Published: November 2, 2026

These Cinnamon Toast Crunch White Chocolate Cookies are soft, chewy and packed with crunchy cereal pieces and creamy white chocolate. Made with brown butter and a hint of cinnamon, they have a delicious flavor that pairs perfectly with the sweet cereal.

WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS RECIPE

🤎Made with brown butter - Browning the butter adds a delicious nutty flavor that makes these cookies extra special.

🤎Packed with Cinnamon Toast Crunch - Crushed cereal adds plenty of cinnamon flavor and little crunchy bits throughout the cookies.

🤎Creamy white chocolate - Sweet white chocolate pieces balance the warm cinnamon flavor and pair beautifully with the brown butter.

🤎Soft and chewy centers - These cookies have deliciously soft, chewy centers with lightly golden edges.

🤎A little crunch in every bite - The cereal adds a lovely texture that makes these cookies different from your usual chocolate chip cookies.

🤎Easy to make - You don't need any complicated equipment or techniques to prepare these homemade cookies.

🤎Great for sharing - Whether you're baking for family, friends, or a special occasion, these cookies are always a lovely treat to bring along.

Storage Options

Storing the baked cookies: Once the cookies have cooled completely, transfer them to an airtight container and store them at room temperature for up to 3 days. This helps keep them soft and chewy while maintaining their delicious flavor.

Freezing the unbaked cookie dough: Arrange the portioned cookie dough balls on a baking tray lined with parchment paper, leaving a little space between each one. Place the tray in the freezer until the dough balls are completely solid, then transfer them to a freezer-safe bag or airtight container. Store in the freezer for up to 1 month. When you're ready to bake, remove the desired number of cookies and let them sit at room temperature for approximately 15 minutes. Bake according to the recipe instructions, adding around 2 extra minutes to the baking time. Keep in mind that baking times may vary slightly depending on your oven.

Tips & Tricks

→ Don't skip the milk powder in the brown butter - Milk powder is one of the little ingredients that makes a big difference in these cookies. When added to the melted butter, it provides additional milk solids that brown as the butter cooks, creating a deeper, nuttier flavor. Make sure to whisk it into the melted butter until any lumps have dissolved before allowing the butter to brown.

→ Let the brown butter cool for approximately 15 minutes - Once your brown butter is ready, set it aside to cool for around 15 minutes before using it to prepare the cookie dough. You want the butter to cool slightly while remaining melted and liquid. It doesn't need to solidify completely before you move on to the next step.

→ Don't skip the chilling time - Chilling the cookie dough is especially important when working with melted brown butter. Once the dough is mixed, refrigerate it for a minimum of one hour. This allows the butter to firm up, making the dough easier to handle and helping prevent the cookies from spreading too much in the oven. It also gives the flour time to hydrate, allowing the flavors to develop and resulting in cookies with a better texture.

→ Press extra Cinnamon Toast Crunch onto the cookies before baking - The cereal pieces mixed into the dough may not all remain visible after baking. Some can become buried in the dough or lose their crunch as the cookies spread. To make sure every cookie has that beautiful cereal topping, take a small handful of extra Cinnamon Toast Crunch and gently press the pieces onto the top of each cookie dough ball before baking. This helps the cereal stay in place and gives the finished cookies a lovely appearance.

→ Add extra white chocolate after baking - For that bakery-style finish, I love adding a few extra pieces of white chocolate to the cookies as soon as they come out of the oven. Gently press the chocolate pieces into the warm tops of the cookies while they're still soft.

→ Don't overmix once you add the dry ingredients - Once you add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, fold everything together with a spatula just until no dry streaks of flour remain. Overmixing develops too much gluten in the dough, which can result in tougher, cakey cookies.

→ Avoid overbaking the cookies - These cookies will continue to set as they cool, so don't wait until the centers look completely firm before taking them out of the oven. The edges should look lightly golden and set, while the centers may still appear slightly soft. This is exactly what you want for a soft, chewy cookie. Allow them to rest on the baking tray for a few minutes after baking so they can finish setting before transferring them to a cooling rack.

→ Use the cookie cutter swirling method for perfectly round cookies - If you want your cookies to have that perfectly round, bakery-style appearance, try this simple trick! As soon as the cookies come out of the oven, place a large round cookie cutter around each cookie. Make sure the cutter is slightly larger than the cookie itself, then gently swirl it around the edges in a circular motion. This helps bring any uneven edges back toward the center, creating beautifully round cookies. Work while the cookies are still hot and soft, as they become firmer and more difficult to shape once they cool.

Ingredients You Will Need For This Recipe

Unsalted butter: For this recipe, the butter is browned before being added to the dough, which gives the cookies a delicious nutty flavor. I recommend using unsalted butter so you can control the amount of salt in the recipe.
Milk powder: A small but important ingredient that adds extra depth to the brown butter flavor. Milk powder contains additional milk solids that toast as the butter browns, creating a richer, nuttier taste.
Granulated sugar: Adds sweetness while helping the cookies develop lightly crisp edges. It also contributes to the spreading and overall texture of the cookies.
Light brown sugar: Adds moisture and a subtle caramel-like flavor thanks to its molasses content.
Large egg: Provides structure, moisture and richness to the cookie dough. It also helps bind the ingredients together, giving the cookies their soft texture.
Large egg yolk: Adds extra richness and helps create a more tender, chewy cookie.
Vanilla bean paste: You can substitute it with the same amount of vanilla extract if you prefer.
Heavy cream: Adds moisture and richness to the dough, helping create a soft, tender texture. I use heavy cream with 32% fat content.
All-purpose flour: Provides the structure of the cookies and helps them hold their shape while baking. I recommend weighing the flour with a kitchen scale for the most accurate results, as adding too much flour can make the cookies dry or cakey.
Baking soda: Helps the cookies spread and encourages browning.
Baking powder: Provides additional lift, helping the cookies develop a slightly thicker, softer texture. Using both baking soda and baking powder creates a nice balance between spreading and rising.
Fine sea salt: Balances the sweetness of the sugars and white chocolate while enhancing the flavor of the brown butter.
Ground cinnamon: Helps carry that familiar cinnamon flavor throughout the cookie dough.
White chocolate chips or chunks: You can use either chocolate chips or chopped white chocolate, depending on your preference. I personally love using chunks because they create slightly larger pockets of melted chocolate.
Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal: It is used both inside the cookie dough and on top of it!

Step By Step Instructions With Photos

1. First, prepare the brown butter.

2. Add the cubed butter to a saucepan and let it melt completely over medium heat.

3. Once melted, add the milk powder and whisk until fully combined and no lumps remain.

4. Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue whisking until the milk solids turn golden brown and the butter smells nutty and fragrant.

5. Once ready, remove the saucepan from the heat and immediately transfer the brown butter to a separate bowl.

6. Let it cool for 15 minutes.

7. After 15 minutes, it’s time to prepare the cookie dough.

8. In a mixing bowl, combine the brown butter with the granulated sugar and light brown sugar.

9. Add the egg, egg yolk, vanilla bean paste and heavy cream. Mix until everything is fully combined.

10. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Mix until just combined, being careful not to overmix the dough.

11. Gently fold in the white chocolate chunks and crushed Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal.

12. Divide the dough into 12 equal portions and place them on a baking tray lined with parchment paper.

13. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

14. After chilling, preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) and line a large baking tray with parchment paper.

15. Remove the cookies from the fridge and roll each one in the roughly crushed Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal. Note: Since the cereal may not stick to the chilled dough easily, gently press it into the top of each cookie to help it stay in place.

16. Arrange the cookies on the prepared baking tray, leaving enough space between each one to allow for spreading. I usually bake 4 cookies per tray.

17. Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 12 minutes.

18. Once baked, remove the cookies from the oven and gently press a few extra white chocolate chunks into the top of each cookie while they’re still warm.

19. Let the cookies cool on the baking tray for about 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.

20. Enjoy!

Yield: 12

Author: Angie