When I was in college I took a psych course that I absolutely loved. Mostly because the teacher was one of the nicest, sweetest ladies I’d ever met (Hi Mrs. Anderson!). On one of the last days of class she baked cookies for us and brought them in. I loved them, asked for the recipe, and have been making them ever since (along with her then 91 year old Mother-in-Law’s recipe for oatmeal cookies which she also sent to me).
I just grabbed the email again to get the recipe. This was in 2003. Meaning this was 13 years ago. I need a drink
I still make these probably once a month for the kids, and they go crazy for them. Absolutely bonkers. These get devoured faster than any chocolate chip cookie that I make, it’s only real competition in our house being the snickerdoodle. These are a lot easier to make than snickerdoodles though! These cereal cookies are so crispy and light, with the perfect hint of salt. You can use any flake type of cereal, but I usually use Special K (and if I’m out of that, I use Corn Flakes). Even Bran Flakes would work, and then you could pretend they’re healthy.
Thanks again Mrs. Anderson!
Light & Crispy Cereal Drop Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1½ cups flour
- 3½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 4 cups Special K cereal (or Corn Flakes, or other flake cereal)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 325ºF and line your cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
- In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and beat just until no dry bits of flour remain. Add the cereal and mix until evenly combined.
- Drop the cookies onto the sheet by heaping tablespoon. Use a floured fork to flatten them.
- Bake for 12 -15 minutes, until the edges are lightly browned. Cool on wire racks before eating.
Ashley
Hi there I think this is the recipe I’ve been searching for! Do you pulverize the cookies first?
Katrina
I hope it is for you Ashely! A teacher gave it to me years ago 🙂 I don’t pulverize them first, it’s just whatever the mixer does 🙂
Anonymous
Do you use baking powder or soda or both? What the blank bullets for?
Katrina
Sorry about that, the recipe card has been fixed (the blank numbers are a recipe card plugin error that I’m slowly fixing, nothing was missing from it). The recipe only uses baking powder 🙂
Sherry
As a Senior(69yo) I fondly remember making these yummy crispy cookies in 4-H but don’t have the recipe. Searching for it revealed many for Rice Krispie cookies, not what I wanted. Thanks for this. Also you mentioned ‘Mrs.Anderson giving you an oatmeal cookie recipe. Would you share that? Thanks again.
Katrina
Hi Sherry! I’m so happy to know that these hit the spot for you. I hadn’t thought about them in a while, and now I’m going to make them today as a treat for the kids! I bought way too much vector cereal for my husband to eat while he was working from home, thinking that was the kind he liked… but it isn’t. I’m going to try that in these and see if it works! Here is the recipe for the oatmeal cookies, exactly as Mrs Anderson gave it to me (thankfully I still had the email from her – sent in 2003 – holy crap that was a quick 18 years!).
I prefer my 91 years alert Mom-in-laws Oatmeal Cookies
1 & 1/2 C all purpose flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp baking soda , 1/2 tsp
salt,
1 C butter, 1 C sugar w., 1 C. sugar brown, (I use less sugar)
1 egg slightly beaten
1 C rolled oats
3/4 C. coconut
1 tsp vanilla
Press flat, bake 350 7-10 mins. I prefer less cooked than more.
I assume standard baking instructions. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and set aside. Cream together the butter and sugars. Beat in the egg and vanilla. Add the flour mixture and mix until just combined. Stir in the oats and coconut.
Donna Fedewa
Light and crispy cereal drop cookies – went to make these yesterday, and found an error. Baking powder listed in ingredients, and baking soda listed in directions. Which one is it? Donna
Katrina
Thank you for bringing this to my attention Donna! I’ve fixed the recipe, it’s supposed to be baking powder.
Anonymous
These are always a huge hit at my bible study group. I usually go home empty handed. It’s my turn to bake this week. I don’t have any Special K but I do have Rice Krispies. Can I use the Rice Krispies instead of Special K?
Anonymous
It sounds like a good recipe; a lot of other cereal-cookie recipes have tons of chocolate drops,and more butter, sugar and such and they ruin the effect of a cereal-cookie; which has its own character you want to taste.–All the other extra stuff ruins it! I want to taste the cereal-cookie effect by itself! You know what I mean? Thanks for your teacher’s recipe.
Anonymous
I made these using Great Grains Crunchy Pecan Cereal. I dropped using a heaping teaspoon not a Tablespoon as called for ( probably equivalent to 1.5 teaspoon) ending up with 42 cookies.