These Captain Crunch Cookies are bright, soft, chewy with a little crunchy burst of cereal flavor. If you love this fun cereal, these cookies are a must try. They are super easy to make and can be ready for snacking in less than 30 minutes.
Perhaps you have a box of cereal you want to use up in a creative way. Or you just love the flavor of buttery, brown sugar and caramel flavor of Cap'n Crunch, these Captain Crunch cookies are a delicious cookie to try.
These cookies are super easy to make. As with other cookies like everything cookies or oreo red velvet cookies, you simply make a basic cookie dough and then mix in the candy or cereal.
If you are looking for the perfect snacking cookie, these are for you. They are great for casual snacking or to serve at celebrations and get togethers. Plus, they are a fun dessert for kids to help out with making.
🍪 Why To Try This Recipe
Colorful - these cookies have bright bursts of color scattered throughout them due to the berries in the Captain Crunch.
Quick and easy - you can have these ready to eat in under 30 minutes. They are so easy to make and the dough requires no chill time.
Perfectly chewy - the texture of these cookies is soft and chewy. They have a slightly crisp edge. It is the perfect combination of textures.
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🥄Equipment
- Measuring Cups
- Measuring spoons
- Hand or stand mixer
- Mixing bowl
- Cookie sheet
- Wooden spoon or spatula
📋Ingredients
- Flour
- Brown Sugar
- White Sugar
- Cap'n Crunch
- Eggs
- Butter
- Salt
- Baking Soda
- Vanilla
See recipe card for quantities.
📖Substitutions & Variations
If you know how to make the recipe fit a certain diet, let the reader know here. Don't fake it - only provide guidance on topics you have actual experience with.
- Use shortening or Crisco - swap out the butter for an equal amount of shortening or Crisco.
- Use Oops all Berries - instead of using regular Cap'n Crunch use oops all berries (the berries are the most flavorful part of the cookies anyway)
- Add Peanut Butter - add a peanut butter flavor by putting 1 cup of peanut butter in when you add the eggs.
- Use cookie mix - instead of making the dough from scratch, speed things up by using a sugar cookie mix.
- Add some mix-ins - add some extra flavor by adding a cup of chocolate chips (regular, white, dark), chopped pecans or butterscotch chips.
If you aren't a fan of Cap'n crunch, but still want some colorful cookies, give these skittles cookies a try.
⏲️Instructions
Use the following step-by-step directions and process shots to whip up a batch of the most delicious Cap'n crunch cookies.
Step one: if your cookie sheet isn't non-stick give it a rub with some butter or a spray with some non-stick cooking spray. Also, get your oven preheated to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Step two: Add the softened butter and both white and brown sugars into the mixing bowl.
Pro tip: soften your butter faster by cutting it into chunks and leaving it at room temperature for about 30 minutes.
Step three: Using the hand or stand mixer, cream the sugar and butter together. This usually takes about 1.5 - 3 minutes. It is ready when it becomes a little lighter and fluffier.
Step four: Add vanilla extract and eggs into the bowl with the creamed sugar and butter.
Step five: Mix everything together for about 1 - 2 minutes making sure that it is well combined, but not overmixed.
Step six: Combine salt, baking soda and flour into a separate bowl. Then, slowly add the mixture into the mixing bowl while mixing it together on low.
Step seven: Add in Cap'n crunch cereal and fold it carefully into the dough.
Step eight: Using a tablespoon, scoop heaping scoops of dough (about 1.5 tablespoons each). You can roll them into balls with your hand to make them more formed.
Step nine: Put the balls of dough onto a baking sheet a few inches apart so they have room to expand while cooking.
Step ten: Put the cookie sheet into a preheated oven and bake for about 10 minutes.
Hint: since ovens and cooking times vary, start checking them at about 8 minutes. The edges should be firm and a little brown, but the centers will still be soft. They will continue to cook and firm up as they cool on the cookie sheet.
⭐Recipe Tips for Success
- Don't overwork the dough - if you overwork dough then your cookies may become flat. So, when creaming butter and sugar and mixing in other ingredients, mix just enough to thoroughly combine them using the minimum speed necessary.
- Don't crush the cereal - when you add the Cap'n Crunch in, make sure to fold it gently. You don't want to crush the cereal.
- Don't bake too long - it is easy to overbake cookies which will make them hard and crunch instead of soft and chewy. Make sure that the centers are still soft when you remove them from the oven, they will continue to firm up as they cool on the cookie sheet.
Storage
You can store and freeze both the baked cookies and the cookie dough easily.
Storing Dough: if you want to pre-make the dough, you can wrap it tightly in cling wrap and keep it in the refrigerator for 3 - 5 days. If you won't use it that quickly, place the wrapped dough in an air tight container or ziplock bag for around 2 months. You can defrost it in the fridge overnight.
Storing baked cookies: keep the cookies in an airtight container for about a week at room temperature or 2 weeks in the refrigerator.
Freezing baked cookies: if you won't use the cookies in a week or so, put them in a ziplock bag or airtight container and freeze them for up to a year.
💭FAQs
No, you don't need to chill the dough for these Cap'n Crunch cookies. Though, you can chill it, if you want to - it will keep them from spreading.
Yes, you can add up to 3 - 4 tablespoons per cookie, if you want larger cookies. It may take an extra minute or two for them to cook. And, you will need to space them further apart on the cookie sheet.
Cap'n Crunch Cookies
Equipment
- measuring cups
- Measuring Spoons
- Mixing bowl
- Hand or Stand Mixer
- Cookie/Baking Sheet
- Wooden spoon or spatula
Ingredients
- 2.5 Cups Flour
- 2 Cups Cap'n Crunch Cereal
- 2 Eggs
- 1.25 Cups Granulated Sugar
- .75 Cups Brown Sugar
- 1 Cup Butter softened
- .25 Teaspoon Salt
- 1 Teaspoon Vanilla
- 1.25 Teaspoons Baking Soda
Instructions
- Make sure to either use a non-stick baking sheet or grease it with butter or cooking spray. Also, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Add the 1.25 cups of granulated sugar, .75 cups of brown sugar and 1 cup of softened butter to the mixing bowl.Note: you can soften the butter at room temperature for around 60 minutes. Or cut it into chunks to soften faster.
- Cream the sugar and butter together using the hand or stand mixer for about 1.5 - 3 minutes. It should be thoroughly combined and slightly light and fluffy when done.
- Toss 1 teaspoon of vanilla and 2 eggs into the mixing bowl and mix until well combined. Do not overmix.
- In another bowl, add together 1.25 teaspoons baking soda, .25 teaspoons salt and 2.5 cups of flour.
- Slowly pour the flour mixture into the creamed sugar, butter and eggs while mixing on low. Make sure all flour is completely combined in.
- Add in 2 cups of Cap'n Crunch cereal and carefully fold it into the dough.
- Using a tablespoon, scoop out heaping scoops (about 1.5 tablespoons worth) of dough. Roll it into balls and place them a few inches apart on the baking sheet.
- Bake for around 10 minutes, or until edges of the cookies are firm and light brown.
Notes
- Don't overcook - overbaking the cookies can lead to hard and crunchy cookies. Make sure that the edges are firm, but centers are still soft when you remove them from the oven.
- Don't overmix - overmixing the dough can create flat cookies. Make sure everything is thoroughly combined, but only mixed enough to do so.
- Softening butter - you can soften the butter by placing at room temperature for 60 minutes. Cut it into chunks to soften faster. Or if you are short on time, Place in the microwave on defrost for 30 seconds, flip sides and add another 30 seconds. Make sure not to make it melt at all.
- Don't crush the cereal - make sure to carefully fold the cereal in so that it doesn't get crushed.
- Storing dough: keep the dough for 4 - 5 days wrapped tightly in cling wrap in the refrigerator. Or, wrap it and put it in a ziplock bag to freeze for up to 3 months.
- Storing baked cookies: keep in an airtight container at room temperature for a week or in the fridge for 2 weeks. Put cookies in a ziplock bag and freeze for up to a year.
Nutrition information provided is just an estimate and may vary based on specific ingredients used.