No-Bake Peanut Butter Cornflake Cookies

Basic cornflakes with a sweet peanut butter glaze rolled into balls make delicious No-Bake Peanut Butter Cornflake Cookies!

This easy no-bake dessert is fun to make with kids around the holidays!

Peanut Butter Cornflake Cookies Recipe

Crunchy cornflakes cereal is stirred into a sweet peanut butter mixture to make this cookie that is so delightful!

I love the contrast that this classic cookie gives to more traditional Chocolate Chip Cookies or Magic Cookie Bars at the holiday.

Peanut butter and cornflakes are the prominent flavors in these cookie balls.  Corn syrup bonds the components together and gives a sweet flavor. These ingredients almost create a cross between a no-bake cookie and a candy that easily be rolls into balls.

This cornflake recipe reminds us of some of our other no-bake cereal treats like our Cheerio Cereal Bars, No-Bake Chex Cookies, and Cocoa Puffs Treats.

When I think about taking cereal and making dessert, Rice Krispie treats come to mind, but they are even better when modified a little to make Chocolate Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats and Fruity Pebbles Treats.

Why This Recipe Works

• This recipe is fun to make with family, friends and kids.
• Just like our round Almond Bark Cookies, these cookie balls make a great accent to other treats on a Christmas Cookie Tray.
• Simple ingredients create sweet and savory flavors with a nice crunchy cornflake cookie to create a holiday classic.
• Can be made and served in under 30 minutes including shaping and set-up time.

What’s Needed To Make Cornflake Balls?

• Cornflake Cereal – We typically use the store brand to save money without sacrificing quality.
• Peanut Butter – Creamy is the only type we use in this flavor, but if you really like nuts crunchy would be okay.
• Corn Syrup – Light corn syrup is the glue that holds this together and helps the sugar dissolve.
• Granulated Sugar – Sweetens the cornflake peanut butter cookies.
• Vanilla Extract – Enhances the flavors of all the other ingredients.

Peanut Butter Cornflake Balls Recipe Tips

These no-bake cookies can be dropped onto a cookie sheet with a spoon and left to set up in a haystack style. 

Or they can be portioned out using a cookie scoop and then rolled in your hands to make balls.

Dip clean hands in water and shape balls in your hands by rolling.  The water will help prevent the mixture from sticking to your hands.

My kids enjoy easy recipes that don’t take very long and give them a hands-on opportunity to be involved.  Rolling balls make the cornflake treats fun to make and more fun to eat.

I tend to grab extra cereal from our pantry to make cereal desserts.  Be sure that the cereal is still fresh and not stale when you’re ready to make this recipe.  Grabbing slightly stale cereal is a mistake I regret to share that I’ve made more than once.

Another recipe in our box that uses cornflakes is our Red Potato Ranch Casserole.  These are great recipes to make as a pair and use up a box of cornflake cereal!

One of my childhood memories with food is eating the green cornflake wreaths at Christmas.  It is so pleasing to have a version of that recipe that is quicker and great to make all year round.

How to Make No-Bake Peanut Butter Cornflake Cookies

1. Over medium heat melt sugar and corn syrup, be sure to stir often.
2. Add peanut butter and continue stirring regularly until melted.
3. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla; then add cornflakes.
4. Cool enough to be able to handle and roll into balls

Step By Step Instructions

Prepare a couple large cookie sheets by covering them with waxed paper or parchment paper.

Using a medium stock pot or large sauce pan set to medium heat.

Add corn syrup and sugar to the pan and stir often until the sugar melts.

The mixture may begin boiling.

Once the mixture is clear add the peanut butter and stir well.

Remove from the heat and add the cereal.

Move quickly to stir the cereal into the peanut butter mixture coating each cornflake evenly.

As soon as the cereal mixture is cool enough to handle use a cookie scoop to divide out even amounts and then roll into balls with clean hands.

More Easy No-Bake Cookie Recipes

If you like this no-bake cookie recipe you may also enjoy our:

• No-Bake Orange Peanut Butter Cookies
• No-Bake Chocolate Cookies
• Chocolate Covered Almonds
• Cookie Dough Truffles with Chocolate Chips

Originally shared on November 27, 2019 with pictures updated on June 16, 2023.