This School Day Cereal Cookies Recipe is the perfect Back to School Cookie! They taste like a bowl of cereal with milk, loaded with yummy stuff like chocolate chips, oats, and coconut!
These easy breakfast cereal cookies are popular in late summer or early fall during back-to-school time, but they are delicious any time of year, especially if you have leftover cereal. They are the best cookies for a lunch box dessert, a school snack, or an after-school treat. You could even eat them for breakfast! And they pair perfectly with a tall glass of milk.
Jump to:
It's the start of another new school year, and it's hard to believe my son is off to University! Even though he's an adult, he still loves it when Mom makes a big batch of cookies 🙂 I mean, who doesn't? My Mom wasn't much of a baker, but I loved it when she made cookies.
But my Auntie Sue was a big baker! And I've got a lot of great baking recipes from her over the years, like these Easy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies. And I actually adapted this cookie recipe from a recipe my Auntie Sue gave me. It's an oldie but a goodie.
In fact, my whole family loved this recipe for cereal cookies so much that they begged me to make more! They are definitely a family favorite, not to mention the perfect treat for school days. My Chocolate Cereal Clusters (made with Chex cereal) are another favorite cereal snack around here! And they are a little healthier than the chocolate squares.
🥘Ingredient Notes
You will need the following ingredients for this delicious crunchy and chewy cookie, using your favorite breakfast cereals:
- Margarine . I use Becel margarine, as it spreads less than butter.
- Brown sugar. Brown sugar gives these cookies a richer depth of flavor.
- Rolled oats. I use quick oats because they absorb more water; they make cookies that spread less than those made with old-fashioned oats. They are also smaller and create a less 'chewy' texture.
- Coconut flakes (sweetened). Coconut flakes add texture, sweetness, and a great flavor to these cookies.
- Corn Flakes and Rice Krispies (crispy rice cereal) . The combination of these two cereals is perfect for this recipe because they both offer a crunchy texture that doesn't get soggy.
- Chocolate chips. I use milk chocolate chips because I prefer that flavor, and it melds well with the other ingredients in the cookies.
📖Variations & Substitutions
- Margarine - you can use butter instead of margarine
- Diary-free - use vegan margarine and dairy-free chocolate chips
- Chocolate Chips- you can use dark chocolate chips or even white chocolate chips instead
- Oats - you can use old-fashioned rolled oats instead of quick rolled oats, but they will spread more and make the cookies chewier. You could also grind your old-fashioned oats up in the food processor to make them smaller.
- Sugar - you could substitute white sugar for brown sugar
- Coconut - you can use coconut flakes or fine or medium coconut, sweetened or unsweetened. Or you can leave the coconut out entirely or substitute with chopped nuts (like pecans or walnuts) or more oats for extra texture
🔪Step-by-Step: How to Make Cereal Cookies
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F/ 176 degrees C
- In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the margarine and brown sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy and creamy (about 2 minutes). Or use a paddle attachment on a stand mixer for 30 seconds to 1 minute on medium speed.
Add eggs
Beat with electric mixer until light and fluffy (about 1 minute).
Add the remainder of the ingredients.
Stir the cookie mix by hand with a large mixing spoon.
*If the cookies are still 'too wet' and do not have the right texture (as shown), add a little more flour.
Drop by teaspoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet. You could also use parchment paper.
Alternatively, if you want them uniform size, you can use a cookie scoop.
* These do not spread very much, so you can get up to 16 cookies on a 9x13 baking sheet.
Bake cereal cookies at 350 degrees F / 176 degrees C on prepared baking sheet, for 10-12 minutes or until they are golden brown on the bottom.
*12 minutes was perfect for me!
*If you want to make bigger cookies, you'll need to bake them for about 15 minutes.
Allow baked cookies to rest on baking sheet for 2-3 minutes, then move to a cooling rack.
Hint: Crack the eggs into a separate small bowl before you add them to the main mixture. That way, if you end up getting a piece of shell in the bowl, it's much easier to fish it out!
Expert Recipe Tips
- Use quick oats for best texture: Quick oats absorb more liquid than old-fashioned oats, helping the cookies hold together better and spread less. If you only have old-fashioned oats, give them a quick pulse in a food processor.
- Don’t overmix the dough: After creaming the butter, sugar, and eggs, gently stir in the remaining ingredients by hand. This helps prevent the cereal from getting crushed and keeps the cookies light and crispy.
- Measure flour correctly: Too much flour can make cookies dry. Use the spoon-and-level method—spoon flour into your measuring cup and level it off with a knife instead of scooping directly from the bag.
- Chill the dough (optional): If you have time, chill the dough for 20–30 minutes. This makes it easier to scoop and helps the cookies keep their shape better during baking.
- Use a cookie scoop for uniform size: A small cookie scoop ensures evenly sized cookies that bake consistently. If you don’t have one, use a rounded teaspoon.
- Bake one tray at a time: For even baking, bake cookies one sheet at a time in the center of the oven. If baking two trays, rotate them halfway through and switch racks.
- Test your oven temperature: If your cookies are browning too quickly or taking longer than 12 minutes, consider using an oven thermometer. Oven temps can be off by 10–25 degrees!
- Let cookies rest before moving: Let them cool for 2–3 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to a rack. This helps them firm up and prevents breaking.
- Adapt to your climate: In dry climates, you may need slightly less flour; in humid climates, you might need a bit more. Start with the amount listed, then adjust as needed if the dough is too wet or too stiff.
🌡️Storage
Store these breakfast cereal cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Freeze these cookies in a sealed container for up to 3 months.
You can also freeze this cookie dough in an airtight container or Ziploc freezer bag for up to 3 months. When ready to use, simply defrost in the fridge overnight.
👪 Serving Size
This delicious cookie recipe makes a very large batch - about 100 cookies! However, you can half, double, or triple the recipe by clicking on the serving number and selecting the number of servings you'd like. The ingredient quantities will automatically adjust.
If you are cutting the recipe in half, just do your best to divide the 3rd egg in half!
❔Recipe FAQs
If the dough looks too wet or sticky, try adding a little more flour. Climate can affect flour absorption, especially in drier or more humid areas.
Yes! You can substitute butter for margarine in this recipe. Just keep in mind that butter will give the cookies a slightly richer flavor and a bit more spread.
Yes, you can substitute the eggs with egg replacers like: Flax eggs (1 tablespoon ground flax + 3 tablespoon water per egg). Unsweetened applesauce (¼ cup per egg). Mashed banana (¼ cup per egg, though this will add banana flavor). Keep in mind that the texture will change slightly depending on the substitution/
This could be due to: Using too much flour (always spoon and level, don’t scoop),
overbaking (ovens vary, check a couple minutes early), not enough moisture (in dry climates, you may need slightly less flour or more margarine), or try adjusting flour or baking time based on your results.
So if you're looking for back-to-school cookie ideas, the first day of school cookies, or bake-sale cookies, cereal lovers will adore these delicious cookies!
And if you're looking for back-to-school lunch ideas, be sure to check out my Healthy Lunch Ideas. They are great for kids of any age!
🏫More Back-to-School Snacks
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📋 School Days Cereal Cookies recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups margarine
- 3 eggs
- 2 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 cups brown sugar
- 2 ½ cups quick rolled oats
- 3 cups flour
- 1 cup coconut flakes (sweetened)
- 3 cups uncrushed corn flakes
- 1 ½ cups Rice krispies
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cup milk chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F/ 176 degrees C.
- Cream margarine and brown sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed and until fluffy and creamy (about 2 minutes)2 cups margarine, 2 cups brown sugar
- Add eggs.3 eggs
- Beat with electric mixer until light and fluffy (about 1 minute).
- Add the remainder of the ingredients.2 teaspoon vanilla, 2 ½ cups quick rolled oats, 3 cups flour, 1 cup coconut flakes, 3 cups uncrushed corn flakes, 1 ½ cups Rice krispies, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon salt, 1 ½ cup milk chocolate chips
- Mix in by hand with a large mixing spoon.*If the cookies are still 'too wet' and not the right texture (as shown) add a little more flour.
- Drop by teaspoonful onto an ungreased cookie sheet. You could also use parchment paper.* These do not spread very much, so you can get up to 16 cookies on a 9x13 baking sheet.
- Bake cookies at 350 degrees F / 176 degrees C for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown on the bottom.*12 minutes was perfect for me!
- Let them sit on baking sheet for 2-3 minutes, then move to a wire rack to cool.
Notes
- Use quick oats for best texture: Quick oats absorb more liquid than old-fashioned oats, helping the cookies hold together better and spread less. If you only have old-fashioned oats, give them a quick pulse in a food processor.
- Don’t overmix the dough: After creaming the butter, sugar, and eggs, gently stir in the remaining ingredients by hand. This helps prevent the cereal from getting crushed and keeps the cookies light and crispy.
- Measure flour correctly: Too much flour can make cookies dry. Use the spoon-and-level method—spoon flour into your measuring cup and level it off with a knife instead of scooping directly from the bag.
- Chill the dough (optional): If you have time, chill the dough for 20–30 minutes. This makes it easier to scoop and helps the cookies keep their shape better during baking.
- Use a cookie scoop for uniform size: A small cookie scoop ensures evenly sized cookies that bake consistently. If you don’t have one, use a rounded teaspoon.
- Bake one tray at a time: For even baking, bake cookies one sheet at a time in the center of the oven. If baking two trays, rotate them halfway through and switch racks.
- Test your oven temperature: If your cookies are browning too quickly or taking longer than 12 minutes, consider using an oven thermometer. Oven temps can be off by 10–25 degrees!
- Let cookies rest before moving: Let them cool for 2–3 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to a rack. This helps them firm up and prevents breaking.
- Adapt to your climate: In dry climates, you may need slightly less flour; in humid climates, you might need a bit more. Start with the amount listed, then adjust as needed if the dough is too wet or too stiff.
Terri Gilson
These School Day Cereal Cookies bring back so many memories! I love how they taste just like a bowl of cereal with milk, but in cookie form. I actually adapted this recipe from one my Auntie Sue gave me years ago. Even though my son's off to university now, he still gets excited when I make a batch of these cookies. They're definitely a hit in our house!
Julie
Can I use butter in place of the margarine?
Terri Gilson
Hi Julie,
Yes you can!
Enjoy...
Terri