Vegan, gluten-free, bird nest cookies are a fun Easter treat and can be made free of dairy, nuts, and gluten so they are the perfect Easter dessert for kids with Allergies. These are basically haystack cookies that you can form into a nest shape. Put in colorful jelly beans, and you have a nest full of beautiful spring eggs.
When I made these for the first time with my kids, I braced myself for a mess, but it was easier than I thought it would be. I also didn’t think that they would come out looking nice on our first try, but we were pleasantly surprised. They were quick, easy, super cute, and most importantly, delicious!
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🌟 Forming the cookies
The first batch that I made, I used Chow Mein noodles. You can find them in the Asian section of any grocery store. I mixed up the ingredients and then scooped the mixture into muffin tins to form the nest. (You can use the back of a spoon to break up the pieces a little bit more to form it into a nest shape). For the other batch, I just spooned the chow mein and chocolate mixture onto parchment paper and formed the nest shape by hand. Both methods were easy and I can’t say which method is better. They just formed a little different shaped nest.
🍞 Gluten free instructions
The next time that I made them, I searched the web for gluten-free Chow Mein noodles, but I could not find any that were also free of eggs. I decided to break up gluten-free pretzels and use them instead of noodles. It worked out well, and I think that they even taste better than the ones that I made using the Chow Mein noodles. The noodles look a little more like a real bird’s nest, but if you have to make them gluten-free, pretzels are a great option. You can also use cornflakes or any other gluten-free cereal instead of noodles too.
🥜 Nut free instructions
For my husband who can’t eat any nuts, I made another batch with coconut oil instead of nut butter. They came out tasting great, just a little darker in color.
If you're looking for some more vegan easter recipes you have to try these deviled potatoes or homemade vegan peeps!
🍪 More vegan cookies
- Vegan Snickerdoodles
- Vegan Oatmeal Cookies
- The Best Vegan Shortbread Cookies
- Vegan Jam Thumbprint Cookies
- Vegan Millionaire Bars
- Dairy-Free Butter Cookies
- Vegan Chocolate Haystacks
- Vegan Spritz Cookies
📌 Be sure to follow me on Pinterest for new vegan recipes!
Bird nest cookies that are vegan and can be made gluten free and nut free too! A fun Easter cookie that your kids will love!
- 1 cup dairy-free chocolate chips
- 2 tablespoons nut butter or coconut oil
- 2 1/2 cups chow mein noodles or broken gluten-free pretzels
- 36 vegan jelly beans
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Melt the chocolate chips in a double boiler or microwave.
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Stir in nut butter or coconut oil until smooth.
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Mix in the chow mein noodles or gluten-free pretzels (broken into small pieces) or cereal of choice.
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Spoon about 2 tbsp of the mixture into a muffin tin or onto parchment paper.
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Form into a nest shape with the back of a spoon.
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Let cool completely.
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Fill with vegan jelly beans.
- If using a microwave. Heat chocolate chips on high for 1 minute 20 seconds and then stir until smooth.
- Heat just enough to melt chocolate chips, don't overheat.
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