My kids ask to make these every single year, and honestly, I look forward to it too. No oven required. You melt chocolate, stir in broken pretzels and peanuts, scoop them into little mounds, and press candy eggs into the center while everything is still warm. The whole batch takes about 30 minutes, including cleanup. They are messy to make, which is half the fun when you have small hands involved.
I have tried fancier Easter desserts. Layer cakes, decorated sugar cookies, the works. These win every time. Kids love shaping the nests and picking which M&Ms go where. Adults eat them by the handful when nobody is looking. They hold up well at room temperature too, so you can make them a couple of days before Easter and just set them out when people arrive.
How to Make Chocolate Bird’s Nest Cookies
Melt the Chocolate
Use a double boiler or microwave 340g (12 oz) chocolate chips in 30 second intervals, stirring between each round. Stop as soon as the chocolate is smooth. Overheating makes it seize up. 
Mix and Shape the Nests
Break pretzel sticks in half; you want roughly 560 to 790g (20 to 28 oz) total. Toss them into the melted chocolate along with 225 to 340g (1 to 1 1/2 cups) dry roasted peanuts. Stir until everything is coated.
Drop spoonfuls onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Use the back of the spoon to press a shallow well in the center of each one.
Add the Eggs and Let Them Set
Press 2 or 3 peanut butter M&M eggs into each nest while the chocolate is still soft. Let them firm up at room temperature for about 20 minutes, or speed things up in the fridge for 10.
How to Make Chocolate Bird’s Nest Cookies
Melt the Chocolate
Use a double boiler or microwave 340g (12 oz) chocolate chips in 30 second intervals, stirring between each round. Stop as soon as the chocolate is smooth. Overheating makes it seize up.
Mix and Shape the Nests
Break pretzel sticks in half; you want roughly 560 to 790g (20 to 28 oz) total. Toss them into the melted chocolate along with 225 to 340g (1 to 1 1/2 cups) dry roasted peanuts. Stir until everything is coated.
Drop spoonfuls onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Use the back of the spoon to press a shallow well in the center of each one.
Add the Eggs and Let Them Set
Press 2 or 3 peanut butter M&M eggs into each nest while the chocolate is still soft. Let them firm up at room temperature for about 20 minutes, or speed things up in the fridge for 10.
Chocolate Bird’s Nest Cookies
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 36 nests 1x
Description
These adorable bird’s nest cookies combine chocolate-covered pretzels and peanuts with peanut butter M&Ms for a delightful Easter treat.
Ingredients
- 1 bag of peanut butter Egg M&Ms
- 2 1/2-3 1/2 cups (20-28 oz.) pretzel sticks, broken in half
- 1-1 1/2 cups (8-12 oz.) dry roasted peanuts
- 1 (12 oz.) bag chocolate chips
Instructions
- Melt the chocolate chips over a double boiler or in the microwave. If using the microwave, heat in a microwavable bowl, stirring every 30 seconds to prevent burning, until the chocolate is completely melted and smooth.
- Once the chocolate is melted, stir in the broken pretzel sticks and dry roasted peanuts until they are fully coated with chocolate.
- Using a spoon, drop spoonfuls of the mixture onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, shaping them into small nest-like forms.
- Press a few peanut butter Egg M&Ms into the center of each nest while the chocolate is still soft.
- Allow the nests to cool and set completely at room temperature or in the refrigerator before serving.
Notes
These cookies are perfect for Easter or any springtime gathering. Store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. You can substitute regular M&Ms if peanut butter M&Ms are not available. For a nut-free version, omit the peanuts and use more pretzels.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make these nut-free for school or allergies?
Skip the peanuts entirely and add more broken pretzel sticks to keep the volume right. Swap the peanut butter M&Ms for regular ones or any nut-free candy egg. The nests hold their shape just fine with pretzels alone.
How long do chocolate bird’s nest cookies last?
Stored in an airtight container at room temperature, they stay good for about a week. In the fridge, they firm up more but last even longer. I would not freeze them because the pretzels lose their crunch once thawed.
What kind of chocolate works best for these?
Semi-sweet chocolate chips are my go-to because they set firm and are not too sweet against the salty pretzels. Milk chocolate works too but takes longer to firm up completely. Avoid chocolate bars with high cocoa butter content; they stay too soft.
They are supercute!
How funny I blogged about a very similar recipe today… I like how you have put the M&M eggs on them though to make them a bit more Easter like!