With a rich flavor and unique crunch in every bite, these Chocolate Crunch Cookies are perfect for the holiday season! Made with cake mix and crispy rice cereal, these treats have a great balance of chewiness and light crunch.
They’re also quick and easy to make, and perfect for chocolate lovers. These will be a huge hit at any cookie swap or post-holiday dessert!
Jump to:
- 🩵 About This Recipe
- What readers are saying...
- 🧂 Gather Your Ingredients
- 🔪 Let's Make Chocolate Crunch Cookies!
- 💡 Expert Tips and Tricks
- ❔ FAQs
- 📝 Substitutions and Variations
- 🥡 Storage and Reheating
- ⏳ Make Ahead Instructions
- 🍴 What To Serve With This Dish
- 😋 More Cookie Recipes You'll Love
- 📋 Recipe Card
- 💬 Reviews and Comments
🩵 About This Recipe
Quick, easy, and chocolatey. All the best things a dessert can be! These uniquely fluffy cookies are made with cake mix for simple prep, and the addition of cereal gives them a fun crunch.
Perfect for the holidays, these will be the star of any cookie swap. With only 5 ingredients, it doesn't get much easier than these crunchy chocolate cookies!
And if you like making treats with crispy rice cereal, try these Easy Chocolate Rice Krispies Treats!
What readers are saying...
Yum, this is a winner made with a cake mix!!!!
- Kippi
🧂 Gather Your Ingredients
- butter - I use unsalted butter for these cookies but you could also use salted if you prefer a more sweet and salty result.
- eggs - help hold the dough together and add moisture.
- cake mix - dark chocolate cake mix in particular is what gives these cookies their rich and indulgent flavor.
- chocolate chips - semi-sweet mini morsels pair well with the cake mix, but you could also use milk chocolate or dark chocolate.
- crispy rice cereal - puffed rice adds a light crispy crunch that makes these cookies so much fun to eat!
🔪 Let's Make Chocolate Crunch Cookies!
(Or click here to jump right to the recipe card with measurements!)
Prepare Butter and Eggs
Melt the butter in a microwave safe dish and slightly beat the eggs in a separate dish.
Combine Ingredients
In a large mixing bowl, combine the butter, eggs, cake mix, chocolate chips, and cereal.
Mix Well
Mix thoroughly until a uniform dough forms.
Bake
Scoop the dough onto a prepared cookie sheet and bake, then cool on a wire rack and enjoy.
💡 Expert Tips and Tricks
- Be sure to fold in the cereal gently so you don't crush it and lose all of the crispy goodness.
- Allow the eggs to come up to room temperature to make it easier to mix them into the cookie dough.
- Use a cookie scoop to ensure all of the balls of dough are even in size.
- Melt the butter at 40%-50% power in the microwave.
- These crunchy chocolate cookies are perfect for teacher gifts or tasty treats for family and neighbors around the holidays. Pop them into fun bags for a festive presentation!
❔ FAQs
Cake mix cookies tend to be soft, fluffy, and slightly chewy. They have a lighter texture than traditional cookies because of the leavening agents in the cake mix.
I prefer to use melted butter for a nice rich flavor and a more cakey texture, but you can use oil if you want your cookies to turn out more like traditional cookies would.
Because this recipe uses cake mix, the end result is always going to be a bit more tender and fluffy than a classic cookie would be. If you prefer a crisper texture, baking them for longer at a slightly lower temperature might help!
📝 Substitutions and Variations
- For additional crunch, mix in some chopped nuts like pecans or walnuts.
- Give your cookies a fun twist by using white chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, or peanut butter chips instead of or alongside the semi-sweet morsels.
- Intensify the chocolate flavor by adding a splash of vanilla and a dash of espresso powder.
- Other ingredients like cornflakes or puffed quinoa can also provide the same crunch as crispy rice cereal.
- Feel free to experiment with different flavors of cake mix!
Kristin’s Kitchen Tip
These cookies don't spread very much on their own, so you may want to flatten them out a bit before baking so they take on the proper cookie shape!
🥡 Storage and Reheating
Keep your cookies in an airtight container or plastic bag in a cool, dry place for a week or so.
You can also freeze these cookies for at least a month if you want to make a large batch and save some for down the line! Let them come up to room temperature before enjoying again.
⏳ Make Ahead Instructions
Feel free to make the dough and keep it in the fridge wrapped well in plastic wrap or in an airtight container. You may want to let it sit at room temperature before scooping onto your cookie sheet to make it easier to work with
Keep It Handy
Don't have time for this chocolate crunch cookies recipe right now? Click on or tap the heart icon on the BOTTOM RIGHT of the screen to save it for later!
🍴 What To Serve With This Dish
Pair your crunchy chocolate cookies with a drizzle of melted chocolate and your choice of sprinkles for a fun treat at any occasion!
You can also add a scoop of Cherry Ice Cream or Cookies and Cream Ice Cream between two cookies to make homemade ice cream sandwiches. Or, crumble up cookies on top of a scoop of ice cream for a tasty sundae, or as a topping for one of these 31 Birthday Cake Treats!
😋 More Cookie Recipes You'll Love
- Coffee Shortbread Cookies - Another festive and indulgent cookie perfect for the holidays.
- Peanut Butter Cornflake Cookies - If you can't get enough of cereal in your desserts, these no-bake cookies have the perfect crunch and sweet and salty flavor!
- Red White and Blue Cream Cheese Cookies - Great for patriotic holidays or an anytime treat, these soft cookies feature dried fruit and white chocolate chips.
- Lavender Shortbread - This recipe from Cupcake Project offers a fun and floral twist on a classic cookie!
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Crunchy Chocolate Cookies
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📋 Recipe Card
Chocolate Crunch Cookies
Equipment
- 1 Baking sheet
Ingredients
- ¾ cup unsalted butter
- 2 eggs
- 1 package dark chocolate cake mix (15.25 oz box)
- ⅓ cup semi sweet mini morsels
- 1 cup crispy rice cereal
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
- Melt the butter and lightly beat the eggs.¾ cup unsalted butter, 2 eggs
- Mix all the ingredients together.1 package dark chocolate cake mix, ⅓ cup semi sweet mini morsels, 1 cup crispy rice cereal
- Scoop about 2-3 teaspoons dough and shape into a ball approximately 1 inch in diameter. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet, and flatten slightly. Repeat until all the dough is used.
- Bake 10-12 minutes.
- Cool for 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Notes
- Be gentle when folding in the crispy rice cereal to avoid crushing it and losing the desired crunch.
- Use a small cookie scoop to ensure consistent cookie sizes for even baking.
- It's easiest to melt the butter in the microwave. I cook on high at 20-second intervals or 40% power for 40-60 seconds.
- Mix in ¼ cup of chopped nuts like pecans or almonds for added texture and flavor.
- Swap out the semi-sweet mini morsels with white chocolate chips or butterscotch chips for a twist.
- For a richer taste, add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract or a dash of espresso powder to intensify the chocolate flavor.
- Use puffed quinoa or crushed cornflakes instead of crispy rice cereal for a different type of crunch.
Additional Serving Suggestions:
- Scoop your favorite ice cream between two cookies and enjoy a homemade mini ice cream sandwich!
- Decorate with a drizzle of melted chocolate and festive sprinkles for a special occasion like holidays or birthdays.
- These cookies travel well, making them perfect for gifting. Place them in decorative tins or boxes for friends and family.
Video
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate. The nutritional values for your final dish may vary based on measuring differences and products used.
Update Notes: This post was originally published in February 2015, and was republished with tips, step by step photos, and a recipe change in November 2024.
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Kerryanne says
These sound so good Kristin.
Thank you for sharing at Create, Bake, Grow & Gather this week. I'm delighted to be featuring your recipe at tonight's party and pinning too.
Merry Christmas,
Kerryanne
Kristin says
Oh, thanks, Kerryanne! I really appreciate the feature! 🙂
angie says
love shortcake in cooking, the time I have is precious and taking shortcakes to make tasty treats oh my gonna try these soon
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Kat (The Baking Explorer) says
I love this idea! Never thought of adding rice crispies to cookies before!
Angie Rose says
Hi Kristin. These cookies look absolutely delicious! I can't wait to try making them. Thank you so much for sharing with us at Dishing It & Digging It & congratulations on being featured this week! Happy Holidays 🙂
Jhuls @ The Not So Creative Cook says
I am sure these are so good coz I have also made cookies using a cake mix! Thanks for sharing at Fiesta Friday party! I hope you'll have a chance to chat with other partygoers!
Kimberly says
Oh my…so delicious! I'm always get so excited to see what you have brought to the party! Pinned and tweeted. Thank you for being part of our party. I hope to see you on tonight at 7. Lou Lou Girls
Lysa from Welcome to My Circus says
Oh wow! These are something that my hubby would absolutely love for me to make for him! I'll have to give the recipe a try for sure! 😉
Thank you for linking up with us at the Oh My Heartsie Girls Wordless Wednesday Linky Party! Hope to see you again at our next party!
Wishing you a fabulous day!
Much love,
Lysa xx
Welcome to My Circus
Co-Host OMHGWW
Christie says
I love using cake mixes to make other things besides cakes! This is a fantastic idea and what a time saver.
Renee's Kitchen Adventures says
I'd like to have a few of these with a cold glass of milk right now!
Rachael says
These sound so great! I love Chocolate everything!