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Crispy, sweet and fun, this Cornflake Wreath recipe is a snack that looks festive with very little work, no bake Christmas treats with just 5 ingredients. Reminiscent of the classic rice krispies treats that come together fast with butter and marshmallows, the party dessert table just got a lot more fun.
This recipe makes about 9 large wreaths, or 14 smaller ones. Double the recipe if you are serving a crowd.
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How to Make Christmas Cornflake Wreaths
Lots of good hints in the Tips for Success section below, so if you are Jumping To Recipe, please give that section a quick glance for help.
Step 1: Gather the salted butter, mini marshmallows, green gel food coloring, corn flakes and red hot candies. Line a baking sheet or a sturdy cutting board with parchment or wax paper.
Step 2: Set a large saucepot on medium heat. Add the butter and melt completely, stirring often. Add the marshmallows next, stirring continuously so it doesn’t burn. Once completely melted, measure out 1 to 2 teaspoons of green gel coloring until the color is even. Stir until the color is even.
Step 3: Take the pot off the heat. Measure out the corn flakes and add to the pot; gently stir until every piece of cereal is coated green.
Step 4: Spray a measuring cup with nonstick cooking spray and scoop about 1/3 cup of the warm mixture for each wreath onto the lined sheet.
Step 5: To shape each wreath: Spray your hands with nonstick spray and roll each portion into a tube (a straight line). See photo above.
Step 6: Working quickly so the mixture stays warm: Bring the two ends of the tube together, press them gently to seal, and shape the cereal into a round wreath, leaving about a quarter-sized hole in the center (too small of a hole and they will look like donuts instead of wreaths).
Step 7: Press three red hots or red mini-M&MS onto each still-warm wreath for the “berries,” then repeat with the rest of the warm mixture. Wreaths will cool and set in about 30 minutes.
Tools & Equipment
- Large pot
- Silicone spatula
- 1/3 cup measuring cup
- Baking sheet or large cutting board
- Parchment or wax paper
- Nonstick cooking spray (important since you will be using your hands to shape the wreaths)
- Latex food-safe gloves, if desired instead of your bare hands
Tips for Success
- If you want your wreaths a darker green than what’s shown, double the amount of food coloring gel. Here’s an icing color chart from Wilton as a guide to food coloring combinations to help you get the color you want.
- Like rice-krispies treats, the Christmas cornflake wreaths are sticky while still warm. Since these need to be shaped into round “wheels” the nonstick spray will help get the job done with less frustration.
- If you use gloves, spray the gloves, because the mixture will stick to those too. If you use a spoon to help shape them, you may want to spray that too.
- Work quickly to scoop and form into wreaths. Don’t let the mixture get too cool in the pot; if you have to step away, put the pot with the mixture on the lowest heat. Don’t stir until you can see the butter glisten a bit so you know it’s becoming pliable. You want it just warm enough to be pliable, so don’t let it overheat either.
- If you’re not a fan of the cinnamon flavor or red hots, red/green mini M&M candy baking bits (aff link) would work too
- Don’t want all the food coloring? Leave it out of the cereal altogether and add some maple leaf edible candy decor for an au naturel wreath appearance.
- For storing or taking these to go, cut out pieces of wax or parchment paper so each wreath can have a nonstick surface to sit on.
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Cornflake Wreaths
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp salted butter
- 10 oz miniature marshmallows
- 1-2 tsp green gel food coloring (more if you want a darker green)
- 5 cups corn flakes cereal not frosted flakes
- 30 red hot candies or mini M&M baking bits
- nonstick cooking spray for your hands
Instructions
- Line a baking sheet or large, sturdy cutting board with parchment or wax paper. Set aside.
- Set a large saucepot on medium heat. Melt the butter completely.
- Once melted, add the marshmallows. Heat over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the marshmallows are completely melted.
- Add 1 to 2 teaspoons of green gel coloring and stir gently until fully incorporated into the melted marshmallow mixture.
- Remove from the heat and add the corn flakes. Stir gently to coat all of the cereal.
- Spray your hands with nonstick spray. Take about 1/3 cup of the mixture for each wreath and form it into a tube shape/straight line.
- Connect the two ends to form a wreath, pressing the ends together and shaping the cereal until you get the wreath shape you want. A hole the size of a quarter helps create the wreath; any smaller and it will look more like a donut.
- Gently press three of the red hots or mini M&Ms into a cluster on the completed wreath while it's still slightly warm. Repeat until all mixture has been formed into wreaths.
Notes
- Gel food coloring gives a deep green without thinning the marshmallow. Liquid coloring takes more and can make the mixture sticky.
- Work while the mixture is warm. It firms up as it cools, so shape the wreaths right away. If you need to step away, reheat the mixture on low and stir once it begins to become pliable.
- Re-spray your hands every third wreath or so, so the cereal does not stick to your fingers. If you use kitchen gloves, you’ll want to spray those too.
- Press the red hots/M&M minis in while the wreaths are still soft so they stay put.
- Storage: airtight at room temperature up to 3 days, with wax or parchment paper between layers.
Nutrition
The bottom line
What’s not to love about the flavor combination of marshmallows and butter? This classic, dare I say vintage recipe for no bake christmas wreath cookies has the rich flavor of cornflakes instead of crisped rice. Can you use crisped rice cereal? Yes, but you don’t get that cool “leafy” appearance. Once you get in the kitchen, this becomes your cornflake wreath recipe. You can even leave out the food coloring and make all them au naturel if you want.
