It is summer and I wanted a treat that I did not have to bake that used up my giant box of Special K cereal so I made these cookies. Part of stretching a buck is using what you already have. I make a Christmas breakfast once a year that I top with Special K. Then the box sits there on top of my fridge, mocking me and taking up space for like, forever…
I made my own version of these cookies but you can find the original recipe here.
I am not a fan of using the microwave oven I decided to make a stovetop version instead. In a medium sauce pan I added 1 cup of sugar, 1 cup of white corn syrup (actually only 75% was white, I ran out and topped it off with some regular corn syrup), 1 tsp of vanilla extract and a pinch of salt. I brought it to a boil and then turned down the heat a little.
Oh yeah, this is like candy-making OK so be careful! Have ice water nearby just in case (which I of course didn’t do because it was at this point I realized I could be in trouble). Simmer for two minutes.
Carefully add 1 1/3 cup of peanut butter. Stir to melt into the mixture.
Add four cups of Special K cereal and stir to combine.
At the last second I decided I wanted a hint of chocolate so I threw in a handful of chocolate chips and stirred until just melted.
Acting quickly, I got out my ice cream scoop that I greased ahead of time and scooped out the cookies onto parchment paper. Again, be very careful! Let cool.
My scoop was quite large so the cookies were on the verge of being too big. Next time I would use a smaller scoop.
Lightly crispy, peanut buttery with a hint of chocolate… these were quite a wonderful treat! I was very dubious that I would like them but I really did and was happy to share them with very dear old friends who were visiting last weekend which was good because this recipe is generous. It makes a lot. Although high in sugar, these treats are not super high in saturated fat which makes me very happy.
Made my way, I give these cookies four out of five wooden spoons.
We are back to cold and dark weather here… Sigh… So my need to make bake-less cookies is not great but I know there are many people out there melting this summer. I hope this quick, easy and minimal-heat-producing cookie makes your weekend all that more delicious!
~ Suzie the Foodie
Lovely cookies! I guess really sweet and good. They sound very tempting.
They look great and “no bake” is always good in the summer!
I use Special K cereal in my chicken recipe’s too. Enjoy no bake cookies , now my MS keeps me house bound until the weather allows outside, then my walker can get me outside!
Yes! It makes a good coating, doesn’t it? I hear you on being housebound Debby but am glad that the walker helps you get outside once the weather improves.
This looks amazing. I also have MS. I love recipes like this easy but you tried 😉
Hope you enjoyed it!
I have been waiting for you to post these! My husband did groceries the other day and randomly bought a box of special k. Thanks for making a stove top version, we don’t even own a microwave because I hate how they cook things. I’m so going to make these today!
They look so yummy and nice touch adding the chocolate, can’t ever have too much chocolate! My daughter begged me to buy Special K once and I found it dreadfully bland on it’s own. I could totally eat it this way for breakfast though…haha!!!
Oh my, those look amazing. I’m going to have to try these at some point. Perfect for the heat when I don’t want to turn on the oven but need something sweet. You say it makes a lot, I wonder if I can half it.. We’ll see I guess. 🙂
This looks so delish!
Delicious! I want one right now so badly! 😀
Try using Cocoa Krispies! They are wonderful!!
Cocoa Crisps sound great!!
What a great, easy recipe. Can’t wait to try.
These are my all time favorite cookies!!!!! I can’t make them too often because I want to eat them all!! TFS!!
this recipe looks like the old special K recipe for “o’Henry bars” which are really wonderful!
I have had these before. Except to keep it easy to pass along we say 1 cup sugar syrup peanut buter and s. Ks 1ts vanilla. They are my fav. Of anything sweet but I could eat the whole thing of them. Oh and they are not as sweet as they sound. everyone should try these once.
These look SO GREAT! I am confused about one thing though…the cereal looks like puffed rice (ie rice crispies), but the recipe say special K…I thought Special K was flakes of grain, not puffed grain. Am I missing a new type in the store?
Special K in Canada looks like Rice Krispies here in the US – I was so confused the first time I saw that! I think this recipe would work with both types of cereal.
So glad everyone is enjoying this post! Looks like a fav for many, which rocks. They were new to e.
Sara, I know, it’s so weird, this is actually the Special K that I have. I just checked, it says “Original” and when I looked at it, it’s just like Rice Crispies except they are kind of scoopy. So weird. I guess you could always use Rice Crispies instead.
My mom used to make these, and the Special K was like this. Then they started making it into flakes, so she stopped ,aking them. Glad to hear they are making the “original” again!
Yum! These look delicious!
YUMMO! I just made these while I was cooking lunch, Fantastic. It only took a few minutes and they cool relatively quick.
A few tweaks I made:
I halved the recipe since I wasn’t sure how they would turn out- 1/2 batch made about 9 ‘cookies’, plenty for me and my husband.
I didn’t use Chocolate because I didn’t have any…
Also, I used Honey Bunches of Oats with Pecan Clusters instead of the Special K. I didn’t want to buy an entire box of cereal I wasn’t going to use again, so I just used what I already had, and it turned out just fine! The peanut butter flavor covers up just about everything else, so I figure any basic cereal would be fine…
I have recipes all the time Kaitlyn, very wise for a first attempt! Oh my sister love that cereal, best that would work so well, thank you so much for the idea!
This is the same recipe I use for Rice Krispy bars, except that these are made w/ Special K and the chocolate is mixed in. For a touch of chocolate, I mix 1/2-1 cup of chocolate chips melted w/ the same amount of butterscotch chips. Drizzle or spread on top of cereal mixture. We’ve always called them chocolate scotcheroos.
Saw these on pinterest. They look so yummy!
Saw these on pinterest. They look so yummy!
Okay so I was up late needing a sweet fix and found your post. I used what I had on hand…sugar, light corn syrup, salt, vanilla, honey nut chex and chocolate cheerios. It hit the spot! Thanks for sharing!
Pinhead, yes, I know, so confusing! To me too. Tiffany, so glad it took care of that sweet fix. 🙂 Nice rendition of the recipe, love it!
How many dozen did this make in total? I’m trying to figure out recipes for a cookie exchange I’m participating in I need to make between 12 and 15 dozen cookies
Kathleen, that would depend on the size, these were quite big and made (if I remember right) two dozen? I would suggest making them smaller and make it a few times. That’s a lot of cookies!
Can one use Golden Suryp?
or honey?
Honey will work, and you won’t need as much. I make these but with oatmeal, peanut butter, chocolate chips and honey
How much honey & oatmeal(& which kind)did you use? That sounds better than sugar!
Bianca, golden syrup should be fine, not sure about honey though. I would stick with the syrups, just to be safe.
These look yummy! So….what’s the Christmas morning recipe topped with Special K?
Karen, my Dad’s wife Julie makes this cheesy bread pudding with ham and tops it with Rice Crispies and butter, LOL. A cholesterol bomb! But it is so good. I don’t make it often but will share it one day.
My husbands grandmother made these and i became addicted! Thanks for the great recipe! Headed to walmart now! 🙂
Awesome! So glad you like them, yay!
Made with corn flakes. that’s what I had on hand. Didn’t add the chocolate. They were great! Can’t stop eating them.
I am thrilled you liked them and yes, addictive!!!
My family has made these for years. They are a must at Christmas. They are also good with coconut and with crunchy peanut butter. 🙂
Oh wow, coconut and crunchy peanut butter Diane? That sounds awesome!
Hi Susie. These look fantastic. Kathleen
I make these into bars using chunky peanut butter, adding 1 cup of salted peanuts and no chocolate. Yummy!!! Also use 6 cups of Special K. I have to stop myself from eating the whole pan…
I used Coco Krispies instead of the chips .
You are SO SILLY! Cookie can NEVER EVER be TOO BIG! lol. Thanks for the great recipe!
That is totally true Ron, good point!
You can’t imagine how much I love peanut butter. I can eat peanut butter every single day. Thank you so much for this recipe! It looks delicious, healthy and also easy. Regards! Brimsdown Carpet Cleaners Ltd.
I just made these and you better move fast when scooping and mine looked real dry. I used rice Kristie and light corn syrup is this why they set fast? Not sure but they taste good and only took me 10 minutes start to finish. I like that thanks.
Hi Liesa! It could be that they were a little too hot. That can result in harder and drier cookies. Next time, keep the temperature a little lower and hopefully that will help.
Liesa, I’ve been making these cookies for years, & my recipe says after seeing the first bubble let boil for 1 minute only & remove from heat immediately. Try that instead of simmering for 2 minutes. If I leave more than the 1 minute, they get hard & dry. THEY ARE DELICIOUS!
What happened to your fettuccine and shrimp soup recipe? I just keep getting peanut butter cookies!
Hi Irene! You can find that recipe here: http://www.suziethefoodie.com/bitchin-kitchens-fettuccine-rose-with-shrimp/
I make these also but I use “cinnamon toast crunch” cereal then butter a cookie sheet with butter spread on there and cut into squares. My kids and husband love them.
Looking for the chocolate peanut butter oatmeal cookies similar to this with NO milk, do you have one?
Perhaps I’m missing something, but why in the world would these ave been added to a “Diabetic Stuff” board?
Woah! They really wouldn’t be in a diabetic stuff board Joyce! Not sure who did that. Diabetics should stay away from this recipe.
Suzie,
at first, everything went fine, until I stirred the peanut butter into the syrup/sugar mixture – suddenly the whole thing turned into a sand-like mess. Dry, cumbly, no candy-making-feeling.
They looked so great and the recipe sounded very easy, I just had to try it immediately.
What did I do wrong?
Ina
Ina, sounds like you cooked them too long. I realize this recipe says to simmer for 2 minutes, but I’ve been making these for years & my recipe says after seeing first bubble, then let it cook for 1 minute, then remove from heat immediately. Try that and I think you’ll have much better cookies.
Thanks Anonymous and yes, maybe it was too long or too high. Undercooking is better than overcooking.
What happen to the artisan bread I pinned??? Cookies now??? Annoying
Sorry Betty. I moved my blog so the pins are out of date. You can use the search engine on the top right hand of my site to find them again.
I’m so going to make these today! They look so yummy
Hope you love them Rachel!
These look amazing! Our family has made a chocolate peanut butter version of these for many years! Although we use quick oats instead of cereal.:)
Quick oats eh??? I may have to give that a shot, thanks Aly!
Dear Suzie, always wondered how to make cereal treats. So glad i found your recipe. Thankyou so much.
So happy you found me here so I could help you Sue! 🙂 You are very welcome. Enjoy.
Has anyone tried substituting Almond butter for the Peanut butter? I’m sure there would need to be some adjustments because of the difference in consistency. Also, we used to butter our hands and roll these into bite-size balls! They make a great addition to a cookie tray or packaging cookies for a Christmas gift. With the various kinds of cereals that were mentioned, I also thought about “crispies” that come in red & green (for Christmas), or pastels for Spring… lots of new ideas to enjoy these during every season! Thanks, everyone!
Never worked with almost butter before Jeremiah but smart idea to put butter on your hands to roll out those balls!
Suzie, you cannot begin to understand how surprised and delighted I was to see this recipe on the internet. Additionally, your narrative and photos are spot-on.
I have never been a huge fan of PB with the exception of straight up off the spoon or these jewels of goodness. I first encountered the recipe for Special K & Peanut Butter No Bake Cookies about 1958 (yes I am that OLD!). We lived in the Rio Grande Valley of Deep South Texas. My Mom and Grandmother had a neighbor-friend May, who worked as the cafeteria manager at our local elementary school. Back in those days Schools received “commodities” such as bologna, butter, sugar, flour cheese, powdered milk, pasta and peanut butter to name a few. Every resourceful school cafeteria manager was on the lookout for inexpensive, new and different ways to put these commodities to use in a manner that was tempting to everyone. I doubt the schools were held to the strict nutrition standards as today’s schools. These little golden lumps of goodness were a treat we would find on our lunch trays every so often and they were a super favorite of most every kid and teacher alike. Our friend May passed this recipe to my Mom and grandmother.
Regardless the venue, be it church or Scout Camp this recipe is a 5 star ***** go to. I never had to take any home from an event. More often than not, they are the first sweets to disappear. They are not only addictive; they stand up well in most any environments as well as being inexpensive and incredibly portable. I have tried a number of variations using other cereals none were as good as the original Special K. Additionally, I have tried a variety of add-ins like chocolate chips etc. but with little enthusiasm. Although, I have used Crunchy PB rather than Smooth and found them just as appealing. The recipe has now been passed on to my daughter and grandchildren and now it appears the WWW.
Someone commented on using a microwave… We did not have microwaves back in my day so it never occurred to me to use one for this recipe. I am too old-fashioned to change methods now.
Oh My, There is a Granny I My Kitchen!
Love, Granny K.
Aka: Crosspatch
Suzie, you cannot begin to understand how surprised and delighted I was to see this recipe on the internet. Additionally, your narrative and photos are spot-on.
I have never been a huge fan of PB with the exception of straight up off the spoon or these jewels of goodness. I first encountered the recipe for Special K & Peanut Butter No Bake Cookies about 1958 (yes I am that OLD!). We lived in the Rio Grande Valley of Deep South Texas. My Mom and Grandmother had a neighbor-friend May, who worked as the cafeteria manager at our local elementary school. Back in those days Schools received “commodities” such as bologna, butter, sugar, flour cheese, powdered milk, pasta and peanut butter to name a few. Every resourceful school cafeteria manager was on the lookout for inexpensive, new and different ways to put these commodities to use in a manner that was tempting to everyone. I doubt the schools were held to the strict nutrition standards as today’s schools. These little golden lumps of goodness were a treat we would find on our lunch trays every so often and they were a super favorite of most every kid and teacher alike. Our friend May passed this recipe to my Mom and grandmother.
Regardless the venue, be it church or Scout Camp this recipe is a 5 star ***** go to. I never had to take any home from an event. More often than not, they are the first sweets to disappear. They are not only addictive; they stand up well in most any environments as well as being inexpensive and incredibly portable. I have tried a number of variations using other cereals none were as good as the original Special K. Additionally, I have tried a variety of add-ins like chocolate chips etc. but with little enthusiasm. Although, I have used Crunchy PB rather than Smooth and found them just as appealing. The recipe has now been passed on to my daughter and grandchildren and now it appears the WWW.
Someone commented on using a microwave… We did not have microwaves back in my day so it never occurred to me to use one for this recipe. I am too old-fashioned to change methods now.
Oh My, There is a Granny I My Kitchen!
Love, Granny K.
Aka: Crosspatch
Granny K, I grew up in the RGV of south Texas, and when I found this recipe it reminded me of little treats that were occasionally served at school. I loved them so much that the cafeteria ladies would give me one during recess when I stuck my head in to say good morning. I wonder if it was May? I attended school in the mid-sixties in Comera or Combs, close to Harlingen. Thanks for sharing your story.
And thanks Susie, I was so happy to find this recipe. I’ve made them several times. I like to substitute 1/4 cup of the corn syrup with maple syrup.
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