Rice Krispie Cookies (with almond and coconut)

Coconut Almond Cookies on a blue plate.

Everyone loves rice krispie treats, but did you know that you can use that same rice cereal in cookies? You can! This Rice Krispie Cookie recipe makes biscuits that are buttery and sweet with hints of almond flavor and coconut. You’ll love crispy outside and soft, chewy interior of these rubbly homemade cookies.

Coating the rice krispies with powdered milk, butter and sugar.

I’m not certain why, but coconut and almond just seem to be a good combination to me. Especially in cookie-form.

I’ve made a few almond coconut cookie recipes in the past like these lacy, chewy almond coconut oatmeal cookies and these coconut almond chocolate chippers. Both are delicious… but so are these Rice Krispie Cookies with Coconut and Almonds.

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Deceptively delicious Rice Krispie Cookies

These these sweet, crispy, chewy Rice Krispie Cookies have a deceptively simple look to them. But one bite and you know they’re the BOMB! So buttery. So tender. With chewy flaked coconut and crunchy toasted almonds.

The rice Krispies in this cookie recipe aren’t an afterthought. They’re actually the secret ingredient.

However, it’s not plain rice cereal. Far from it.

They’re lightly sweet and buttery with a toasted caramel-malt flavor that’s both crispy and chewy (thanks to a special coating). I got the idea for the seasoned rice cereal from this TikTok recipe.

In this cookie recipe, the Rice Krispies act as a flavor enhancer, rather than a crunchy element.

Ingredients:

  • Rice Krispies cereal – or other crisp rice cereal.
  • Powdered Milk – I used Carnation.
  • Granulated Sugar – white sugar sweetens the rice krispie mixture.
  • Butter – I use unsalted butter.
  • Salt – use regular iodized salt, not kosher salt.
  • Brown Sugar – for the cookie dough.
  • Jumbo Egg – there is about half an ounce more volume in Jumbo eggs compared to large eggs which have about 2 ounces per. If you don’t have jumbo, whisk two eggs together and measure out 2½ ounces of egg. Use the rest for breakfast.
  • Almond Extract – gives the cookies a boost of almond flavor.
  • Flour – I used unbleached all-purpose flour.
  • Baking Powder – check the expiration date as baking powder’s efficacy drops after 6 months.
  • Slivered Raw Almonds – toast them before adding to the cookie dough. The nuts add crunch to the cookies.
  • Flaked Coconut – for a chewy, tropical flavor. I used Baker’s.
Toasting the coated rice krisipies.

Start by assembling and toasting the Rice Krispies cereal for the cookies. It only takes a few minutes to toss the ingredients together.

Making the Rice Krispies’ coating

  1. Combine the cereal with the powdered milk, sugar and salt and give it a quick toss.
  2. Add the melted butter and use a large rubber spatula to toss the cereal until it’s evenly mixed with the buttery coating.
  3. Spread the Rice Krispies on a rimmed sheet pan in a single layer and bake for about 8-10 minutes.
  4. Give it a quick stir and continue to cook the cereal until it’s a darker golden color and smells toasty and warm.
  5. Set the rice aside to cool.

You can make the toasted Rice Krispies in advance if you don’t want to do it the same day as the cookies. Store them in an airtight container and they’ll last on the counter for up to a week or in the freezer for up to a month.

steps for assembling the cookie dough.

The cookie base for these almond coconut krispies is much like any other cookie recipe with creaming butter and sugar and mixing in the dry ingredients. However, the cookie dough doesn’t need to rest or chill before using, which is nice because that means you’ll be eating Rice Krispie cookies even sooner.

  1. Cream together the butter, sugar and brown sugar until well mixed.
  2. Add the egg and almond extract and beat for 2 minutes until very light and creamy.
  3. Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together in a separate bowl.
  4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir or beet together until they are just combined and no dry bits remain.

The dough will be very thick and firm.

toasting almonds on a rimmed baking sheet.

Next come the mix-ins. These are the elements that take the Rice Krispies cookies a step beyond.

Toasting slivered almonds for the cookies

I use toasted slivered almonds for this cookie. They’ve got more crunch than sliced almonds and toasting them to a golden brown deepens their nutty flavor.

If you don’t have slivered almonds, feel free to substitute other toasted nuts (note: you may need to give them a rough chop if they’re on the larger side).

adding almonds, coconut and seasoned rice krispies to the cookie batter.

The cookie dough is fairly sturdy, therefore, I recommend using a large rubber spatula to fold the toasted Rice Krispies, almonds and coconut into the dough.

It’s more effective than trying to stir the mixture, which will wind up just straining your biceps.

scooping out rounds of rice krispie cookie dough onto the baking sheet.

Scoop large rounds of dough (about 1½ to 2 tablespoons) onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Though the dough is sturdy enough to roll into balls, I don’t recommend doing that because the Rice Krispie cookies won’t have the same rubbly, craggy look to them.

Pro Tip:

I recommend using a cookie scoop to evenly portion out the cookies. This way, they’ll all be about the same size and consequently, will cook at the same rate.

the coconut almond cookies after baking.

This Rice Krispie cookie recipe is open to lots of substitutions and swaps. Get creative and use what you have on hand.

Variations:

  • Use other types of nuts like toasted chopped pecans, pine nuts, pistachios, walnuts or chopped Brazil nuts.
  • If you’re a chocoholic, add chocolate chips or M&M candies to the mix.
  • Substitute raisins (we like golden raisins) or chopped dates and toasted pecans for the coconut and almonds.
  • Substitute macadamia nuts for the almonds and add white chocolate chips.
  • Add 1/2 cup of dried banana to the batter for a very tropical cookie.
cooling the coconut cookies on a wire rack.

FAQ’s

Can I freeze Rice Krispies Cookies?

Yes. They’ll keep in a freezer safe bag for up to 1-2 months.

Can I make the cookie dough ahead of time?

Yes. You can make the dough a few days before baking and keep it stored in the refrigerator. However, I recommend adding the toasted almonds, coconut and seasoned rice cereal just before baking the cookies.

a plate full of the rice krispie cookies and a glass of milk.

How do the Rice Krispies cookies taste?

You might think that the rice krispies give a crunchy boost to these cookies, but that’s not their sole purpose. In fact, the crunch factor from the rice cereal is slight and more noticeable a day or two after you’ve made them. Instead, the coated rice krispies add a buttery, almost caramel-like flavor boost to these almond cookies.

They deepen and intensify the richness. These cookies have a subtle almond flavor and the flakes of sweetened coconut give them a satisfying chew.

My tasters barely had words, focusing instead on grabbing another cookie.

I love this combination of chewy coconut, crunchy almonds and the buttery-malty toasted rice cereal. They give every morsel a melt-in-your-mouth goodness that’s incomparable.

Don’t take my word for it. Try them yourself.

a plate of Rice Krispie cookies with a bite taken out of one.

More easy cookie recipes you’ll love:

holding a golden almond coconut cookie.

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Coconut Almond Cookies on a blue plate.
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5 from 5 votes

Rice Krispie Cookies (with almonds and coconut)

These cookies are soft, moist and tender inside and crunchy on the outside. They’re mixed with sweetened coconut, toasted almonds and buttery toasted Rice Krispies cereal and are absolutely irresistible.
Author: Lisa Lotts
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword cookies
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 25 cookies

INGREDIENTS:

FOR THE TOASTED ALMONDS:

  • ½ cup slivered almonds

FOR THE TOASTED BUTTERED RICE CEREAL:

  • 1 cup Rice Krispies
  • 2 tablespoons Instant Milk Powder I used Carnation brand
  • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
  • teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons melted butter

FOR THE COOKIES:

  • ½ cup butter softened to room temperature
  • ½ cup packed brown sugar
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 x-large egg or jumbo
  • ½ teaspoon almond extract
  • 1⅓ cups all purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • toasted almonds
  • toasted buttered rice cereal
  • ½ cup sweetened flaked coconut

DIRECTIONS:

FOR THE TOASTED RICE CEREAL:

  • Preheat the oven to 275°.
  • In a small bowl combine the rice Krispies cereal , milk powder, sugar and salt. Mix well to combine. Drizzle the butter over the cereal mixture and toss well with a rubber spatula until the cereal mixture is well coated. Spread on a rimmed baking sheet and arrange the cereal in a single layer.
  • Bake for 15-18 minutes, stirring at the halfway point. Cook until it’s toasted, golden and crunchy-chewy. Set aside to cool.

TO TOAST THE ALMONDS:

  • Turn the oven temperature up to 350°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
  • Spread the slivered almonds into a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes until the almonds are light brown. Set aside to cool.

FOR THE COOKIES:

  • In a large bowl, combine the butter, brown sugar and white sugar. Use a hand mixer to cream the mixture together until very well combined. Add the egg and almond extract and beat on high for 2 minutes until light and fluffy.
  • In another bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Whisk to combine.
  • Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and use the hand mixer to beat until the ingredients are just combined and no dry areas remain.
  • Add the toasted almonds, flaked coconut and toasted rice cereal to the cookie dough. Use a large sturdy spatula to fold the mix-ins into the cookies until they’re evenly combined.
  • Use a 1½ to 2 tablespoon cookie scoop to portion out the dough onto the prepared baking sheet, making sure cookies are about 2 inches apart to account for spread while baking.
  • Bake the cookies for 14-16 minutes, turning the pan 180° about halfway through cooking. The cookies should be light golden in the center and darker brown around the edges.
  • Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 2-3 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
  • Store in an airtight container.

NUTRITION:

Calories: 127kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 13mg | Sodium: 63mg | Potassium: 61mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 222IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 24mg | Iron: 1mg

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6 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    These were delicious! I followed the recipe exactly but ended up with over 50 cookies plus extra dough I needed to freeze. Not sure what happened but safe to say I’ll be eating cookies for breakfast for the next while.

  2. 5 stars
    These cookies are so good!!!!!

  3. Julie Char says:

    5 stars
    These cookies are beyond delicious and were gone in a heartbeat. Thanks for sending them! Can’t wait to make them myself.

    1. So glad you enjoyed them! Happy Holidays, Julie!

  4. Yum, these look delicious!

    1. I’m just trying to live up to your cookie standard!