These no bake Birds Nest Cookies are the perfect for Easter. They’re made with chocolate, peanut butter, pretzel sticks and are topped with Cadbury Mini Eggs. Bonus: they’re made with 5 ingredients and come together in minutes!
These adorable bird’s nest cookies are fun, kid-friendly and super easy to make! The nests are made out of chocolate covered pretzels and they’re topped with Mini eggs! They are the best way to celebrate spring and Easter.
I wanted to make an easy, festive Easter treat. These cookies come together in minutes and look like little bird’s nests!
If you’re looking for more Easter desserts, try my Mini Egg Cookies, Cookie Dough Easter Eggs, and Easter Egg Pop Tart.
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WHY WE LOVE THIS RECIPE
- These no bake bird nest cookies come together in minutes. No oven needed.
- Chocolate lovers will love these chocolate birds nests. The pretzels are coated with melted chocolate and topped with chocolatey mini eggs!
- Who doesn’t love the combination of chocolate and peanut butter?!
- The salty pretzel sticks taste so good in contrast with the sweet flavors.
- Each bite is crunchy and delicious!
- This egg nest recipe is a fun activity and treat for kids. Kids will love to help adds the eggs at the end. They’ll also love eating them!
INGREDIENTS
Below are some notes on the ingredients needed to make this birds nest dessert.
- CHOCOLATE CHIPS: I prefer semi-sweet.
- PEANUT BUTTER: Use creamy peanut butter. I would not recommend using natural peanut butter here. Peanut butter is optional. You can leave it out if you prefer.
- BUTTER: This is optional but it gives the melted chocolate mixture a nice shine to it.
- PRETZEL STICKS: Pretzel sticks are also called pretzel rods. Break them into short 3/4 inch pieces.
- CADBURY MINI EGGS: They come in the perfect spring time pastel colors and they are delicious!
SUBSTITUTIONS
If you prefer another treat for the eggs, there are other types of chocolate or peanut butter eggs sold that would make delicious substitutes.
Jelly beans can also be used in place of mini eggs.
STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS
Below are directions on how to make this egg nest recipe. Please see recipe card below for instructions and list of ingredients.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Break the pretzel sticks in half and place them in a large bowl.
- Melt the chocolate, peanut butter and butter together.
- Pour the melted chocolate mixture over the pretzels. Stir til coated.
- Scoop out some of the pretzels and turning them out on the baking sheet.
- Use the tip of a teaspoon and/or your fingers to shape the nests.
- Place the tray in the refrigerator until the chocolate has set.
- Add the mini eggs just before serving.
EXPERT TIPS
- Use an ice cream scoop or 2 tablespoon cookie scoop to scoop out the pretzel mixture. It will help ensure the nests are somewhat the same size.
- Use your hands! Your hands will get messy making these, but that’s ok! Use your hands to add sticks around the edges so that they are high enough that the eggs won’t fall out.
- Crush some of the eggs gently. Use the back of a chef’s knife to gently crush a few of the eggs. It will make the eggs look like they are hatching!
- Store them in the fridge. They stay together and are a little less melty/messy when they are served cold. I’d also recommend serving them on small plates, cupcake liners as they can crumble a little when you bite into them.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Store the cookies in an airtight container in the fridge. If they are kept at room temperature, the chocolate coating gets a little melty.
Yes! You can leave out the peanut butter. They will still be delicious!
Reese’s Peanut Butter Eggs, M&M’s Peanut Butter Speckled Eggs, and Hershey’s Candy Coated Eggs make great substitutes! You could use jelly beans since they are oval shaped, but they would not be my preference. I would choose an “egg” that’s chocolatey to go with the chocolate pretzels. 🙂
STORAGE
REFRIGERATOR
Store these Easter nest cookies in an airtight container for up to 5 days in the refrigerator.
FREEZER
Freeze leftover chocolate birds nests in an airtight container for up to 1 month. Place parchment between each layer of cookies, so they do not stick together.
Allow to thaw in the refrigerator before serving.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Birds Nest Cookies
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: About 20 nests
- Category: Cookies
- Method: No Bake
- Cuisine: American
Description
These No Bake Birds Nest Cookies are made with pretzels with chocolate and peanut butter and are topped with eggs! They are the perfect kid-friendly treat for spring and Easter celebrations!
Ingredients
- 1 cup chocolate chips or chopped chocolate, use semi-sweet, dark, milk or white chocolate
- 2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 1/2 cups pretzel sticks, broken in half
Instructions
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Break the pretzel sticks in half and place them in a large bowl.
- Melt the chocolate, peanut butter and butter together in a microwave safe bowl in 20 second bursts in the microwave. Stir well in between each burst and only microwave until melted. Do not over microwave or the chocolate will burn.
- Pour the melted chocolate mixture over the broken pretzel sticks.
- Stir until the pretzels are all well coated with the chocolate.
- Use an ice cream scoop or 2 tablespoon cookie scoop to scoop out some of the pretzels and turning them out on the baking sheet.
- Use the tip of a teaspoon and/or your fingers to shape the nests. I find my hands are the best tools here. Work to make sure the edges are higher than the center. Place a few extra pretzel sticks around the edges if needed. Place the tray in the refrigerator until the chocolate has set.
- Add the mini eggs just before serving.
Notes
Peanut butter: Use creamy peanut butter such as Jif or Skippy. I don’t recommend natural peanut butter for this recipe.
Storage: Store these Easter nest cookies in an airtight container for up to 5 days in the refrigerator. Freeze leftover chocolate birds nests in an airtight container for up to 1 month. Place parchment between each layer of cookies, so they do not stick together. Allow to thaw in the refrigerator before serving.
Keywords: mini eggs, Cadbury, pretzels, chocolate, peanut butter, nests, bird nests, Easter, spring
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