Add a festive pop of color to your holiday table with a quick and easy recipe for Marshmallow Christmas Wreaths!
The holidays don’t officially begin in our house until iconic Marshmallow Christmas Wreaths make their annual debut! Just one taste of these crispy, chewy treats and I am transported to Beaver Creek, Colorado, where my family and I spend every winter holiday season.
Consider these Marshmallow Christmas Wreaths to be a super festive update to the classic Rice Krispies Treats (and a confectionery cousin to our popular and just-as-festive Pumpkin Pie Rice Krispies Treats). I’ve swapped Rice Krispies for cornflakes and added a good squeeze of green food coloring. And for edible holly berries? Cinnamon candies!
If you’re in a rush, or prefer a more communal approach to dessert, skip shaping the cereal treats into individual wreaths and gather the mixture together to form one giant wreath. Then friends and family can pull off pieces as they please.
For more festive Christmas dessert inspiration, don’t miss my favorite holiday cookie recipes!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 30 large marshmallows (about 3 cups)
- 1 Tablespoon green food coloring
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 cups cornflakes
- Cinnamon red-hot candies
- Cooking Spray
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a large saucepan over low heat.
- Add the marshmallows to the melted butter and stir constantly with a wooden spoon until the mixture is smooth.
- Add the green food coloring and the vanilla extract, stirring to combine.
- Add the cornflakes and stir the mixture constantly until the cornflakes are evenly coated.
- Place a large piece of parchment paper on the counter and spray it lightly with cooking spray.
- Remove the saucepan from the stove and quickly form the cornflake mixture into wreaths by making a small hole in each mound of the cornflake mixture.
- While the cornflakes are still warm, place the red-hot candies atop the wreaths for garnish.
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Recipe adapted from Rose's Christmas Cookies by Rose Levy Beranbaum.
Everything about this recipe was great….just wondering why it is taking so long to ‘set’. Was it something I did?
Hi Diane! Do you live in a humid climate?
Add mixture in muffin tin and spray a wooden spoon with cooking spray and twirl end of spoon to make wreaths spray tin.
Great tip, Jacqueline!
I also grew up with these wonderful treats. My sister and I always looked forward to making these wreaths with mom. I still make them every year from memory. Finally, a recipe to go by. This is a keeper. Friends and family love them! Thank you!!!
I’m so thrilled to hear that you and your family enjoy the recipe, Corinne!
What a great great recipe it was so easy and the steps were spot on . Cornflake Christmas wreaths came out perfect
I’m so happy to read this, Christine!
Love these so good!
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe, Adelyn!
I’ve made these before with Corn Flakes and they were a hit. I have 2 boxes of special K. I wonder if it would work the same
I’m so happy to hear they were a hit and you enjoyed them, Deborah! Special K should work just as well!
This is a classic twist on normal rice crispy treats- but they taste SO much better!! My mom would make these for us when we were kids and I have been trying to track down how to make them and this is it! Thank you for this recipe!
You are so welcome, Jennifer! Happy holidays!
Love making its easy good,thank you for the recipe .
You are so welcome, Patricia! I’m thrilled you enjoyed the recipe!
Can I sub shortening for butter?
That should work!
Could not shape into wreaths, too sticky! So I call them my grinch globs-lol. Too much butter I believe.
Hi Kathy – I’ve found success by spraying my hands with cooking spray so the mixture won’t stick. :)
I made these many years ago & prepared 6+ doz last night for a cookie exchange tonight. None of the recipes I looked at talked about “drying time”. Mine are all pretty sticky more than 12 hrs since making. I live in Texas so it can be humid & it’s 62% this morning. I’m wondering if that’s the only reason they’re still sticky!
Hi there! These will definitely “dry” and firm up as the set, but it sounds like it’s definitely a humidity issue!
Had the best time mKing these with our four year old granddaughter. Pretty sticky so I should have buttered my hands ANd used gel food coloring, but we loved them!
Love, love, love reading this! So thrilled you and your granddaughter enjoyed this holiday favorite. :)
Tried these and they aren’t anywhere near a good green :/ they look like.. yellow with a yucky green tint. they taste pretty good but i used more marshmallows because the first round was way too battery and got hard like toffee almost. thanks for the recipe tho! nothing ever turns out for me
I’m so sorry you didn’t enjoy the recipe, Grace. I highly recommend using gel food coloring to achieve a rich color.
Has anyone ever have a problem with the red hots bleeding onto the wreath when freezing?
IF you butter your hands the mixture does not stick to your hands while shaping.
Great tip, Andrea!
Can you sub mini marshmallows? And how many cups (or ounces) of minis??
Absolutely! Use three cups of loosely packed mini mallows.
Can I used Cinnamon Toast Crunch instead for my cereal? How do you think that would turn out?
Hi Zach! I’ve never tried that but it *should* work. Let me know if you give it a shot!
Thanks for the recipe turned out great I just used red candy sprinkles that were round instead
Awesome! I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe, Joanne!
can you freeze the wreaths?
Hi Colette – Yes! To freeze, place in layers separated by wax paper in an airtight container. They’ll last for up to a month in the freezer. Let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving.
I too had problems with the wreathes sticking together. I counted the 30 marshmallows out but in hindsight I would use the whole bag of marshmallows.
Hi Summer – I’m sorry you didn’t have success with this recipe. Once you removed the cornflake mixture from the stove, did you quickly form it into wreaths?
can you use marshmellow fluff
Hi Carol! I haven’t tried that so unfortunately I cannot say with certainty that it will work or how much marshmallow fluff you would need. Sorry I can’t be of more help!
Husband tried these, did not work for him. Were too moist and did not hold sharp. Think he must have used too much butter. Going to try myself. Apart from that, love your recipes, so delicious.
Hi Theresa – I’ve never experienced that. Did he follow the recipe as directed?
Can you freeze this recipe?
Hi Maryanne – Yes! To freeze, place in layers separated by wax paper in an airtight container. They’ll last for up to a month in the freezer. Let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving.
Can they be freezed before time?
Hi Helen! Yes, they’ll last for up to a month in the freezer. To freeze, place in layers separated by wax paper in an airtight container. Let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving. ENJOY!
Planning this for a class gingerbread house making project. Will it hold up for a few hours without refrigeration and on the gingerbread house or will it melt and fall apart?
Hi Shreya! Once they firm up, they should hold their shape. :)
They look yummy and easy to make . I am going to try them .
I hope you enjoy the recipe, Darlene!
I always make them but adding “creme de mint” – for the adults -yummm
Yum! Love that idea, Richard!
In regards to the Christmas reefs treats for thanks giving treats you can do the same. Create three bowls but instead of green use yellow red and orange and create a thanks giving or fall fest treat in which i call a leaf pile or even a fall reef or even take a Hersheys piece as the trunk and make a chocolate fall tree.
Great idea, Jeff!
This sounds wonderful for fall or Thanksgiving! Thanks for the tip!
Just curious, do your hands turn green making these?
Only slightly! Spray your hands with cooking spray prior to shaping the wreaths and the mixture won’t stick as much :)
This is HAPPY FOOD!!! Nostalgic and sweet. Love it, loved making these as a kid and feeling like I should make them today!
Yes, yes and yesssss!
This is brilliant! Do you know a way I can sub green food coloring to something else, natural way? We don’t do food coloring in cooking especially with kids :)
Hi Olga – I’ve never used a food coloring substitute so I’m not sure what the results would be. Sorry I can’t be of more help!
I make these every year and they are always a huge hit.
So glad you’ve been enjoying the recipe, Patti!
How do you shape the wreaths and scoop out the center? Im ready to try these. So yummy
Hi Jessica! You have to work very quickly, and I’ve found success by spraying my hands with cooking spray so the mixture won’t stick.
i love these. these are usually for christmas. thankyou
My mom used to make a large version of this for our Christmas potluck!
These are a must during the holiday season! And I love the idea of a larger cookie, Erin!
Cannot resist. Beautiful idea ! Definitely on my to do list ! Thank you !
These are adorable! How fun for the holidays!
Gorgeous– making these!!!!