Homemade Star Crunch Cookies (Little Debbie Copycat)
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Our homemade star crunch cookies feature crispy rice cereal, gooey caramel and creamy chocolate. The best part is you’ll only need 5 simple ingredients and there’s no baking required to make this easy copycat recipe.
These chocolate star crunch cosmic cookies taste just like the Little Debbie cookies you’ve grown to love. The crisp, crunchy texture, sweet caramel flavor and rich chocolate are sure to satisfy your sweet tooth. And without all the funky junk in the store bought version.
Little Debbie star crunch cookies are sure to become your new favorite treats and are the perfect choice when you’re looking for a sweet treat or an easy dessert.
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We’re sharing tips to help you get the best results with this recipe. If you don’t need the tips, scroll to the bottom for the full recipe and a printable recipe card.
We love finding copycat recipes to recreate! Especially in this case because you don’t need many ingredients, making them an affordable treat to make. And your kids will love finding a homemade star crunch in their lunchboxes.
If you need a quick no bake treat for a classroom party or bake sale fundraiser, these chewy cookies are one of my favorite recipes to take. They only take 20 minutes to throw together and people go crazy for the copycat version.
Perfect for when your kid tells you that they need a school snack the night before (just my kids?). Plus, it’s another way to use up your puffed rice cereal if you can’t handle another batch of Rice Krispies treats.
Speaking of Little Debbie, during the holiday season we made a batch of Christmas tree dip, sooo good! You can use that same recipe and swap other types of snack cakes for other holidays and celebrations.
Ingredients Needed
- salted butter – allow time for it to soften at room temperature.
- chocolate chips – use milk chocolate or semi-sweet
- caramel bits – made for easy melting and no wrappers to remove (look for these at your local grocery store)
- mini-marshmallows – see tip below if you’re using large mallows
- crisp rice cereal – like Rice Krispies (store brand is fine)
Get the complete ingredients & directions in the recipe card below.
How to Make Star Crunch Cookies
Place the softened butter, caramel pieces, and chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 1 minute at 50% power. Stir and microwave for another 30 seconds at 50% power until creamy.
Add the marshmallows and microwave in 30 second increments, stirring after each cycle, until the mixture is smooth.
Stir in the rice cereal until it’s fully coated. Spray your hands with a little oil or nonstick cooking spray. Scoop ¼ cup of the mixture at a time and roll into a ball.
Place the ball on a parchment lined baking sheet and continue until you’ve used up the remainder of the cookie mixture. Use your hand or the bottom of a glass or measuring cup to press and flatten the cookie balls.
Let the star crunches sit for 5 minutes, then smooth the edges using your fingers.
Allow them to sit for 1 hour. If the bottoms are still sticky, flip each cookie over and let them rest another 30-60 minutes.
Tips for Making Copycat Star Crunch Cookies
- For mega chocolatey flavor, swap the rice cereal for Cocoa Krispies.
- If you need to use large marshmallows, you will need 16. They’ll met more evenly if you chop them into quarters before melting.
- Portion out the dough with a measuring cup or a #14 large cookie scoop, spraying with nonstick spray as needed.
- Don’t want to take the time to shape out cookies? Press the mixture into a baking pan then slice into bars instead.
- This recipe can easily be doubled or tripled. If you are making bigger batches, it may be easier to do this in a large pot and melt the chocolate and marshmallows on the stovetop.
- The “batter” is very sticky, so don’t skip the step of greasing your hands.
How to Store
After they’ve set, store cookies in an airtight container on the counter for up to 1 week. Separate the layers of cookies with parchment paper so they don’t stick together.
For maximum crispiness, these are best when eaten the first day. The cereal will soften and the cookies will lose their crispiness the longer they are stored. They’ll still taste great, but won’t be as crispy.
You can also wrap each star crunch individually in plastic wrap or parchment paper, place in a storage bag or container and store them in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 weeks. Allow them to come to room temperature before serving.
We do not recommend freezing these no bake cookies.
MORE EASY
No Bake Treats
**Save Copycat Homemade Star Crunch Recipe for Later**
Homemade Star Crunch
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons salted butter, softened
- 1/4 cup chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup caramel bits
- 2 cups mini-marshmallows
- 2 cups crispy rice cereal
Instructions
- Place the butter, chocolate chips and caramel bits in a large microwave-safe dish (or use a large glass liquid measuring cup). Microwave at 50% power for 1 minute.
- Stir the mixture and microwave for 30 seconds at 50% until melted and creamy.
- Add the marshmallows and microwave for 30 seconds at a time, stirring after each cycle, until mixture is smooth.
- Add the rice cereal and mix until the cereal is fully coated.
- Spray hands with a bit of oil or nonstick cooking spray. Using a 1/4 measuring cup or #14 cookie scoop, portion out the mixture and roll it into a ball.
- Place the rolled balls on a parchment paper lined baking tray. Compress the balls with your hand or the flat side of a glass or a measuring cup.
- Repeat until 8 cookies are pressed.
- Let sit for 5 minutes to firm up before smoothing the edges of the cookies with your fingers. You may want to grease your fingers if the cookies are sticky.
- Allow cookies to set for an hour. If bottoms are still sticky, flip them over and let them set up for 30-60 more minutes.
- Serve right away or wrap individually in plastic wrap or parchment paper.
Notes
- Use Cocoa Krispies in place of regular rice cereal for a mega chocolate flavor.
- To store: after cookies have set up, store them in an airtight container on the counter for up to 1 week. Place a layer of parchment paper between the cookies if you need to stack them – this will keep them from sticking together.
- The rice cereal will soften up the longer you store them and they won’t be as crispy.
- For longer storage, store in the refrigerator for 2-3 weeks. Wrap each cookie individually in plastic wrap or parchment paper before storing. Allow to come to room temperature before eating.
Nutritional Estimate
Nutritional information is provided as a reference, using an online calculator. We recommend verifying the information independently for accuracy.
