Looking for a fun new way to enjoy the sweet and crunchy multi-colored cereal? These Chewy Lucky Charms Cookies use both the cereal and the marshmallows to give you that iconic taste in every single bite.
Plus, this easy cookie recipe comes together in less than 30 minutes, requiring only simple pantry ingredients and no chilling time.
Cereal is just so nostalgic to me, and while I still love a good bowl from time to time, the sweetness level of some cereals lends itself more towards a dessert than a breakfast (check out these Fruity Pebbles cookies next!).
So, what sets this Lucky Charms cookie recipe apart from the rest? Most other recipes just incorporate the marshmallows, but this one uses the cereal part, too. We will grind it down into a fine dust to replace half the flour in the recipe, infusing tons of flavor into each bite.
Inspired by my education in environmental science, I am always trying to find ways to combat food waste.
Cereal is one of those things I buy on sale, thinking they’ll be a great solution to busy mornings, but then forget about the box in the back of the pantry.
So, integrating almost-expired cereal into these delicious cookies is a great way to use up that forgotten about cereal!
Green tip: Of the billions of tons of food wasted annually, 50% of food waste happens at home. Reduce your contribution to food waste by properly storing, reheating, and consuming leftovers.
Lucky Charms Cookies Ingredients
Here’s everything you need:
- Unsalted butter.
- Granulated sugar.
- Egg.
- Vanilla extract.
- All-purpose flour.
- Lucky Charms. Both the cereal, and the marshmallows.
- Baking powder.
- Salt.
Cookies with Lucky Charms Tips and Tricks
Prep Your Cereal for the Cookies First
The most tedious part of this recipe is separating the marshmallows and the cereal bits of your Lucky Charms. I love getting my toddler involved and making it like a game—who can get the most marshmallows in 30 seconds?
You’ll need ¾ cup of the marshmallows. Add 1 ½ cups of the cereal without the marshmallows to a high-powered blender or food processor and blend on high until it breaks down into a fine dust.
You’ll need exactly ¾ cups of the cereal dust, which usually comes from 1 ½ cups of whole cereal, but it may vary slightly, so make sure you measure it once it is ground up.
How to Make Lucky Charms Cookie Dough
This is a super simple one bowl recipe, but in order to easily combine your ingredients and make the perfect cereal cookies, there’s an order in which you should add things.
Start by creaming your butter and sugar together. It’s imperative that your butter is softened.
The creaming process may take up to 5 minutes with your hand mixer on high. You want it smooth and aerated.
Next, add your egg and vanilla extract and beat again until well combined. Then comes the flour, ground-up cereal, baking powder, and salt. Mix again until the dough is nice and smooth.
Set a handful (just under ¼ cup) of the marshmallows aside and fold the rest into the dough with a rubber spatula.
Shape and Bake Your Cereal Cookies
Now that your Lucky Charms cookie dough is ready, it’s time to shape your cookies. This cookie dough recipe will be enough to make about 10 roughly-equal sized cookies.
I like to use a large cookie scoop to shape my cookies because it is a slightly sticky dough. Alternatively, you can use wet hands to roll your cookie dough into balls, using about 2 tablespoons of dough for each cookie.
Bake them on the top rack at 350°F for 13-16 minutes until firm (the edges may start to brown as pictured). While they are still hot, push the extra marshmallows into the top of the cookies.
How to Properly Store Lucky Charms Cookies
These cereal cookies will last for 5-7 days at room temperature or up to three weeks in the fridge when covered or stored in an airtight container.
Quick tip: Storing your cookies with a piece of bread will keep them softer and chewier. This is the perfect use for the end piece!
These cookies do tend to firm up within a few days of storing them. If you want them to stay on the soft and chewy side, store them in the container with a piece of bread. Believe it or not, moisture from the bread stops the cookies from drying out.
You can also freeze the cookies once they’re baked for up to a year, but I highly recommend freezing the unbaked dough instead. More on that below.
Freezing Your Cookie Dough for Later
If you want freshly baked cookies at the drop of the hat, you can freeze some or all of the cookie dough! In the freezer, the unbaked cookie dough will last up to a year.
Shape the cookie dough into your cookies and store them in a freezer safe storage bag (consider reusable storage bags for a more sustainable option!). You can bake them on a lined baking sheet directly from the freezer.
You’ll need an extra minute or two of baking time when you’re baking them out of the freezer—just keep your eye on them!
Why this is the Best Lucky Charms Cookie Recipe
- It utilizes ALL of the cereal. It’s not only the fun colored marshmallow charms that give this cereal their nostalgic taste! This cookie recipe uses both the cereal and the marshmallows to really capture that Lucky Charms taste in every bite.
- It’s super simple. Only 7 simple pantry ingredients and one bowl required.
- They’re quick! These cookies don’t require any chilling time and bake in about 15 minutes.
30-Minute Lucky Charms Cookies
SAVE RECIPE TO COLLECTION PIN PRINT RATEEquipment
- Food Processor * or *
- Large Cookie Scoop (optional)
Ingredients
- ¾ cup Lucky Charms marshmallows
- ¾ cup ground up cereal, without the marshmallows (about 1½ cup of cereal before blending)
- ½ cup softened unsalted butter (½ cup butter = 1 stick)
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper or reusable baking mats.
- Separate the marshmallows from the cereal. Collect ¾ cups of the marshmallows and about 1 ½ cups of the cereal without marshmallows. Set the marshmallows aside and use a food processor or high-powered blender to grind the cereal up into a fine dust. You will need ¾ cup of the ground cereal.
- To a large mixing bowl, add softened butter and sugar. Use a hand mixer on high to cream together until light and smooth (about 2-3 minutes).
- Add the egg and vanilla extract and use your hand mixer on low to combine.
- Add the ground up cereal, flour, salt, and baking soda and mix to combine, careful not to overbeat. Use a spatula to scrape any flour off the sides of the bowl and integrate it into your dough.
- Set aside a handful of marshmallows and use a rubber spatula to fold the rest into the dough to combine.
- Use a large cookie scoop or 2 heaping tablespoons of dough to form your cookies, adding them to the prepped baking sheets. Leave at least an inch of space in between each cookie for minor spreading.
- Bake for 13-16 minutes on the top rack. Remove from the oven and while they are still hot, push the extra marshmallows into the top. Allow to cool and enjoy!
Pro Tips
- Make sure you measure the cereal dust after it’s ground up. Usually, you will get ¾ cup ground-up cereal from 1 ½ cup of whole cereal, but the amount tends to vary slightly.
