Easter is coming! Everyone knows that rabbits love peanut butter. My mother only made these for Easter, and what made them extra special was that my sister didn’t like them, so they were all mine! They are similar to Rice Krispie treats only tastier (because of the peanut butter). The smell of the brown sugar, coconut and peanut butter melting together is intoxicating – and as a bonus these cookies are vegan, gluten-free and dairy-free, so eat up! If you don’t like jelly beans, feel free to use candy-covered chocolate eggs instead, just make sure the nests are room temperature first. Happy early Easter!

Ingredients:Print

Instructions:

1. Combine cereal and coconut in a large bowl. In a medium saucepan, bring the remaining ingredients (corn syrup, brown sugar, peanut butter and vanilla) to a boil, stirring constantly. Pour into the bowl and stir until well mixed.

2. Let mixture sit until it is cool enough to handle, but the hotter it is the easier it will be to work with. Grab a small handful, squeeze together and shape into a nest. Place 3-4 vibrant jelly beans in the center. Let cool completely and store in a sealed container. Makes about 12-15 cookies.

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 1 nest
Servings per Batch 12
Amount Per Serving
Calories 220
Total Fat 10g
Saturated Fat 3.5g
Sodium 78mg
Total Carbohydrate 30g
Dietary Fiber 1.5g
Sugars 20g
Protein 4.5g
Filed in Dessert, Gluten Free, Peanut Butter, Vegetarian

56 Responses / Leave a comment »

  1. Celine says:

    peanut butter + coconut = so not a Hollywood marriage. it’s built to last, yum!

  2. Kath says:

    YUM YUM!!!

  3. Naomi Devlin says:

    Lovely photo, but I have to look away now because my teeth are screaming, aahhh!

    They’d be great to take on a hike no? I can imagine biting into one of them on top of a Dorset hill, looking out to sea. No hang on, my teeth hurt.

    x x x

  4. Elle says:

    Those look great! I think I’d have to put m&m “eggs” in them…

    yum!

  5. Ben says:

    They look so cute and yummy I could eat 10 right now, but I am on a diet (?) hehe. Great recipe.

  6. Fearless Kitchen says:

    These look fabulous. I’d have to substitute cashew butter, I think – it would go better with the coconut than almond butter, which I would usually use here. They’re such a creative idea!

  7. daphne says:

    Like the idea of the brown cereal and the use of candy as a topping. What a sweet treat.

  8. sarah says:

    sweet, these are vegan too. Can’t wait to make them.

    THANKS!!!

  9. VeggieGirl says:

    Nick, your contribution is SO innovative and gorgeous – love the idea!! Such a fun, delicious-looking cookie – and hey, it DESERVES to be an indulgent treat!! Everything in moderation ;0)

  10. glutenfreeforgood says:

    Oh, Nick, you’re becoming SO gluten-free! And depending on the peanut butter you use, these could be dairy-free as well. I LOVE it!

    And I like the thought of coconut and peanut butter together. Yum!

    Melissa

  11. Nick says:

    celine, Nicely put.

    Naomi, Screaming teeth in a good way? They’re actually not that sweet. When you consider that there is only a little over 3/4 cup of sugar in these compared to 3/4 cup peanut butter and 4 cups of other stuff, they actually turn out just a little sweet and a little salty. Perfect really. These would be great on a hike for energy, they’re packed with some good nutrients and a small amount of sugar for a boost. Probably wouldn’t bother with nest shaped ones for a hike though =)

    elle, I love those m&m eggs!

    Ben, these are almost diet food! There is not all that much sugar in them compared to the other ingredients which are genuinely healthy.

    Fearless Kitchen, they’d go great with any nut butter, but honestly peanut butter and coconut is an exquisite combo – you must try!

    Veggiegirl, correct! Moderation is key, which means that giving these away to my roommates so I only had 1 left to eat was a very good idea!

    Sarah, Melissa, Thanks for pointing that out – I didn’t realize they were vegan and gluten/dairy-free. I updated the post to show that, there’s not many people that can’t enjoy these now! Except peanut-allergy people =/. They must be the saddest people in the world…

  12. Cassie says:

    These look great! I will sure be making them soon! Great Recipe.

  13. Kevin says:

    Those nest cookies look great!

  14. oatmeal says:

    I love the texture of the cookies and the simple ingredients list! I think I’m going to stop staring at the picture now–I’m drooling all over my keyboard…

  15. romina says:

    Ooh these look SO good!! Well done. I might have to forgo the jelly beans for something vegan though. =) Do you think chocolate chips might taste good with this?

  16. Cakespy says:

    So, when they’re all gone, do you have…empty nest syndrome?

    (I absolutely KILL me!)

  17. Heather B. says:

    YUM! Those are really cute… and I just maaay have almost all of the ingredients at home already. Sweet!

  18. Jessy and her dog Winnie says:

    Oh my gosh these things taste amazing! My friend makes something like them..so good!

  19. Robin says:

    These are absolutely adorable! What a fun thing for your Mom to make you!

  20. Hendersonville Epicurean says:

    Love the recipe! It’s so simple yet yummy!! Looks like they’d be fun to make with kids.

    Keep them coming.

  21. dessertobsessed says:

    OMG i just stumbled across your blog and i SO WISH i had known about it sooner! I lovelovelove peanut butter and i love your blog! the pictures are awesome and i can’t wait to try out these recipes!

  22. Katers says:

    Those look great! I’m definitely going to have to make them.

  23. noosh. says:

    thanks for the contribution to ‘go ahead honey’! i’ve never seen anything quite like them before… i think we’re going to have a really diverse and tasty roundup. oh- and i love the coconut/pb combo. i’ve been thinking about experimenting with the two myself as i really just started eating peanut butter for a few months ago ;)

  24. naomi devlin says:

    Thanks for participating in Go Ahead Honey. Those easter nests look so darned gooey, I’m going to have to bookmark them for Fin. x x x

  25. Elle says:

    My kids would love these! And, I guess I would, too. hehehe

  26. kellypea says:

    Smart mom. And cool son for taking after her. Those morsels look seriously dangerous.

  27. dawn says:

    nick these totally rock! and you used brown rice, good thinking! I am totally trying these.

  28. I know a little girl who would just love these, especially those jelly beans on top!

  29. JMB says:

    Any substitution ideas for coconut?

  30. JMB says:

    Or can it be omitted?

    Omit the coconut and if the nests aren’t holding together then add a bit more of the rice cereal, it should be fine. You could also try substituting something else, such as half a cup of wheat bran or flax seed. ~ Nick

  31. Shelby says:

    This sounds GREAT!!! I love the little jelly bean eggs =)

  32. VeggieGirl says:

    SO ADORABLE AND DELIGHTFUL!!

  33. wow you don’t mess around – you really love peanut butter :)

  34. Maria says:

    What a fun Easter treat!!

  35. Reeni says:

    What a sweet treat. I would put a peep in the middle!

  36. Sharon says:

    Oh my gosh, DROOL!

  37. Elyse says:

    I love that these birds’ nests cookies bring back such fabulous memories! They certainly look delicious. I love the coconut and PB combo. Fantastic!

  38. Alison says:

    Wonderful! I think I’d substitute M&Ms for the jelly beans…because you can’t beat chocolate and PB.

  39. Nick,
    These are so so cute!

  40. Anonymous says:

    I know this is weird, but its like I can almost taste them :)

  41. giz says:

    Sibling competitiveness never seems to end. And what did your sister get that you didn’t like or were you just the family garburator? :)

    Haha, I had to look up the word “garburator”, we just call them garbage disposals, but yes, I was pretty much the garburator of the family. These treats were just for me! I don’t know what my sister got, I’m sure I let her have all the other cookies because they just didn’t compare to these! ~ Nick

  42. Hayley says:

    These are sooo cute! I love when recipes are special like that. Thanks for sharing!

  43. Sagan says:

    Mmmmm. Perfect for Easter! But I would totally substitute mini eggs for the jellybeans. Gotta have the chocolate in there ;)

  44. Katrina says:

    Mmm, mmmm, mmmmm, mmmmmm, mmmmmmm! Love bird nests, especially when they have 1) PB, 2) EGGS!

  45. Laci says:

    While I’ve never made the “classic” version, these sound simply good enough to try to veganize- though I already have several easter goodies concocted in advance! :-)

  46. zestycook says:

    Great looking treats Nick! I love them :)

  47. These look so delicious!!!! And no gluten – nice!

  48. Love these! I thought at first those were m&ms and was almost disappointed to find out they were jelly beans (like I was actually going to eat them or something) – but I like the twist! …and uh, I suppose I could use m&ms if I made them.

    It’s cool that you have the nutritional info in here. You just keep making this site better and better, don’t you ;)

    Haha, so far everyone thought they were (or should be) chocolate and I never even thought of it, we’ve just always used jelly beans. And thanks, I appreciate the compliments =) ~ Nick

  49. Oh my Nick, my husband would love these. OK, I would too. :) Not a jelly bean fan, but I’m thinking they’d be great with a little chocolate in the center!

  50. Jude says:

    What an interesting recipe. Not sure where to get brown rice cereal but I’m guessing regular corn flakes may work too?

    Brown rice cereal is easily found in health food stores or even as a bulk item in Whole Foods. I have a feeling corn flakes would work pretty well but you’d have to crush them up first. Let me know how it turns out if you attempt it! ~ Nick

  51. kc says:

    I guess I don’t know what brown rice cereal is. a google search reveals a wide variety of possibilities. Please give a hint with a brand name or grocery section?

    It’s the same thing as Rice Krispies, except it’s made with brown rice instead of white rice. You can find it as a bulk item in Whole Foods or sometimes in the cereal aisle. I’ve added a link in the recipe to a brown rice cereal available on Amazon. Regular Rice Krispies would be fine too. ~ Nick

  52. Mark says:

    It looks like a real birds nest. How cool is that!

  53. Chuck says:

    Haha love the nutritional facts are per “nest”!

  54. Bren says:

    I don’t do Easter foods and traditions (do Passover) but these little guys look entirely too bad for my hips; and that, I love!

  55. Hungry Jenny says:

    “what made them extra special was that my sister didn’t like them, so they were all mine!” – you just made me laugh out loud at this, haha!

    I don’t think I’ve tried coconut and peanut butter together before, sounds intriguing…

    Happy Easter!

    Hungry Jenny x

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