The Old-School No-Bake Dessert That Transforms Corn Flakes Into A Sweet, Crispy Treat

One of the best cereals in existence is corn flakes, aside from their weird history – they're crispy, slightly sweet, and incredibly versatile. Corn flakes can be mixed into scrambled eggs, used as a crunchy fried chicken breading, or made into a nostalgic sweet treat. If you're after the latter, listen up. You can make no-bake corn flake cookies with four simple ingredients: peanut butter, corn syrup, sugar, and, of course, corn flakes.

It's as easy as cooking the sugar and corn syrup on the stove until bubbly, stirring in the peanut butter, and pouring the mixture over your corn flakes. Once you've gently mixed everything together, all that's left to do is to spoon out the cookies onto a baking sheet and let them set. These satisfying cereal treats will give you a sense of nostalgia, with a peanut butter fudge taste and the perfect amount of crunchy texture. The cookies will last up to a week in the fridge, but if you've got an insatiable sweet tooth, they'll probably be gone long before that.

When making these corn flakes cookies, light or dark corn syrup will both work just fine — though using the dark version will bring a more caramel-like flavor. When bringing your sugar and corn syrup to a boil, stay close by and keep stirring so that you don't end up with a burnt mess. Your mixture should boil for a minute or two before you add the peanut butter — this ensures that your cookies set correctly.

Once you've taken the peanut butter mixture off the heat, it will begin to set straight away, which is why it's a good idea to have a lined baking tray ready beforehand — this way you can focus on mixing and scooping the cookies quickly. When incorporating the mixture into your corn flakes, the key is to work fast but gently so that you keep most of the cereal pieces intact.

There are also plenty of ways to customize your corn flakes cookies. Mix in some chocolate chips, add in a splash of vanilla extract, incorporate some chopped nuts for extra crunch, or finish with some sprinkles for a bit of color. You can even drizzle some melted chocolate over your finished cookies to elevate their final look. Whether you're craving something nostalgic or just need a quick sweet fix, these no-bake corn flake cookies won't disappoint.