Homemade Little Debbie Star Crunch Recipe
This homemade Little Debbie Star Crunch recipe lets you recreate the iconic chocolatey, caramel, and marshmallow coated crispy rice cookies right in your own kitchen. Combining salted butter, unsweetened cocoa, espresso powder, soft caramels, and sweetened condensed milk melted into a luscious coating, this no-bake cookie delivers crunchy, gooey, and deeply chocolate-flavored treats perfect for dessert or snacking.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Total Time: 1 hr 30 mins
- Yield: 20 cookies 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- ½ cup salted butter
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon espresso powder
- 14 oz. sweetened condensed milk
- 20 soft caramels (e.g. Werther’s)
- 5 ½ cups mini marshmallows (approximately 1 10 oz. bag)
- 5 cups Rice Krispy cereal
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Melt Butter and Cocoa: In a large pot, combine salted butter, unsweetened cocoa powder, and espresso powder. Melt over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally to ensure all ingredients are fully melted and combined.
- Add Condensed Milk: Whisk in the sweetened condensed milk thoroughly, mixing until combined and smooth.
- Incorporate Caramels: Add the soft caramel candies and stir constantly over low heat until they are completely melted and the mixture becomes smooth and cohesive.
- Mix in Marshmallows: Stir in the mini marshmallows and continue mixing until fully melted and smooth in the chocolate caramel base.
- Finish with Vanilla and Cereal: Remove the pot from heat and quickly stir in vanilla extract. Add Rice Krispy cereal and gently fold until the cereal is evenly coated with the chocolate caramel mixture.
- Form Cookies: Line two baking pans with parchment paper. Using a large cookie scoop, drop scoops of the mixture onto the parchment, shaping into cookie-sized portions.
- Chill: Place the pans in the refrigerator and allow the cookies to set for 30 minutes up to 1 hour until firm.
- Serve and Store: Serve the Star Crunch cookies immediately or store them in an airtight container for up to three days to maintain freshness and texture.
Notes
- Use regular unsalted butter plus 1 teaspoon salt if salted butter is unavailable.
- Omit espresso powder for a kid-friendly version without coffee flavor.
- Try almond extract or other flavor extracts instead of vanilla for variety.
- Adjust the amount of Rice Krispy cereal to control cookie crunchiness—less for crunchier, more for softer cookies.
- Substitute chocolate-flavored Rice Krispies for an extra chocolate kick.
- You can double the recipe but use a larger pot for mixing.
- Margarine can substitute butter, though flavor may vary slightly.
Keywords: Little Debbie Star Crunch, copycat cookies, chocolate crispy treats, no-bake cookies, caramel marshmallow cookies
