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This Birds Nest Cookies recipe, or Easter Haystacks, are a quick and easy no-bake recipe! Chow mein noodles coated in chocolate candy melts make cute nests to hold candy eggs. This Easter egg nest recipe is a great make-ahead treat you can share with family and friends.
Easy Chocolate Birds Nest Cookies
These adorable no bake birds nest cookies are a variation of classic no-bake haystack cookies all dressed up for Easter! It’s one of my favorite recipes to make for the spring season because they’re super easy and no-bake. These aren’t those baked thumb print cookies rolled in coconut – they’re more like a crunchy candy.
If you’ve never had haystacks, I am very excited for you to try this recipe! They’re sweet and crunchy no-bake cookies that are simple to make. Classic haystacks look like… haystacks! But, it’s really easy to turn them into cute chocolate Easter birds nest cookies. If you want an easy recipe, Easter nests are the one to make!
Ingredients in Easter Bird’s Nest Cookies
- Candy Melts – I recommend Ghiradelli Melts, Candiquik, or Almond bark. While you can use milk chocolate chips, semi-sweet chocolate chips or dark chocolate chips, I recommend buying the melts as they won’t melt in your hands as easily.
- Chow Mein Noodles – these are crunchy noodles in a can. You can find them in the Asian aisle at the grocery store.
- Chocolate Eggs – Cadbury Mini Eggs are great, but you can also use jelly beans, robins’ eggs, or M&M eggs.
How to Make Birds Nest Cookies
- Place the candy melts in a large microwave-safe bowl. Warm them in 30-second increments on 50% powder, stirring between each increment until smooth.
- Add the chow mein noodles to the melted candy melts and stir.
- Drop scoops of the mixture onto a prepared baking sheet. Top each nest with three to four candy eggs.
- Chill the Easter haystacks until they are set.
Expert Tips
- For the best birds nest cookies, use good-quality candy melts. Ghiradelli is best, but Candiquick and almond bark are also good. I would avoid the kind you can get at craft stores because they don’t taste as good.
- Use white chocolate, dark, or milk chocolate candy – your choice!
- You can top the chocolate Easter nests with any candy eggs you like.
- Use a cookie scoop to form the nests and place the eggs before the candy melts set.
- Store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
FAQs
You can make white chocolate egg nests with white chocolate candy melts. Just follow the instructions on the package for melting them.
Bird’s nest cookies should be stored in an airtight container. They will keep well in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
You can freeze Easter bird nests, but they keep for two weeks in the fridge, so I don’t usually freeze them.
Yes, pretzels work great!
Easter Birds Nest Cookies
Recipe Video
Ingredients
- 10 ounces candy melts see note
- 2 cups (134 g) chow mein noodles
- Candy eggs see note
Instructions
- Line a cookie sheet with wax or parchment paper.
- Melt candy melts in a microwave safe bowl in 30 second increments on 50% power, stirring after each interval.
- Once the candy is melted and smooth, stir in chow mein noodles. Scoop mounds of the chocolate noodle mixture onto the cookie sheet. Top with 3-4 candy eggs.
- Chill to set. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Recipe Notes
- Candy Melts: You can find these in the baking aisle. I recommend, in order of taste, Ghiradelli Melts, Candiquik, or Almond Bark. You can also buy them in colors at the craft store but they don’t taste very good.
- Flavor: Use chocolate or vanilla or a combination of both!
- Candy eggs: We love using Mini Cadbury Eggs but you can also use jelly beans, Robins eggs, or M&M eggs.
Recipe Nutrition
Substitutions
- Add some butterscotch chips and use white chocolate candy melts to make a new flavor cookie.
- Can’t find chow mein noodles? Use cheerios or another type of neutral flavor cereal.
- Add 2 tablespoons of peanut butter to the chocolate before melting for a peanut buttery birds nest!
- If you want, you can use a muffin pan or mini muffin tin with paper liners to make these too, instead of dropping them with 2 spoons.
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