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These oversized Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cookies are soft, chewy, and taste just like your favorite childhood cereal. With rich cream cheese frosting and a crunchy sprinkle of crushed cereal, they’re a fun way to relive those sweet, cinnamon-swirled mornings. It’s the kind of grown-up treat that lets you be a kid again!
Better Than A Bakery
Have you ever gone to a restaurant or bakery and tried a menu item and thought “I could totally make this and make it even better”? Well, that is how these cookies came to be. I ordered a Cinnamon Toast Crunch cookie from a gourmet cookie shop a few weeks ago and after one bite I knew I could do better. And guess what? Not to toot my own horn or anything, but after just one attempt I succeeded in making a far superior cookie.
Similar to our recipes for Swig Sugar Cookies, Monster Cookies, S’mores Cookies, and Soft Sugar Cookies, these are meant to be oversized. Just like the kind you would find at Crumbl, Swig, or any other specialized cookie shop. No need to spend a ton on cookie deliveries when you get that cookie craving, you can make these right at home even faster than you could get them delivered!
Happy baking!
🩷 Erica
Key Ingredients
Butter – This recipe uses a good amount of butter and that is why they are so good! You can use either salted or unsalted for this recipe. However if you go for unsalted add an extra ¼ teaspoon of salt to balance out the sweetness.
Vanilla Extract – Go for a high quality extract here. Use real Mexican vanilla or better yet, make your own, homemade vanilla extract using our easy recipe!
Cinnamon Toast Crunch – There are lots of generic brands for this type of cinnamon cereal and honestly any of them will work fine. Use your favorite or whatever you have on hand.
How to Make Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cookies
- In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add Add eggs and vanilla and mix for 1 more minute.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt.
- Slowly add flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix on low until just combined and a dough forms.
- In a small bowl, combine cinnamon-sugar mixture ingredients. Use a large cookie scoop to make a heaping scoop or ¼ measuring cup of dough to form dough balls. Roll each ball in the cinnamon sugar mixture.
- Place coated dough balls on a lined baking sheet and place a few inches apart to allow for expansion. Keep them a round ball, don’t press them flat. Bake for 10-12 minutes in preheated oven then cool completely.
- While cookies are baking, prepare the cream cheese frosting. Beat cream cheese, butter, and vanilla with an electric stand mixer until smooth. Add powdered sugar a little at a time, mixing constantly, until desired consistency is reached.
- Place cereal in a zip-top bag and crush using a rolling pin or kitchen mallet.
- When cookies are completely cool, frost with cream cheese frosting and sprinkle with crushed cereal.
Expert Tips
Don’t Overbake – These cookies are meant to be soft and chewy! Take them out when the edges are just set and the centers still look slightly underdone. They’ll continue to bake on the sheet.
Use Room Temperature Butter and Eggs – This helps the dough mix evenly and creates a better texture. Cold ingredients can cause uneven mixing and flat cookies.
Want Extra Flavor? Brown the Butter – For a deeper, nuttier flavor, try browning the butter first and letting it cool before creaming. It adds amazing richness to the dough.
Chill the Dough (Optional, But Helpful) – If your kitchen is warm or your dough feels too soft, chilling it for 20–30 minutes before scooping can help keep the cookies thick and chewy.
Cool Cookies Completely – If the cookies are even a little warm, the cream cheese frosting will melt and slide off. Be patient, it’s worth the wait!
Like Snickerdoodles? – Leave off the frosting and topping and you have the perfect snickerdoodle recipe.
Making Ahead and Storing
You can either store these cookies frosted or unfrosted. I think it’s easier to store them unfrosted so I can just layer them in a bag but either way works. If you would like to store them frosted, they can be stored in single layer at room temp for 1–2 days or in the fridge for 3-4 days. Keep the cereal separate and top right before serving (no one likes soggy cereal, especially on cookies). You can also freeze for up to 2 months. Just add frosting and cereal after thawing for the best texture. You can also just freeze the cookie dough. Check out our post on How to Freeze Cookie Dough for all the tips!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Use a medium cookie scoop and reduce the baking time to 9–11 minutes. They’ll still be delicious, just not quite as thick and bakery-style.
It’s not required, but if your dough feels too soft or your kitchen is warm, chilling for 20–30 minutes can help prevent spreading and keep the cookies thick.
Sure! For extra Cinnamon Toast Crunch flavor throughout, you can fold about ½ cup of finely crushed cereal into the dough before baking. Just be aware it may soften slightly as it bakes.
More Delicious Cookie Recipes
Have you tried these Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cookies? I’d love to hear what you think! Drop a comment below and let me know how you liked them. And don’t forget to take a pic and tag us on Instagram @favoritefamilyrecipes! 📸🍪
Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter (softened)
- 2 large eggs
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 ¾ cups flour
- 1/2 tablespoon cream of tartar
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Cinnamon Sugar Mixture
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons cinnamon
Cream Cheese Frosting and Topping
- 4 tablespoons butter (softened)
- 4 ounces cream cheese (softened)
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2-3 cups powdered sugar (or as needed)
- milk (optional, only use as needed to thin frosting)
- 1 cup Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375℉.In a large bowl or the bowl of an electric stand mixer, cream butter and sugar together for about 5 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Add eggs and vanilla and mix for 1 more minute.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt.
- Slowly add flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix on low until just combined and a dough forms. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, combine cinnamon-sugar mixture ingredients.
- Use a large cookie scoop to make a heaping scoop or ¼ measuring cup of dough to form dough balls. Roll each ball in the cinnamon sugar mixture and place on a lined baking sheet. Keep them a round ball, do not press down.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes in preheated oven. Keep the cookies on the baking sheet for 15 minutes and then transfer to a wire cooling rack to finish cooling. Allow cookies to cool completely before frosting.
For the Frosting and Topping
- In a large bowl, beat cream cheese, butter, and vanilla with an electric stand mixer until smooth. Slowly add powdered sugar, mixing constantly, until desired consistency is reached. Add more powdered sugar to thicken, add a little milk (a half teaspoon at a time) if needed to thin.
- Place cereal in a plastic zip-top bag and crush with a rolling pin or kitchen mallet. Don't crush too much, you just want to break up the cereal into smaller pieces, not into a powder.
- Frost the cookies with frosting and sprinkle crumbled cereal over the top.
