Chocolate Easter Nests

Melt, mix, and mold your way to Easter perfection with our adorable Chocolate Easter Nests! We are a huge lover of sweet and salty combos, and this crunchy no-bake dessert hits the spot. Sweet melted chocolate and salty, crunchy pretzels are the BFFs you didn’t know you needed. Made for little helpers who love creating edible art this recipe is the excuse to let your kiddos play with candy! Arrange them on a bed of arugula or pop them into treat bags. Either way, our chocolate nests are pure Easter magic without the fuss!

What stands out

These Chocolate Easter Nests have it all. They’re salty, sweet, creamy, crunchy, and cuteeeee! This no-bake dessert is simple to prep and everything comes together in less than 30 minutes. You can whip them up in a stovetop double-boiler or in the microwave. Since they set up in the freezer you can prep them a few days ahead. (Which gives you more time to panic clean before your guests arrive.) The sweet chocolatey goodness and salty pretzelcombo is EVERYTHING…and that crunch!! It’s perfection.

How to Prepare

Start by breaking each pretzel stick into 2-3 pieces.

Now, create a double-boiler. Fill a medium pot with 2 cups water and then bring to a simmer over medium-low heat. Place a heatproof bowl on top of the pot. (Be sure the bottom of the bowl is not touching the simmering water.)

Add the chocolate chips, nut/seed butter, and coconut oil to the bowl.

Stir constantly with a spatula until the chocolate is completely melted. Turn off the heat.

Add the pretzel pieces to the melted chocolate mixture and mix to coat them fully.

Using an ice cream scooper or 1/4 cup measuring cup scoop the chocolate-covered pretzels onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Freeze the chocolate pretzel nests for about 30 minutes, or until solid.

Remove from the freezer and top them off with a few mini eggs and sprinkle with some hemp hearts to replicate “bird seeds.”

Add baby arugula on a plate and place the bird nests on top.

Tips for Chocolate Easter Nests

Before you dive beak-first into this recipe, make note of these tips and tricks for the Chocolate Easter Nests!

• Use high-quality chocolate: This goes without saying! Melting chocolate chips work great, but a good-quality bar will take your chocolate nests to the next level.
• Opt for pretzel sticks: The twig-like pieces mimic a bird’s nest and require less arranging than traditional shaped pretzels.
• Melt your chocolate slowly: Whether you’re using the double boiler method or a microwave in short bursts of time, you’ll want to gradually melt your chocolate for best results.
• Shape while warm: Using clean hands, mold the mixture into a circle and use the back of a spoon to create a dip in the center of the nest.
• Add eggs just before serving: If you’re making your Easter nests ahead of time, add the candy eggs just before serving so they don’t crack, stick, or melt.
• Get the kids involved: This is the hands-on Easter activity that will get your kiddos cooking! Set up stations and throw in a few extra candy options like sprinkles, jellybeans, and M&Ms so the little chefs can stretch their creativity!

Kitchen tip

You can also melt everything together in the microwave. To prevent the chocolate from seizing, be sure to stop the microwave and stir the mixture every 20-30 seconds careful not to overheat.

Swaps

1. Nut or seed butter is in Chocolate Easter Nests so feel free to use any you like such as peanut, almond, or sunflower.
2. To make this recipe gluten-free you can purchase gluten-free pretzels instead.
3. You can use either semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips. If you prefer a sweeter treat, go for semi-sweet. For a richer, less sweet option, use dark chocolate.
4. Add other mix-ins like chopped nuts, dried fruit, or shredded coconut to the chocolate mixture for added texture and flavor.
5. Microgreens and spring mix will work as a garnish in place of arugula.
6. If you make these Easter nests with other substitutes or white chocolate let us know how it works in the comments below!

Serve it with

• Include Easter Nests in a spread of any of our beautiful Easter desserts, such as Cadbury Chocolate Chip CookiesCarrot Cake or Sweet Easter Bread.
• Make our chocolate nests alongside other cute Easter appetizers, like our pull apart Easter Bunny Bread and adorable Deviled Egg Chicks.
• Treat your kiddos to this chocolatey snack when you’re making our Naturally Dyed Easter Eggs.
• Enjoy with a fresh fruit platter and coffee or a cold glass of milk for the kids.

Questions

strong What kind of chocolate chips should we use?

You can use either semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips. If you prefer a sweeter treat, go for semi-sweet; for a richer, less sweet option, use dark chocolate.

do we have to use coconut oil in this recipe?

No, the coconut oil is not essential, but it does help to make the mixture nice and smooth.

Can we make these chocolate easter nests ahead?

You could make these up to a week in advance and keep in the freezer. Assemble with the mini eggs the day you are serving. If you want to prep these fully, you could make them start to finish up to 1 day in advance and store them in the fridge so the chocolate doesn’t soften or melt at room temperature.

what kind of pretzels did you use?

For these Chocolate Easter Nests, we prefer to break up pretzel sticks because they replicate the look of real sticks perfectly! If you’re using the classic pretzel shape, you may have to shape them a bit when placing on the baking sheet. But don’t overthink it, anything goes!

strong What can we use instead of Cadbury mini-eggs?

You can use any small candy-coated chocolates, such as Mu0026M’s, or even jelly beans for a different look and taste.

strong Are the hemp hearts essential?

No, the hemp hearts are for presentation and to mimic u0022bird seeds.u0022 You can skip them or use another small seed like chia or flax seeds.

strong Can we add other ingredients to the chocolate mixture?

Yes, you can add other mix-ins like chopped nuts, dried fruit, or shredded coconut to the chocolate mixture for added texture and flavor.

Can we make these vegan?

Yes, use dairy-free chocolate chips and ensure your nut or seed butter is vegan. Check that any additional toppings, like candy-coated chocolates, are also vegan-friendly or plant-based.

Ingredients

Makes 9 nests

• 2 cups pretzel pieces, ideally pretzel sticks
• 1 cup semi-sweet, or dark chocolate chips
• ¼ cup almond butter, any nut or seed butter will work
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil, optional
• Cadbury mini-eggs for presentation
• Hemp hearts for presentation
• Baby arugula for presentation

Equipment

• Mixing Bowls
• Medium Pot
• Parchment Paper
• Baking Sheet
• Spatula
• Measuring Cups + Spoons

Method

1. Break each pretzel piece into 2-3 pieces.
2. Create a double-boiler by filling a medium pot with 2 cups water. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat. Place a heatproof bowl on top of the pot (be sure the bottom of the bowl is not touching the simmering water.)
3. Add the chocolate chips, nut or seed butter, and coconut oil to the bowl. The coconut oil is not essential, but it helps make the mixture nice and smooth. Stir constantly until the chocolate is completely melted. Turn off the heat.
4. Add the pretzel pieces to the melted chocolate mixture and mix to coat them fully. Using an ice cream scooper or 1/4 cup measuring cup, scoop the chocolate-covered pretzels onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
5. Freeze the chocolate pretzel nests for about 30 minutes, or until solid. Remove from the freezer and top them off with a few mini eggs and sprinkle with some hemp hearts which replicate “bird seeds”.
6. Add baby arugula on a plate and top with the the bird nests. If you make these 1 day in advance, store them in the fridge as the chocolate will soften at room temperature or melt. Enjoy!

Kitchen notes

• Nut and seed butter: Feel free to use any you like such as peanut, almond, or sunflower.
• Gluten-free: To make this recipe gluten-free you can purchase gluten-free pretzels instead.
• Chocolate: You can use either semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips. If you prefer a sweeter treat, go for semi-sweet. For a richer, less sweet option, use dark chocolate.
• Mix-ins: Add chopped nuts, dried fruit, or shredded coconut to the chocolate mixture for added texture and flavor.