Butterscotch Cornflake Cookies are the most delightful 5 minute treat. Combine melted butterscotch chips with peanut butter, then stir in Cornflakes (or Wheaties). That’s IT. My mom is locally famous for making these! They are sweet, salty, perfectly crunchy, and so cheap and easy. My kids love them. These bring me back to my childhood like nothing else! Originally published on June 13, 2012.
When I was in college, my mom would send me care packages. She would always include dollar store decorations for whatever minor holiday was coming up so I could decorate my dorm (St. Patrick’s Day window clings, anyone?) And then there would be a hand written note in her distinctive ALL CAPS handwriting, and a ziplock bag full of what looked like brown mush.
But it wasn’t brown mush. It was WHEATIES COOKIES. All jammed into a ziplock for me to munch on at my leisure in the library, in the dorm, or on my semester abroad.
There are recipes, and then there are THEE recipes. You know. The ones that make family family. The ones that you either no longer need the recipe card for, or it is so stained with flecks and swirls of random ingredients that it’s hardly legible. The one that you can text your siblings about at any time, and they will all have an opinion about.
These cookies are one of THEE recipes in my family. They are absolutely legendary. We lovingly call them Wheaties Cookies!
The 5 minute treat you didn’t know you needed in your life
So I know these little dudes might not look very special, but boy oh boy are you wrong. There are only 3 ingredients, and they take about 3 minutes to make, so they are an awesome last-minute treat. I grew up on a steady diet of these!
My mom is locally famous for making these. All the neighbor kids would crowd around when Wheaties cookies were going into the freezer, begging to lick the bowl. Peanut butter and butterscotch, what’s not to love here?
Did your mom or grandma make these? Here is the cookbook that my mom got them from. They were originally called “Butterscotch Crunchies.”
She has been making them since she was literally 12 years old, when her parents gave her her first cookbook. That was in 1966, folks!
In an effort to be “healthier” back in the day, she swapped out the Cornflakes for Wheaties. Whole wheat is good for you, guys! Eat some more!
Wheaties Treats are perfect for mailing. They are completely non-perishable, and they can’t get demolished en route. Don’t even bother refrigerating them. Just scoop into a ziplock bag, seal, and send. The recipient can divide and refrigerate if they want, but I actually prefer them room temperature.
I asked my siblings for their Wheaties memories:
Nathan: “The last time and the next time I eat them.”
Laura: “Mostly just that I still get them in the mail sometimes. I mean, I’m almost 45! But that’s because Wheatie Cookies mean love and we have the most loving mother ever. Wheatie Cookie is Mom is Wheatie Cookie.”
Eric (my brother, not my husband): “Yeah, I think getting them in Puerto Rico/Ecuador/Chile/Peru was the best.” (He’s referring to all of our times spent abroad for missions or school.)
Nikki: I have to say the best Wheaties Cookies are still the kind that Mom grouped into individual cookies on parchment paper. They’re so light and artistic, like individual snowflakes.”
There you go, guys. Snowflakes:
Ingredients
There are not many recipes out there as simple and easy as these Butterscotch Crunchies. THREE ingredients, people, and if you have a microwave the whole thing comes together in less than five minutes. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Wheaties – yep, the breakfast of champions is now part of the dessert of champions. Use cornflakes if you are not a Zacharias.
- peanut butter adds tons of flavor and richness. I prefer JIF brand! Don’t use natural pb for this one, folks, it’s not the same.
- butterscotch chips give the perfect creamy, caramel-y flavor and the cohesion that keeps everything together
How to make Butterscotch Crunchies
Here’s everything you need! So easy.
Plop the pb and the butterscotch in a bowl:
Melt it in the microwave. When there are still a few lumps left, just stir it until it melts. If you heat it too long in the microwave, it could scorch eventually.
Add in about half of the cornflakes or Wheaties.
Then add in the other half of cornflakes/Wheaties and stir it up.
At this point, I like to sit down in a quiet room with a spoon and just have at it.
But, when I’m feeling generous…I portion them into “snowflakes” for the family. Just use a couple spoons and plop them on a lined pan.
You can make them as big or as small as you want.
Toss them in the fridge or freezer for 10-20 minutes, and boom! You’re done. You could also just leave them out at room temp, they will harden eventually.
If you are packaging these to send to someone in the mail (they will love you forever),
simply add them into a ziplock and seal. Try not to eat it all first.
Thanks, Mom, for all the love over the years! Legendary.
Tips for making these cookies
Here are just a few ideas to make the easiest recipe even easier!
- Double the recipe: my sister Laura only makes these as a double batch to make things simple (plus double the cookies, yes please).
- Two bags of butterscotch chips
- 1 cup of peanut butter
- and a full 16-oz box of Wheaties (no measuring cup by cup)!
- Silpat: spread the mixture on a silpat lined cookie sheet or parchment paper for easy removal and clean up. We often just break pieces off to eat like a bunch of heathens, but if you want to cut into bars or fun shapes, remove the whole giant piece in one go to a large cutting board so you don’t accidentally cut into your silpat or cookie sheet. My favorite way to make them, though, will always be “snowflakes:”
How to store leftover cookies
After the initial freezing, transfer leftovers to a ziplock bag. At this point they can go back into the freezer, in the refrigerator, or stay out on the counter. If you keep your house very warm or it’s very humid where you live, it’s probably best to keep them in the freezer as they may get a bit sticky or melty on the counter.
In a sealed bag, no matter where you keep them, these cookies will last a really long time since all the ingredients are shelf stable. I’ve never had them go bad on me, and have definitely eaten treats from a months-old-forgotten-in-the-back-of-the-freezer bag that were still delicious!
More quick and easy treats!!
Sometimes you need a dessert like RIGHT NOW. At least, I do. It’s so nice to have a few tricks up your sleeve to make that happen!
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Butterscotch Cornflake Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 (11 ounce) bag butterscotch chips
- 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter, don't use natural peanut butter
- 6 cups corn flakes , OR Wheaties (divided)
Instructions
- Here are my mom's instructions: "melt chips. add pb. add wheaties. freeze." But for those who like more detail:
- Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat baking mat. Or you can spray with nonstick spray.
- Add one 11 oz package butterscotch chips and 1/2 cup peanut butter to a large microwave safe bowl.
- Add the bowl to the microwave and heat in 30 second increments, stirring each time.
- Once the mixture is smooth, add HALF of the Cornflakes (or Wheaties) (about 3 cups).
- Carefully stir the Wheaties into the melted butterscotch and peanut butter mixture, working to coat all the Corn Flakes with the peanut butter mixture.
- Add the final 3 cups of Cornflakes (or Wheaties). Gently stir until all the cereal is coated. (no dry Wheatie left behind!)
- Use a spoon or cookie scoop to drop portions of the cereal onto a parchment lined pan, or a greased pan. You can make the "cookies" as big or as small as you like.
- Alternatively, you can pour the mixture onto a cookie sheet and spread into an even layer across the pan.
- Let cool. You can either let it rest as room temperature for several hours, or you can make space in your fridge or freezer.
- Place the pan in the freezer for 15-20 minutes (or in the fridge for about an hour) until the butterscotch hardens.
- If you made them into "cookies" you can serve them anytime. (I prefer to let them rest until they reach room temperature)If you spread them in a pan, you can break pieces off with wild abandon, or remove the whole hardened layer to a cutting board to cut into bars with a chef's knife. Or you can use cookie cutters to cut them into shapes.
- Storage: Once in smaller pieces, transfer cookies to a ziplock bag for storage. You can keep the bag in the freezer, in the refrigerator, or on the counter.
- Freezing: You can keep these in the freezer for…ever, as far as I know. Forever lasts about 24 hours around here. (I imagine they would keep for about 2-3 months before getting stale.)
Notes
Nutrition
I posted this recipe 2012:
Back in the day, I thought that crumpled purple paper and white tulle would make a really cool photo prop?? Haha.
I knew I was in trouble this morning when my arms were too tired to even finish putting on my mascara. Who stops to take a breather during mascara application?
Weaklings, that’s who. I went running with a friend this morning. Let me revise that. I went running while she did cartwheels and back flips in my vicinity. We were going about the same speed.
Then the rest of the day my body kept reminding me that I am a complete wuss, because I kept being tempted to do things like sit down in the shower from exhaustion, or stop smiling so wide because it hurt my face. Seriously, who gets tired cheek muscles from a casual morning run?
If you are still dubious about these, take my 16-month-old daughter Charlotte’s word for it. I was out on our porch taking pictures of these and I turned around to see her licking the screen door, watching me jealously.
I am super excited right now. Mercedes boyfriend has never had these before, so we are rectifying that tonight! I only make these now and then because one, I could eat the whole batch and two, Wheaties cost like $6 freaking a box right now!
My mom made a ton of these for Nate’s farewell party a couple weeks ago and we were all just reveling in the nostalgia 😂 so good! And I know, cereal prices are nuts right??
It’s true. Wheaties cookies=happiness. I’m not sure there is any simpler equation, or one more true. I never make these because I could probably eat my whole weight in Wheaties cookies, or at least an entire batch. I relegate myself to the “smaller” portions mom sends in the mail. (Adam gets about one cookie’s worth, I usually eat the rest. No joke, ask him.)
I love that you count these as healthy. Awesome.
yes, sarah, i grew up eating the breakfast of champions – i always thought corn flakes tasted funny, and were wimpy in cereal to boot. hence my wheaties substitution in these cookies in my youth :) i also tried to tell myself that wheaties made the cookies more healthy…can i tell you that i almost always keep these ingredients on hand, just in case i feel one of my children needs some happiness in their life?!!
I like them better with 3/4 cup peanut butter. A little bit less sweet.
I should try that.
Love the vintage cook book.
There were WHEATIES in those things? You mean that gallon ziploc full of awesome clumps of goodness was made of the breakfast of champions??? Unfathomable.
I have to admit, I would feel weird eating these without sticking Easter egg cling-ons to my window or attempting to hang a St. Patrick’s Day door decoration. But that’s just Janice-related college nostalgia talking.
You never knew? I love that you never bothered to ask. I should have told you it was pork rinds or doritos or something.
I need to make these and send them to Jessie. She is peanut-butter lover! Great recipe Karen.
Was Charlotte REALLY licking the screen door, or are you perhaps, exaggerating just a little . . .
Yes, she really was licking the screen door. I may be exaggerating that fact’s correlation to these Wheaties Treats, but the screen door was definitely licked!