These easy bird’s nest treats are the perfect Easter no-bake cookie option. Just 4 ingredients and a few minutes are all that’s needed to make this fun and crunchy sweet treat!
5.5Ouncesbutterscotch baking chips(I use ½ of an 11-ounce bag)
6Ouncesmilk chocolate chips(I just use half of an 11.5-ounce bag)
36Minimilk chocolate candy eggs(such as Cadbury)
Instructions
Line a baking sheet or rack (or even your counter) with a piece of parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. You can also use a muffin tin if preferred, which can be sprayed with nonstick spray or you can use paper liners
In a large microwave safe bowl, combine the milk chocolate and butterscotch chips
Cook on high in 30-second increments, stirring each time, until the mixture is fully melted and smooth. It took me 1 minute total in a 1000W microwave
Fold in the chow mein noodles, stirring until they are completely coated in the chocolate mixture
5 Ounce jar chow mein noodles
Spoon about 2 Tbsp of the mixture out onto the parchment paper (or into a muffin tin) and form into a “nest” shape by using your fingers to create an indent in the middle. Tip: just eyeball it; you can’t really measure with the stringy noodles, and it doesn’t need to be exact
Top each nest with 3 candy eggs. I prefer to do this before the chocolate sets, so that they actually adhere to the nest, but you can also add them after if you’d like
36 Mini milk chocolate candy eggs
Allow the nests to set until they firm, then enjoy! You can speed up this process by placing them in the refrigerator for 15-20 minutes
Notes
You can also use broken up pretzels or shredded wheat (the biscuits, not the little cereal bites) instead of or in combination with the Chinese chow mein noodles
Instead of butterscotch chips you can use ½ cup of creamy peanut butter (you can also add this in addition to the chips if preferred)
It’s fine to omit the milk chocolate if you prefer a lighter brown “nest” and just use butterscotch (with or without peanut butter)
For a gooier consistency, you can add 2 cups of melted mini marshmallows to your mixture, but I personally find it too sticky and troublesome to work with
Feel free to use any brand of mini eggs you like (Hershey’s makes one too) or you can also substitute jelly beans or mini malted (Robin) eggs - they work equally well!
You can use more chocolate or butterscotch chips if you want a thicker chocolate coating. However, I find it tends to pool at the bottom and can be harder to bite, so I stick with the ratio in this recipe
Your nests don’t have to be perfectly shaped! Remember that natural bird nests in the wild always have twigs sticking out, so yours don’t have to be flawless - just delicious!
While you could try to use a spoon to shape the nests, I find it just isn’t as effective as fingers. Note, however, that they ARE going to get messy - it’s unavoidable! If you hate getting dirty, use a pair of disposable gloves or similar to keep the mess off
Store bird’s nest treats in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days. For a firmer bite, these haystacks can also be stored in the refrigerator, and keep well for up to a week. Make sure to use wax or parchment paper between layers if you stack them to prevent sticking!
Exact nutritional values will vary based on brand and flavor of ingredients, any swaps or additions, size of nests, and quantity consumed, so please consider this a guideline only