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Classic No Bake Cornflake Wreath Cookies

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No bake corn flake wreaths are a fun and nostalgic Christmas treat you can whip up at a moment’s notice. They are festive, easy to make and of course they are tasty. Make some as a fun addition to your holiday treats.

close up of corn flake wreath cookies with Christmas sprinkles and red hots.

If you are looking for a fun Christmas dessert that doesn’t involve spending hours taking trays of cookies out of the oven, these no bake cornflake wreaths are for you! They remind me of childhood in the best kind of way.

They only take a few minutes to make and they taste fabulous.  Decorate the green wreaths however you like, but I tend to go with the classic red hots or a quick dusting of sprinkles.

Nostalgic Recipes

I have been thinking a lot about trying to get back to why I started this site.  It was originally a way to preserve old family recipes and a piece of my childhood.

Of course fun new recipes and things to make in appliances that didn’t exist in my grandmother’s kitchen are good too.  Hello instant pot!

I will still be sharing new food ideas along the way.  I enjoy creating new things and sharing my twists on what is trending now.

vintage saucepan filled with marshmallows and butter.

But I am going to try to get back to sharing more nostalgic recipes along the way.  Maybe some modern twists on the old recipes.

Don’t worry, I don’t plan to go as far as sharing a spaghettio jello mold like I’ve seen on Facebook.  I do however have copycat spaghettios in the instant pot and green jello salads that are molded, so maybe I’m not that far off after all!

These corn flake wreath cookies definitely remind me of childhood.  My family loves treats like these, so I knew they would be a hit.

No Bake Treats

I was right. My brother saw them and said look, it’s a Christmas version of the spring nests.  Really he is not that far off, though those use chowmein noodles and these obviously use cereal.

Last year I made some no bake Christmas tree cookies that actually were a holiday version of the nests.  They were fun too and similar in a lot a ways, though the flavor profile is a bit different.

enameled saucepan filled with green marshmallow and corn flake mixture.

These cookies are loaded with marshmallows which give a more vanilla first flavor to the finished product.  The cornflakes add an interesting texture and bit of flavor as well.

They are both chewy and crunchy. Plus I had the batch whipped up in less than 15 minutes.  They didn’t last much longer than that either!

My brothers were happy to help me gobble them all up on the same day they were made.  I was happy they enjoyed them so much.

Making Cornflake Wreaths

You can melt the butter and marshmallows in the microwave if you’d like.  Just use a big glass bowl so that you have plenty of room for the marshmallows to expand as they cook. 

You’ll want the room for the cereal as well. Those corn flakes are going to take up some space!

It is best if you start with room temperature butter. It melts more easily and consistently if it isn’t cold.

If your butter is cold from the refrigerator, I would melt it a bit before you add the marshmallows. Otherwise you’ll have a lump of butter left along with the melted marshmallows.

forming no bake corn flake cookies with red hot berries.

I decided to make it on the stove this time.  My grandma recently gave me one of her old enameled pans because she thought it would be fun on the blog.

I totally agreed with her and this seemed like a great recipe to use it on.  She has quite the treasure trove of fun kitchen gadgets and pans.

You can adjust the green color to your liking.  If anything you might want to add a little more green food coloring than you think.

I wish I had made these a tad darker, but once you mix in the cereal it is hard to adjust the color evenly.  So I didn’t attempt it.

Just remember the color will be somewhat diluted when you stir in the cereal. So a drop or two more coloring after you think you have the right color isn’t a terrible idea.

plate filled with no bake corn flake wreath cookies for Christmas.

You will want to make sure your hands are good and greased before you start forming the wreaths.  I usually use a bit of shortening on my fingers for these kinds of jobs. 

You can also use a little nonstick cooking spray on your fingers if you prefer.

If find the easiest way to form the cookies is to scoop about 1/4 cup or so of the marshmallow cereal mixture onto some wax paper. Take the lump and work it out so that there is a hole in the center and it looks like a wreath.

It gets a little easier to work with after it has cooled down a bit, but obviously there is a point where it is too cooled to work with.  So work quickly to make all of the wreaths and then go back through and fix them up a bit.

You can use your imagination when decorating them.  I always remember them just having red cinnamon candies on them as a child. 

Red M&M candies work well too, using little red round candies makes it look a little bit like holly berries. I did some with Christmas nonpareils as well, and those were festive and easy too.

No matter how you choose to decorate them, these cute traditional Christmas cookies are sure to be a hit at cookie exchanges and holiday parties.

If you like making cornflake treats, I have a collection of tasty cornflake recipes that you should check out!

Love this recipe? Give it a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ review in the recipe card below!

close up of corn flake wreath cookies with Christmas sprinkles and red hots.

Classic No Bake Corn Flake Wreath Cookies

Carlee
These fun no bake cornflake wreath cookies are made from simple ingredients. They are a fun and festive treats to make during the holiday season. If you are looking for a cute no bake cookie to add to your holiday dessert table, this is the perfect recipe!
4.95 from 20 ratings
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 12 Servings
Calories 194 kcal

Ingredients
 

  • ½ cup butter
  • 10 ounces marshmallows
  • ½ teaspoon green food coloring gel preferred
  • 6 cups cornflakes cereal
  • Optional for decorating: red hots or sprinkles

Instructions
 

  • Melt butter and marshmallows together in a large saucepan over low heat. (Alternatively do it in a large glass bowl in the microwave.) Stir them until smooth.
    ½ cup butter, 10 ounces marshmallows
  • Remove from the heat and stir in enough food coloring to make the melted marshmallow mixture a shade or two darker green than you think you want. 
    ½ teaspoon green food coloring
  • Stir in corn flakes.
    6 cups cornflakes cereal
  • With well greased hands, plop about 1/2 cup of the cornflake mixture onto wax paper line baking sheets. Form into a wreath shape. Decorate with sprinkles or red hots if desired.
  • Allow to cool completely and set up on the wax paper, then transfer to an airtight container to store. 

Video

Nutrition

Serving: 1ServingCalories: 194kcalCarbohydrates: 31gProtein: 2gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 20mgSodium: 253mgFiber: 1gSugar: 15g
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Recipe Rating




Julie's Creative Lifestyle

Friday 6th of December 2019

I remember my mom making these cookies when we were little. Thanks for the recipe to make them.

Carlee

Wednesday 18th of December 2019

I love food memories. Thanks, Julie!

Andrea Nine

Friday 6th of December 2019

I used to make these with my mom! I don’t know why we stopped? They are so beautiful and yummy! Have a wonderful weekend sweet friend!

Carlee

Wednesday 18th of December 2019

Bring them back! They are so easy and fun. Thank you, Andrea!