Diabetes-Friendly Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cookies Recipe

These Cinnamon Toast Crunch cookies are like elevated snickerdoodles, with a cinnamon glaze and crushed cereal on top.

With its thick coating of sugar and cinnamon, Cinnamon Toast Crunch was one of my all-time favorite breakfast cereals as a kid. The best part was the leftover milk in the bowl, which turned into “cinnamilk” as you ate the crunchy, spiced squares. So you can imagine my delight when I found out that the cereal make excellent cookies, too.

This recipe for Cinnamon Toast Crunch cookies is like an upgraded snickerdoodle with a tender, lightly chewy cinnamon cookie base. After they’re baked and cooled, the fun begins: You drizzle them with a buttery cinnamon glaze, then top them with crushed cereal bits. These cinnamon treats will be devoured no matter the occasion, whether it’s a holiday cookie exchange, a bake sale or a surprise for the grandkids when they come for a visit!

Ingredients for Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cookies

• Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal: You can make so many delicious recipes with breakfast cereal. Crushed Cinnamon Toast Crunch adds extra texture and flavor to these soft cookies.
• Cinnamon: Use your favorite type of ground cinnamon in the cookie dough—like spicy Vietnamese cinnamon.
• Butter: Forgot to take the butter out of the fridge? No problem. Soften butter quickly by grating it with a cheese grater or cubing it.
• Granulated sugar: Creaming sugar with butter forms tiny air pockets in the dough. Those air pockets give the baked cookies a lighter texture.
• Eggs: Baking with room-temperature eggs is always recommended. They’ll incorporate into the dough better.
• Vanilla extract: I like to use my homemade vanilla extract in cookie recipes, but you can use any of the best vanilla extract brands.
• Dry ingredients: All-purpose flour, baking soda, cream of tartar and salt all do their bit to make these cookies taste great.
• Glaze: The sweet glaze is a blend of melted butter, confectioners’ sugar, maple syrup and ground cinnamon.

Directions

Step 1: Make the cookie dough

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Cream the butter and 1-1/2 cups of sugar until they’re light and fluffy, five to seven minutes. Beat in the eggs and vanilla.

In another bowl, whisk together the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt, then gradually beat them into the creamed mixture.

Step 2: Shape and roll the dough

In a small bowl, combine the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar and cinnamon. Shape the dough into 1-inch balls and roll them in the cinnamon sugar. Place them 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets.

Editor’s Tip: You can also line the baking sheets with parchment paper. It prevents sticking and makes clean-up easier.

Step 3: Bake and cool the cookies

Bake the cookies until they’re light brown in color, about 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer the cookies from the baking sheets to wire racks to cool.

Step 4: Make the glaze

In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Remove the pan from the heat, then gradually beat in confectioners’ sugar, maple syrup and cinnamon until the mixture is smooth.

Step 5: Top the cookies

Drizzle the cooled cookies with the glaze mixture. Quickly garnish the tops with crushed cereal. Let the cookies dry completely before serving them.

Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cookies Variations

• Add chopped nuts: Give the cookies extra crunch and nutty flavor with chopped almonds, pecans or walnuts.
• Make them with raisins: Cinnamon and raisins are a classic pairing, so add some of the dried fruit to the cinnamon cookie dough.

How to Store Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cookies

To store Cinnamon Toast Crunch cookies, transfer them, cooled and dried, to an airtight container. You can add sheets of wax paper between layers of cookies so they don’t stick to each other. If you make a lot of cookies, it’s worth investing in a dedicated cookie storage container. When kept tightly covered, the cookies will last for up to one week at room temperature.

Can you freeze Cinnamon Toast Crunch cookies?

Yes, these cookies freeze well, making them perfect for cinnamon-craving emergencies! It’s best to freeze the cookies plain, and save the glaze and Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal toppings for when you’re ready to serve them. Layer the plain cookies in a freezer-proof container and cover it tightly. Store the cookies in the freezer for up to three months. Move the cookies to the fridge to thaw overnight before glazing them.

Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cookies Tips

What can I do if the glaze is too runny?

The cinnamon glaze should be thin enough to drizzle, but thick enough so that you can see the drizzles on top of the cookies. If your glaze is running off the top or soaking into the cookie, whisk in more confectioners’ sugar to thicken it. If the glaze is still warm from the melted butter, pop it in the fridge for 15 minutes or so; chilling it should help thicken the glaze.

What’s the best way to crush the cereal for the topping?

For these cookies, the Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal should be lightly crushed, with a mix of large, medium and small pieces, plus crumbs. You can pour the cereal into a bowl and crush it with the bottom of a heavy glass. Or, pour it into a resealable bag, close it tightly, then crush the cereal with a glass or with light whacks from a rolling pin.TEST KITCHEN APPROVED

Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cookies

Add your review

Yield:about 5 dozen

Prep:30 min

Cook:10 min

Saveemailprint

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1-1/2 cups sugar plus 2 tablespoons sugar, divided
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, for rolling
• cinnamon glaze:
  • 1/3 cup butter, cubed
  • 1-3/4 cups confectioners’ sugar
  • 1/3 cup maple syrup
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 2 cups Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal, lightly crushed

Directions

1. 1Preheat oven to 375°. Cream butter and 1-1/2 cups sugar until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Beat in eggs and vanilla. In another bowl, whisk together flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt; gradually beat into creamed mixture.
2. 2In a small bowl, combine remaining 2 tablespoons sugar and cinnamon. Shape dough into 1-in. balls; roll in cinnamon sugar. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets.
3. 3Bake until light brown, 10-12 minutes. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool.
4. 4For glaze, in a saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Remove from heat. Gradually beat in confectioners’ sugar, maple syrup and cinnamon until smooth.
5. 5Drizzle over cookies; quickly garnish with crushed cereal. Let dry completely.

Nutrition Facts

1 cookie: 99 calories, 4g fat (2g saturated fat), 16mg cholesterol, 68mg sodium, 15g carbohydrate (10g sugars, 0 fiber), 1g protein.

Also Read : High-Fiber Maple Granola for Better Blood Sugar Levels