Rice Krispie Cookies (Costco Copycat)
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If you’re anything like me, you can’t make it through Costco without snagging one of their giant bakery cookies.
These Rice Krispie Cookies are a fan favorite and for good reason. They’re soft, buttery, and have the perfect amount of crunch from crispy rice cereal. They’re the perfect mix of gooey and chewy, with that nostalgic Rice Krispies Treat vibe baked right into a cookie.
But the best part of this copycat recipe is that you don’t have to buy a massive pack (or a membership) to enjoy them now! This copycat recipe nails that bakery-style texture while still being super easy to whip up in your own kitchen, and dare I say they taste even better!
It’s no secret I love baking with Rice Krispies, and if you do too, make sure to try my Sheet Pan Rice Krispie Treats, Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats, or Fruity Pebble Rice Krispie Treats!
Table Talk with Tawnie
I tested multiple versions of this cookie to get them as similar to Costco’s version as I could, and let me say, these are even better tasting 😉 I tried mixing the mini marshmallows into the cookie dough, but found that the marshmallows oozed out and caramelized/oozed too much. I also tried baking at a higher oven temperature (350°F), but found the slightly lower oven temp helped the cookies and marshmallows not scorch, and tucking the frozen mini marshmallows was a big success in the cookie, and helped it hold its shape with less spreading. Lastly, I found a higher ratio of brown sugar to white sugar, and a little cornstarch helps keep the cookies chewy and soft.
- Flour: All-purpose flour is the only flour I’ve tested this cookie recipe with. As always, it’s essential to make sure you’re using the spoon and level method to measure your flour when baking. Too much flour can result in drier, harder cookies, which you don’t want with these!
- Butter: Make sure to use unsalted butter and visit this post on how to brown butter for an easy tutorial.
- Rice Krispies Cereal: The Rice Krispies Cereal gives these cookies their signature crunch. I used the classic Kellogg’s Rice Krispies Cereal. I haven’t tested this recipe with other rice cereals, but I’m sure you could try any that you like!
- Cornstarch: The cornstarch helps to thicken the cookies and prevent them from baking too flat. It also helps to create a super soft, buttery cookie.
- Mini marshmallows: I like Jet-Puffed mini marshmallows for the best results.
Step by Step Directions
(For the full recipe, scroll down to the recipe card below)
Brown the butter
For a detailed tutorial, see this post on how to brown butter.
Mix the wet ingredients
Once the butter has cooled, add the sugars, eggs, and vanilla and whisk to combine.
Add the dry ingredients
Then add the dry ingredients and mix until just incorporated. Cover and chill the cookie dough for 1 hour or up to 24 hours (this is KEY!). Also, go ahead and place the marshmallows in the freezer (this will help them keep their shape when they bake instead of oozing everywhere).
Scoop the cookie dough and flatten it out slightly. Place about 5 mini marshmallows in the center of the dough and wrap the dough around the marshmallows.
Bake & enjoy!
Bake for ~10-12 minutes. Top with flaky salt and ENJOY!!
Expert Tips
- Spoon and level flour: Spoon the flour into your measuring cup and be sure it’s leveled. Do not scoop the flour out of the container/bag with your measuring cup because you could end up with 50% more than you need. Spoon and level by using a spoon to scoop the flour into the measuring cup and use the back of a knife to level off the top of it.
- Don’t over-mix: Be careful not to over-mix. Mix the wet and dry ingredients just until no flour streaks remain.
- Chill the dough: Chilling the dough is key to preventing spreading and holding the marshmallows in their place. If your cookie dough is too cold and hard to scoop after chilling, you can let it sit on the counter for ~10-20 minutes so you can easily scoop it.
- Freeze the marshmallows: Make sure to place the marshmallows in the freezer before adding to the cookie dough. This will help them keep their shape when they bake instead of oozing everywhere.
- Don’t over-bake: Bake cookies until the edges start to turn golden. Keep an eye on them, as all ovens will vary. Centers may look a little underbaked, but that’s perfectly fine; they’ll set up on the baking sheet as they cool.
- Perfectly round cookies: Use any round object slightly larger than the cookies, like a large round cookie cutter, biscuit cutter, or even the open top of a wide glass or mug. Place the ring around the warm cookie and gently swirl or “scoot” the cookie in small circles. The edges will nudge into a perfect round shape. Be sure to do this while the cookies are still hot and pliable, usually within the first 30 seconds of coming out of the oven!
Variations / Substitutions
- White chocolate chips: Add white chocolate chips for a dose of extra sweetness!
- Gluten-free: Use a 1:1 gluten-free flour and gluten-free rice cereal to make these cookies gluten-free.
Storage / Freezing
- To store: Store these cookies in a sealed container at room temperature for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Freeze baked cookies: Let cookies cool completely. Then freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
- Freeze cookie dough: To freeze the cookie dough, scoop the dough into 2 tablespoon-sized balls, add the mini marshmallows, and freeze in a single layer in an airtight container for up to 3 months. You can bake the cookie dough straight from the freezer, just add an extra minute or so to your bake time. Ovens may vary.
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Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter (browned and slightly cooled)
- 1 cup light brown sugar (packed)
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs (room temperature)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
- 1 ½ cups Rice Krispie Cereal
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp fine salt
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- 1 cup mini marshmallows (I like Jet-Puffed for best results)
Last step! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Instructions
- Brown the butter: For a detailed tutorial, see this post on how to brown butter. Pour the butter into a large mixing bowl and allow the butter to cool slightly, ~15 minutes.1 cup unsalted butter
- Add the wet ingredients: Add the sugars, eggs, and vanilla. Whisk together until incorporated.1 cup light brown sugar, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 2 eggs, 2 tsp vanilla extract
- Add dry ingredients: Add the flour, Rice Krispies, baking soda, salt, and cornstarch. Mix just until incorporated.2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour, 1 ½ cups Rice Krispie Cereal, 1 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp fine salt, 1 tsp cornstarch
- Chill: Cover and chill the cookie dough for 1 hour or up to 24 hours. Also, at this time, place the marshmallows in the freezer. This will help them keep their shape when they bake instead of oozing everywhere. Start Timer
- Preheat and prep: When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 325°F and line a few baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Note: if your cookie dough is very cold and hard to scoop, allow it to sit on the counter for ~10-20 minutes so you can scoop easily.
- Scoop and roll: Using a 2 Tbsp. cookie scoop, scoop the cookie dough and flatten it out slightly. Place about 5 mini marshmallows in the center of the dough and wrap the dough around the marshmallows. Leave a small pocket at the top of the cookie dough for the marshmallow to peak through. Place on the prepared baking sheets. Note: keep the marshmallows in the freezer between batches so they don’t thaw at all, we want them really cold!1 cup mini marshmallows
- You can also prepare the cookie dough balls with the marshmallows in the center and then chill, if that’s an easier method for you!
- Bake: Bake for ~10-12 minutes or just until the edges start to turn golden. Keep an eye on them, all ovens will vary. Centers may look a little underbaked, but that’s perfectly fine; they’ll set up on the baking sheet as they cool. Start Timer
- Cookie scoot: if needed to make perfectly circular cookies, use a round cookie cutter to scoot the cookie edges back into a circle while warm. Cool for ~5 minutes, then transfer to a wire cooling rack.
- Garnish: Top with flaky sea salt and ENJOYYY!
Notes
- Chill the dough: Chilling the dough is key to preventing spreading and holding the marshmallows in their place.
- Don’t over-bake: Bake cookies until the edges start to turn golden. Keep an eye on them, as all ovens will vary. Centers may look a little underbaked, but that’s perfectly fine; they’ll set up on the baking sheet as they cool.
- Perfectly round cookies: Use any round object slightly larger than the cookies, like a large round cookie cutter, biscuit cutter, or even the open top of a wide glass or mug. Place the ring around the warm cookie and gently swirl or “scoot” the cookie in small circles. The edges will nudge into a perfect round shape. Be sure to do this while the cookies are still hot and pliable, usually within the first 30 seconds of coming out of the oven!
- To store: Store these cookies in a sealed container at room temperature for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Freeze baked cookies: Let cookies cool completely. Then freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
- Freeze cookie dough: To freeze the cookie dough, scoop the dough into 2 tablespoon-sized balls, add the mini marshmallows, and freeze in a single layer in an airtight container for up to 3 months. You can bake the cookie dough straight from the freezer, just add an extra minute or so to your bake time. Ovens may vary.
Nutrition Information
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is automatically calculated. It should only be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Kroll’s Korner can’t make any guarantees to the accuracy of this information.
📸 Photography by Creating Kaitlin
This recipe is delicious! I just scooped and stuffed the cookie dough and stuck it in the freezer. Brilliant! So happy you gave those directions. My neighbor is friends with a baker from Costco and she said flavor was spot on. She gave my cookies a 5 out 5. I have already shared your recipe with my lunch crew too! Yummy! Thanks again!!
OMG yayyy thank you! Glad that worked out well. Thank you for sharing 🙂
So LOVE your recipes and have your cookbook! I would like to make these peanut butter flavor. Add p’nut butter powder? How much? Other ingredients to adjust for adding p’nut butter powder?
Aww thank you soo much!! You might like this recipe https://krollskorner.com/recipes/desserts/cookies/fluffernutter-cookies/ 🙂
I couldn’t get the dough in the fridge after I started my timer because I couldn’t stop eating it! 🤤
haha!! I’m glad you enjoyed these, Jodi! 🥰