Made with white chocolate chips, caramel popcorn, and salty roasted peanuts, these White Chocolate Cracker Jack cookies are a nostalgic and unique dessert! Inspired by the classic Cracker Jack snack, this recipe transforms a childhood favorite into chewy, flavorful cookies that everyone will love.
As the leaves begin to turn and the air grows crisp, fall baking takes center stage. While pumpkin and apple treats are always fan favorites, there’s something special about creating desserts inspired by nostalgic snacks.
What screams fall more than a cookie inspired by a classic after-school snack? (Am I dating myself here?)
These White Chocolate Cracker Jack Popcorn cookies are chewy, sweet, and slightly salty—everything you want in a cookie. With caramel popcorn, roasted peanuts, and creamy white chocolate chips, they bring together incredible flavors and textures.
Whether for a potluck, bake sale, or a cozy night in, these cookies are sure to be a hit.
What is Cracker Jack?
If you’re not familiar, Cracker Jack is a classic American treat introduced in the late 1800s. It’s a molasses-flavored caramel popcorn and peanut mix, famously packaged with a small prize inside.
The best part? You don’t need actual Cracker Jack for this recipe. Feel free to use Utz caramel popcorn, homemade caramel corn, or any brand you love. The recipe is flexible and works with whatever caramel popcorn you have on hand!
Why You’ll Love Cracker Jack Cookies
These cookies are everything you didn’t know you needed in a dessert. The roasted peanuts bring a warm nuttiness, the white chocolate adds a creamy sweetness, and the caramel popcorn ties it all together with a rich, nostalgic flavor.
What makes them truly special is the perfect balance of sweet and salty. The caramel popcorn adds just the right amount of sweetness, while the peanuts bring a savory touch that keeps every bite interesting. It’s the kind of combination that keeps you reaching for “just one more.”
These cookies are wonderfully chewy thanks to the caramel popcorn, with satisfying crunches from the peanuts and the smooth melt of white chocolate chips.
If you’re looking to break away from the usual chocolate chip cookies, these are a great choice.
Tips for Making Perfect Cracker Jack Cookies
Follow these tips to ensure your cookies turn out amazing every time:
1. Cream the Butter and Sugar Thoroughly
Properly creaming the butter and sugar incorporates air into the dough, helping the cookies rise and bake evenly. This step typically takes 5–7 minutes with a stand mixer or 10–12 minutes with a hand mixer. The mixture should be light, fluffy, and pale in color.
2. Use Room-Temperature Ingredients
Eggs and butter should sit out for at least an hour before baking. This ensures they combine smoothly during mixing, leading to a better dough consistency.
3. Chill the Dough
Refrigerate the dough for at least 1 hour, or up to 24 hours. Chilling helps the flavors meld and prevents the cookies from spreading too much in the oven.
4. Bake on Parchment Paper
Parchment paper is your best friend for evenly baked cookies. Avoid silicone mats, as they can sometimes lead to uneven spreading.
5. Fix Misshapen Cookies
Even with all the right steps, these cookies may sometimes spread unevenly due to the mix-ins. While they’re still hot, use the edge of a spoon or butter knife to gently nudge the edges back into shape.
Storing and Freezing Cracker Jack Cookies
- Storing Baked Cookies: Keep cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- Freezing Baked Cookies: Wrap cooled cookies in plastic wrap and foil, then freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost at room temperature before serving.
- Freezing Dough: Scoop the dough into cookie shapes before freezing. This makes baking easier later. When ready to bake, defrost the dough in the refrigerator overnight, then bake as usual.
Looking for more Nostalgic Treats?
Turtle Bars – Another classic treat/snack turned into a bar cookie!
Vanilla Milkshake Cupcakes – Milkshake in cupcake form!
If you loved this White Chocolate Cracker Jack Popcorn Cookie recipe, don’t forget to leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating in the recipe card below! We’d love to hear from you—leave a comment to let us know how you enjoyed it!
White Chocolate Cracker Jack Popcorn Cookies
Equipment
- 2 baking sheets
Ingredients
- 1½ cup (295 g) firmly packed light brown sugar
- 14 tablespoons (1 ¾ sticks or 200 g) unsalted butter, room temperature - soft to the touch!
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon light, unsulfured molasses
- 1 teaspoon butter extract, optional (recommended)
- 1 cup (140 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (140 g) bread flour substitute a high-protein all-purpose flour (like King Arthur)
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 3/4 teaspoon Diamond Crystal Kosher salt, if using Morton's, use about half that
- 5 cup caramel popcorn, broken up into pieces, if needed (see notes)
- 1/2 cup white chocolate chips or a chocolate bar, chopped roughly
Toasted Peanuts
- 1/2 cup unsalted, unshelled peanuts
- 1/2 teaspoon Diamond Crystal Kosher salt use half if using Morton's
- 1/2 tablespoon butter
Instructions
- To Roast the Peanuts: Heat the oven to 350℉ and line a baking sheet with tin foil. Bake the (unshelled) peanuts for 18-20 minutes, stirring once, until they are golden brown. Depending on your oven, this may take more or less time. Keep an eye on them so they do not burn. Remove the peanuts from the oven, sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 tablespoon of butter. Stir and set aside. Once the peanuts are cool, roughly chop them. Turn off the oven. Note: If you're using salted peanuts, either cut down on the added salt or leave it out.
- Whisk the Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
- Beat the Butter and Sugar: In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the brown sugar and butter on medium-high until the mixture is pale, feels smooth and creamy, and is light and fluffy. This process should take between 5 and 7 minutes. If you have a hand mixer, this will take closer to 10 to 12 minutes.During the mixing process, stop the mixer at least one time to scrape down on the sides of the bowl. Note: This step is CRITICAL. You're incorporating air into the mixture, allowing the cookies to rise properly. Don't skimp on this.
- Add the Remaining Wet Ingredients to the Butter Mixture: Reduce the speed, and add the egg, vanilla, molasses, butter extract. Beat until combined.
- Add the Dry Ingredients to the Wet Ingredients: Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, and mix until just combined. This means no visible streaks of flour, but all ingredients are incorporated. Scrape down on the sides of the bowl to make sure there are no pockets. You want to avoid over-mixing to prevent against too much gluten development. At this point, I remove the bowl from the stand mixer and use a wooden spoon or plastic spatula.
- Add your Mix-ins: Mix in the peanuts, white chocolate, and fold in the caramel popcorn. Take care not to over-mix the dough. Transfer the cookie dough to an airtight container and let chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour but up to 24 hours.
- Heat the Oven for Baking: When you are ready to bake the cookies, heat the oven to 350 ℉ and line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. (If you only have one baking sheet, allow the tin to cool completely between batches of cookies).
- Portion the Cookies for Baking: Drop large, quarter cup spoonfuls of the batter onto the prepared baking sheet. Allow 1 ½ to 2 inches between each cookie. Bake for 13 to 15 minutes, rotating the baking sheet halfway through. The cookies are finished when they are light golden brown in color around the edges. For smaller cookies, reduce the baking time by a couple of minutes.
- Let the Cookies Cool: Remove the cookies from the oven. Let them cool on the baking sheet for approximately 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling. The cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days.
Notes
- For the caramel popcorn, I recommend Utz brand, Cracker Jack, or homemade. Don't use Kettle Corn. If the bits of caramel corn are stuck together, make sure to break them up a bit. You can also chop the caramel corn if you prefer smaller pieces.
- I find that even after chilling the dough, these cookies can spread in weird ways (due to the mix-ins). If you want more perfectly rounded cookies, while they are still hot, use the back of a spoon or a butter knife to gently press the edges of the cookies toward the center.
- Freezing Cookie Dough: You can store the dough in the refrigerator for up to a week, or in the freezer for up to three months. Prior to baking, remove from the freezer and allow to defrost in the refrigerator overnight. If you freeze or refrigerate the dough, allow it to come to sit out for 30 to 35 minutes prior to baking.
1 comment
Love these cookies!