Bird Nests Cookies are the easiest Easter sweet treat, using only 4 ingredients in 10 quick minutes. This no-bake recipe makes a delicious chocolate dessert that can double as decor for your spring party or holiday table.
Table of Contents
No-Bake Chocolate Birds Nest Cookies
This no-bake Chocolate Bird Nests recipe is a quick way to turn a basic breakfast cereal into an adorable and delicious dessert.
Made with just a few ingredients in mere minutes, it couldn’t be any easier to create these cookies: simply mix the cereal with melted chocolate and peanut butter, add the mixture to your muffin tins, let the nests harden, and top them with a trio of Mini Cadbury Eggs.
I love the combination of chocolate and peanut butter (have you tried my Reese’s Peanut Butter Eggs or my Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Pie?)
Don’t forget to share these snacks with your favorite peeps and serve them with some Hot Cross Buns or Easter Jello Pie!
Why We Love This Easter Birds Nest Recipe
- Quick and easy to make and it’s no-bake!
- Only uses 4 simple ingredients.
- Kid-friendly and a fun activity for little helping hands.
- Delicious dessert or edible holiday decor.
- Adorable addition to your Easter table and perfect for a spring party.
Ingredients
- Cocoa Rice Krispies
- Peanut butter
- Milk chocolate chips
- Cadbury mini eggs
Substitutions and Additions
- Cereal Substitutes: If you cannot find cocoa Rice Krispies, regular Rice Krispies or any puffed rice cereal will work just fine. I’ve also seen this recipe made with chow mein noodles, pretzels, potato sticks, and shredded wheat cereal.
- Choose Your Candy: Mini whopper eggs, jelly beans, Hershey’s Candy Coated Eggs, Reese’s Peanut Butter Eggs, M&M’s Peanut Butter Speckled Eggs, or M&M’s Easter Peanut Chocolate Candies can be used instead of Cadbury milk chocolate eggs.
- Change The Chocolate: Feel free to use semi-sweet chocolate chips, dark chocolate chips, or even white chocolate chips if you prefer. Or, you can leave out the peanut butter and use milk chocolate and butterscotch chips for a creamy and flavorful nest base. For a richer taste, use dark chocolate chips.
Recommended Tools
- Microwavable-safe bowl
- Mixing bowl
- Muffin tin
- Cooking spray
- Ice cream scoop
- Round measuring spoon
SEE FULL PRINTABLE RECIPE CARD BELOW
How to Make Easter Bird Nests Cookies
This no-bake easy-to-make Chocolate Bird Nests recipe creates the cutest sweet treat for spring and is a delicious Easter dessert. Kids will love helping in the kitchen and adding little candy eggs to the middle.
- Melt the chocolate in the microwave on low power for 30-second intervals.
Pro Tip: Stir in between each interval until the chocolate is fully melted. - Stir the peanut butter into the chocolate as soon as you take it out of the microwave.
- Add the melted chocolate and peanut butter to the bowl of Rice Krispies and stir until cereal is fully coated.
- Scoop the mixture into the prepared muffin tin so that cups are full.
- Hollow out the center of each bird nest with a round measuring spoon.
Pro-Tip: When you are forming the nests, make sure that the edges come up enough so that the eggs won’t roll off the sides. - Place muffin tin in the fridge or freezer until the bird nests are hardened.
- Place 3 Cadbury Mini Eggs in the center of each nest.
- Enjoy!
Tips
- When you are forming the nests, make sure that the edges come up enough so that the eggs won’t roll off the sides.
- For a richer taste, use dark chocolate chips.
- This recipe can easily work in a mini muffin tin as well.
Storage Tips
- To Store: Store the nests in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.
- To Freeze: Freeze in an airtight container for up to 1 month. Place in the fridge to defrost before serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, this recipe is so easy that kids can make it! Younger children may need help melting the chocolate, but otherwise, this is a recipe they can make all on their own.
Any creamy store-bought peanut butter will work for this recipe. However, I would avoid using homemade or natural peanut butter because they are not as creamy.
Yes, you can leave out the peanut butter. They won’t have the peanut buttery taste but they will still be delicious!
You can absolutely make this recipe using your favorite nut butter. If you have nut allergies, try using SunFlower butter, almond butter, soy butter, or any other you prefer.
Other Easter Recipes
No-Bake Chocolate Bird Nests
Ingredients
- 3 cups cocoa Rice Krispies
- 1 cup peanut butter
- 1 cup milk chocolate chips
- 36 Cadbury mini eggs
Instructions
- In a microwavable-safe bowl, melt the chocolate chips for 30 second intervals on low-power. Make sure to stir in between each interval until fully melted.
- Stir together the peanut butter and chocolate as soon as you take the chocolate out of the microwave.
- Pour the chocolate and peanut butter into the bowl with the Rice Krispies and stir until the cereal is fully coated.
- Using butter or cooking spray, grease a 12-count muffin tin.
- Scoop the mixture evenly into the muffin tin, making sure the cups are full.
- Use a round measure spoon to slightly hollow out the center of each ‘bird nest’.
- Place muffin tin in the fridge or freezer to harden the ‘bird nests’.
- Once the nests are hardened, place three Cadbury mini eggs in the center and voila!
Jenn’s Notes
- To Store: Store the nests in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.
- To Freeze: Freeze in an airtight container for up to 1 month. Place in the fridge to defrost before serving.
- When you are forming the nests, make sure that the edges come up enough so that the eggs won’t roll off the sides.
- For a richer taste, use dark chocolate chips.
- This recipe can easily work in a mini muffin tin as well.
Although these nests are cute and impressive, they’re a mess to eat. I made them in the mini muffin tins, and they still melted all over your hands.
So cute! If you let them freeze a good amount of time and keep them cold, they are not messy!! Very yummy!
Couldn’t find the cocoa Rice Krispies, so I used the regular. Worked, but I would use darker choc chips next time. Mine weren’t as nice as the pic.
Taste wise, there good!!
I’m allergic to peanut butter. Is there another ingredient that I can substitute for it?
I am highly allergic as well but can have Nutella (no peanuts just hazelnuts). Should be the same for the recipe.
I am going to try these. I’m going to make them in mini cupcake tins and use mini Easter cupcake papers (that you can use for candy also). I’m not a big fan of peanut butter. Do you think nutella might work or should I go with marshmallow? They are so cute and festive and the grandbabies love anything chocolate!!
I wondered about using marshmallow as well to make it kinda like a rice crispy treat nest!
I sprayed my tins heavily with oil yet could not get them with out destroying them! tips??
I am so sorry, that should not happen! You can use cupcake liners (some cute Easter versions).
5 stars
Can’t wait to make these for my grandkids!!
Nice simple recipe for Easter. I highly recommend using OliveNation’s milk chocolate chips. They are high quality and not that expensive and really make a simple recipe like this taste even better.
can I substitute shredded coconut for the cereal. like Russell Stover’s bird nests?
I haven’t tried that but sounds delish!
The nest looks sooo cute..!!! making this for easter for lots of children.. Thank you for the gift…
I cant wait to make this. and does this have to make it with peanut butter?