Chocolate Cornflake Clusters are a wonderfully simple no-bake treat made with crunchy cornflakes coated in a rich chocolate mixture. With butter and golden syrup helping everything come together, they create the perfect balance of crisp texture and sweet chocolate flavour.

These little clusters are quick to make and ideal for lunchboxes, parties, or an easy homemade treat. They’re the sort of recipe that disappears quickly and is always popular with both children and adults.

Posted September 20, 2023. Updated May 11, 2026.

Party table set with chocolate cornflake clusters on a pink background with a white layered cake stand.

Why have Chocolate Cornflake Clusters stayed so popular?

This recipe is a favourite from way back. This particular version was originally found in a community fundraiser booklet my Mum had in her stash.

There are variations of this recipe found around the world, and best of all this version only uses 4 ingredients!

A hand holding chocolate cornflake clusters in paper muffin cases.

What makes Chocolate Cornflake Clusters perfect for parties?

Often made for birthday parties, they can look so pretty for any occasion but kids in particular love these. I have made them in a normal sized cupcake case today, but I do prefer them in mini cases as they can be quite rich.

These are called by many names, cakes, clusters or crunchies, all names lead to a tasty treat!

Which ingredients do you need to make this recipe?

All you will need is:

Butter
Golden Syrup
Chocolate (Dark or Milk)
Cornflakes

The original versions of this recipe are made with dark chocolate, if you prefer a more mellow outcome feel free to use milk chocolate instead.

Scroll down for the full recipe and method on the printable recipe card below.

Ingredients used to make Chocolate Cornflake Clusters.

How do you make Chocolate Cornflake Clusters?

The way to make these is so simple almost no notes are needed. You will want to melt the butter, golden syrup and chocolate together on the stovetop until completely melted.

Golden syrup being poured over chocolate and butter in a saucepan.

Then pour this over the cornflakes and fold until the cereal is completely covered in chocolate, you could also use Special K cereal in place of the cornflakes.

A series of photos showing the chocolate mixture being poured over the cornflakes and stirred through.

Then spoon the mixture into the cupcake cases and refrigerate until set. These will over time begin to soften once left out of the fridge, so keep them cold until ready to serve. It is as easy as that!

If you run into any issues while baking, my guide to common baking mistakes and how to fix them may be helpful.

A series of photos showing the mixture being put into paper cases in a muffin tray.

More favourite party recipes

Here are some other recipes that are fun to bring out at birthday parties too:

Chocolate Cornflake Clusters Recipe

Chocolate Cornflake Clusters

Name: Chocolate Cornflake Clusters
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 6 h
Total time: 6 h 30 min
Yield: 12
Cuisine: New Zealand
Ingredients: 185 grams Butter, cubed; 3/4 Cup Golden Syrup, 185 mls; 2/3 Cup Chocolate, bits, chips, melts or block, Dark or Milk, 115 grams; 5 Cups Cornflakes, 150 grams

Yield: 12 Large

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 6 hours

Total Time: 6 hours 30 minutes

Chocolate Cornflake Clusters are an easy no-bake sweet treat with crunchy cornflakes coated in a rich chocolate mixture for a simple, dependable recipe everyone loves.

Ingredients

185 grams Butter, cubed
3/4 Cup Golden Syrup, 185 mls
2/3 Cup Chocolate, bits, chips, melts or block, Dark or Milk, 115 grams
5 Cups Cornflakes, 150 grams

Instructions

Spread out cupcake cases in a muffin tray or in a tray, feel free to use mini cases or medium, if using mini cases then it will make up to 24.
Place the cornflakes in a large bowl and set aside
In a small saucepan add the butter, golden syrup and chocolate pieces and over a low heat begin to melt
Stir often until it is completely melted ensuring it does not catch on the sides or bottom of saucepan
Pour the chocolate mixture over the cornflakes and carefully fold through with a large wooden spoon until completely combined
Spoon the mixture into the cupcake cases, use two spoons, one to scoop and one to push off the mixture into the cases creating a mound of filling
Once finished place the cupcake cases into the fridge to set, 6 hours or overnight.
Once set place in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to serve
Enjoy!

Notes

Can I use Dark Chocolate or Milk Chocolate?

Dark chocolate is the most commonly used chocolate in these cornflake clusters, if that is too rich feel free to substitute it with dark.

How long can these sit at room temperature?

These will over time begin to soften once left out of the fridge, so keep them cold until ready to serve.

Nutrition Information

Yield 12 Serving Size 1
Amount Per Serving Calories 325Total Fat 18gSaturated Fat 11gUnsaturated Fat 7gCholesterol 36mgSodium 119mgCarbohydrates 41gFiber 3gSugar 18gProtein 5g

JustAMumNZ.com, occasionally offers nutritional information for recipes contained on this site. This information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although justamumnz.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.

I really hope you love these Chocolate Cornflake Clusters as much as we do. They are such a simple, nostalgic treat to have on hand, and one I know I’ll be making again and again.

If you give this recipe a go, I’d love to hear how it turned out for you in the comments. You can also leave a ⭐ rating in the recipe card above, it really helps others find and enjoy this recipe too.

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Happy baking,
Anna x