These simple chocolate cornflake nest cakes without golden syrup are the perfect Easter dessert! Topped with chocolate mini eggs, they’re tasty, cute and look great on an Easter-themed dessert table for parties and entertaining.
They’re also a great sweet treat all year round as you can decorate them with any candy you’d like.
These easy no-bake treats are ideal for making with kids. Both grown-ups and children will love eating them as well!
I often sneak one before the chocolate has even set…
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✏️ Recipe creation
Easter is one of my favourite holidays for themed baking! You get so many great chocolate treats at this time of year and I’m a little bit obsessed with mini eggs. They’re great to put inside your chocolate cornflake nests!
However, I don’t always have golden syrup on hand when I want to whip up a simple batch of these chocolate nests. So instead, I use a small amount of cream to soften the chocolate slightly, which makes for a delicious and creamy chocolate coating to your crunchy cornflakes.
If you did want to make it chewy, you can add an optional 1 tablespoon of marshmallow fluff or check out my post on the best golden syrup substitutes for other options! I’d recommend the syrup ones to make your nests chewy.
🥘 Ingredients
This dessert recipe calls for the following ingredients:
- Milk chocolate (baking chocolate / chocolate covering)
- Cream
- Marshmallow fluff (optional)
- Cornflakes
- Chocolate mini eggs
See the recipe card for quantities.
Ingredient substitutions
This recipe uses cream to help soften the chocolate slightly (let’s protect those teeth!). However, you can instead swap this for 1 tablespoon of unsalted butter.
Adding marshmallow fluff will add a slightly chewy texture to your chocolate nests, but this is optional.
You can use any brand of cornflakes cereal. You can also swap them for rice krispies or crushed up shredded wheat.
If you choose to use a sweetened cereal, like frosted flakes / frosties, it will give you sweeter chocolate nest cakes. This isn't bad, just something to note!
Ingredient tips
- Avoid adding cold cream (straight from the fridge) to your melted chocolate. Before use, let your cream come up to room temperature or warm it slightly in the microwave for 10-20secs.
- To measure your ingredients, it’s best to use weights rather than cups for better accuracy.
- I recommend using milk chocolate from the baking aisle or a chocolate coating for this recipe. It’s much easier to melt than your normal chocolate bar. I like to use a fancy couverture milk chocolate by Callebaut as it tastes delicious and melts like a dream!
🔪 Equipment
I use the following equipment for this recipe:
- Cupcake cases
- Muffin tin (optional)
- Large mixing bowl
- Rubber spatula or wooden spoon
- Spoon
- Weighing scales
- Measuring spoons
Equipment alternatives
I usually use a cupcake case lined muffin tin to help shape the nests, but you can instead double layer the cases to help keep their structure when you add your cornflake mix.
Alternatively, you can put them into single cases and allow them to spread slightly, which will give you wider nests.
I like to melt my chocolate in the microwave (because I’m lazy and it’s the easiest way!) but you can instead use a double boiler bain-marie technique.
Equipment tips
- I like using digital scales for weighing my ingredients as it's easy and accurate. I quite like KitchenAid or Salter scales.
- It’s best to use actual measuring spoons. Cutlery teaspoons and tablespoons aren’t actually the correct volume - I never knew it before! I’d also recommend levelling off any heaped scoops for a more accurate measurement.
- Using a silicone spatula over a wooden spoon will allow you to scrape more of the chocolate out of a mixing bowl.
- If you’re not using a muffin tin, place your cases onto a flat surface such as a tray or plate so you can transfer them to the fridge easier.
📖 Method
Step 1 - In a large heatproof bowl, slowly melt the chocolate in the microwave (20sec bouts, stirring between) until smooth.
Step 2 - Stir in the room temperature (or warmed) cream until combined.
Step 3 - Pour in the cornflakes and gently stir through until fully coated in chocolate.
Step 4 - Scoop the coated cornflakes into cupcake cases (either in a muffin tin or on a tray), using a spoon to push them aside in the middle to leave a small indent like a nest.
Step 5 - Decorate your nests with a few chocolate eggs inside the indents you’ve made.
Step 6 - Refrigerate until set (roughly 10mins) then enjoy!
🍱 Storage
Your Easter chocolate cornflake cakes should last up to 4 days at room temperature stored in an airtight container.
If it’s quite warm where you live, you might want to store your cakes in the fridge. They should last up to 4 days in the fridge.
Note: They’ll be very hard if you try to eat them straight from the fridge! Let them come up to room temperature first.
💭 Top tips
- If it comes as a bar, break your chocolate up into small pieces before use. This will help it melt easier and lower the chance of burning it.
- It’s best to melt your chocolate slowly when using the microwave. Only heat your chocolate for up to 20 seconds at a time, stirring between bouts, until almost completely melted.
- Your last few chocolate chunks will usually just melt by stirring at the end without the need for more heating.
- It’s best to decorate your nests before the chocolate has time to set, so the eggs are held within and stuck to the top basically. You should have the time to spoon all of your mix into the cups then decorate, but if it’s really cold where you are, maybe do a few nests at a time.
❔ FAQs
Your chocolate cornflake nest cakes should last for up to 4 days stored in an airtight container at room temperature.
Not really. Chocolate doesn’t like being frozen and this can affect the consistency of your cakes after freezing.
Troubleshooting
If you’ve got any specific questions on making your chocolate Easter nests, please feel free to leave a comment below and I’ll try my best to help out!
Alternatively, you can get in touch via my Facebook, Instagram or Pinterest – I’d love to hear from you!
♻️ Variations
Flavour options
I like using milk chocolate for this recipe, but you can swap this for white chocolate or dark chocolate. Why not even give blonde or ruby chocolate a go too!
Decorations and toppings
I like to use Cadbury’s mini eggs to decorate these chocolate nests, but you can swap this for any of your favourite candies, whether they’re eggs or not.
You can also top your nests with drizzled chocolate before you add the eggs for extra decoration.
Vegan option
To make vegan chocolate cornflake nest cakes, swap the chocolate for dairy-free chocolate and the cream for a plant-based cream alternative.
You should also change the mini eggs for a vegan candy topping.
Gluten-free option
To make gluten-free chocolate cornflake nest cakes, swap the cornflakes for a gluten-free cereal instead.
🧁 Other goodies
Looking for some other goodies to make?
On an Easter egg hunt for more Easter-themed desserts and treats? This easy chocolate Easter bunny cake is perfect to go with your cornflake cakes for an Easter party!
Cute Easter lemon vanilla chick cupcakes are also a great festive treat for the whole family. The moist vanilla cupcakes are topped with an adorable chick made from lemon buttercream – all you need is a plastic bag or piping bag to make these Easter toppers. No fancy equipment needed!
You can also check out this list of Easter bunny cake ideas or take a look at the full collection of my Easter dessert recipes.
Looking forward to some new recipes? Check out my Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest pages for a few sneak peeks and some sweet inspiration!
Or if you’d like to hear about our latest recipes, why not subscribe to our newsletter?
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📋 Recipe
Chocolate Cornflake Nest Cakes
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Equipment
Ingredients
- 250 g (1 ½ cups) milk chocolate baking chocolate or chocolate coating; broken into pieces
- 30 ml (2 tablespoon) heavy cream e.g. double cream. Room temp.
- 100 g (3 ½ cups) cornflakes
- 135 g (4.8 oz) mini eggs or other small chocolate eggs to decorate
Instructions
- In a large heatproof bowl, slowly melt the chocolate in the microwave (20sec bouts, stirring between) until smooth.
- Stir in the room temperature (or warmed) cream until combined.
- Pour in the cornflakes and gently stir through until fully coated.
- Scoop the coated cornflakes into cupcake cases (either in a muffin tin or on a tray), using a spoon to push them aside in the middle to leave a small indent like a nest.
- Decorate your nests with a few chocolate eggs inside the indents you’ve made. Refrigerate until set (roughly 10mins) then enjoy!
Notes
- If you prefer a chewy chocolate cornflake nest, you can stir in 1 tablespoon (10g) of marshmallow fluff to your melted chocolate before you add in the cornflakes.
- Instead of cornflakes, you can use another cereal like frosted flakes (which will make it sweeter) or rice krispies.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate based on an online nutritional calculator, actual values may vary.
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