Bird's Nest Cookies Recipe

There are plenty of elaborate dishes out there to serve for an Easter celebration. But what about when you don't want to go to too much trouble? Enter: these adorable bird's nest cookies.

While Easter baking can certainly produce stunning results for the season, this recipe doesn't require for you to turn on the oven at all. By combining a few simple ingredients, you'll be able to create little nests for your favorite Easter candy eggs to sit in. And the best part? They only require ten minutes of prep time. 

These bird's nest cookies are made with peanut butter to offer a nice, balanced flavor and color, paired with a bit of a crunch from toasted coconut and Rice Krispies cereal. Make these cute, seasonal cookies time and time again for the spring season, and customize the recipe as you go, if desired. You can mix and match the types of Easter candy you add to the middle from speckled eggs to jelly beans, and we promise, they're just as delicious as they are adorable.

To get started on prepping these easy bird's nest cookies, first gather all of your ingredients. The process will go pretty quickly, so having all of your necessary items ready will come in handy.

For this recipe you'll need peanut butter, white chocolate baking squares, toasted coconut, Rice Krispies cereal, and quick oats.

The toasted coconut can be found at most stores, or you can toast your own. Swapping it out for untoasted coconut will work fine as well. If you don't have quick oats on hand, feel free to use old-fashioned oats instead. Be sure to also grab your favorite Easter egg candies, whether chocolate speckled eggs, jelly beans, or a mixture of the two. 

To get started on making these darling little bird's nest cookies, first mix together all of the dry ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, add the toasted coconut. Then, add in the Rice Krispies cereal and the quick oats. There's no need to utilize a hand mixer or stand mixer for these bird's nest cookies. All you'll need is a bowl and a large spoon or spatula.

Stir the dry ingredients until well combined. This will serve as the base for the rest of the cookie mixture. 

Next up is melting the white chocolate for this recipe. Break up all the squares of white chocolate and put the squares in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave the white chocolate for 30 seconds, stir, and then continue heating in ten-second intervals. Be sure to stir in between heating, and microwave until the chocolate is just melted. Overheating the chocolate will cause it to seize up, and it will no longer be liquid.

Melt the peanut butter in a separate bowl for 30 seconds, and then stir the peanut butter into the melted white chocolate.

Once the dry bird's nest cookies ingredients are mixed and prepped and the white chocolate and peanut butter is melted and combined, it's time to put the no-bake cookie mixture together.

Pour the white chocolate and peanut butter mixture over the dry ingredients, and stir to combine. Continue mixing until all of the dry ingredients are moistened with the white chocolate and the mixture comes together. If the mixture seems too wet, add a bit more of one of the dry ingredients to bring it together. The mixture should be wet but not dripping from the spatula. 

With your bird's nest cookie mixture prepared, it's time to form your bird's nests. Spray a cupcake pan lightly with cooking spray. Divide the mixture evenly between the 12 cupcake pan wells. Press the mixture into the cupcake pan well, and then use your thumb to create the divot for the nest. 

Add a few chocolate eggs or jelly beans on top of each bird's nest.

Put the cupcake pan in the freezer to set for one hour. This will allow the chocolate to harden. Once chilled, remove the nests from the freezer to soften slightly before enjoying.