Rc Cookies Recipe

Preheat and prep pans

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.

Cream butter and sugars

In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the softened unsalted butter (1 cup) with the granulated sugar (3/4 cup) and packed light brown sugar (1/2 cup) on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Scrape down the bowl as needed.

Add egg and vanilla

Add the large egg (1 each) and vanilla extract (1 tsp) to the creamed butter and sugars. Beat on medium-low until fully incorporated, about 30 seconds to 1 minute.

Combine dry ingredients

In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour (2 cups), crushed rolled oats (3/4 cup), baking soda (1 tsp), fine sea salt (1/2 tsp), and ground cinnamon (1/4 tsp) until evenly distributed.

Incorporate dry into wet

With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture in two additions, mixing just until combined. Do not overmix — stop as soon as there are no visible streaks of flour.

Fold in cereal, chips, and nuts

Using a spatula, fold in the crushed quick-cooking rice cereal (1 cup), semi-sweet chocolate chips (1 cup), and toasted chopped nuts (1/2 cup) if using. Make sure the cereal and chips are evenly distributed but keep some texture — avoid pressing or breaking the cereal too much.

Portion cookies

Scoop dough by heaping tablespoons or use a 1.5-tablespoon cookie scoop to portion dough into balls about 1 1/4 inches in diameter. Space the dough balls about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets to allow spreading.

Flatten slightly and top

Gently press each dough ball with the palm of your hand or the bottom of a glass to slightly flatten (this helps the cereal show through). If desired, sprinkle each uncooked cookie with a pinch of coarse or turbinado sugar (about 2 tsp total across the batch) and a tiny pinch of flaky sea salt (optional) to enhance contrast.

Bake

Bake in the preheated 350°F (175°C) oven for 10 to 12 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through baking for even color. Bake until the edges are set and lightly golden but centers still look slightly soft — they will firm as they cool.

Cool

Remove the baking sheets from the oven and let the cookies rest on the sheets for 5 minutes to finish setting, then transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Cooling on a rack prevents sogginess and preserves the rice cereal crunch.

Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. To preserve crunch longer, place a paper towel in the container to absorb humidity. Cookies can be frozen in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 2 months; thaw at room temperature.