These Healthy No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Easter Nest Cookies are made with only 8 good-for-you ingredients ready in 15 minutes! They’re the perfect treat to celebrate Easter!
Watch out world! I turned one of my favorite treats into a vehicle for one of my favorite candies! I created this Healthy No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Easter Nest Cookies recipe as a fun treat I could make with my kids for Easter!
Does anyone else feel like there’s a new holiday every week?! St. Patty’s Day, Pi day, national [insert every food on the planet] day, now Easter! I love celebrating special days with my kids , and I’m always looking for ways to make them super fun…most of which usually involve food! I’m not crafty (at all), but I can make a cookie or a pancake look like just about anything…#bossmom.
Many celebratory recipes include lots of sugar and butter. I have nothing against those two ingredients in moderation, however with the sheer volume of things to celebrate in life I have found fun ways to party with food that won’t make me my kids act like sugar monsters from the black lagoon! That’s where these Healthy No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Easter Nest Cookies come in!
They’re made with only eight (yes 8!) healthy ingredients and are ready in 15 minutes! They are gluten-free, dairy-free, refined-sugar-free AND vegan! Wow! If you’re not interested in making them into cute little nests…you can just plop them into whatever shape you desire then let them meet their maker (YOUR mouth).
How to make No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Easter Nest Cookies
- Lay out all your ingredients/tools! Make sure you line a large baking sheet with waxed paper and have your TBS measure all ready to go before you start no-baking! Once the cookies are finished cooking on the stovetop you will need to move quickly to shape them into nests!
- Chill. Chill the cookies before adding the chocolate eggs (or jelly beans, or candy of your choice) so that they do not melt!
- Store. Store the cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Coconut oil has a low melting point, so if the cookies get too warm they will start melting!
Healthy No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Easter Nest Cookies: Substitutions
There are only 8 ingredients in this recipe, and there aren’t many ingredients I’d recommend changing! But here are two possible substitutions.
- Peanut Butter. Any nut or seed butter works great in this recipe!
- Coconut oil. Butter or ghee can be used as a substitute for coconut oil! Just be sure to choose a fat source that complies with your dietary needs!
- Honey. For a vegan version, use maple syrup!
- Coconut. If coconut isn’t your thing (sad), you can simply increase the amount of oats by 1/4 cup and leave it out entirely!
If you make something from JoyFoodSunshine I would love to see your creations! Don’t forget to rate this recipe and leave a comment below! Also, follow along with me on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook and Twitter for more recipe inspiration and a glimpse into our everyday life!
No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookie Nests
These Healthy No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Easter Nest Cookies are made with only 8 good-for-you ingredients and ready in 15 minutes! They're the perfect treat to celebrate Easter! Gluten-free, dairy-free, refined-sugar free AND vegan!
Ingredients
- ½ cup natural peanut butter
- ¼ cup honey
- ¼ to ½ tsp sea salt
- ¼ cup coconut oil
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 2 TBS cocoa powder
- 1 cup quick cooking oats
- ¼ cup shredded coconut
Instructions
- Line a baking sheet with wax paper. Set aside.
- Combine peanut butter, honey salt and coconut oil in a saucepan and heat until combined.
- Add vanilla and cocoa powder. Stir until well combined.
- Add quick-cooking oats and mix well.
- Add coconut and stir until completely combined.
- Drop 1 TBS portions of mixture onto your prepared baking sheet. Press into the shape of nests. Continue until you’ve used all your cookie mixture.
- Let cool in the refrigerator or freezer until hardened. Top with your favorite candy eggs.
- Serve cool or at room temperature. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator!
Recipe Video
This post was originally published on March 24th, 2016 but has been updated with new photos and a video!
This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you purchase a product through a link you clicked on here, I receive a portion of the sale. Thank you for supporting JoyFoodSunshine!
Jenna @ A Savory Feast
Wow, I love how easy this recipe is! Perfect for an Easter treat.
Laura
Thank you Jenna! It definitely is easy! From start to in your mouth in 15 minutes or less! 🙂 Have a great day!
Johnna LaFaith
I love this idea. I’m trying to have a tea party for all 5 of these kids next month and I wanted a cute cookie to serve. This is perfect! Thanks for sharing. XX
Laura
Aww!! I NEED to have a tea party for my daughter! That sounds like SO much fun!!! I hope they all enjoy these treats! 🙂
Sandy Walter
I just made these and they are so great! Super fast and easy and not messy. Plus is there anything better than getting to witness chocolate and peanut butter become one?
This is the perfect thing to bring to share with family for Easter. I majorly lack in all craftiness departments, so my nests turned out looking like (cute) little blobs. I ended up just arranging them in a circle on a place and putting all the cadbury eggs in the center of the plate. Looks like a big nest! Still Eastery! Will definitely make again. Thank you Laura!
Laura
Yours looked super cute. 🙂 Proud of you for following a recipe! LOL! Glad you like them… <3
Christina
I saw this and was hoping I had these ingredients on hand anddd I DO!! Can’t wait to try!
Laura
Yay!!!! I hope you love them!!! <3 🙂
Kathryn @ Family Food on the Table
These are so cute! I love no-bake cookies, but I’m with you on needing and wanting to make them WAY healthier 🙂 It’s been too long since I’ve had some – must try this version soon!
Laura
No-bake cookies ROCK! Especially when making treats for your family, the easier and less messy the better! 😉 I hope you try them and love them! 🙂 <3
Jessy @ The Life Jolie
Thjese are seriously too cute! They look delicious- perfect for an Easter gathering, especially one with kids!
Laura
Thank you Jessy! I love feeding the kiddos treats that don’t taste healthy when they really are! 🙂 Plus…I can pass up the peeps or jelly beans…but not a healthy chocolatey treat like these! 😉 Something the whole family loves!
Emily
Those are so cute! HAPPY RESURRECTION SUNDAY!
Laura
Thank you Emily!! I hope you have a blessed Good Friday and easter! 🙂
Liz @ The Clean Eating Couple
These are adorable and so simple to make!! I think I’m going to try to make them on Saturday if I have extra time 🙂
Laura
Yay!! If you do let me know how you like them!!! 🙂 <3 They literally take 10 minutes...so so easy!
Beverley @ Born to Sweat
These look so good!! I love how simple they are to make.
My boyfriend bought me some mini eggs for the first time in AGES and they were the best treat 🙂
Laura
Thank you Beverly! Those mini eggs are dangerous!!! LOL! I keep mine in the freezer so I’ll only eat a few at a time… 😉
Charlotte
These look delicious and I love that they are a healthier alternative this Easter! With all of the sickly treats this is exactly what I need! Thanks for linking to #YumTum this week!
Angela
Yum! These look delicious & will make a fun project to make with my kids today. Thank you for joining the Link-Up!!
Lela
How cute! I’m all about no-bake deserts and these little nests would be the perfect thing for my son to make. He has recently gotten into baking and I think he may be ready to venture out from cakes and cookies. Thanks for sharing at Inspiration Thursday!
rEbekah
Are the candies dairy free also? I saw that these were dairy free but I’m having a hard time finding vegan eggs for the top, and they don’t look too easterly without eggs 😞 So hard to find vegan treats.
Laura
Hey Rebekah! The eggs that I used for these photos were not vegan. However you could use vegan jelly beans! There are also some great vegan chocolate egg options I found some great options at the Natural Candy Store. I also love this article from one of my favorite spots on the web…Go Dairy Free Easter Candy Roundup! I hope this helps!
Emily
You have done it again, Laura! You create fool-proof recipes, I’m telling you! SOOOO excited to make these this afternoon! My mom is going to be so happy!
Rachel
I would love to make these cookies! I was just wondering if you knew how many calories these had? I have been trying to eat better these past couples of months!
Maya M
Just wanted you to know that this delicious recipe was featured here:http://www.dreamingofbutterflies.co/easter-menu-5-delicious-recipes-newbies/
Brittany
Do you know how many cookies this will make and how long it will last in the refrigerator? It sounds so lovely!
lili
made these with earth balance coconut peanut butter and they were amazing!!! 10/10 would recommend 🙂
Katie
Hello,
Have you ever tried using powdered PB in this recipe? How would you recommend adapting it? Thanks!
Denise
These are delicious. .can you freeze them?
Laura
Hey Denise! Yes the cookies can be frozen! I recommend waiting to put the candy eggs in them until you are ready to serve though!
Cyndi
Can the shredded coconut be left out without compromising the texture or a can a recommended ingredient be supplemented in its place?
Laura
Yes! Simply replace it with 1/4 cup quick-cooking oats!
J
Thanks for the recipe! Can’t wait to try! Where did you get the gold and wooden measuring spoon from?? Super Gorgeous!!!!
J
Thanks for the recipe! Can’t wait to try them this easter! Where did you get your gold and wood measuring spoons? Absolutely gorgeous!!
Sheila
OMG! This is so cute. Perfect for the farm themed party that I am throwing in. Thank you so much for the inspiration. I am so excited to make this.
Aliciaaldwin
Wow your blog post is amazing Laura! thanks for the inspiration.