Rice Krispie Chocolate Chip Cookies
There’s something universally wonderful about a classic chocolate chip cookie, but I’ve always been on a quest for one with a little extra something. Not just chewy, not just soft, but with a surprising, satisfying crunch that makes you stop and really notice what you’re eating. That’s precisely what these Rice Krispie Chocolate Chip Cookies deliver. The toasted rice cereal folds into the buttery dough, creating little pockets of crispiness that contrast beautifully with the pools of melted chocolate and the soft, chewy centre. It’s a texture experience that elevates the humble choc chip cookie into something truly special.
I make a batch of these at least once a month now – they’ve become a non-negotiable family request. They are the perfect baking project for a lazy Sunday afternoon, filling the kitchen with that glorious smell of butter, sugar, and chocolate. This recipe is for anyone who loves a classic but is open to a delightful twist. The familiar, comforting flavours are all there, just with an added layer of texture that makes them completely irresistible. We love them straight from the cooling rack when the chocolate is still gloriously gooey.
Recipe Overview
This recipe creates cookies that are the best of all worlds: golden, crisp edges, a soft and chewy middle, generous pockets of melted chocolate, and the signature light crunch from the Rice Krispies. The dough comes together in one bowl and requires a short chill time, which is essential for developing flavour and preventing the cookies from spreading too much. After testing multiple batches, I found that slightly underbaking them by a minute gives you that perfect soft centre that stays lovely for days.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Chill Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 12-14 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 2 minutes
- Servings: Makes approximately 24 cookies
- Difficulty: Easy
Why You’ll Love This Rice Krispie Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe
- An Amazing Texture Combination: The defining feature is the crunch. The Rice Krispies don’t go soggy; they toast in the oven, adding a light, airy crispness that complements the rich, buttery cookie and the smooth, melted chocolate.
- Ready in About an Hour: From gathering your ingredients to pulling the first tray from the oven, this straightforward recipe comes together in just over 60 minutes, including the essential chill time.
- A Flexible Dough: This recipe is a brilliant base. You can swap the dark chocolate for milk or white, add a handful of chopped walnuts or pecans for extra nutty flavour, or even mix in some dried cranberries for a tart finish.
- Works Wonderfully for Gifting: These cookies hold up well and look so inviting packed into a tin or cellophane bag. They’re a lovely homemade gift for neighbours, teachers, or as a contribution to a bake sale.
- Family Tested and Approved: My children absolutely adore the “popping” texture in these cookies, and my husband says they remind him of a gourmet chocolate bar. It’s a recipe that always gets compliments.
Ingredients You’ll Need
This recipe uses standard baking staples, with the obvious star being the toasted rice cereal. For the chocolate, I recommend using a good quality dark chocolate bar chopped into chunks rather than chips; the irregular pieces create gorgeous pools of melted chocolate. I often use Green & Black’s 70% dark chocolate for a really intense flavour.
- 250g plain flour
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 170g unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 150g soft light brown sugar
- 100g granulated sugar
- 1 large free-range egg, at room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 200g dark chocolate, roughly chopped
- 70g Rice Krispies cereal
Ashley’s Tip: Ensure your butter and egg are genuinely at room temperature. Cold ingredients won’t combine properly, which can result in a dense, greasy cookie. I take mine out of the fridge a good hour before I plan to start baking.
How to Make Rice Krispie Chocolate Chip Cookies
The process is very straightforward. The most important step is not to overmix the dough once the flour is added, and to be gentle when folding in the cereal to keep it from getting crushed.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the plain flour, bicarbonate of soda, and salt. Set this aside for later.
- Cream Butter and Sugars: In a large bowl using a stand mixer or an electric hand mixer, beat the room temperature butter, soft light brown sugar, and granulated sugar on medium speed for about 3-4 minutes. You’re looking for a light, fluffy, and pale mixture. This step incorporates air, which is key to a good cookie texture. You can learn more about the science of creaming butter and sugar from the experts.
- Add Wet Ingredients: Add the egg and vanilla extract to the butter mixture and beat on low speed until just combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure everything is evenly mixed.
- Combine Wet and Dry: Pour the flour mixture into the wet ingredients. Mix on the lowest speed until the last streaks of flour have just disappeared. Be careful not to overmix here, as it can lead to tough cookies.
- Fold in the Good Stuff: Gently fold in the chopped dark chocolate and the Rice Krispies with a spatula until they are evenly distributed. What works best for me is adding the cereal last to minimise breakage.
- Chill the Dough: Cover the bowl with cling film and place it in the refrigerator to chill for at least 30 minutes, or up to 24 hours. This step is crucial – it solidifies the butter, which prevents the cookies from spreading into thin crisps in the oven.
- Preheat and Prepare: While the dough chills, preheat your oven to 180°C (160°C fan) and line two large baking trays with parchment paper.
- Scoop and Bake: Roll the chilled dough into balls, about 2 tablespoons each, and place them on the prepared baking trays, leaving about 5cm (2 inches) of space between each one to allow for spreading.
- Bake to Perfection: Bake for 12-14 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown but the centres still look a little soft. They will continue to bake on the hot tray.
- Cool Down: Let the cookies cool on the baking tray for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. This helps them set up properly.
Tips From My Kitchen
- Temperature is Everything: Using room temperature butter and eggs is vital for a smooth, emulsified dough. A properly preheated oven ensures the cookies start baking the moment they go in, helping them rise correctly rather than melting flat.
- The Gentle Fold: I learned that vigorously stirring in the Rice Krispies just crushes them into dust. Use a gentle folding motion with a spatula, turning the dough over on itself, to keep the cereal whole for that signature crunch.
- Make-Ahead Magic: You can scoop the dough balls onto a parchment-lined tray and freeze them. Once solid, transfer them to a freezer bag. You can bake them straight from frozen; just add an extra 2-3 minutes to the baking time.
- Storage for Lasting Crispness: Store the cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. If they lose a bit of their crispness, you can pop them in a 150°C oven for 2-3 minutes to revive them.
Equipment You’ll Need
You don’t need any highly specialised equipment for this crispy cookie recipe, just standard baking tools.
- Stand mixer or a large bowl with a hand mixer
- Baking trays (I recommend at least two)
- Parchment paper
- Wire cooling rack
- Ice cream scoop or two spoons for portioning the dough
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Overcrowding the Pan: It’s tempting to squeeze as many cookies as possible onto one tray, but this is a mistake. It lowers the oven temperature around each cookie and causes them to steam rather than bake, often resulting in them merging into one giant cookie. Give them space!
- Using Melted or Cold Butter: Butter that is too soft or melted will cause the cookies to spread excessively. Butter straight from the fridge won’t cream properly with the sugar. Room temperature (soft enough to indent with a finger) is the sweet spot.
- Skipping the Chill Time: I know it’s hard to wait, but chilling the dough is the single most important step for thick, chewy cookies with great flavour. It allows the flour to hydrate and the butter to firm up, leading to less spread and a more concentrated taste.
Delicious Variations to Try
Once you’ve mastered the base recipe, feel free to get creative! If you enjoy baking sweet things, you might also like my elegant Rose Gold Cake Recipe.
- Salty and Nutty: Add 100g of toasted, chopped pecans or walnuts to the dough and finish each cookie with a tiny sprinkle of flaky sea salt before baking. The salt beautifully enhances the chocolate flavour.
- White Chocolate and Cranberry: Swap the dark chocolate for 200g of white chocolate chunks and add 80g of dried cranberries for a festive, tangy twist.
- Triple Chocolate Threat: Use a mix of dark, milk, and white chocolate chunks for a more complex chocolate experience in every single bite.
What to Serve With Rice Krispie Chocolate Chip Cookies
These cookies are magnificent on their own, but they also pair wonderfully with a few simple accompaniments.
- A Glass of Cold Milk: The classic pairing for a reason. The creamy milk cuts through the richness of the cookie perfectly.
- Vanilla Bean Ice Cream: Make a simple ice cream sandwich by placing a scoop of good quality vanilla ice cream between two cooled cookies. It’s a decadent treat.
- A Warm Drink: Ideal for a cosy afternoon, enjoy these cookies with a hot chocolate or a frothy homemade Instant Coffee Iced Coffee.
Frequently Asked Questions
Rice Krispie Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
Method
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the plain flour, bicarbonate of soda, and salt. Set this aside for later.
- Cream Butter and Sugars: In a large bowl using a stand mixer or an electric hand mixer, beat the room temperature butter, soft light brown sugar, and granulated sugar on medium speed for about 3-4 minutes. You're looking for a light, fluffy, and pale mixture. This step incorporates air, which is key to a good cookie texture. You can learn more about the science of creaming butter and sugar from the experts.
- Add Wet Ingredients: Add the egg and vanilla extract to the butter mixture and beat on low speed until just combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure everything is evenly mixed.
- Combine Wet and Dry: Pour the flour mixture into the wet ingredients. Mix on the lowest speed until the last streaks of flour have just disappeared. Be careful not to overmix here, as it can lead to tough cookies.
- Fold in the Good Stuff: Gently fold in the chopped dark chocolate and the Rice Krispies with a spatula until they are evenly distributed. What works best for me is adding the cereal last to minimise breakage.
- Chill the Dough: Cover the bowl with cling film and place it in the refrigerator to chill for at least 30 minutes, or up to 24 hours. This step is crucial – it solidifies the butter, which prevents the cookies from spreading into thin crisps in the oven.
- Preheat and Prepare: While the dough chills, preheat your oven to 180°C (160°C fan) and line two large baking trays with parchment paper.
- Scoop and Bake: Roll the chilled dough into balls, about 2 tablespoons each, and place them on the prepared baking trays, leaving about 5cm (2 inches) of space between each one to allow for spreading.
- Bake to Perfection: Bake for 12-14 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown but the centres still look a little soft. They will continue to bake on the hot tray.
- Cool Down: Let the cookies cool on the baking tray for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. This helps them set up properly.
Notes
I really hope you give these Rice Krispie Chocolate Chip Cookies a go. They take a beloved recipe, the classic chocolate chip cookie, and add a simple twist that makes them utterly memorable. That extra crunch is just so satisfying! If you try them, please let me know how they turned out in the comments below. I love hearing about your baking adventures!
Happy Baking,
Ashley
