Cornflake Wreaths: Classic no bake Christmas cookies with crunchy cornflakes coated in green marshmallows, decorated with red hot candies and cute little holly sprinkles!
Christmas time is a season for family movie nights, parties and fun food, so you have definitely come to the right place for your holiday entertaining!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
During the busy holiday season, no bake Christmas cookies are a lifesaver.
If you need a sweet treat to fill those holiday Christmas cookie trays, and Christmas dessert charcuteries, or take to your holiday party and cookie exchanges, these festive wreaths are quick to make with just a handful of ingredients. (Just like our other cornflake cookies!)
Does anyone else remember these cute traditional Christmas cookies from their childhood? Cornflake wreath cookies remind me of family traditions and happy holiday memories. I let my boys help shape the cookies and add the red cinnamon candies for holly berries.
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Ingredients
Your local grocery store should have most, if not all of the ingredients for these wreath cookies. (If you can’t find the holly leaf sprinkles near you, you can buy these holly leaf and holly berry sprinkles!)
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
- 1 teaspoon green food coloring
- 4 cups of mini marshmallows
- 4 cups of cornflakes
- ¼ cup cinnamon red hot candies
- 2 tablespoons holly leaf sprinkles
See the printable recipe card below for ingredients, full instructions and recipe notes.
Instructions
These cornflake wreath cookies are made with the same method used to make rice krispie treats. For this recipe, melt butter, add gooey marshmallows, food coloring and cornflake cereal. Then, just stir, shape and set!
- First, it’s best to line two baking sheets with parchment paper, wax paper, or silicone mats and set them aside.
- In a large saucepan, melt ½ cup of unsalted butter over medium heat. Once the butter has melted, add the vanilla and almond extracts as well as the green food coloring.
- Stir to combine, turn to low heat, and then add 4 cups of mini marshmallows to the butter mixture. Stir gently until the marshmallows have melted, and then remove the pan from the heat.
- Next, slowly add 4 cups of cornflakes cereal into the marshmallow mixture. Try not to crush the cornflakes when stirring, and coat evenly with the green marshmallow mixture.
- Using a large cookie scoop, (to create a cookie that’s about a couple of inches wide, or so) create a mound of the cornflake mixture on the parchment paper. Use your fingers to press out the center and round the edges to make a wreath shape.
Pro tip: Spray the cookie scoop and your clean hands with nonstick cooking spray to prevent the cornflakes from sticking so much. - Add several red cinnamon candies around the wreath. Finally, add a few of the holly leaf sprinkles. Repeat making wreaths, until the mixture is gone.
- Allow the cornflake cookies to sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes to set.
Substitutions & Variations
We are big fans of “use what you love” around here. So, here are a few ways to include some of your favorite things to make these cornflake cookies!
- You can use Frosted Flakes, Rice Krispies or your favorite cereal instead of cornflakes for the base of these cornflake Christmas wreaths.
- If you only have large marshmallows on hand, those will work too. We find that mini marshmallows are easier to measure and melt quicker.
- While we love the combination of vanilla and almond extracts, you can omit the almond extract and just add more vanilla extract.
- If you don’t like cinnamon, use red M&Ms minis, red sprinkles or other red candies for the holly berries. (Or just grab the sprinkles, where the berries and leaves are already together, that I mentioned above!) Then, if you have leftover candies after picking the “reds” out, make this Christmas dessert mix!
- Add your favorite brightly colored holiday sprinkles. I don’t think anyone will mind extra sprinkles!
Storage
You can store these cornflake Christmas wreath cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days.
More Christmas Recipes
Aren’t these the cutest Christmas wreath cookies EVER? If you want more, easy, no bake holiday recipes, try our Christmas Tree Cake Dip, Butterfinger Puppy Chow or Forest Cupcakes (they start with store-bought cupcakes) that we love making during the holidays!
Although not necessarily Christmas cookies… these haystack cookies are amazing for a cookie platter during the holiday season!
Did you make this? I’d be so grateful if you left a “star” rating below to let me know what you thought! Then, the next time you need a quick and easy recipe, come back to Fantabulosity to browse all of my easy recipes!
Recipe
Cornflake Wreaths
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
- 1 teaspoon green food coloring
- 4 cups mini marshmallows
- 4 cups corn flakes
- ¼ cup red hot candies
- 2 tablespoons holly leaf sprinkles
Instructions
- Start by lining two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a large saucepan, melt ½ cup of unsalted butter over medium heat. Once the butter has melted, add the vanilla and almond extracts as well as the green food coloring.Stir to combine, turn to low heat, and then add 4 cups of mini marshmallows to the butter mixture. Stir gently until the marshmallows have melted, and then remove the pan from the heat.
- Next, slowly add 4 cups of cornflakes cereal into the marshmallow mixture. Try not to crush the cornflakes when stirring, and coat evenly with the green marshmallow mixture.
- Using a large cookie scoop, (to create a cookie that's about a couple of inches wide, or so) create a mound of the cornflake mixture on the parchment paper. Use your fingers to press out the center and round the edges to make a wreath shape. Pro tip: Spritz the cookie scoop and your clean hands with nonstick cooking spray to prevent the cornflakes from sticking so much.
- Add several red cinnamon candies around the wreath. Finally, add a few of the holly leaf sprinkles. Repeat making wreaths, until the mixture is gone.
- Allow the cornflake cookies to sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes to set. Remove them from the parchment paper, serve at room temperature and enjoy!
Notes
- Spray a small amount of nonstick cooking spray on the cookie scoop and on your hands to help reduce the flakes from sticking.
- Depending on the size of your cookies, this recipe should yield 12-18 cornflake wreaths.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more.
Kyle Filipetti says
They did not set up. Can’t find on any blog why? If there’s a secret to getting them to set it would be a very helpful tip. Thanks!
Jessica says
Hmmm. I’m sorry they didn’t turn out for you. So after you made the wreaths, they didn’t harden? Is that what you mean? If so, maybe letting them sit out for a bit longer? Maybe the marshmallows/butter or a certain brand of something didn’t work well? I’m not sure why they wouldn’t have set up but that’s all that comes to mind at the moment!
Jen says
The cutest Christmas treat!! So excited to make these again with the kids!
Kara says
I’ve made these before with just red hot candies, but just found the holly leaf sprinkles and can’t wait to make them again! So fun and cute!
Michele says
Love these! Make these little wreaths with the kids last Christmas, and they loved them! So we will be making them again this year too!