Have one of your favorite breakfast cereals as a cookie with Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cookies! A soft chewy snickerdoodle style cookie rolled in cinnamon maple sugar, topped with cream cheese frosting and Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal.
Every kid I know loves a Snickerdoodle cookie. Combine that with breakfast cereal and you've got a fun and delicious treat for kids and adults alike.
For other cereal inspired recipes, try my Fruity Pebbles Treats!
These Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cookies have maple syrup and cinnamon in the dough as well as being rolled in cinnamon maple sugar from The Spice House, then are topped with Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cereal pieces.
The texture of the soft and chewy cookie with the fluffy frosting and crunchy cereal is a great combo! My husband basically ate the entire batch to himself.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Nostalgia! Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cookies will bring you back to your childhood breakfasts. For more childhood nostalgia, try Strawberry Crunch Topping on your ice cream!
- Perfect texture! You get the chewiness of the cookie combined with the satisfying crunch of the cereal, and cloud-like frosting making each bite a delightful experience.
- Cinnamon Toast Crunch cookies combine the rich, buttery flavor of traditional snickerdoodle cookies with the sweet, cinnamon-sugar goodness of Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal. A unique flavor combination you can't resist.
Recipe Ingredients
- All Purpose Flour - I have not tested this recipe with any other flour.
- Cream of Tartar - This adds a little acidity to the cookie, like a traditional snickerdoodle cookie. Try making Honey Lemon Chiffon Pie to use more of that cream of tartar!
- Baking Soda - A leavening agent to give a little rise.
- Ground Cinnamon - I like to use The Spice House Saigon Cinnamon.
- Kosher Salt - I use Diamond Crystal brand kosher salt.
- Unsalted Butter - Using unsalted butter allows you to control the salt level yourself.
- Granulated Sugar
- Brown Sugar - To add moisture and chewiness.
- Eggs - There are both whole eggs and egg yolk in this recipe.
- Vanilla Extract - I prefer pure vanilla extract.
- Maple Syrup - This adds a little hint of maple.
- Cinnamon Maple Sugar - I use The Spice House Cinnamon Maple Sugar instead of a cinnamon sugar mix.
- Cream Cheese - Use room temperature cream cheese for your frosting.
- Sour Cream - A little sour cream makes for the perfect frosting.
- Powdered Sugar - To keep the frosting smooth.
- Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cereal - For a delicious crunchy topping.
See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Substitutions & Variations
- Honey can be substituted for maple syrup.
- Make your own cinnamon sugar mix if you're in a pinch and don't have time to order Cinnamon Maple Sugar. 3 parts sugar to 1 part cinnamon.
- Swap Greek Yogurt for sour cream in the cream cheese frosting if you choose.
- Skip the sour cream in the frosting if you don't have it on hand. It will change the texture and consistency slightly to be more like the frosting in Almond Carrot Cake.
This recipe has not been tested with other substitutions or variations. If you replace or add any ingredients, please let us know how it turned out in the comments below!
How To Make Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cookies
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350°F then line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Whisk the dry ingredients together in a medium bowl then set aside until needed.
Step 2: Cream the butter and both sugars in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium speed for 3 minutes. Add the egg and yolks one at a time while mixer is on low speed, scraping down the sides between each addition.
Step 3: Mix in the maple and vanilla until fully incorporated.
Step 4: Turn the mixer off, add the dry ingredients then mix on lowest speed just until combined. Scoop the cookies into 2oz balls then roll them in the cinnamon maple sugar.
Step 5: Place them on the prepared sheet pan at least 2 inches apart. They will spread quite a bit. Bake for 8-10 minutes then allow to cool on the pan 2 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
Step 6: Allow Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cookies to fully cool while making the cream cheese frosting.
Step 7: Blend the cream cheese, butter and sour cream in a medium bowl with an electric hand mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add the powdered sugar, salt and vanilla then mix slowly until combined. Turn the mixer back up to medium speed and beat an additional 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy.
Step 8: Frost the top of the cookies then top with Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal pieces.
Expert Tips
- Allow Cookies to cool fully before frosting.
- Cream cheese frosting can be made up to 4 days in advance and stored in an airtight container in the fridge.
- It's best to top the cookies with the Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cereal shortly before eating. The cereal can become stale or soggy quickly when stored with it on top of the frosting.
- Use parchment paper on your sheet pan for easy clean-up!
- Use a biscuit cutter or cookie cutter to "scoot" cookies immediately after baking to get that perfect shape. Move the biscuit cutter in a circular motion around each cookie until you have a perfect circle. I use this method on our Lemon Ricotta Cookies and any other cookie that's for a party or gift!
Recipe FAQs
Once the cookies are topped with frosting and cereal then they are best stored in an airtight container on the counter for up to 24 hours. You can store them in the fridge covered in plastic wrap or in an airtight container but the cereal pieces tend to get a bit soft/stale.
If the Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cookies have not been topped with frosting or cereal yet then they will last on the counter or fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
You can also freeze the cookies for up to 2 months before they have been topped with frosting or cereal. Place them in a plastic freezer bag, I usually use 2, and into the freezer.
Yes, you can! You can fully make these cookies up to 1 day in advance of serving them. You can also bake the cookies off and store them separately from the frosting and cereal topping until you're ready to serve. They can be kept in the fridge or on the counter in an airtight container for up to 3 days before topping and serving. Another nostalgic cookie to make ahead of time is this Oatmeal Cream Pie recipe!
Absolutely! They freeze very well in raw dough balls or as baked cookies before being topped with cream cheese frosting and cereal.
If freezing raw dough balls, simply scoop the dough into 2oz. balls onto a parchment lined sheet tray then throw it in the freezer for 30 minutes. Remove the dough balls from the tray, place them in Ziploc bags then back into the freezer for up to 2 months!
If you're freezing the already baked cookies, make sure they've fully cooled then place them in a freezer safe plastic bag into the freezer for up to 2 months.
Yes, it is recommended! It's a short chilling time but it will help the dough to not spread as much and have a better consistency. Not chilling the dough may result in a flatter less desirable cookie. Try Cookie Dough Bites for a chilled edible cookie dough!
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📖Recipe
Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cookies
Equipment
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour 240 grams weighed out
- 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp kosher salt
Wet Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter room temp
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup dark brown sugar
- 1 egg room temp
- 1 egg yolk room temp
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup cinnamon maple sugar for rolling cookies
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 4 oz cream cheese room temp
- 3 tablespoon unsalted butter room temp
- 1 tablespoon sour cream
- 1 cup powdered sugar sifted
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
Topping
- 1 cup cinnamon toast crunch
Instructions
Making the Cookies
- Preheat the oven to 350°F then line a sheet tray with parchment paper
- Whisk the dry ingredients together in a medium bowl then set aside
- Cream the butter and both sugars in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium speed for 3 minutes until light and fluffy
- Add the egg and egg yolks, one at a time, with the mixer on low speed
- Mix in the maple syrup and vanilla extract just until combined
- Add the dry ingredients with the mixer off then stir together on low speed just until combined
- Chill the dough for 30 minutes
- Scoop the dough into 2oz cookie balls, roll them in the cinnamon maple sugar and place them at least 2 inches apart on the prepared sheet tray. Bake for 8-10 minutes
- Remove the cookies from the oven then let them sit on the tray 2 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to fully cool
Make the Cream Cheese Frosting
- Blend the cream cheese, butter and sour cream in a medium bowl with an electric hand mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes
- Add the powdered sugar, vanilla and salt on low until combined then turn to medium speed and beat another 2-3 minutes
- Spread frosting over the top of the cooled cookies then top with cinnamon toast crunch pieces
Notes
- Allow Cookies to cool fully before frosting.
- Cream cheese frosting can be made up to 4 days in advance and stored in an airtight container in the fridge.
- It's best to top the cookies with the Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cereal shortly before eating. The cereal can become stale or soggy quickly when stored with it on top of the frosting.
- Use parchment paper for easy clean-up!
- Use a biscuit cutter or cookie cutter to "scoot" cookies immediately after baking to get that perfect shape. Move the biscuit cutter in a circular motion around each cookie until you have a perfect circle.
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