Cinnamon Toast Crunch cookies are easy to make and taste like a snickerdoodle, but even yummier. The addition of instant vanilla pudding mix makes them soft, chewy, and irresistible!
What happens when you add cereal to cookies? Magic! These soft and chewy Cinnamon Toast Crunch cookies are a delicious dessert that doubles (maybe?) as breakfast :).
But the best part? They’re easy to make—whip up a batch or two and watch them disappear!
Why you’ll love these cookies:
- The dough doesn’t need to chill before you bake your cookies so you can get them into the oven that much faster
- All of the ingredients are readily available at any grocery store (and you probably have most of them on hand right now)
- Adding a box of instant pudding mix ensures that your cookies will turn out soft and moist every time
How to make your cookies
- Cream room temperature butter with brown sugar and granulated sugar
- Beat in eggs, vanilla, cinnamon, and dry pudding mix
- Mix in dry ingredients until just combined
- Add white chocolate chips and crushed cereal
- Mix in with a rubber spatula
- Shape into balls and roll in cinnamon sugar
- Arrange on un-greased, unlined baking sheets
- Bake for about 10 minutes
And that’s it! They’re simple to make but a really fun twist on snickerdoodles.
Recipe notes, tips, and substitutions
• Be sure that your pudding mix is instant! Don’t use cook and serve pudding.
• I use instant vanilla pudding but you could certainly substitute different flavors—cheesecake and butterscotch would both be good with the cinnamon in the cookies.
• Don’t mix the pudding with milk before adding it to the cookie dough! Just use the powdered mix.
• I like white chocolate chips in these cookies but you can substitute your favorite type of baking chips. If you like cinnamon with regular chocolate, then semi-sweet chips would be perfect.
• Be sure your butter is at room temperature before making your cookies. I cut it into small chunks and it takes about 15 minutes to come up to temp that way; if you leave the stick whole it will take longer. Exactly how long it takes depends on the temperature of your kitchen.
• Don’t put cookie dough on hot baking sheets! Cool your baking sheets in between batches; the easiest way to do this is to run the bottoms of the baking sheets under cold water for 20 seconds or so. Wipe the baking sheets dry and the baking sheets are ready for more dough. (Putting dough on hot baking sheets will cause the cookies to bake less evenly.)
• Don’t over-bake your cookies or they’ll be hard instead of soft and chewy. When in doubt, take them out early. They’re better slightly under-baked than over-baked.
How to store your cookies
Uneaten cookies can be stored in airtight containers at room temperature, layered with wax paper, for about 3 days.
They can also be frozen in the same manner for about 2 months. You can defrost your cookies at room temperature for an hour or two. I think they taste best fully defrosted (you could even pop them in the microwave for a few seconds if you want).
How to tell if butter is at room temperature
The butter needs to be at room temp for these (and many other) cookies so that it creams properly with the sugar.
Butter can take anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour to come to room temperature; it just depends on the temperature of your kitchen.
Your butter is ready to use if, when you press it lightly with your finger, it gives slightly but still holds its shape.
If your butter is too soft it will smoosh (technical term) everywhere rather than holding its shape. If it’s still too cold, the butter won’t give at all.
To bring your butter to room temperature faster, you can cut it into smaller pieces—I usually cut cubes of butter lengthwise, then slice it into tablespoons. I don’t recommend microwaving the butter as that can cause it to soften unevenly.
A few more recipes you might enjoy
Melting Moments Cookies
Biscochitos
Pistachio Pudding Cookies
Chocolate Chip Toffee Cookies
Did you make this recipe? That’s great! Leave me a comment and rating below! And post a pic on Instagram. Tag @theitsybitsykitchen so I can see!
Cinnamon Toast Crunch cookies are an easy dessert that taste similar to a snickerdoodle. They soft, chewy, and full of cinnamon!
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3.4- ounce box instant vanilla pudding
- 1 1/2 cups Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal lightly crushed*
- 1 cup white chocolate chips
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Stir the flour, baking soda, and salt together in a medium mixing bowl—these are your dry ingredients. Set aside.
- Combine the butter and sugars in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer on medium until light and fluffy, several minutes. Stop to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
- Beat in the eggs, vanilla, and 1/2-teaspoon cinnamon to combine, then beat in the dry pudding mix.
- Turn mixer to low and gradually beat in the dry ingredients until just combined.
- Use a rubber spatula to stir in the crushed cereal and white chocolate chips. (If you want, you can reserve some of the chips and cereal chunks to press into the tops of the dough balls before baking.)
- Stir together the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl.
- Shape dough into balls of about 2 tablespoons of dough. Roll each ball in the cinnamon sugar, then arrange on ungreased, unlined baking sheets about 2 inches apart.
- Bake 10 to 15 minutes, until just starting to turn golden around the bottom edges.
- Cool for 1 minute on baking sheets, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
- *To crush your cereal, place it in a large zip-top bag and roll over it lightly with a rolling pin a few times. You just want it in smaller chunks, not crushed into fine powder.
- Just use the powder NOT the prepared pudding. Be sure you use instant, not cook and serve!
- I used Jello instant vanilla pudding but you can use whatever brand you’re able to find as long as it’s instant and 3.4 ounces in size.
- Uneaten cookies can be stored in an airtight container, layered with wax paper, for about 3 days. They can also be frozen that way for about 2 months.
- Don’t over-bake your cookies or they’ll be hard instead of soft and chewy.
Vicky says
Wonderful cinnamon cookies. They look delicious, and are fun to prepare for my children. Something for this weekend. Thanks for sharing.
Kelsie says
I’m so glad you liked them!
Laura says
Wow! Who doesn’t love Cinnamon Toast Crunch? These sound so delicious and I love that they;re so simple! Great recipe – thanks, Kelsie!