Ready for some healthier Easter fun with your kiddos? Try these adorable No-bake Easter Nests!
These delicious "nests" are made with simple ingredients you may already have around the house!
Full disclaimer. I didn't have candy eggs so I photo-shopped those in until I can get a better photo, haha.
Easter is coming!
Spring is around the corner and you know what that means, so is Easter! It might be a little difficult to get your kids to limit their sugar intake with all the yummy Easter treats they'll be around at places like school and outdoor Easter events.
Healthy Easter Fun
Today I'm going to share with you a simple, healthy, and delicious recipe based on Joy Food Sunshine that you can make at home that's so simple that even the kids can help out! This recipe requires no baking, just a little bit of time stirring a pot over the stove. So limited parental supervision needed, woohoo!
Ingredients for No-bake Easter Nests
This recipe doesn't require any special ingredients so you're more than likely to already have everything at home. If not, there are substitutes you can make along the way. The recipe calls for peanut butter, but you can use whatever nut butter you like that fits your respective dietary needs - we changed it up and used almond butter. The only thing I recommend is using a smooth variety of nut butter so the mixture is easier to form into nests later.
Ingredient Options
You could also use peanut butter/dark chocolate chips if you're in a rush and want something that melts faster. Maple syrup is used to sweeten things up in this recipe since there's no refined sugar here, but if you simply cannot part with your chocolate, you can opt for dark chocolate chips to make things a little healthier. You can cut back on the maple syrup all together or just use less, it would depend on how bitter the dark chocolate you use is.
If you don't care for coconut flakes, you could increase the amount of oats you use for the recipe and omit them altogether, or you could substitute it with something like crushed up corn flakes to imitate something of similar consistency.
Finally kids can play with their food!
Let the kids get involved once it's time to shape the batter into little nests, not only is it fun but it goes by quickly! They can get creative with it and shape them into whatever shapes they want, really. As for topping the nests later, you can get creative with that too! You could use store-bought candies in the shape of eggs to fill them, or jelly beans, or make your own fun plant-based iteration at home! And there you have it, a cute, festive treat that's delectable, and won't give your kids or yourself a sugar rush like what you see in the cartoons!
No-Bake Easter Nests
Makes 14 Cookies
Ingredients
1 cup oats
1/2 cup almond butter
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup shredded coconut
1/4 TSP sea salt
1 TSP vanilla extract
2 TBSP cocoa powder
Directions
Lay parchment paper on a baking sheet and set aside.
In a pot, combine peanut butter, maple syrup, salt and coconut oil. Heat until well combined.
Combine oats and vanilla, and mix well. After a minute, add shredded coconut and mix until everything is completely combined.
Distribute mixture onto your prepared baking sheet in 1 TBSP amounts. Press into a nest shape. Continue doing this until you've used up the whole mixture.
Cool nests in fridge or freeze until hardened. Top with candy eggs!
Author: Shruti is a current intern and recent graduate from The University of North Texas holding a bachelor’s of business administration degree in marketing. She has a passion for digital marketing, with a focus on social media, and advertising. In her free time, she enjoys baking, watching movies, and going on hikes.