• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Apply to Face Blog

Easy Comfort Food Recipes for Home Cooking and Baking

  • Home
  • Recipe Index
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy
  • Work With Me
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipe Index
  • - Christmas Recipes
  • - Sunday Lunches
  • - Light Bites
  • - Easy Main Meals
  • - Vegetarian Meals
  • - Slow Cooker Recipes
  • - Puddings and Desserts
  • - Cakes
  • - Biscuits and Cookies
  • - Bread
  • - Sweet Breads and Pastries
  • Work With Me
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy
×

Home » Biscuits and Cookies » Chocolate Cracknell

Chocolate Cracknell

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

I love this Chocolate Cracknell recipe with an old school passion. It is so moreish I just can't get enough....ever. It's about as simple as it gets too but delivers in a way that takes you right back to the school canteen every time. " Is it break yet Miss?"

chocolate cracknell squareson a plate with a knife to the side and a bottle of milk and a straw to the back

Chocolate Cracknell Recipe

Be warned though, this chocolate crunch stuff is incredibly moreish. It's the sort of snack that calls to you every time you pass the fridge. But isn't that the chocolatey point?

It also goes under a few other names, chocolate cornflake cakes, chocolate rice krispie cakes or even chocolate hedgehogs!!

Equipment Required

  • scales
  • wooden spoon
  • large saucepan
  • large metal spoon/spatula for smoothing the cracknell in the tin
  • lined 8" square baking tin or similar

Perfect for snacks, lunch boxes and picnics and let's not forget a slightly naughty breakfast option either. Although I have no breakfast shame, lets be clear. These involve cornflakes for heaven's sake.

There is a full recipe card at the bottom of this post with exact ingredients and instructions

Ingredients and Substitutions

The ingredients are very simple and few. Just how I love to roll.

30 grams (1 oz) Cocoa - It needs to be cocoa and not drinking chocolate. Drinking Chocolate is too sweet and not as chocolatey as Cocoa. I did try this recipe using cooking chocolate instead of cocoa powder but it just didn't give me the retro flavour I remembered and loved

200 grams (7 oz) Golden Syrup - this needs to be golden syrup in the tins. The syrup that you can now buy in squeezy bottles is more liquid and therefore the cracknell does not stick together as well if you use it.

200 grams (7 oz) Cornflakes - you can use Rice Krispies or similar too.

100 grams (3.5 oz) Butter - I have not used margarine so can only vouch for butter.

cornflakes, golden syrup, butter and cocoa in bowls on a white wooden surface

Recipe Steps

  • Put the butter/margarine, syrup, cocoa and syrup in a large saucepan.
cocoa, butter and syrup in a large saucepan with a wooden spoon in a saucepan
  • Warm gently over heat whilst stirring until the chocolate syrup mixture is smooth.
chocolate syrup mixture in a saucepan with a wooden saucepan resting to the side
  • Tip in the cornflakes.
cornflakes in a saucepan with a wooden spoon
  • Stir gently into the chocolate syrup. It does take a little time to coat all the flakes. Stay strong.
chocolate cracknell cornflakes in a saucepan with a wooden spoon
  • Empty into your tin or dish. I use a deep 8 " loose bottomed square tin but you could use a bit bigger or smaller tin. The smaller you go the thicker the cracknell and vice versa.
  • I recommend lining the tin with baking or greaseproof paper just so as to be able to get it out super easily.
chocolate cracknell mixture being spread in a tin with a metal spoon
  • Press firmly down with a metal spoon and level the cornflake mixture flat.
chocolate cracknell smooth in a square black edged tin
  • Chill in the fridge for at least 3 hours.
  • Cut into required shapes.

Tips and Tricks

  • Use the golden syrup from the tin not squeezy bottle. The syrup in the bottles is more liquid (pouring) than the original golden syrup in the tins.
  • Use the freezer to speed up the setting process.
  • They are better kept in the fridge. If they get too warm they can fall apart a bit.

How Do I Serve Chocolate Cracknell?

I like to cut into thick squares but I am very fond of the triangle formation as that is how I ate it at school. It just works better as stout squares in my tin.

If you use a round cake tin 8" or 9" will do fine, then you can cut into cute cake wedges.

I have seen that people also roll the mixture into balls and put them into fairy cake paper cases. They are then called Chocolate Cracknell Hedgehogs....of course they are...too cute.

They are better kept in the fridge too. If they get too warm they can fall apart a bit. Store in an airtight container.

If you like this retro sweet treat then you may like these other recipes. I am more than a bit passionate about my childhood school catering and have taken a lot of time perfecting them so they are just like I remember.

From me to you with school canteen love.

Flapjacks

Iced Buns

Quick and Easy Lemon Bars

Chocolate Shortbread

Old School Jam and Coconut Sponge

chocolate cracknell on a white plate with a butter knife resting on the side and a bottle of milk behind

Chocolate Cracknell

Apply To Face Blog
An old school favourite chocolate cracknell recipe. Easy to make and perfect for picnics or sweet treats for the whole family.
4.78 from 9 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 3 mins
Chilling Time 3 hrs
Total Time 3 hrs 13 mins
Course Dessert
Cuisine English
Servings 16
Calories 144 kcal

Ingredients
 

  • 200 grams cornflakes
  • 200 grams golden syrup from the tin not squeezy bottle
  • 100 grams butter margarine
  • 30 grams cocoa powder

Instructions
 

  • Put 100 grams butter/margarine, 200 grams of syrup, 30 grams cocoa in a large saucepan.
  • Warm gently over heat whilst stirring until the chocolate syrup mixture is smooth.
  • Tip in 200 grams cornflakes.
  • Stir gently into the chocolate syrup. It does take a little time to coat all the flakes. Stay strong.
  • Empty into your tin or dish. I use a deep 8 " loose bottomed square tin but you could use a bit bigger or smaller tin. The smaller you go the thicker the cracknell and vice versa.
    I recommend lining the tin with baking or greaseproof paper just so as to be able to get it out super easily.
  • Press firmly down with a metal spoon and level the cornflake mixture flat.
  • Chill in the fridge for at least 3 hours.
  • Cut into required shapes with a sharp serrated knife

Notes

  • Use the golden syrup from the tin not squeezy bottle. The syrup in the bottles is more liquid (pouring) than the original golden syrup in the tins.
  • Use the freezer to speed up the setting process.
  • They are better kept in the fridge. If they get too warm they can fall apart a bit.
 

Nutrition

Calories: 144kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 13mg | Sodium: 136mg | Potassium: 51mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 379IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 5mg | Iron: 4mg

All nutritional information is approximate and intended only as a guide.

Keyword chocolate cracknell, chocolate treat, comfort food
Tried this recipe?Take a pic and tag @applytofaceblog on Instagram. I would so love to see them!

Do let me know how you got on in the comments below or come on over and share your pics on social media with me. I love to know what you think.

I have entered this post with #CookBlogShare

« Apple Crumble Pie
Easy Chocolate Fudge Cake »

Reader Interactions

Follow Me On

Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. I'd love to connect with you.

Comments

  1. Clare

    August 02, 2021 at 12:48 pm

    5 stars
    Flipping heck - I made this and it took me back to my youth! Off to a party at the end of the month and will bake again - and take it - Easy & delicious! Yum
    Great recipe

    Reply
  2. Carrie Carvalho

    August 04, 2021 at 11:01 pm

    5 stars
    Such a yummy and nostalgic treat!

    Reply
  3. Jacqui – Only Crumbs Remain:Recipes Made Easy

    August 05, 2021 at 1:09 pm

    5 stars
    one of my favourites from childhood none of this putting real chocolate into it. This is much better Off to the kitchen to knock up a batch now!

    Reply
  4. Chloe Edges

    August 06, 2021 at 12:09 am

    5 stars
    This is funny, I was just thinking about cracknels the other day - they were indeed a secondary school staple but ours were always round and the size of a cricket ball. I was trying to work out how to make them ball shaped but a traybake version makes far more sense!!!

    Reply
  5. Choclette

    August 10, 2021 at 6:36 pm

    5 stars
    Oh yes! Who doesn't love chocolate cornflake cakes? Well even if not everyone does, I certainly do. Never heard them called cracknel before though. But it's a good name for them.

    Reply
  6. Kat (The Baking Explorer)

    August 12, 2021 at 10:57 pm

    5 stars
    This is one of my favourite things ever!!

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

You Wanna Follow Me?

About Jenny

Jenny Portrait

Hi, I'm Jenny Walters. A mother of two and passionate filler of bellies with stress free, simple and delicious recipes that gladden the soul. I am at heart a home cook.

Copyright © 2023 Apply To Face Blog · All Rights Reserved