Milk Bar Cornflake Cookies
Sweet and salty, milk bar cornflake cookies are a unique and tasty treat that can be made at home! This copycat recipe yields thick and chewy cookies packed with cornflake crunch, chocolate chips and mini marshmallows. They taste just as good (if not better) than the kind you’d buy at the store!
I love trying my hand at copycat recipes—especially recipes perfected by Christina Tosi. Her signature blend of salty and sweet paired with unique ingredients is what makes her desserts so popular! Bakers love my copycat Milk Bar Pie and cereal milk ice cream. It was only a matter of time before cornflake cookies were added to the list!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Authentic taste. They have the same flavor and texture as the kind you would buy from Milk Bar.
- Satisfying texture. The cookies are perfectly thick and chewy. Meanwhile, the cornflakes add a crunch and the marshmallows add a gooey bite!
- Easy to make ahead. The recipe requires scooping, chilling and freezing the dough. So it’s easy to prep the dough and bake later.
Ingredient Notes
Cornflake Crunch
- Cornflakes: Use plain cornflakes (not coated or flavored).
- Milk powder: This helps aid in that cereal flavor that is unique to this recipe.
- Sugar: Adding sugar separately helps control the sweetness for the cereal crunch.
- Salt: This helps offset the sweetness.
- Butter: Use unsalted butter that is melted. This helps the dry ingredients coat the cereal.
Cookies
- All-purpose flour: This makes up the base of the dry ingredients.
- Baking soda and baking powder: These leavening agents help the dough rise and spread. Check that they are fresh and not expired.
- Salt: To help activate the leavening agents, add salt to the dry ingredients.
- Butter: Use unsalted butter that is room temperature. Different brands of salted butter have various amounts of salt added. It’s best to control the amount yourself and add it separately.
- Brown sugar: Light brown sugar helps create a chewy texture and adds a subtle molasses flavor.
- Sugar: Granulated sugar adds moisture and sweetness.
- Eggs: Use large eggs that are room temperature. This binds the ingredients and adds a rich flavor.
- Vanilla: Opt for 100% pure vanilla extract for a natural warm falvor.
- Chocolate chips: You can use either chopped chocolate or chocolate chips. I prefer Ghirardelli semisweet.
- Mini marshmallows: For a gooey texture in every bite, mini marshmallows are added.
Refer to the recipe card for the full list of ingredients and measurements.
Recipe Variations
Try different mix-ins. Not a fan of marshmallows? Substitute them with 1 cup chopped nuts or white chocolate chips.s
Make a half batch. Cut all the ingredient measurements in half to make a small batch of cornflake cookies.
How to Make Milk Bar Cornflake Cookies
- Make the cornflake crunch. In a large bowl, gently break up the cornflakes, then stir in the milk powder, sugar and salt. Add the melted butter and toss until cereal is coated.
- Spread cereal into an even layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake at 275℉ for 20 minutes. Set aside to cool.
- For the dough, whisk together the dry ingredients—flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter, brown sugar and sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in eggs, one at a time, then add the vanilla. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix just until combined.
- Add the cornflakes, mini marshmallows and chocolate chips. Use a spatula to stir.
- Use a medium cookie scoop to scoop the dough and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Chill the dough balls for 30 minutes, then freeze for at least 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 350℉. Bake cookies for 12-14 minutes or until the edges are set and golden in color.
Expert Tips
Use a kitchen scale to weigh the ingredients. It’s much more accurate than using measuring cups. If you don’t have a scale, be sure to spoon the flour into a measuring cup and level with a knife (don’t pack it down).
Use plain cornflakes, not frosted or flavored. They need to be plain in order to mix well with the other ingredients and form clumps. It also affects how sweet the cookies are.
Tuck the marshmallows inside the dough. When scooping the dough into balls, try to avoid having the marshmallows on the edges when the ball is placed on the baking sheet. When the marshmallows bake, they melt and may cause misshapen cookies (nevertheless delicious!)
Chill the dough. This is absolutely necessary. It prevents the dough from spreading and guarantees a thick, chewy texture!
Make Ahead and Storage Tips
Make ahead and scoop the dough into balls. Freeze in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 3 months. Let the dough sit at room temperature while the oven preheats before baking.
Store cookies in an airtight container for up to 3 or 4 days. Store for longer and the marshmallows will harden.
Freeze baked cookies for up to 2 months. Wrap stacks of 4 or 5 cookies in plastic wrap and place in an airtight container or ziptop bag.
Recipe FAQ
Yes, but the texture won’t be the same. Coating the cornflakes and baking them make them crispier and more flavorful. If you just add cereal to the dough, the flavor won’t be as complex and it won’t have the signature crunch.
Either the dough was too warm or the ingredients weren’t measured properly. It’s crucial that the dough is chilled for a full 30 minutes and frozen for a full hour before baking.
Related Recipes
Check out these other copycat recipes!
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Get the Recipe: Milk Bar Cornflake Cookies
Ingredients
Cornflake Crunch
- 4 cups (140 g) cornflakes
- ⅓ cup (30 g) milk powder
- 2 Tablespoons (30 g) granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 7 tablespoons (110 g) unsalted butter, melted
Cookies
- 3 cups (360 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 12 Tablespoons (1 ½ sticks or 170 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 ¼ cup (250 g) packed light brown sugar
- ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup (170 g) chocolate chopped or chocolate chips
- 1 cup (43 g) mini marshmallows
Instructions
Cornflake Crunch
- Preheat oven to 275℉. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, use your hands to crush cornflakes until pea-size pieces form.
- Add the milk powder, sugar, and salt. Stir to combine. Add the melted butter. Stir until the coated and small clusters start to form.
- Transfer cornflake mixture to the prepared pan. Spread out into an even layer. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool completely.
Cookies
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer or using a hand mixer, beat butter, sugar and brown sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Mix in eggs one at a time, then then vanilla.
- Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients. Beat just until combined. Stir in the chocolate chips, marshmallows and the cornflake crunch.
- Use a medium cookie scoop to scoop dough and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. (You can put them pretty close to each other since they will be transferred to a bag and put in the freezer). Loosely cover the baking sheet with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or until the dough balls are firm.
- Transfer dough balls to the freezer (either keep them on the baking sheet or put in a freezer bag). Freeze for 1 hour. This step is crucial for texture and making sure the marshmallows don’t dissolve when baked.
- Preheat oven to 350℉. Arrange dough balls on the baking sheet so they are 2 inches apart. Pro tip: Try to arrange the dough balls so there are no marshmallow bits on the sides otherwise they will lose their shape. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes or until the edges are golden brown. Cool for at least 5 minutes on the pan (they might fall apart if transferred while still warm), then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
