No Bake Bird Nest Cookies for Easter

These chocolate peanut butter bird nest cookies are no-bake and so easy and fast to make! This is less of a recipe and more of a food craft.  It could be a great activity to do with your kiddos on Easter weekend, or maybe something you can rustle up to take to a classroom party.

Heck, I don't even have kids, and I had fun putting together these cute little bird nests slathered in chocolate and peanut butter.
(2021 update: I uh, definitely have kids now LOL)

However, if I'm being completely honest, I enjoy doing anything that involves the combination of chocolate and peanut butter.  The two were meant to be together.  Soulmates, they are.

What Ingredients Do I Need?

• Pretzel sticks - broken in half to make it easier to shape the nests.
• Smooth peanut butter - use no-stir varieties if you use natural.
• Chocolate chips - Use your favorite!
• Candy "eggs" - You can use jelly beans, malt balls, robin eggs, jordan almonds, etc.
• Wax paper - For setting your finished nests.

Tips For Success

• To control the mess, cover a cookie sheet with a piece of wax paper.
• Melt your chocolate chips in the microwave in short 20 second bursts.  Poke the chips with a spatula after each zap, because those puppies deceptively hold their shape when melting, and you can easily scorch the chocolate before you've realized what happened!
• Stir the peanut butter completely into the melted chocolate before attempting to add the pretzels.  The warmth from the melted chocolate will help everything combine smoothly.

How Many Nests Does This Recipe Make?

The nests are formed by grab a big ole spoon and drop blobs of the chocolatey-pretzel goodness onto the wax paper.  You can make large nests or small ones (or both!)

Totally up to you, man.

The number of nests that you can make from a single recipe will vary.  Anywhere from 5-6 larger nests or 8-10 smaller nests is a decent estimate.

The nests are finished up by pressing your candy eggs - whatever you choose to use - into the chocolate while it's still melty.  When the chocolate sets up, the eggs will be "glued" onto the nests.

How Do I Store The Cookies?

Place the cookie sheet into the fridge for an hour or so to let the chocolate set before removing them from the wax paper.  In a cool room, the nests will do fine at room temperature, though if you're bringing these to a party I recommend keeping them in a container in the fridge to make sure they stay firm.

What Different Ingredients Could I Use Instead?

There are several variations to this recipe that'll all result in slightly different looks and flavors.

• Butterscotch or peanut butter chips instead of chocolate for lighter colored nests
• Chow mein noodles or fried wonton strips instead of pretzels
• Muffin tins with liners or parchment paper to create more of a "container" to hold more candy in the center

Have fun with these - leave me a comment if you give them a try. I'd love to see pictures of the outcome!

Bird Nest Cookies for Easter

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• Author: Erin
• Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
• Yield: 5-10 nests (depends on size) 1x

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Description

Chocolate covered pretzel sticks formed into nests and topped with fun candy eggs.  A super simple food craft for Easter!

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 1 bag (12oz) chocolate chips - dark, semi-sweet, or milk
• 4 TBS creamy peanut butter - use no-stir if you use a natural kind
• 4 cups of pretzel sticks, broken in half
• Candy eggs - use jelly beans, robin eggs, Jordan almonds, etc.

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Instructions

1. Cover a large baking sheet with wax paper.
2. Pour chocolate chips into a large microwave-safe bowl.  Microwave in 20 second bursts, being sure to stir with a nonstick spatula after each one, until chocolate is fully melted.
3. Add the peanut butter and stir until combined with the chocolate.
4. Add the pretzel sticks and gently stir until all of the pieces are coated.
5. Use a large spoon to scoop out piles of pretzels and place them onto the wax paper.  Top with candy eggs.
6. Place the baking sheet into the refrigerator for an hour to set.  You can store the nests at room temperature, though I recommend keeping them in a container in the fridge before serving to keep them super firm.

Notes

The size of the nests will be determined by the size of the candy you choose to use for your eggs.

Vary the recipe by using butterscotch or peanut butter chips, almond butter, sun butter, etc.

Create different nest textures by using chow mein noodles or wonton strips instead of pretzels.

• Prep Time: 5 mins
• Cook Time: 1 hour (chilling time)
• Category: Dessert

Keywords: easter, no bake, bird nests

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Some Other Easter Recipes:

Hot Cross Buns – made with cinnamon roll dough!

Glazed Vanilla Buttermilk Cookies – Oh so soft and not too sweet!

Koulourakia - Greek Easter Cookies - buttery and adorable!