No Bake Mini Bird Nests

No bake mini bird nests have only three ingredients, can easily be made gluten free, and only take a few minutes.

As we learn about Psalm 23 in our VBS this year, these bird nests remind us that God comforts us and protects us just like a mother bird shelters and protects her eggs and babies under her wings. His rod and his staff comfort us. A shepherd used his staff to protect the sheep from predators and direct them where to go.

This snack also coordinates with the Answers in Genesis Emerald Crossing animal pal of day three.

Allergen Considerations

While this recipe can easily be made gluten free, it does contain peanuts which are a common allergen. Please inquire about your organizations peanut policy, as some places do not allow peanuts to be served at all. Chocolate also contains dairy unless you buy a dairy free brand such as Enjoy Life.

No Bake Mini Bird Nests

Serving Size

One nest with 3 eggs

Supply List

• Crispy Rice Cereal
• Chocolate or Butterscotch Chips
• Peanut Butter
• Candy Eggs
• Napkins

Equipment

• Standard Size Muffin Pan
• Saucepan
• Spatula
• Freezer

Number of People	50	100	150	200
Crispy Rice Cereal	15 cups (2 boxes)	27 cups (3 boxes)	39 cups (4 boxes)	50 cups (5 boxes)
Baking Chips	5 cups	9 cups	13 cups	17 cups
Green Apples	5 cups	9 cups	13 cups	17 cups
Number of Batches	5	9	13	17
Candy Eggs	150	300	450	600

Cereal: A standard 12 oz box of crispy cereal has approximately 12 cups of cereal (4 batches – 48 nests).

Baking Chips: a 12 ounce (by weight) bag of baking chips yields about two cups. If the measurements aren’t exact that’s ok. A 12 ounce bag should make two batches.

Peanut Butter: 16 ounces (by volume) is equal to two cups. One 16 ounce jar should make two batches (if you have a little less than 1 cup per batch that is OK.). A 40 ounce jar should make 5 batches.

Candy Eggs: You can use eggs of your choice. From jelly beans to Cadbury eggs there are many options. Robins Eggs are another brand. Try a round option, like Whoppers, if egg shapes are not available.

No Bake Nests Recipe

This recipe makes one dozen bird nests. Because most people only have a 12 well muffin pan you have to make this one batch at a time. This is a great recipe to get volunteers involved with because it only takes 10 minutes to make a batch and they store decently for a few days. You could even store them in the freezer.. We have a few ladies that bake for us when needed and it works out well for our VBS.

• 1 cup chocolate chips OR butterscotch chips
• 1 cup peanut butter
• 3 cups crispy rice cereal
• 36 candy eggs

Melt

Melt the chips (chocolate, butterscotch, or a combination) and peanut butter on low heat in a saucepan.

I’m old school and use my stove and oven as much as possible. You could also melt the baking chips in a microwave in short bursts, stirring often.

Mix It Together

Fold in the crispy cereal with a spatula and distribute evenly into the wells of a muffin ban.

Mold the Nests

Use the back of a spoon coated with butter or cooking spray to gently press the cereal mixture into a nest shape in each well. Have the center be slightly lower and the wall edges be higher so it will hold the eggs.

Place in the freezer to harden. This will only take a short amount of time. (15-20 minutes)

To remove the nests from the muffin pan, place the pan upside down on the counter for a few minutes to allow the edges to just start to warm. The nests should fall out on their own.

I initially tried running the bottom of the pan under warm water, but be aware the nests will fall out into the sink if you try this. I then used the sprayer head and held the pan vertically, which worked much better

Store in an air tight container.

Serving Suggestion

Serve on a napkin or in a paper muffin liner.

Drink Suggestion

I recommend serving this treat with milk 🙂

Looking for other VBS recipe ideas?

Don’t loose this idea. Save it to Pintrest.