No-Bake Christmas Wreath Cookies

Melting marshmallows with butter and tinting the mixture green creates sticky, sweet coating that binds cornflakes into festive wreath shapes you mold by hand. Red cinnamon candies pressed on top while the mixture is still warm become holly berries. These no-bake cookies come together in about 15 minutes without heating the oven, making them perfect for busy holiday baking schedules or when you want kids to help. The crunchy, marshmallow-y texture tastes like Rice Krispie treats but looks impressively festive.

No-bake cornflake wreaths became my holiday tradition after discovering how quickly they come together when I'm overwhelmed with holiday baking. The first time I made these, I was worried about shaping them into recognizable wreaths, but greasing my hands with butter made the sticky mixture surprisingly manageable. Using a cookie cutter as a guide was another helpful trick - pressing it into the mixture creates perfect circles every time. Now I make these with my kids every December because they love forming the wreaths and choosing where to place the red hot "berries."

Ingredients and Why They Matter

• Mini marshmallows (4 cups, about 10 ounces): Create sticky, sweet binder; regular marshmallows work but minis melt faster
• Unsalted butter (3 tablespoons plus extra for hands): Adds richness and prevents sticking
• Cornflake cereal (5 cups): Provides crunch; Rice Krispies substitute
• Green food coloring (gel or liquid): Creates wreath color; start with 3-4 drops
• Red cinnamon candies (about 30-40 pieces): Holly berries; mini red M&Ms or red sprinkles substitute

How To Make It

Prepare workspace:

Line a large baking sheet or your counter with waxed paper or parchment paper. This prevents the sticky wreaths from adhering to surfaces and makes cleanup easy. Have all your ingredients measured and ready because once you start, you'll need to work quickly - the marshmallow mixture sets up fast as it cools. Set out the red candies so they're ready to press onto wreaths immediately after shaping.

Melt marshmallows and butter:

Place the mini marshmallows and 3 tablespoons butter in a large microwave-safe bowl - use the largest bowl you have because the mixture will expand. Microwave on high power for 30 seconds, then remove and stir. Continue microwaving in 30-second intervals, stirring thoroughly after each, until the marshmallows are completely melted and smooth. This usually takes 1½ to 2 minutes total. Don't rush by using longer intervals or the mixture can scorch. Stir vigorously after each heating to help the marshmallows melt evenly. The mixture should look smooth and uniform with no marshmallow lumps remaining.

Add color:

Add 3-4 drops of green food coloring to the melted marshmallow mixture. Stir vigorously for about 30 seconds until the color is completely uniform with no streaks remaining. Start with less food coloring and add more if needed - you can always add more but can't take it away. Gel food coloring creates more vibrant color with less liquid than liquid drops. The mixture should look bright, Christmas wreath green. Work quickly because the mixture starts setting up as it cools.

Coat cereal:

Immediately pour all the cornflakes into the bowl with the green marshmallow mixture. Use a rubber spatula to fold and stir vigorously, coating every cornflake with the sticky green mixture. This takes about 1-2 minutes of thorough stirring. Make sure no dry cereal remains - every flake should be coated. Work quickly while the mixture is still warm and pliable. If it starts getting too stiff to stir, you can microwave the entire bowl for 10-15 seconds to soften it slightly.

Grease hands and shape wreaths:

This is the most important trick for success. Rub a generous amount of butter all over your hands - don't be shy, really coat them well. This prevents the sticky mixture from adhering to your skin. Using a ½ cup measuring cup or ice cream scoop, portion out about ½ cup of the cornflake mixture. Transfer it to your buttered hands and quickly shape it into a wreath. Form it into a rough circle, then use your thumbs to create a hole in the center. Press and pat to form the mixture into a wreath shape about 3-4 inches in diameter. If you're having trouble, you can use a round cookie cutter as a guide - place the cutter on the waxed paper, pack the mixture around the inside edge, then lift the cutter away. Place the shaped wreath on the prepared waxed paper. Re-butter your hands between each wreath as needed.

Add decorations:

While each wreath is still warm and soft, immediately press 3-5 red cinnamon candies onto the surface to look like holly berries. The candies will stick to the warm, sticky mixture. You can cluster them together in one spot or space them around the wreath. Work quickly before the mixture sets - once it cools and hardens, candies won't stick anymore. If a wreath cools before you can add candies, briefly microwave it for 5 seconds to soften the surface.

Cool and set:

Let the wreaths sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes until completely set and firm. They'll feel slightly sticky when freshly made but will firm up significantly as they cool. Don't stack or move them until fully set or they'll lose their shape. Once firm, they're ready to serve. Store in airtight containers at room temperature with waxed paper between layers.

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Marshmallow treats seemed straightforward until making these and realizing timing is everything. The mixture is perfect for shaping right after mixing but becomes progressively stiffer and harder to mold as it cools. Learning to work quickly and efficiently - having everything ready before starting - made all the difference. The first time I tried these, I stopped to answer the phone mid-shaping and came back to a bowl of rock-hard mixture. Now I treat it like an assembly line: melt, color, mix, and shape continuously without breaks.

Why Butter on Hands Works

The marshmallow mixture is incredibly sticky and will cement itself to bare skin instantly. Butter creates a slippery barrier that prevents adhesion. The fat in butter repels the sticky sugars in marshmallow, similar to how oil and water don't mix. Without this trick, you'll spend more time peeling marshmallow off your fingers than shaping wreaths. Be generous with the butter - it's not adding calories to the cookies, just preventing frustration. Reapply between wreaths as needed when you feel the mixture starting to stick.

Temperature Timing

The sweet spot for shaping is when the mixture is still warm and pliable but not so hot that it burns your buttered hands. Right after mixing in the cornflakes is ideal. As it sits, it cools and stiffens. By the time you shape the last wreaths, the mixture may be noticeably harder to mold than the first ones. If this happens, microwave the entire bowl for 10-15 seconds to warm it slightly and restore workability. Don't overheat or the mixture becomes too loose and won't hold shapes.

Food Coloring Choices

Gel food coloring creates vibrant green color with just a few drops and doesn't add excess liquid. Liquid food coloring works but requires more drops to achieve the same intensity, which can thin the mixture slightly. Start with 3-4 drops of gel or 6-8 drops of liquid, then add more if needed for deeper color. Mix very thoroughly - you don't want green streaks. Natural food coloring options exist but may create less vibrant color. The goal is bright Christmas wreath green.

Cereal Options

Cornflakes create the classic texture for these wreaths - their irregular flakes look like wreath branches. Rice Krispies work too but create smoother texture with less visual interest. The cereal provides crunch that contrasts with the soft, chewy marshmallow. Use fresh cereal rather than stale - stale cereal tastes less crisp and absorbs moisture poorly. Any plain cereal works, but avoid sweetened varieties which make the treats overly sweet. The cereal-to-marshmallow ratio determines texture - more cereal creates crunchier treats.

Shaping Techniques

Using a cookie cutter as a guide creates the most uniform, professional-looking wreaths. Place the cutter on waxed paper, pack mixture around the inside edge with buttered fingers, then lift the cutter away. Freehand shaping works too but requires practice for consistent size and shape. Make the center hole large enough - about 1-1½ inches in diameter. Too small and they don't look like wreaths. Press and pat the mixture firmly so wreaths hold together rather than falling apart.

Candy Decorations

Red hot cinnamon candies are traditional because their bright red color and small size perfectly mimic holly berries. The slight spice adds interesting flavor contrast to the sweet marshmallow. Mini red M&Ms work too and taste more chocolatey. Red nonpareil candies, red sprinkles, or even dried cranberries substitute. Place 3-5 candies per wreath in clusters or scattered around. Press them gently into the surface while mixture is warm - they'll stick as the marshmallow sets around them.

Storage and Gifting

These cookies keep at room temperature in airtight containers for up to one week. Place waxed paper between layers to prevent sticking. Don't refrigerate - cold makes them hard and less pleasant to eat. For gifting, arrange in gift boxes with waxed paper separating layers. They ship well when properly cushioned. Freeze for up to 6 weeks in airtight containers with waxed paper between wreaths. Thaw at room temperature before serving - don't microwave frozen wreaths or they'll become soggy.

Variations and Customization

While traditional wreaths are green with red berries, endless variations exist. Make pink hearts for Valentine's Day. Create pastel colors for Easter. Press the mixture into a greased 9x13-inch pan, add sprinkles on top, and cut into bars rather than shaping wreaths. Use different colored candies or add mini chocolate chips. Shape into candy canes by rolling into ropes and bending the tops. The basic marshmallow-cereal mixture works for countless shapes and occasions beyond Christmas.

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These no-bake Christmas cornflake wreath cookies represent the kind of holiday treat that proves impressive results don't require complicated techniques or hours of work. The combination of crunchy cereal, sweet marshmallow, and festive appearance creates something that looks like you spent all day decorating when they took 15 minutes. When you arrange a platter of these bright green wreaths and watch kids' faces light up, you know you've created holiday magic. Sometimes the best recipes are the ones that bring joy through simplicity, and these wreath cookies definitely accomplish that goal perfectly every single time you make them.

Frequently Asked Questions

→ Can I make these cookies ahead of time?

Yes, these keep well in an airtight container for up to a week. Just layer them with wax paper so they don't stick together.

→ What if I don't have green food coloring?

You can skip it and make white wreaths, or use red coloring for a different holiday look. They'll taste the same either way.

→ Can I use Rice Krispies instead of cornflakes?

Absolutely. Rice Krispies work just as well and give you a slightly different texture. Use the same amount.

→ Why are my wreaths falling apart?

Make sure your marshmallow mixture is fully melted and smooth. If it cools too much before shaping, just pop it back in the microwave for a few seconds.

→ Do these need to be refrigerated?

No, they're fine at room temperature. Just keep them in a sealed container to stay fresh and prevent them from getting hard.

→ Can kids help make these?

Yes, this is a great recipe for kids. They can help shape the wreaths and add the candy decorations. Just handle the hot marshmallow mixture yourself.