Christmas Wreath Cookies
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Deck the halls (and the kitchen) with festive Christmas wreath cookies!
Christmas wreath cookies are a fun holiday baking project for kids and adults alike, and the finished treats are adorable and delicious. Made with cornflakes, marshmallows, and green food coloring, the “cookies” are a festive twist on the classic Rice Krispie treats or my not-so-classic but crazy delicious Golden Rice Krispie Treats. They have a crispy, crunchy, gooey texture that is perfect for shaping into wreaths and decorating with colorful icing, sugar pearls, mini candies, or whatever you like. Cinnamon red hots are traditionally used for the berries/ornaments, but I prefer to use red decorating icing—it’s easier to adhere, and I think it tastes better, too. Once the wreaths are finished, you can share them with friends, hang them on your tree, or just keep them all to yourself—however you decide to enjoy them, these treats make a wonderful holiday tradition. If preparing these gets you in the mood to create more holiday goodies and you’ve got little ones who want to get involved, this marbled peppermint bark (with only 3 ingredients!) is super simple to make and will get everyone in on the Christmas spirit!
“We love trying all your recipes, Jenn, and this is such a fun variation on the Rice Krispie treats as we know them…These wreaths were a HIT!!”
What You’ll Need To Make Christmas Wreath Cookies
- Cornflakes Cereal: Provides the main texture and structure for the wreaths, creating their distinctive crunchy base.
- Butter: Melts down with the marshmallows to create a smooth and sticky mixture that binds the cereal together.
- Marshmallows: Act as the glue that holds the wreaths together, providing sweetness and stickiness to the mixture. You won’t need the entire bag; just 30 marshmallows.
- Green Food Coloring: Gives the wreaths their vibrant green color, resembling the foliage of a Christmas wreath.
- Vanilla Extract: Adds a subtle flavor and aroma to the mixture, enhancing its overall taste.
- Red Decorating Icing: Adds festive berries to the wreaths, providing visual appeal and a burst of color.
- Confectioners’ Sugar: Optional, but adds a snowy effect to the wreaths, enhancing their festive appearance.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-By-Step Instructions
Place 2 cups of the cornflakes in a large resealable plastic bag. Seal the bag and pound with your hands until the cornflakes are crushed and similar in size to Rice Krispies. Set aside.
In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat.
Add the marshmallows.
Cook, stirring frequently, until completely melted.
Remove the pan from the heat and add the salt, food coloring, and vanilla.
Stir until the mixture is uniformly green.
Add the crushed cornflakes and the remaining 2 cups of cornflakes.
Stir until the mixture is uniform.
Fill a wide skillet with 1 inch of very hot water. Place the saucepan into the skillet so the cornflake mixture stays warm.
Using two spoons, drop mounds of the cornflake mixture (about 2 heaping tablespoons each) onto the prepared pans.
Spray your fingers with nonstick cooking spray, and then use your fingers to form the mounds into wreath shapes. If using candies, press them on to the wreaths while they are still warm and sticky.
Let set until cool, dry to the touch, and stiff enough to lift from the baking sheets, about 1 hour. Using a mini fine sieve, dust the tops of the wreaths with the confectioners’ sugar, so that it looks like snow.
Pipe berries onto each wreath with the decorating icing (an odd number of berries looks best). Store the wreaths in a single layer in an airtight container.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sure! They keep nicely for up to 3 days. Store them in a single layer in an airtight container at room temperature.
Yes, they freeze nicely — place the wreaths in a single layer in an airtight container and freeze for up to 6 weeks. Let stand at room temperature for about an hour before serving.
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Deck the halls (and the kitchen) with festive Christmas wreath cookies!
Ingredients
- 4 cups cornflakes cereal, divided
- 1 stick (½ cup) unsalted butter
- 30 large marshmallows, from 1 (12-oz) bag
- ¼ teaspoons salt
- 1½ teaspoons green food coloring
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Red decorating icing with a plain piping tip, for berries (see note)
- Confectioners' sugar, for snow (optional)
Instructions
- Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Spray the parchment lightly with nonstick cooking spray.
- Place 2 cups of the cornflakes in a large resealable plastic bag. Seal the bag and pound with your hands until the cornflakes are crushed and similar in size to Rice Krispies. Set aside.
- In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add the marshmallows, and cook, stirring frequently, until completely melted. Remove the pan from the heat and add the salt, food coloring, and vanilla; stir until the mixture is evenly green. Add the crushed cornflakes and the remaining 2 cups of cornflakes, and stir until the mixture is uniform.
- Fill a wide skillet with 1 inch of very hot water. Place the saucepan into the skillet so the cornflake mixture stays warm.
- Using two spoons, drop mounds of the cornflake mixture (about 2 heaping tablespoons each) onto the prepared pans. Spray your fingers with nonstick cooking spray, and then use your fingers to form the mounds into wreath shapes (spray your fingers with more nonstick cooking spray as necessary). Let set until cool, dry to the touch, and stiff enough to lift from the baking sheets, about 1 hour.
- Using a mini fine sieve, dust the top third of the wreaths with the confectioners' sugar, so that it looks like snow. Pipe berries onto each wreath with the decorating icing (an odd number of berries looks best). Store the wreaths in a single layer in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- Note: If you'd like to use sugar pearls or candies instead of icing for the berries, cinnamon red hots (or cinnamon imperials), sugar pearls, or mini red m&m's are all good options. Press them on while the wreaths are still warm and sticky, or "glue" them on with a dab of icing once the wreaths are dry.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: Place the wreaths in a single layer in an airtight container and freeze for up to 6 weeks. Let stand at room temperature for about an hour before serving.
Nutrition Information
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- Serving size: 1 plain wreath
- Calories: 105
- Fat: 5g
- Saturated fat: 3g
- Carbohydrates: 16g
- Sugar: 8g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 1g
- Sodium: 59mg
- Cholesterol: 12mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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next day my cookies still very sticky. What can I do?
Diana
I’d try putting them in the fridge. That may take some of the tackiness away.
We love trying all your recipes, Jenn, and this is such a fun variation on the Rice Krispie treats as we know them. We used Red Hots for the berries (my 6 and 4 year old were helping) to keep it simple. These wreaths were a HIT!! Thanks for sharing your amazing recipes with the world. Merry Christmas to my favorite chef and inspiration! ❤️
💕
Super yummy gooeyness! And I used vegan marshmallows and natural green dye which means they were less green and more khaki but oh my goodness so yummy and I love that no oven is required! Thanks for sharing a classic, Jenn! Happy Holidays! 🎄