Simple Rice Krispie Cookies Recipe
These Rice Krispie Cookies are a fun mashup of two favorites – soft, chewy cookies and crunchy rice krispies! With a marshmallow surprise in the middle, they’re a sweet treat that’s totally worth making. Your family will love the extra crunch in every bite!
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What’s to Love about this Recipe?
- Who doesn’t love both cookies AND rice krispie treats? In fact, some of the best cookie recipes come from combining two things we already love. The first time I made these, I wondered why I hadn’t thought of it sooner!
- Sometimes you want something with extra crunch! Using rice cereal in two different ways {both in the cookie and on the outside} gives these cookies an amazing crunchy texture.
- There is a marshmallow melted in the middle of each cookie! I love that some of the marshmallow makes its way to the outside of the cookie, creating the perfect pockets of gooeyness.
- The cookie starts with cold butter. Which means there is no waiting for butter to soften OR chilling the dough.
What goes into this Recipe
- Rice Krispie Cereal: The star ingredient that gives these crispy cookies their extra crunch! We use it two ways – mixed into the dough and coating the outside. For best results, use fresh cereal that hasn’t gone stale.
- Butter: Using cold butter {not softened butter} is key for perfect cookie texture. Cut it into small cubes before mixing for the best results.
- Brown Sugar and White Sugar: The combination of both sugars helps create that perfect chewy cookie with crispy edges.
- Large Marshmallows: These create a gooey surprise center in each cookie. Mini marshmallows can be used but for a flawless gooey center I would stick with large marshmallows!
- Vanilla Extract: While imitation vanilla will work, pure vanilla extract gives these cookies the best flavor. It’s worth the splurge!
- Cornstarch: This secret ingredient helps keep these large cookies soft and chewy on the inside while still maintaining that rice krispie crunch.
See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to make Rice Krispie Cookies
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, combine the cold cubed butter and both sugars. Mix on medium speed for about 4 minutes until creamy. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each. Add vanilla extract and mix until combined. In a separate bowl, whisk together your dry ingredients – flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. Add this mixture all at once to your butter mixture and mix until just combined. You don’t want to overmix! Stir in ½ cup of rice krispie cereal by hand.
- Divide your dough into 12 equal pieces and shape each into a ball. Flatten each ball into a disc, pop a marshmallow in the middle, and roll it back into a ball to cover the marshmallow completely.
- Roll each cookie dough ball in the remaining rice krispies to coat.
- Place cookies on your prepared baking sheet, leaving room for spreading. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown on top. Mine usually take about 11 minutes, but keep an eye on yours the first time you make them! Let the cookies cool right on the cookie sheet. Once completely cooled, store them in an airtight container at room temperature – they’ll stay fresh for up to 4 days.
Expert Tips
- Add a cup of chocolate chips to the dough. This will give the cookies another element of flavor. You could also add a chopped Crunch candy bar for chocolate and more crispy crunch.
- If you feel like the cookies are spreading too much, chill the dough for 30 minutes. Normally using cold butter eliminates this step but if it sits out at room temperature for too long a quick chill might be needed.
- Let the cookies cool completely on the cookie sheet. I know it’s tempting to move them right away, but giving them time to set up on the warm cookie sheet is key for the perfect cookie texture.
- Roll in the rice cereal right before baking. If you roll the cookie dough balls too early, the cereal can get soggy from the dough. For extra crunch, roll each ball right before it goes in the preheated oven.
- If your cookies aren’t perfectly round use a cookie cutter or spatula right after baking to get the perfect shape. I love to use a round cookie cutter in a circular motion but a spatula can also be used to move any edges that are irregular in place.
Storage and Freezing
Store: These rice krispie cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
Freeze: These rice krispie treat cookies freeze beautifully for up to 3 months! Place the cooled cookies in a freezer-safe container or wrap them in plastic wrap. Let them thaw completely at room temperature before serving.
Recipe FAQs
If the marshmallows leaked out from the cookie it means that there wasn’t an airtight seal with the dough. Though, I think that having some of the marshmallow in and some outside the cookie is the charm of this recipe.
While you can make smaller cookies, the recipe is designed for large cookies to properly wrap around the marshmallow. If you make them smaller, you’ll need to adjust both the marshmallow size and baking time.
You can use a different kind of crispy rice cereal if you like it better or have it on hand. The cocoa krispies would be a great substitution, you could also make these Fruity Pebbles Cookies for a different crunchy cookie.
While I have not tried it a 1:1 gluten free flour should be able to be substituted flawlessly. Also be sure that your rice cereal is gluten free.
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Easy Rice Krispie Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter {cold & cut into small cubes}
- 1 cup brown sugar {packed}
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract {or vanilla bean paste}
- 3 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cups rice krispie cereal
- 12 large marshmallows
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 410°.
- In the large bowl of your stand mixer {fitted with the paddle attachment}, combine the cold cubed butter and both sugars. Mix the ingredients on a medium speed for about 4 minutes or until creamy. Add the eggs, one at a time. Be sure to mix well after adding each one.
- In a separate bowl combine the flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt. Whisk ingredients together and then add to the butter and sugar mixture all at once. Mix until just combined. NOTE: You do not want to over mix {this will heat up your butter}. Finally, add ½ cup of rice cereal and stir into the dough by hand.
- Divide dough into 12 equal pieces and roll each piece into a large ball. Flatten the dough into a disc and place one large marshmallow in the middle. Roll into a ball, covering the marshmallow completely. Then roll the cookie dough ball in additional rice 3/4 cup of cereal.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes {mine took 11 minutes} or until the top is golden brown. Let the cookies cool on the cookie sheet. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
