Cornflake Candy
This easy cornflake candy combines crunchy cornflakes with creamy peanut butter in an old fashioned southern candy that’s perfect any time of the year!
If you’re going to serve appetizers, and even main dishes, you have to serve dessert. Well, it’s not a hard and fast rule but I do love at least one bite of something sweet at the end.
Despite the fact that I loved the elaborate cakes my “Ma” used to make, you can’t beat a simple, no bake, candy. Just like her spiced pecans recipe, I just had to share this one with you.
We had them every Christmas, but I could also talk her into making these a few extra times during the year. So now they are part of my go to sweet snacks, right up with my mom’s salted caramel corn and these Snacky Clusters.
With just 5 ingredients and 30 minutes, these peanut butter cornflake cookies make perfect way to bring something sweet to the party.
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See recipe card for complete information on ingredients and their quantities.
Ingredient Notes
- Cornflakes – Use your favorite brand of cornflake type cereal. Name brand or generic will work fine. I like to use the store brand and save some money. Just be sure that they are not the frosted flake cereal. It will turn out WAY TOO sweet.
- Peanut Butter – While this recipe calls for creamy peanut butter, feel free to use crunchy if you’d like some more texture. I haven’t tested this with natural nut butters but if you do, let me know how it turns out.
- Corn Syrup – Light corn syrup is used to create that smooth texture and shine on the candy. If you would prefer to leave out the corn syrup, you can substitute honey or brown rice syrup, but both these ingredients will change the taste of the final product.
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How To Make Cornflake Candy
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Pour the cornflakes in a large bowl.
- In a small sauce pan over medium – low heat combine sugar, corn syrup and butter until sugar dissolves and comes to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in peanut butter.
- Carefully pour the peanut butter mixture over cornflakes and mix until combined.
- Using a medium cookie scoop, portion out 16 cornflake candy balls and place on lined baking sheet. Cool completely and then store until ready to eat.
For the full recipe and detailed instructions, please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Storage
These will keep stored in an airtight container, at room temperature, for up to 2 weeks. I don’t like to store mine in the fridge because they get hard and not easy to eat.
I don’t recommend freezing these. They can get hard and then crumble. Best thing is that they are so easy to make you don’t need to make them so far in advance that you need to freeze them.
Yes, you can place them on aluminum foil, however, I would recommend you spray the foil with nonstick cooking spray so they don’t stick and tear the foil when you take them off. You can also use the “non-stick” version of foil.
The most common cause is because the candy didn’t reach a full boil before adding the peanut butter. There is a chance there you don’t have enough cereal. If there seems to be an excess of candy coating, try adding an additional cup of cornflakes to the mix.
No, they do not need to be refrigerated. Once the candy has completely cooled, store in an airtight container at room temperature. I would recommend placing a sheet of parchment paper or wax paper between the pieces and layers to ensure they do not stick together or become uneasy to separate when ready to enjoy.
Depending on how warm a day it is when you make, it can take between 20-30 minutes for the mixture to completely set. I would highly recommend making sure they are completely hardened before you eat or store them, otherwise you will have one epic mess on your hands! If it’s really humid, they might take longer to set up as well.
Melted chocolate on these is amazing on these. To make a drizzle, melt a ½ cup of chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl in 20 second increments being sure to stir between each. Once melted, drizzle over the cornflake candy with a fork or pour into a zippered bag, cut the tip off, and squeeze in long lines over the candy. Let the chocolate set up completely before storing or you can smear the chocolate.
Tapas Tips & Tricks
- Use plain cornflakes. If you use frosted flakes it will be too sweet. You can also try this with Fritos, popcorn, Cinnamon Toast Crunch or Chex cereal.
- Add in chocolate chips, coconut, or peanuts along with the corn flakes for more texture.
- You can press these into a buttered pan and turn them into bars.
- Mix in a teaspoon of almond or vanilla extract for more flavor.
- These are easy to change to fit your occasion. Add food coloring, sprinkles, or mold them into shapes like eggs or wreaths.
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This old school cornflake candy recipe is no bake and super easy to put together. Cornflake cereal, peanut butter, and a few pantry staples and you will be eating these vintage sweet treats in no time!
Cornflake Candy
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup white granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup light corn syrup
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
- 3 cups Corn Flakes cereal
Instructions
- Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Place the corn flakes in a large mixing bowl and set aside.
- Combine sugar, corn syrup, and butter in a small sauce pan and melt together over medium-low heat until the sugar dissolves. Bring just to a boil.
- As soon as the mixture starts to boil, remove from the heat and stir in the peanut butter.
- Pour peanut butter mixture over cornflakes and mix until combined (be careful not to crunch up the corn flakes too much).
- Using a 1½ – 2 tablespoon cookie scoop to create cookie balls.
- Place cookie balls on prepared parchment paper and let cool completely.
Notes
- Use plain cornflakes. If you use frosted flakes it will be too sweet. You can also try this with Fritos, popcorn, or Chex cereal.
- Add in chocolate chips, coconut, or peanuts along with the corn flakes for more texture.
- You can press these into a buttered pan and turn them into bars.
- Mix in a teaspoon of almond or vanilla extract for more flavor.
- Top with fun and festive sprinkles if desired.
Nutrition
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