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Cornflake Wreaths are made with cornflakes, marshmallows, and green food coloring!
These cute traditional Christmas cookies only take 20 minutes to make and are made with simple ingredients.
The whole time I was making these cornflake wreaths I was thinking how the melted marshmallow mixture with green food coloring looked like slime and it totally reminded me of ghost busters.
Since halloween was earlier this week (and yes, I am already sharing recipes for Christmas!) I kept thinking how perfect this recipe would be if you turned the cookies into slimy green monsters with eyeballs. I’ll have to save that idea for Halloween next year.
While cornflake Christmas wreath cookies aren’t new, we’re sharing our easy recipe with you – complete with a 30 second video demonstrating all the steps! You can find the video in the recipe card below.
Why You’ll Love These
- Made with a handful of ingredients.
- No baking required. These cornflake Christmas wreaths are the perfect no bake christmas cookies!
- Perfect for little helpers. Get the whole family involved this holiday season.
Ingredients
Cornflake cookies are a Christmas time sweet treat that are perfect for cookie exchanges, a holiday party or cookie trays!
- unsalted butter
- mini marshmallows, large marshmallows are okay too!
- green food coloring
- cornflake cereal
- mini red chocolate candies (like mini m&ms or red hots)
- twizzler’s pull and peels for the bows
How To Make Christmas Wreath Cornflake Cookies
- Baking sheets. Line 2 baking sheets with silicone baking mats, parchment paper, or wax paper.
- Twizzler’s Bows. If using twizzler’s pull and peels to make bows, assemble the bows now. I took a single pull and peel and formed a figure 8, then cut off the ends of the bow, so they looked proportionate. You can place a baking sheet on top of the bows to keep them from coming apart.
- Melt marshmallow mixture. In a medium pot, melt the butter and marshmallows over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the marshmallows are melted. Add in green food coloring until you have your desired green color.
- Coat cornflakes. Pour the melted marshmallows over the cornflakes, mixing with a spatula until all the corn flakes are covered.
- Form wreath shape. To form the wreaths, I found it easiest to spray my hands with a little bit of nonstick cooking spray, then take a handful of the cornflake mixture and form it into a ball. Use the palm of your hand to flatten the ball into circle. Next use your finger to poke a hole through the middle of the circle and reshape as needed until you have a wreath shape.
To Form the Wreaths
I found it easiest to spray my hands with a little bit of cooking spray, then take a handful of the corn flake mixture and form it into a ball.
Use the palm of your hand to flatten the ball into circle. Next use your finger to poke a hole through the middle of the circle and reshape as needed until you have a wreath shape.
Place on the lined baking sheet and add the chocolate candies right away while the marshmallows mixture is still sticky. Add a twizzler bow if desired
Place the cornflake wreaths in the refrigerator for 20-30 minutes to set. Remove from the fridge, serve and enjoy. Store in an airtight container.
Variations
Cereal. I really like using cornflakes to make these festive wreaths. The texture is spot on and resembles pine leaves. I have heard that some people like to use frosted flakes, which would give you the same look too!
You can also make these festive treats with rice krispies cereal. Using a different cereal will give them a different look, but they will taste the same!
Red candies. The original cornflake cookie recipe floating around in internet-land calls for red hots as the holly berries, but I’m not a fan of mixing sweet Christmas treats with something spicy like cinnamon red hots.
I used mini red coated chocolate candies instead. They are pretty much mini m&ms just sold by another brand. I was able to find them in the baking section of the local grocery store near the other candy sprinkles and muffin liners.
Bows. I added edible bows made out of twizzler’s pull and peels. I took a single pull and peel and formed a figure 8, then cut off the ends of the bow, so they looked proportionate. You could use fruit roll ups to make bows too.
What Kind of Food Coloring To Use
For the photos I used non-gel food coloring, like McCormick’s regular liquid food coloring that comes in little squirt bottles. The result is a lighter green color. For the video I used gel food coloring, which is more pigmented and results in a deeper, green color. Add green food coloring until you reach your desired color.
Tips for Success
Spray your hands with nonstick spray before shaping the wreaths. Re-apply as needed. This help to prevent the gooey marshmallows and corn flakes from sticking to your hands.
Stick them in the fridge to set faster if needed.
Store them in an airtight container on the counter.
More Christmas Desserts
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Cornflake Wreaths
Ingredients
- 1 stick unsalted butter, 1/2 cup
- 1 bag mini marshmallows, 10 oz
- Green food coloring
- 5 cups cornflakes cereal
- Mini red chocolate candies, like mini m&ms or red hots
- Twizzler’s pull and peels for the bows
Instructions
- Line 2 baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper.
- If using twizzler’s pull and peels to make bows, assemble the bows now. You can place a baking sheet on top of the bows to keep them from coming apart.
- In a medium pot, melt the butter and marshmallows over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the marshmallows are melted. Add in green food coloring until you have your desired green color.
- Pour the melted marshmallows over the cornflakes, mixing with a spatula until all the cornflakes are covered.
- To form the wreaths, I found it easiest to spray my hands with a little bit of nonstick cooking spray, then take a handful of the cornflake mixture and form it into a ball. Use the palm of your hand to flatten the ball into circle. Next use your finger to poke a hole through the middle of the circle and reshape as needed until you have a wreath shape.
- Place on the lined baking sheet and add the chocolate candies right away while the marshmallows mixture is still sticky. Add a twizzler bow if desired
- Place the christmas wreaths in the refrigerator for 20-30 minutes to set. Remove from the fridge, serve and enjoy. Store in an airtight container.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclosure
All nutritional values are approximate and provided to the reader as a courtesy. Changing ingredients and/or quantities will alter the estimated nutritional calculations.
Would coconut oil work in place of the butter?
Hi Dee! I’m not 100% sure – maybe look to see if other people have used coconut oil as a substitution in making rice krispies!
Hi I’m beth looking for good almond cookie recipe plain
Hi Beth! I don’t personally have one, sorry!
My favorite!!!! Love these!
These are really great for Christmas! I added 1/2 teaspoon of Almond Extract also. Very Good!
I do love almond extract!
Been making these over 40yrs. You use 1tsp of green food coloring (looks like a lot but it gives the best uniform color) AND 1tsp of vanilla extract (gives them actual flavor instead of tasting like a greasy marshmallow) add both after the marshmallows have completely melted and pot is off the heat.
You can also use 30 regular size marshmallows instead of mini. I also just cover my kitchen table with wax paper and drop the mixture by spoonfuls onto it then poke an oiled wooden spoon handle end in the middle to make the wreath.
I’m with u on the red hots (yuck) and just use a little tube of premade decorating icing from the baking aisle to put a few tiny red dots on and it doesn’t really add any flavor. I never had much luck with candies sticking to them. I stop making batches when the table is covered. Then I let them sit for a couple hrs before packaging them in tins( big popcorn tins work great) with layers of wax paper in between. P.S. if I’m in a hurry they just get dropped in piles with no shaping or frills and call them “Grinch” cookies lol
Fantastic tips! I’ve been looking for the best/easiest tips to make these and I appreciate yours and the time you took to post this
Can you use Vegan Marshmallow fluff instead of mini marshmallows?
Hi Deborah! I’m not sure, I have no experience with vegan marshmallow fluff. Report back if you use it!
Hi there! Can you tell me if these freeze well? Or how long they might last in the fridge? Thank you!!
Hi Jenelle! They would freeze similar to rice krispie treats. Perhaps google and see what other’s suggest on that! They will last up to 5 days in the fridge.
These Christmas wreath cookies seem adorable, my daughter will love to try these!
My mom used to make these when I was younger. I love the Grinch Cookie idea.