These adorable Puffed Wheat Mini Egg Nests are made with puffed wheat cereal coated in a sticky chocolate mixture and topped with pretty pastel mini eggs.
In my research for writing this blogpost, I learned that just like Nanaimo Bars and Butter Tarts, puffed wheat squares are a Canadian dessert! That explains the lack of recipes for these tasty treats out there! I grew up with my Grandma making these squares made of puffed wheat coated in a buttery and gooey cocoa mixture. They are so yummy!
This recipe is a variation of this classic sticky chocolate dessert but made into adorable little clusters that resemble bird's nests and topped with mini candy-coated chocolate eggs. If you are a big fan of mini eggs, be sure to check out my No-Bake Mini Egg Cheesecakes! For other delicious Easter recipes, be sure to visit my Carrot Spice Muffins or my yummy Frosted Hot Cross Buns.
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⭐️ Why You Need to Make This Recipe
- Loaded with cocoa goodness! The cocoa powder gives these treats a deep chocolate flavor that offsets the sweetness of the brown sugar and syrup perfectly!
- Super cute! These nests are equal parts adorable and yummy.
- Quick + Easy. You can whip up this recipe in under 15 minutes and they only take about 10 minutes to cool down.
🧈 Ingredients
Here are the ingredients needed to make these mini egg puffed wheat treats.
Ingredient Highlights
- Cocoa Powder - I like to use this Dutch-processed cocoa powder in most of my baking.
- Salt (not pictured) - Just a ¼ teaspoon of salt helps bring out the flavors so much more.
- Puffed Wheat - Plain, unflavored, unsweetened puffed wheat is available at most grocery stores in the cereal aisle.
- Mini Eggs - Any candy-coated chocolate eggs would work but I prefer the flavor of Cadbury Mini Eggs. You could even top the nests with jelly beans instead.
See the recipe card for the full list of ingredients with measurements.
📃 Instructions
Step 1: Combine the butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, cocoa powder, and salt in a heavy saucepan.
Step 2: Heat over medium heat while stirring often until the mixture comes to a boil. Boil for 1 minute while whisking. Remove from the heat and whisk in the vanilla.
Step 3: Immediately pour the cooked mixture over the puffed wheat in a large bowl.
Step 4: Working quickly fold the mixture until the puffed wheat is completely coated in the chocolate mixture.
Step 5: While the mixture is still hot, drop by large spoonful onto a wax paper lined sheet pan and form into clusters. Top with 3 or more mini chocolate eggs. Let cool fully before serving.
💡 Top Tip
Only boil the cocoa mixture for 1 minute. Boiling for longer will cause it to harden too much and you will end up with a hard and crunchy result instead of a chewy and soft texture.
You need to work very quickly with the coated puffed wheat mixture as it will cool down and solidify quickly. Be careful, though, as it is very hot to begin with!
❓ Recipe FAQs
Puffed wheat squares or treats are a dessert originating and made in Canada.
You could try to use honey instead of corn syrup in this recipe.
You could top these puffed wheat nests with jelly beans or regular chocolate eggs instead of candy-coated chocolate eggs.
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
🌸 More Easter Recipes
Looking for more yummy recipes to make this Easter? Try these next:
If you tried these Chocolate Mini Egg Nests or any other recipe on my website, please leave a ⭐️ star rating and write a little note telling me how it went in the comments below. Thank you!!
📖 Recipe
Puffed Wheat Mini Egg Nests
Equipment
- baking sheet
- wax paper or non-stick spray
- medium-size saucepan
- silicone spatula
- mixing bowl
Ingredients
- ¼ cup salted butter
- ½ cup brown sugar packed
- 6 tablespoons corn syrup
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 cups puffed wheat cereal *
- ¾ cup Cadbury mini eggs *
Instructions
- Line a baking sheet with wax paper or spray with non-stick spray. Place the puffed wheat in a large heat-safe mixing bowl.
- Mix the butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, cocoa powder, and salt in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat and boil for 1 minute * while stirring constantly. Remove from the heat, whisk in the vanilla, and add to the puffed wheat in the bowl. Stir until fully coated.
- Drop the mixture into clusters onto the prepared pan and top each one with 3 mini eggs. Let cool for at least 15 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
Notes
- Plain, unflavored, unsweetened puffed wheat is available at most grocery stores in the cereal aisle.
- Any candy-coated chocolate eggs would work but I prefer the flavor of Cadbury Mini Eggs. You could even top them with jelly beans instead.
- Only boil the cocoa mixture for 1 minute. Boiling for longer will cause it to harden too much and you will end up with a hard and crunchy result instead of a chewy and soft texture.
Jennifer John
Delicious and super easy to make! I love how chocolatey and festive they are. I would like to try with Rice Krispies next Time in hopes they come out more crunchy! Great recipe.
Naomi
Thank you for the review, Jennifer!! That is a good idea, let me know how it goes!
Naomi