No-Bake Chocolate Bird Nests (Gluten-Free)

No-Bake Chocolate Bird Nests made with puffed rice cereal and dairy-free chocolate are perfect for spring celebrations. Substitute in almond butter to make peanut-free. Gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan!

You know all those Pinterest-perfect holiday desserts that end up having a million steps and ingredients?

Me too. 

While I love looking at them, I rarely have the energy to try one out.

Today I’ve got a springtime dessert that not only is simple, but ends up being pretty dang cute too.

There are all kinds of bird nest recipes out there. Some use pretzels, others use chow mein noodles, some coconut. 

Inspired by my mini crunch bars and chocolate no-bake cookies, the idea for these puffed rice bird nests were born. 

No-Bake Chocolate Bird Nest Ingredients

Using puffed rice cereal, chocolate, and peanut butter, plus some optional add-ins, no-bake cookie nests are easily attainable.

Here’s what you’ll need:

• puffed rice cereal (or puffed and crispy rice cereal)
• peanut butter
• dairy-free chocolate chips
• slivered almonds (optional)
• shredded coconut (optional)
• dairy-free chocolate gems or almonds

The base of these gluten-free chocolate bird nests are puffed rice cereal. You can also use a combination of half puffed and half crispy rice cereal (making sure it’s gluten-free), to give it a nice crunch and texture. 

Erewhon makes a great puffed and crispy brown rice cereal that works well here too. 

Add in slivered almonds and shredded coconut if you so desire to amp up crunch and flavor. But if one or both of those ingredients aren’t your thing, leave them out. 

For finishing touches, use dairy-free chocolate gems for your nest eggs. Or, Marcona almonds, regular almonds, or slivered almonds make great nest egg decorations as well. 

Serve them at spring celebrations, baby showers, or other festive events. While this is a no-bake recipe, it still requires time in the refrigerator. Plan ahead and you’ll have an easy chocolate treat ready to go. 

More Chocolate Recipes

Coconut Chocolate Chex Mix

Chocolate Covered Almond Butter Stuffed Dates

No-Bake Brownies with Hemp Seeds