Easter Bird’s Nest Treats with Almond Bark and Golden Grahams
These adorable no bake Easter bird’s nest treats with almond bark and Golden Grahams are basically an Easter puppy chow snack bundled up into adorable little individual treats that look like bird’s nests. Fill them with Easter mini egg candies for a too-good-to-pass Easter party snack! Aside from calling it puppy chow, some people refer to this as an Easter white trash recipe. I’ve never cared as much for that name, but you call it whatever you want to!
What is in White Trash Recipes or Puppy Chow Recipes?
Recipes vary with ingredients, but most white trash recipes or puppy chow recipes include a crunchy blend of sweet and salty ingredients – nuts, pretzels, and cereal with a sugary coating. Some include a peanut butter or chocolate coating while others are simply sugar coatings.
Our Ingredients for No Bake Easter Bird’s Nest Treats
- Golden graham cereal
- Pretzel sticks
- Dry roasted peanuts
- Almond Bark Vanilla Flavored Candy Coating
- Mini Cadbury eggs (or other mini egg candy)
Additional Supplies Needed
- Standard muffin tins
- Large bowl or pot
- Second large bowl (microwaveable)
- Paper baking cups
Tips for Melting Almond Bark
The key to these no bake bird’s nest treats and most other no bake treats with almond bark is that you have to heat and melt the almond bark until smooth with no lumps. This means heating it in a microwave-safe bowl in intervals and stirring repeatedly. We also like to split the almond bark in half and work in batches.
- Split bark in half and place half in a microwave safe bowl. Heat for 30 seconds and then stir.
- Then, heat for 15-20 second intervals and stir – repeatedly until the mixture is completely melted.
- As soon as the batch is completely melted, get to work quickly with pouring and mixing into your puppy chow mixture. The longer you wait, the clumpier the melted almond bark will become.
Forming the Almond Bark Bird’s Nest Treats with Golden Grahams
We make sure to have our muffin tins already lined with the paper liners before we melt our almond bark. This will speed things up. You don’t want the puppy chow mixture setting too long in the bowl once it is combined with the melted almond bark. It will start to harden. You want to hurry and get it into the bird nest formations.
We spray a bit of cooking spray on our hands when we are scooping the combined mixture to add to the muffin liners. You can use a serving spoon to drop the ingredients too. But you will likely still wind up using your hands in some way.
With you hand, push a hole down into the center of each tin to form a nest. The hole won’t be drastic, but it will be somewhat of a slope that resembles a bird’s nest shape.
Later, you will add the candy eggs into the holes. (Note the picture below doesn’t have any liners. You can make these nests without liners, but it is sometimes a bit tricky to loosen them up from the tins.)
Different Cereals for Puppy Chow Nests
We made our Easter nests with Golden Grahams. But puppy chow is made in many variations with different cereals. You can make your Easter nests with cornflakes, Easter nests with shredded wheat, or Easter nests with chow mein noodles.
Types of Easter Candy to Put in the Bird’s Nest Easter Treats
You can pretty much put in any type of small egg-shaped candy that you find in the stores or online around Easter time. We have used Robin Eggs and Cadbury Mini Chocolate Eggs. While we haven’t used jelly beans, you certainly could!
More Great Easter Recipes
Be sure to check out a few other Easter treats when you are finished here!
And don’t forget to pin this post for later!
No Bake Easter Bird’s Nest Treats
Ingredients
- 6 cups Golden Grahams
- 3 cups Pretzel sticks
- 3 cups Roasted peanuts dry
- 24 oz Almond bark vanilla flavored
- 9 oz Cadbury eggs mini
Instructions
- Pour Golden Grahams cereal, pretzel sticks, and peanuts in a large bowl and mix together.
- Line muffin tins with paper baking cups.
- Add the almond bark to a microwave safe bowl. Heat for 30 seconds and stir. Continue to heat and stir in increments of 15 seconds until smooth. Do not burn!
- Once the almond bark is smooth, quickly add to the cereal mixture. Stir until completely coated.
- Scoop mixture into muffin tins lined with paper baking cups. Form a nest by creating a hole/slope in the center. Press into the sides of the muffin cup to form a nest. Work quickly focusing on making a hole in the center of the nest for your eggs.
- Once the treats begins to harden, carefully remove from the paper liner and place the candy eggs inside. Allow the treats to set for about one hour to completely dry.
