Christmas Wreath Treats

These Christmas wreath no-bake treats are both fun to make and fun to eat. 

 

You can use these wreaths both as a holiday dessert and/or a holiday decoration! You can even hang them from your tree, as long as you don't have any sneaky pets or children. 

I first saw the recipe for these no-bake Christmas wreaths on the back of a box of Corn Flakes. After going down the corn flake wreath rabbit hole, I learned that these goodies likely first were featured in The Ladies Home Journal about 45+ years ago. Where have I been? 

They definitely belong in your no-bake cookie repertoire, along with Rice Krispy squares, popcorn balls, or popcorn cookies. 

If you love cooking and baking projects with "little helpers," you definitely need to give these wreaths a try. They're perfect for parents, grandparents, and preschool teachers. 

These cookies taste similar to Rice Krispy Treats, only a bit toastier. 

Ingredients in These Christmas Wreath Treats:

Marshmallows: You can use mini or full-sized marshmallow. Just make sure that they are fresh. 

Unsalted Butter and Pure Vanilla Extract. 

Cornflakes. 

Red hot candies. 

Green Food Coloring: A lot of the versions of these wreaths I found on the interwebs are very bright green. I used a natural food coloring. Therefore, the green is not as intense. For a much greener color, food coloring gel would work. 

To Make the Wreaths:

First, melt the butter and the marshmallows together and then stir in the vanilla and food coloring. Toss in the cornflakes and gently stir until fully coated. 

Next, scoop the coated cornflakes onto an oiled parchment lined baking sheet and, using your oiled fingers, create a hole in the middle of the mounded flakes.

Finally, while the cornflake wreaths are still sticky, place a few cinnamon red hots on the "leaves." Let the wreaths dry for several hours. 

Recipe Variations and Ingredient Substitutions:

You can use a food coloring gel for a darker and more intensely green color. 

Rather than cooking the ingredients on the stove, you can microwave them. Just be sure to use a large bowl because the marshmallows tend to expand quite a bit while heating. 

Instead of using your fingers to form the center hole in the wreath, you can form the coated Cornflakes around a small round tube such as a cookie cutter, apple corer, or canoli tube. Just drop small amounts of the mixture around the tube and press it against it to from the wreath. 

If you want to make sure the candies stick to the wreaths, you could also pipe small dabs of frosting and attach the candies on top.

Instead of the redhots, you can substitute mini red M&Ms or dabs of red frosting. 

You can also add some red and green sprinkles or nonpariels. 

Finally, you could also dust the wreaths with some powdered sugar to look like snow!  

While these wreaths are fairly easy to form, they are super sticky, so be sure to coat your and your little helpers' fingers with nonstick spray as you work with the marshmallow coated cornflakes. 

Welcome to the last day of Christmas Cookies Week! 

Thank you to Jolene's Recipe Journal for putting this week together. 

Chocolate Covered Cherry Cookies by A Day in the Life on the Farm

Sandbakkels by Art of Natural Living

Christmas Shortbread Cookies with Sprinkles by Blogghetti

Cornmeal Dried Cranberry Brown Sugar Cookies by Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice

Peppermint Candy Sugar Cookies by Hezzi-D's Recipe Box

Chocolate Mint Thumbprints by Jolene's Recipe Journal

Christmas Wreath Treats by Karen's Kitchen Stories

Turtle Cookie Bars by Magical Ingredients

Welsh Cakes by That Recipe

Pecan Pie Cookies by The Spiffy Cookie

Sesame Shortbread Cookies by A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures

Christmas Wreath Treats

Yield: 18 cookies

Author: Karen Kerr

Prep time: 20 MinCook time: 15 MinTotal time: 35 Min

These Christmas wreath no-bake treats are both fun to make and fun to eat.

Ingredients

• Nonstick spray
• 1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter
• 30 large (208 grams) large marshmallow
• 1 3/4 teaspoons green food coloring
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 4 cups (140 grams) cornflakes
• About 2 tablespoons cinnamon redhots

Instructions

1. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and spray lightly with nonstick spray.
2. In a nonstick 3-quart saucepan, melt the butter. Add the marshmallow and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until melted.
3. Add the food coloring and vanilla and stir until completely combined.
4. Add the cornflakes and gently stir to completely coat.
5. Scoop about two heaping tablespoons of the mixture onto the parchment lined baking sheet, and, with oiled fingers, form the mound into a wreath. Decorate immediately with the redhots before the wreath hardens.
6. Repeat with the rest of the mixture.
7. To keep the mixture warm so that it doesn't harden while you are working with it, you can keep the pan nestled in a large bowl of hot water or over a super low heat burner.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

108

Fat (grams)

5 g

Sat. Fat (grams)

3 g

Carbs (grams)

15 g

Fiber (grams)

1 g

Net carbs

15 g

Sugar (grams)

7 g

Protein (grams)

1 g

Cholesterol (grams)

14 mg

https://www.karenskitchenstories.com/2024/12/christmas-wreath-treats.html

Karen's Kitchen Stories

cookies, no bake, Christmas

dessert

Adapted from Kellogg's Corn Flakes and The Cookie Bible