Krispies. The salty-sweet combination is fantastic.
• White Chocolate & Cranberry: A classic pairing that works beautifully here. Use 150g of white chocolate chunks and 50g of dried cranberries for a festive, chewy twist.
• Nutty Double Chocolate: Add 25g of unsweetened cocoa powder to the dry ingredients and fold in 75g of toasted, chopped hazelnuts or pecans along with the chocolate chunks.

What to Serve With Rice Krispie Chocolate Chip Cookies

While these cookies are sublime on their own, a simple pairing can elevate the experience. They also make a great base for a more elaborate dessert, similar to how you might serve a Giant Skillet Cookie.

• A Cold Glass of Milk: It’s a classic for a reason. The creamy milk perfectly complements the rich chocolate and buttery cookie.
• Vanilla Bean Ice Cream: Sandwich a scoop of good-quality vanilla ice cream between two warm cookies for a truly decadent dessert.
• A Hot Cup of Tea or Coffee: For an afternoon treat, there’s nothing better than one of these crispy cookies alongside your favourite brew.

Frequently Asked Questions

Rice Krispie Chocolate Chip Cookies

A delightful twist on the classic chocolate chip cookie, featuring the surprising and addictive crunch of toasted breakfast cereal. This recipe creates perfectly chewy cookies with golden edges and soft centers.

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 18 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 8 minutes mins

Servings: 12 servings

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Calories: 330

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 150 g unsalted butter softened to room temperature
• 100 g light brown soft sugar
• 75 g caster sugar
• 1 large free-range egg room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 225 g plain flour
• ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
• ½ tsp fine sea salt
• 50 g Rice Krispies breakfast cereal
• 200 g dark chocolate roughly chopped (or chocolate chips)

Method

 

1. First, prepare the cereal. Spread the 50g of Rice Krispies on a small baking tray and toast in a preheated oven at 180°C (160°C fan) for 3-4 minutes, or until they are very lightly golden and smell nutty. Watch them carefully as they can catch quickly. Set aside to cool completely.
2. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer or a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the softened butter, light brown sugar, and caster sugar together on medium speed for about 3-4 minutes. The mixture should become pale, light, and fluffy. This step is crucial for the cookie's texture, as explained in this great BBC Good Food guide on creaming.
3. Add the room temperature egg and vanilla extract to the bowl. Beat again for another minute until everything is well combined and the mixture is smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure everything is incorporated.
4. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the plain flour, bicarbonate of soda, and fine sea salt. This ensures the raising agent and salt are evenly distributed.
5. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in two additions, mixing on low speed until just combined. Be careful not to overmix at this stage; stop as soon as you no longer see streaks of flour.
6. Gently fold in the chopped dark chocolate and the cooled, toasted Rice Krispies using a spatula. What works best for me is to use a light touch here to avoid crushing all the cereal. You want to keep that wonderful texture intact.
7. Cover the bowl with cling film and chill the cookie dough in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, or up to an hour. This step is vital—it prevents the cookies from spreading too much in the oven.
8. Once chilled, scoop heaped tablespoons of the dough onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Leave about 2 inches of space between each cookie to allow for spreading.
9. Bake in the preheated oven for 12-14 minutes, or until the edges are a lovely golden brown and the centres look set but are still slightly soft. They will continue to cook on the hot tray.
10. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5-10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. This allows them to firm up so they don’t fall apart.

Notes

Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. The 30-minute chilling step is crucial to prevent the cookies from spreading too much, so don't skip it!

There you have it—a simple yet transformative way to elevate your chocolate chip cookie game. The added texture and toasted flavour from the cereal really makes a difference, turning a familiar treat into something new and exciting. I hope you enjoy making (and eating) these as much as we do in my house. Happy baking!

I’d love to hear how you get on with this baking recipe. Please leave a comment below to share your experience!