These little sweet treats are perfect for spring and Easter gatherings as they look just like a little bird’s nest (with eggs included!). Kids will love making these Bird’s Nest Cookies with you and placing the eggs inside. They look so cute on a dessert table or as part of an Easter brunch spread.
These no-bake Bird’s Nest Cookies can be made in as little as 10 minutes, are simple to make with only 4 ingredients needed, and you can customize them easily with substitutions to change the taste according to your favorite flavors.
Quick Notes for Making Bird’s Nest Cookies
This is a simple, no-bake recipe that kids will love!
Time to Make: 10-15 minutes
Substitution Ideas: try using pretzel sticks instead of chow mein noodles
How to Store: Store refrigerated in an airtight container for up to a week
Table of contents
Key Ingredients
- Chocolate chips: Milk chocolate or semi-sweet will yield a sweeter cookie, while a darker chocolate chips will cut down on the sweetness.
- Peanut butter chips: Chocolate and peanut butter? Yes please!
- Chow Mein noodles: Check the international aisle of your grocery store for cooked chow mein noodles as they make the perfect nest texture for your cookie.
- Candy eggs: Take advantage of the Easter candy aisle and snag some eggs for your adorable bird’s nests (although you can sub out any round or oval shaped candy as desired).
Substitution Ideas:
- Butterscotch chips: If you aren’t a peanut butter fan, you can also use butterscotch chips instead as that goes deliciously with chocolate as well.
- Pretzel sticks: If you prefer pretzels or have a hard time finding the chow mein noodles, using pretzel sticks broken in half will also give you an adorable nest.
- Jelly beans or peanut M&Ms: If you missed the Easter candy window, you can also use these to create your egg for your nest cookies.
How to make Bird’s Nest Cookies:
Prepare your cooling surface with wax paper so it’s ready to go when your cookie mixture is mixed and still warm and put your eggs into a bowl for easy access.
Pour your chocolate chips and peanut butter chips (or butterscotch chips) into a microwave safe bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds at a time, stirring after each round, until all the chips are just melted together.
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Add in your chow mein noodles (or pretzel sticks) and stir until fully coated.
Use a spoon or cookie scoop to scoop out a clump of your cookie mixture and drop it onto your parchment paper.
Nestle your egg candy into the middle of the nest and allow your cookie to cool to room temperature (may take up to several hours to fully set).
If you’re needing these to cool faster, you can pop them into the fridge!
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you store Bird’s Nest Cookies?
Store these Bird’s Nest Cookies in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one week.
Can you make Bird’s Nest Cookies ahead of time?
Yes! Since they need time to set fully, you can make these a day or two ahead of time and pop them in the fridge in an airtight container until you’re ready to serve.
Tips for Bird’s Nest Cookies:
- Try sprinkling some shredded coconut onto your nest cookies while still warm to make them look more realistic.
- Work fast at mixing and scooping out your bird’s nests, the mixture starts to harden quickly!
- Make sure the bowl you’re using to melt the chocolate is dry-even a little bit of water can cause the chocolate to seize and not melt properly.
- Spoons will give you a flatter nest shape, while cookie scoops will give you a higher shaped nest mound.
- Finer chow mein will give your nest a more delicate look, while thicker chow mein noodles look like a more rustic chunkier nest
- If you love salty and sweet together, swap the chow mein noodles for pretzels, but either way these are going to be a go-to favorite for spring.
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Ingredients
- 1 cup chocolate chips
- 1 cup Peanut butter chips (could also use butterscotch chips)
- 2½ cups Chow Mein noodles (you could also use mini pretzel sticks)
- 3-4 Candy Eggs (you can sub out any round or oval shaped candy as desired, but Easter eggs are perfect for this snack!)
- Shredded coconut (optional, to make the cookies look more realistic. )
Equipment
Instructions
- Prepare your cooling surface with wax paper so it's ready to go when your cookie mixture is mixed and still warm and put your eggs into a bowl for easy access.
- Add in your chow mein noodles (or pretzel sticks) and stir until fully coated.
- Use a spoon or cookie scoop to scoop out a clump of your cookie mixture and drop it onto your parchment paper.
- Nestle your egg candy into the middle of the nest and allow your cookie to cool to room temperature (may take up to several hours to fully set). If you're needing these to cool faster, you can pop them into the fridge!
Notes
- Try sprinkling some shredded coconut onto your nest cookies while still warm to make them look more realistic.
- Work fast at mixing and scooping out your bird’s nests, the mixture starts to harden quickly!
- Make sure the bowl you’re using to melt the chocolate is dry-even a little bit of water can cause the chocolate to seize and not melt properly.
- Spoons will give you a flatter nest shape, while cookie scoops will give you a higher shaped nest mound.
- Finer chow mein will give your nest a more delicate look, while thicker chow mein noodles look like a more rustic chunkier nest
- If you love salty and sweet together, swap the chow mein noodles for pretzels, but either way these are going to be a go-to favorite for spring.
- If you need these to set up quickly, place them in the refrigerator.
So nostalgic and a fun treat, I can’t wait to make these with my boys!