Chocolate cornflake cakes are a quick and easy no bake treat, and like chocolate crispy cakes, they are fun to make with the kids, and perfect for parties! Crunchy cornflakes are coated in a soft and slightly chewy chocolate mixture before being spooned into cupcake cases and left to set in the fridge.
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Why we love this recipe
- It’s a no bake recipe, saving electricity not having to put the oven on, and less hassle – melt, mix, and let the fridge do the work!
- Making cornflake cakes with cocoa powder and golden syrup is a more budget friendly way of making the chocolate go further, especially here in Australia. The golden syrup also adds a chewiness to the cakes and makes them slightly gooey – like they were at school (it was a good day when it was cornflake cakes for pudding at school, as with the school sponge cake!)
- These chocolate cornflake clusters are loved by young and old.
- This is a great recipe for using up the ends of packets of cereal.
Ingredient notes and substitutions
- Cornflakes – Kellogg’s cornflakes or supermarket own brand both work just as well. You can also use bran flakes or Special K.
- Butter – or margarine. This not only helps the chocolate go further, but adding butter makes the chocolate shiny.
- Cocoa powder – use any cocoa powder you like, I do like the cheaper one for the old school vibe 😉
- Golden syrup – This British inverted sugar syrup is the ingredient that provides the ‘chew’ to these cornflake cakes. You can use Tate and Lyle Golden Syrup if you are in the UK, CSR Golden Syrup if you are in Australia, Chelsea Golden Syrup in NZ, or use supermarket own brands.
- Chocolate – I like to use a mixture of milk chocolate and dark chocolate to get the right sweet-bitter balance, but feel free to use all milk or all dark if you prefer!
How to make cornflake cakes
- Roughly break up the chocolate and place in a heatproof bowl with the butter, cocoa powder and golden syrup. Place the bowl over a saucepan of barely simmering water, making sure the bottom of the bowl doesn’t touch the water.
- Tip the cornflakes in to a medium sized mixing bowl.
- Stir the chocolate and butter occasionally, and when the mixture is smooth and glossy take off the heat. It should look like the image on the left below. If it’s a bit separated give it a good stir to combine the ingredinets.
- Pour the melted chocolate over the cornflakes.
- Mix the cornflakes and chocolate together until all the cornflakes are thoroughly coated – this can take a minute or two.
- Using 2 spoons, divide the mixture between 12 paper cupcake cases. Then place in the fridge to set.
FAQ
Which chocolate is best for cornflake cakes?
You can use milk chocolate, dark chocolate or, as I like to do, a mixture of both. All milk chocolate makes the cornflake cakes sweeter, dark chocolate makes them rich.
Can I melt the chocolate and butter in the microwave?
Yes you can. Place the broken chocolate, butter, cocoa powder and syrup in a heatproof bowl and cook in the microwave on a gentle heat for 20 seconds. Check and stir every 5 seconds afterwards until the chocolate and butter have melted.
My recipe tips
- Adding butter to the chocolate not only helps the chocolate go further, but adding butter makes the chocolate shiny (see picture below!).
- Don’t heat the chocolate and butter over too high a heat otherwise the chocolate can split and become grainy.
- When the chocolate has melted, you need to stir it thoroughly to mix all the cocoa powder and butter together before adding to the cornflakes.
- When stirring the chocolate mixture into the cornflakes, scrape down to the bottom of the bowl with your spoon each time as this is where the chocolate pools.
1. Supermarket own brand cornflakes work just as well as more expensive brands of cornflakes in this recipe.
2. You can use slightly less chocolate if you prefer, the cakes will be a little softer and more fragile, but still delicious!
Serving Ideas
- These cakes are made for kids parties! Serve alongside mini sausage rolls or cheese and onion rolls, veggie sticks and avocado dip, and ham and cheese pinwheels.
- They are a popular addition at bake sales too.
Make ahead/storage
These will keep for up to 3 days in the fridge or, if you are not in a warm climate, at room temperature for 3 days.
Variations
- Gluten free cornflake cakes – use gluten free cornflakes.
- Marshmallows – once you have mixed the chocolate into the cornflakes, carefully fold in a handful of mini marshmallows. Don’t stir too much if you don’t want them to melt in to the mixture.
- Easter nests – you can easily make this recipe into Easter cornflake nests by pressing the back of a teaspoon into each chocolate cake to create a nest before filling with mini eggs. Or check out these 2 ingredient shredded wheat Easter nests.
Why not try…
You may also like these other no bake recipes:
Chocolate Cornflake Cakes
Author: Robyn
Chocolate cornflake cakes are a quick and easy no bake treat that are fun to make with kids and take just 15 minutes to prepare!
Equipment
- 1 12-hole cupcake or muffin tin
Ingredients
- 100g (3½ oz) chocolate, milk, dark or a mixture ($1.25 / £0.50)
- 50g (1¾ oz) butter or margarine ($0.65 / £0.40)
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder ($0.33 / £0.16)
- 3 tablespoons golden syrup ($0.30 / £0.13)
- 100g (3 c) cornflakes ($0.40 / £0.13)
Instructions
- Line a 12-hole cupcake tin with paper cupcake cases.
- Roughly break the chocolate and place in a heatproof bowl with the butter, cocoa powder and golden syrup. Place the bowl over a saucepan of barely simmering water, making sure the bottom of the bowl doesn’t touch the water.
- Stir the chocolate and butter occasionally, and when they have melted and the mixture is smooth and glossy take off the heat. It may need a stir once off the heat to combine the ingredients.
- Tip the cornflakes in to a medium sized mixing bowl and pour the melted chocolate mixture over the cornflakes.
- Mix the cornflakes and chocolate together until all the cornflakes are thoroughly coated – this can take a minute or two.
- Using 2 spoons, divide the mixture between 12 paper cupcake cases. Then place in the fridge to set.
- Store in the fridge or at room temperature if cooler weather, for up to 3 days.
Notes
Estimated costs: Australia $2.93. Per cake = $0.25
UK £1.32. Per serve = £0.11
America – I am yet to calculate the estimated ingredients costs to make this recipe in the US. If you would find it useful please contact me and I’ll get calculating 🙂
Cornflakes – Kellogg’s cornflakes or supermarket own brand both work just as well. You can also use bran flakes or Special K.
Butter – or margarine. This not only helps the chocolate go further, but adding butter makes the chocolate shiny.
Cocoa powder – use any cocoa powder you like, I do like the cheaper one for the old school vibe 😉
Golden syrup – This British inverted sugar syrup is the ingredient that provides the ‘chew’ to these cornflake cakes. You can use Tate and Lyle Golden Syrup if you are in the UK, CSR Golden Syrup if you are in Australia, Chelsea Golden Syrup in NZ, or use supermarket own brands.
Chocolate – I like to use a mixture of milk chocolate and dark chocolate to get the right sweet-bitter balance, but feel free to use all milk or all dark if you prefer!
Don’t heat the chocolate and butter over too high a heat otherwise the chocolate can split and become grainy.
When the chocolate has melted, you need to stir it thoroughly to mix all the cocoa powder and butter together before adding to the cornflakes.
When stirring the chocolate mixture into the cornflakes, scrape down to the bottom of the bowl with your spoon each time as this is where the chocolate pools.
Nutrition
Calories: 121kcalCarbohydrates: 17gProtein: 1gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gSodium: 102mgPotassium: 53mgFiber: 1gSugar: 9gVitamin A: 298IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 5mgIron: 3mg
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