Lucky Charm Sugar Cookies Recipe

If you've already had the opportunity to bake up a gooey, delicious batch of recipe developer Eric Ngo's hazelnut chocolate chip cookies, you know that Ngo, of Instagram's Frenchie the Toast, is all about baking up inventive cookies. Even if you've never tried his hazelnut treats, you have another opportunity here to see for yourself how Ngo manages to pack a soft, cookie-dough vibe into a well-structured cookie with perfect caramel-crisp edges. But this time, the highlight is Lucky Charms, the frosted, toasted cereal with colorful mini marshmallows in adorable shapes. 

Breakfast cereal baked into (and decorating the tops of) cookies? Why, yes, and isn't it brilliant? Especially when you consider, as Ngo explains to Mashed, that with this recipe, you now have the "perfect excuse" to enjoy delicious homemade "cookies for breakfast." As an extra bonus, these cookies are so great to wake up to that you may find yourself not hitting the snooze button tomorrow morning. So, in the noble interest of getting an early start to tomorrow's day, let's start making this recipe. 

Ngo's recipe for Lucky Charms sugar cookies starts with equal portions of butter and sugar. Specifically, you'll need 2 sticks of unsalted butter, 1 ⅔ cups brown sugar, and ¾ cup white sugar. The reason Ngo uses the two different kinds of sugar is because each contributes a little something to this recipe. The white sugar "results in flatter, crispier, and lighter-colored cookies," Ngo tells Mashed. Brown sugar, thanks to the presence of molasses, "results in a denser, moister cookie." 

"By using a mix of white sugar and brown sugar we can get crispy-edged, chewy cookies," Ngo explains.

In addition, you'll need 2 eggs, 2 ⅔ cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, and 1 teaspoon salt Finally, you'll need 2 ⅔ cups Lucky Charms cereal. If you'd like to decorate the cookies with some colorful marshmallow bits, then reserve enough of the marshmallows for that purpose.

Now that you've gathered your ingredients, preheat your oven to 320 F. Prep your baking sheet by lining it with a silicone mat or with parchment paper. But Ngo has a tip if you're using parchment paper: spray the pan with cooking spray first to make the paper stick to the pan.

Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the unsalted butter, brown sugar, and white sugar on medium speed for 5 minutes. Add the eggs to the butter and sugar mixture, and continue mixing for another 3 minutes. Make sure to scrape the side of the bowl so the eggs get mixed in evenly. 

Once the batter looks smooth, add the all-purpose flour, the Lucky Charms cereal (except for any reserved marshmallow bits), the baking powder, and the salt, and mix on low-medium for 1 minute. Then, cover the bowl and place the cookie dough in the freezer for 30 minutes. 

After 30 minutes, take the cookie dough out of the freezer, and scoop it into 24 small dough balls — each should consist of a little less than ¼ cup dough — and place them on the prepared baking sheet. Allow 2 inches between each cookie ball. Bake the cookies for 13 minutes, at which point you should be looking out for "crispy brown edges and a still-gooey center," Ngo advises. "Even if the cookies are soft when coming out of the oven, once they cool down, they will have a firm/stable texture."

After removing the cookies from the oven, you have the option to top each one with your reserved Lucky Charms marshmallow bits, then pop them back in the oven for 2 more minutes.

In either case, allow the cookies to cool for 10 minutes before taking them off the baking tray and serving.