Rice Krispie Nests (No Bake Easter Treats)
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Make a batch of these festive Rice Krispie Nests for a fun Easter treat. This easy no bake recipe is made with crispy rice cereal, lots of gooey marshmallows and decorated with edible grass and chocolate candy eggs.
Easter treats, like these Cadbury Mini Egg Cookie Bars, are some of my favorites to make during the Spring time because they are popping with color. Which is always welcome after the dreary days of Winter.
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And many of the recipes are easy enough you can use them as an activity to keep kids occupied. They will love how realistic the egg-shaped candy looks on top of the edible grass. And adults will love this fun twist on the classic treat recipe.
These crispy treats can be made throughout the year for other holidays or celebrations by changing up the colors and decorations. We’ve included some of our favorite options below but let your imagination run wild to customize the Rice Krispie Nests.
If you’re looking for more easy Easter treats, be sure to check out my homemade Cadbury mini egg brownies, no bake bunny bait snack mix, and mini egg Rice Krispie treats. And if you’d rather not stuff a basket full of candy, consider these non candy Easter basket ideas for teens and tweens.
We’re sharing tips to help you get the best results with this recipe. If you don’t need the tips, scroll to the bottom for the full recipe and a printable recipe card.
Ingredients Needed to Make Easter Rice Krispie Nests
- butter – we used unsalted because we are adding salt separately.
- salt – helps to balance the sweet flavors.
- mini marshmallows – you’ll use most of a 10 ounce bag.
- pure vanilla extract – adds a subtle hint of vanilla.
- Rice Krispies cereal – you can also use store brand puffed rice cereal.
- coconut shreds – this is going to be the “grass”.
- gel food colors – choose your favorite.
- Cadbury spread or Nutella – see the notes section for more substitutions.
- Cadbury mini eggs – for decorating inside the nest.
Get the complete ingredients & directions in the recipe card below.
How to Make Rice Krispies Nests with Cadbury Mini Eggs
Grease two muffin pans with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.
In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat and stir in the salt. Add the marshmallows and continue stirring until they’ve melted.
Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the vanilla.
Pour in the Rice Krispies and gently fold the mixture together so it’s evenly coated.
Scoop 2-4 tablespoons of the mixture into each muffin cup.
Create a small depression in each to make a nest shape by using the back of a spoon, your fingers, or a tart tamper to create more open space for the filling. Allow the nest to set for 30 minutes at room temperature.
Place the shredded coconut into a Ziplock bag and add a few drops of food coloring. If you are using two colors, split the coconut between two bags.
Close the bag and massage gently so the coloring absorbs into the coconut.
Add a spoonful of Cadbury spread to the top of each nest.
Sprinkle the coconut over top, then add the chocolate egg candies.
Use a skewer or butter knife to carefully remove each nest from the pan.
Tips for Making Rice Krispie Nests
- If you are using salted butter, omit the other salt in the recipe.
- Make sure your marshmallows are fresh! Stale marshmallows do not melt easily and may throw off the texture.
- Avoid overcooking the mallows – it causes the cereal treat to be harder after they set.
- Do not skip the setting time – it’s what allows the nests to crisp up. Also, if the mixture is too warm when you add the spread it may melt off of the nests.
- The spread on the nests helps to anchor the candy coated chocolate eggs to the nests, which is helpful if you are taking these to an Easter brunch or party.
- We find that mini muffin tins don’t have enough room for the filling, but you can use this recipe in a jumbo muffin pan if you want larger treats.
Rice Krispie Easter Nests Substitutions and Variations
- Candy eggs – if you can’t find the Cadbury brand, you can use any chocolate eggs for the bird’s nest, like Robin Eggs malted milk balls.
- Jelly beans – instead of using chocolate Easter eggs for a cute twist.
- Spread – if desired, use peanut butter, Nutella or Biscoff cookie butter in place of the Cadbury spread. You can also use melted chocolate or candy wafers.
- Holiday variations – swap the colors and embellishments to make these cute little nests for other fun holiday treats or a birthday party.
- Chocolate Rice Krispie Easter nests – swap the regular cereal out for Cocoa Krispies or cocoa pebbles.
- More colorful – use fruity pebbles for the crispy nests.
- Edible grass – another great way to make the “grass” if you don’t like coconut. There are different colors and flavors to choose from to coordinate with the look and flavor of your treats.
How to Store Leftover Easter Rice Krispie Nests
Easter Rice Krispie nests are best when served on the day they are made. Leftovers can be kept in an airtight container on the counter for 2 days.
Do not refrigerate or else the treats harden up, making them difficult to eat.
MORE EASY
Rice Krispie Recipes
Rice Krispie Nests
Equipment
- Sauce Pan
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, (half a stick)
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 4 cups mini marshmallows, about ¾ of a 10 ounce bag
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 5 cups Rice Krispies cereal
- 1 ½ cups thin coconut shreds
- 2-3 gel food colors, your choice of colors
- 1 cup Cadbury spread, (more options in Notes)
- 54 mini cadbury eggs, about 1 ¼ cup
Instructions
- Prepare two 12-cup muffin tins by lightly greasing. Set aside.
- Melt the butter in a large pot over low heat. Add the salt and mix.
- Add the mini marshmallows and continue to stir until melted.
- Remove the pot from the heat source and stir in the vanilla extract.
- Pour in the Rice Krispies cereal. Gently fold the mixture together until the cereal is evenly coated with the melted marshmallow mixture.
- Scoop 3-4 tablespoons of the Rice Krispies mix into each cavity of the muffin tin.
- Use a spoon, a tart tamper or your fingers to press the Rice Krispies mixture down into the cavity, molding them into the shape of the tin. Create a small depression in the center of each cup, to make space for the filling. Allow nests to set at room temperature for 30 minutes.
- Prepare the coconut shreds while the nests are setting up. Place the shredded coconut into a zip top bag and add 1-3 drops of food coloring. If you’re using two colors, split the coconut shreds evenly between two bags, one for each color.
- Close the bag and gently massage the contents together until the color has been absorbed onto the shredded coconut. Set aside.
- After the nests have set up, place a spoonful of filling on top of each nest.
- Sprinkle the colored coconut shreds over the Nutella, then top each one with 3 mini Cadbury eggs.
- Use a butter knife or skewer to carefully remove each nest from the muffin tins.
Notes
- Nutella, Biscoff cookie butter or peanut butter can be used in place of the Cadbury spread.
- Change the colors and decorations for other celebrations and holidays.
- See the blog post for more variations and substitutions.
- Rice Krispie Nests are best eaten the day they are made. If you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container on the counter for up to 2 days. We don’t recommend storing them in the refrigerator.
Nutritional Estimate
Nutritional information is provided as a reference, using an online calculator. We recommend verifying the information independently for accuracy.
