Birds Nest Cookies {No Bake}

Quick and easy no bake birds nest cookies recipe, homemade with simple ingredients. Crispy, crunchy and full of Chinese/ Asian chow mein noodles, peanut butter, coconut, chocolate chips, butterscotch and Cadbury mini eggs. Perfect dessert for Spring or Easter.

When I was younger, I used to make these cookies around Easter time but we didn't have edible markers back then and that's why I never drew faces on the egg candies. Now, with a kid of my own, we have made these for a few years in a row, along with these cute Easter Cupcakes (Chick Cupcakes). If you are looking for more bird themed desserts, check out my Robin Egg Pinata Cake and Peacock Cake.

Jump to:

• Key ingredients for Easter cookies
• How to make easy no bake birds nest cookies recipe from scratch? 
• Variations
• Tips and techniques
• Recipe FAQs
• Storage
• More Easter desserts
• Recipe

Key ingredients for Easter cookies

• Chocolate chips- I like to use semisweet but you can use dark or milk.
• Butterscotch chips- This adds a wonderful caramelized flavor.
• Peanut butter- This can be creamy or chunky. It's entirely up to you.
• Coconut- This adds a subtle flavor and texture to these cookies.
• Chow mein noodles- These are already cooked and crispy.
• Mini chocolate eggs- Buy a variety of colors.

How to make easy no bake birds nest cookies recipe from scratch? 

1. Heat chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, peanut butter- Until mixture is smooth (Image 1 and 2).
2. Add coconut and chow mein noodles- Mix until noodles are fully coated (Image 3,4,5).
3. Drop spoonfuls of mixture- Onto a baking tray (Image 6).
4. Make indents- In the center of the clusters (Image 7).
5. Stick chocolate eggs in center- And chill until firm (Image 8).

Variations

• Add nuts- Try adding some roughly chopped almonds for a subtle crunch or pecans, peanuts or even walnuts.
• Try different candies- There are many different types of Easter candies, chocolate, and sprinkles to choose from. Mix things up and see what combination you like best.
• Try different chocolate chips- I used semisweet and butterscotch but but you can use dark or milk chocolate or even white chocolate. Just know it will be a white nest instead of brown if you use white.
• Vary the candies- You can use jelly beans or seasonal bird and chick candies.
• Sprinkle with sea salt at the end- This makes a delicious sweet and salty treat.
• Add roughly chopped mini pretzels rods- This can be in addition to the noodles or instead of them.
• Make a large nest- Instead of making these small individual sized cookies, spread the mixture in a circular formation on a large tray and stick the chick candies before the chocolate sets. You can even use a combination of large and small eggs.

Tips and techniques

• If the candies are not sticking securely to the nest- Try to stick them on with a little bit of melted chocolate, because it acts like a glue.
• Line cookie tray with wax paper- Because otherwise the bird nests will stick to the pan and be difficult to serve out nicely and the pan will be more difficult to clean.
• Make the indents in the middle of cookies while still warm- Because otherwise the chocolate firms up and you won't have that little spot to place your candies.
• Make clusters even- Use measuring spoons to scoop out even quantities so that all the nests are about the same size. Also, don't let the clusters touch each other or else they will stick together. Make sure there is some space between them.
• Chill in the freezer- Only do this if you are short on time. That will allow the chocolate to set quickly. However, please note that the sudden drop in temperature can sometimes create white streaks on the chocolate that's very ugly. That's why I prefer and recommend chilling in the refrigerator.

Recipe FAQs

Storage

• Refrigerate- Leftovers can be stored in a sealed container for up to 5 days. 
• Freeze- I don't recommend freezing them because they are not as crunchy upon thawing.
• Room temperature- Store them in a sealed container for up to 2 days away from sunlight.
• Make ahead- These can easily be made 2 days in advance.

More Easter desserts

• Peeps Cake
• Easter Egg Cake
• Easter Bunny Cake
• Carrot Cake
• Carrot Cupcakes
• Easy Lamb Cake (With Marshmallows)

Recipe