You are in for a treat.... actually two treats! This is one of those recipes that can make two different outcomes depending on what you'd like. With spring around the corner and Easter soon after, I have some fun rice crispy nests and baskets for you to make and eat. Your kiddos are going to love helping you with these, or better yet, following the steps below to make them by themselves. They are easy, fun, and turn out so cute! Round up a few things and get started!
Rice Crispy Nests and Easter Baskets
Makes 12
2 tablespoons butter
1 (10 oz.) bag mini marshmallows
6 cups gluten free crispy rice cereal
1 cup shredded coconut
Green food coloring
Cadbury Mini Eggs
M&M's Eggs candy, optional
Tan colored pipe cleaners for handles
In a large microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter and marshmallows on high for 1-2 minutes, until you can stir and it is completely smooth. Pour in the cereal and stir with a spatula to coat all. Lightly spray a muffin tin with baking spray. Using wet hands, grab handfuls and divide the mixture among the twelve cups. Press in (rewetting hands as needed), and push the center down even more to create an indent in the center. If making nests, allow to cool and set before removing to parchment to finish. If making baskets, leave in the muffin tin and insert pipe cleaner handles while soft. Allow to set (can even refrigerate) before removing. To decorate both nests and baskets, put the coconut into a zip bag and add 4-5 drops of green food coloring. Seal the bag and shake to coat. Once the coconut is green like grass, fill each nest/basket with about a tablespoon. Top with egg candies of choice.
Step-by-step tutorial:
Gather your ingredients. You will need butter, marshmallows, crispy rice cereal (we love Wegman's because it's GF, but there are others - I've even see Kellogg's has a version), coconut, green food coloring, Cadbury Mini Eggs, M&M Eggs, and some tan or brown pipe cleaner (we found these at Michael's).
In a large microwave-safe bowl, add 2 tablespoons of butter and 1 whole (10 oz.) bag of miniature marshmallows. Microwave on high for 1-2 minutes until it is puffed up and fills the bowl. As you stir with a spatula, it will completely melt and become smooth (sticky, yes, but smooth). Add 6 cups of cereal to the melted marshmallow and stir to coat all.
You've got a big bowl of rice crispy treat material here. Now let's do fun things with it!
Grease a muffin tin. Using wet hands (I just keep the faucet barely on so I can put my hands under when it starts to stick) grab handfuls of the mixture and divide it up between all the cups. Press them down into the cups to get the cup shape, then using your thumb, press even harder in the middle to make a big indent like a nest would have. You don't want it to be a hole that goes to the bottom, and you don't want it too deep. Just a nice little indent to fill with goodies!
To prepare you "grass", put 1 cup coconut shreds or flakes into a zipper bag. Add 4-5 drops of green food coloring. Seal the bag and shake the coconut until it has all turned green. Kids really love this part! Put about a tablespoon into each indent.
If you want to make baskets, cut the pipe cleaner the desired length, then insert into the cereal mixture while still in the pan. You want the crispy treat to set with the handle inside so it's attached well. Once they are set, top all with some candy eggs. I like to use the Cadbury Mini Eggs for the nests and love the colors of the M&M's eggs for the baskets.
Super easy, and so, so cute! Don't you think? Kiddos really enjoy making these. Little hands can help with so many parts, including snitching some of the eggs while topping each nest and basket.
I even have a kid who doesn't love coconut, but he won't turn these down. He just eats the eggs, dumps the coconut, then devours the nest! Haha.
The baskets just look like Easter! I was so excited to find these brightly speckled M&M's. These are peanut butter flavor, but they had other kinds as well.
Spring is a time to enjoy better weather as well as time with your kiddos. Sometimes having a fun project to do makes it even more memorable! Happy Easter!
Recipe Source: Recipe from Shanna's recipe box