Chocolate Easter Nests
Chocolate Easter Nests are an easy no-bake Easter treat made with chocolate-coated cereal and topped with mini eggs. With just a few ingredients and no oven needed, they’re a quick and fun recipe for both kids and adults.
Is there a more iconic Easter baking recipe than the classic Chocolate Easter Nests?
Super simple to make and an instant hit with children and adults alike, these no-bake Easter treats have been a firm favourite for generations. It’s almost like a rite of passage to make chocolate nests as a kid; whether at home with family or in the classroom, most of us have memories of making them at Easter time.
The concept is simple. Your cereal of choice (I like cornflakes, but Rice Krispies are another great option), coated in melted chocolate and shaped into nests, then topped with Cadbury’s Mini Eggs. Even the youngest of bakers can help with this recipe, as, aside from melting the chocolate, there’s no fancy equipment required.
If you enjoy easy, no-bake recipes like this, you might also like my Chocolate Tiffin or Mars Bar Slice for another quick tray bake option.
Although be warned…when making Chocolate Easter Nests with children, a little extra chocolate may be required – finger dipping and spoon licking is practically guaranteed! And maybe have at least double the amount of mini eggs that you think you’ll need, as these have a habit of disappearing before they even make it onto your finished nests.
Ingredients for Chocolate Easter Nests:
Cornflakes
The iconic breakfast cereal is my nest-filler of choice. I find cornflakes to be the perfect combo of taste and texture. Not too obvious a flavour on their own, so perfect when mixed with the chocolate. And they keep a good amount of crunch, even once coated in the chocolate mix. You can swap these out for rice crispies or shredded wheat, should you prefer.
Milk Chocolate
Of course, you need chocolate in a chocolate Easter nest! Milk chocolate is ideal and guaranteed to be a hit with kids. If you prefer a richer chocolate taste, though, you can swap it for dark chocolate, or even half milk chocolate, half dark chocolate.
Butter or Margarine
The addition of some butter or margarine helps thin out your chocolate a little, meaning it can coat your cornflakes better. Not only that, it means that once the chocolate sets, you won’t break your teeth when you bite into the nests!
If you are using margarine, a block margarine is preferable. This is due to the soft-spread varieties having a higher water content, and potentially thinning your chocolate out more than you’d like.
Golden Syrup
Similar the butter/margarine, golden syrup helps to thin out your chocolate a little, whilst also adding a little bit of extra sweetness too.
What is Golden Syrup?
Golden Syrup is a popular baking ingredient in the UK… But what is it? Where can you get it? And what can you use as a substitute?
My in-depth Golden Syrup Guide has all the answers to your questions!
Tips for Chocolate Easter Nests:
• Use a Gentle Heat for Melting: When melting your chocolate, syrup and butter, keep the heat low and stir regularly. Chocolate can catch or go grainy if overheated.
• Work Quickly Before it Sets: Once your cereal is coated in chocolate, work fairly quickly to shape your nests, as the mixture will start to set as it cools.
• Don’t Crush the Cereal: Try to keep your cereal intact (as much as you realistically can) for the best texture. Over-mixing can break them down and make your nests a bit more dense.
• Shape While Warm: Use the back of a spoon to press a small hollow into each nest while the mixture is still warm – this makes the perfect space for your mini eggs.
• Add Eggs Before Setting: Pop your mini eggs on top while the chocolate is still soft so they stick properly without needing extra chocolate.
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Chocolate Easter Nests
INGREDIENTS
- 100g Cornflakes
- 250 g Milk Chocolate
- 50 g Block Margarine or Butter
- 2 tbsp
Golden Syrup (Substitutions) - Chocolate Mini Eggs
INSTRUCTIONS
- Lightly grease a 12-hole bun tray with a little excess butter/margarine. Set aside.
- In a small pan, melt the chocolate, butter/margarine and golden syrup; stirring continuously. Meanwhile, add your cornflakes to alarge bowl.
- Once melted, add the chocolate mix to the bowl and mix until all the cornflakes are coated.
- Spoon the chocolate-coated cornflakes into your prepared tray, gently pressing them into place and creating a slight indent in the middle.
- Add a few chocolate mini eggs to the middle of each chocolate nest, gently pressing them into place.
- Allow your nests to set in the fridge for an hour or 2 before enjoying. Remove from the fridge a short while before serving, so they aren't too cold or hard.
IMPORTANT NOTE:
All my recipes are developed using a digital scale and the metric system (grams and millilitres). Cup measurements are available as a conversion but these, unfortunately, won’t always be as accurate. For best results, I always recommend baking with a digital scale.
NOTES:
Storage:
Once set, store your Chocolate Easter Nests in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. If your kitchen is particularly warm, you can keep them in the fridge to prevent the chocolate from softening. But I’d recommend removing from the fridge a little while before serving, otherwise you might break your teeth on them!Substitutions:
- Cornflakes: Rice Krispies are a popular alternative, but you can also use other cereals like Shredded Wheat (broken up) for more nest-like texture – I just find they don’t taste as nice, compared to using cornflakes or rice crispies.
- Chocolate: You can swap milk chocolate for dark or even white chocolate, if preferred.
- Golden Syrup: For more information on Golden Syrup and possible substitutions, have a look at my What is Golden Syrup page.
Chocolate Easter Nests are made by mixing cereal (such as cornflakes or Rice Krispies) with melted chocolate, alongside a little butter and golden syrup, then shaping the mixture into nests and topping with mini chocolate eggs. They’re a simple no-bake Easter treat made with just a few ingredients.
No, Chocolate Easter Nests are a no-bake recipe. Other than melting the chocolate, of course.
You can absolutely use different cereals in your chocolate Easter nests. I often change between cornflakes and Rice Krispies as they are both delicious in this recipe. I’d recommend using a little less Rice Crispies, though, as they are a little lighter, and you’ll end up with a lot more volume if you match the weight with cornflakes.
You can also use shredded wheat if you wish. Although it does give the most nest-like appearance, it’s not one I generally use, but the flavour is never quite as good as when you would use cornflakes or rice crispies.
Of course you can. However, the addition of some butter/margarine and golden syrup helps to thin out your chocolate a little and makes the nest mixture far easier to work with and completely coat your cereal. Not only that, it also means you are less likely to break your teeth on your nests when you bite into them!
No, you do not need any paper cupcake cases or muffin cases for making chocolate Easter nests. In fact, I made a conscious decision not to suggest using them in this recipe. They are unnecessary given that you can make them directly in the muffin tray, which not only reduces the cost involved in making these, but also produces less waste & is better for the environment.
Free-from & Vegan:
Gluten-free: To make this a recipe for Gluten-free Chocolate Easter Nests, simply make sure each of your recipes is gluten-free. Gluten-free cornflakes can usually be found in your supermarket’s free-from shelves. Butter/margarine and golden syrup are generally gluten-free by default (always double-check when serving those with coeliac disease). Some chocolates may contain hidden gluten, so double-check for that too.
Nut-free: This recipe does not contain any nuts, but be sure to double-check your ingredients individually when serving to anyone with nut allergies.
Egg-free: This recipe does not contain any eggs, but be sure to double-check your ingredients individually when serving to anyone with an egg allergy or intolerance.
Dairy-free: To make this a recipe for Dairy-free Chocolate Easter Nests, simply use a dairy-free margarine and a dairy-free chocolate (free-from or vegan). Mummy Meegz Chickee Eggs are perfect for the middle of your dairy-free chocolate nests.
Vegan: As above, to make this a recipe for Vegan Chocolate Easter Nests, simply use a dairy-free margarine and a vegan chocolate. Mummy Meegz Chickee Eggs are perfect for the middle of your vegan chocolate nests.
N.B. Any advice or suggestions to make recipes “free-from” or vegan are purely that – suggestions. Please be careful to double-check all ingredients individually, taking extra caution when serving to those with allergies & intolerances.
For more info on common food allergies, please see food.gov.uk | For more info on coeliac disease, please see coeliac.org.uk | For more info on a vegan diet, please see vegansociety.com
Made these with my kids today. They taste amazing and the texture is perfect – no breaking teeth or anything as you bite into them. I think the addition of butter/margarine. We melted down one of the kids’ Easter eggs to use in the recipe.
Ive tried these 3x now and every time the chocolate mixture has seized ! Such a shame, cant work our why this has happened.
Can I use maple syrup instead of golden syrup?
Try it with bran flakes!
*tried
i don’t know why, but it really adds something over using corn flakes.
Also, Shreddies (Nestle – don’t know if sold under the same name in the USA ) are amazing if you crush them up first. Same texture as shredded wheat but the added malt flavour…. so good
When I make these, I use desiccated coconut in place cornflakes or Rice krispies.
Amazing idea, how is the texture? Do they get crispy?