Cornflake Christmas Wreaths are a retro childhood favorite. Just a handful of ingredients needed to make them.
Don’t you remember making these Cornflake Christmas Wreaths as a child? I still sometimes make them and every time I make these cookies, I’m reminded how much I like to eat a bowl of Cornflakes for breakfast. And lunch. And dinner. Isn’t cereal for dinner the best?
Cornflake Christmas Wreaths take the cake when it comes to festive treats for the holiday cookie tray. With Christmas only 2 days away, you’ve probably about come to the end of your Christmas cookie making. I meant to share this recipe much earlier in the month, but I didn’t expect December to go by with such lightening speed.
These Christmas treats are so easy to make with just 3 ingredients plus enough green food coloring to give them that perfect evergreen color.
Variations
I used mini red M&Ms to decorate them with but Red Hots are probably the more traditional candy to use.
Use Special K cereal in place of Cornflakes.
Add a half a teaspoon of almond extract.
Get All Ingredients Ready
You will need to work quickly with this recipe so you can get the cookies shaped before the mixture sets up. Have all ingredients ,measured and get a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper before beginning the recipe.
Recipe Tips
The Cornflake mixture is a little difficult to shape into wreath shapes. I did them free hand but I think it might be easier to use a round cookie or biscuit cutter, spray it well with cooking spray, and dump some cornflake mixture in the middle. Then you can use the end of a wooden spoon to put a hole in the middle.
If you don’t want to mess with shaping them into small wreaths, drop them in mounds instead and place 3 Red Hots in the center.
If they don’t set up firmly enough, stick them in the refrigerator to firm.
How To Store
Can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 5 to 7 days or frozen for up to 3 months.
Try These Other Christmas Sweets:
- White Chocolate and Peanut Butter Christmas Crack
- Cream Cheese Mints
- Martha Washington Candy
- Peppermint Oreo Truffles
- Cherry Bourbon Balls
- Buckeye Balls
- Peanut Butter and Chocolate Fudge
Cornflake Wreath
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
- 1 (10-ounce) package marshmallows
- 1 1/4 teaspoons green food coloring
- 4 1/2 cups Cornflake cereal
- red hots or mini red M&Ms
Instructions
- Melt butter in a large pot. Add marshmallows and stir until melted.
- Stir in food coloring.
- Stir in cereal.
- Working quickly, use a greased 1/4 cup measuring cup to dump the cornflake mixture in mounds on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Use your fingers (grease them well) to form the mounds into wreath shapes.
- Decorate with red M&Ms before they set.
- Let cool completely and store in an airtight container.
Notes
Nutrition
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Originally posted December 23, 2015.
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.
My mom used to make these. She made it seem so easy! First time for me today and not so good. Gonna try again tomorrow. Practice makes perfect right, I think I used too much butter cause it didn’t look right
My mom used to make these. She made it seem so easy! First time for me today and not so good. Gonna try again tomorrow. Practice makes perfect right??
I use 6 cups in mine. I had hand surgery this year so instead I made two big wreaths that fit inside a Tupperware round container. Everyone just pulled them apart, reminded me of monkey bread. When you take just a small piece you don’t eat as much 🤭
I make these with Special K instead of cornflakes – I think they hold up a smidge better
These are my family’s favorite. I do not make rice crispy treats anymore, wreaths have taken their place. Also, I make them for Halloween and use Orange food coloring and green candies. Probably will make for Valentine’s Day and use Red food coloring with something in place of cinnamon hearts. Merry Christmas everyone
Hi
Can the cornflake Christmas wreaths be frozen to serve later? If not, how long can you keep them in an airtight container? I’d like to make them at least a week before Christmas if possible. How long before they become inedible?
Thanks
Mine are taking a while to dry mostly the bottom. Is this normal? I know my mom use to make these.
I make large 12″wreaths and large Christmas trees and decorate both with red hots. Much easier and quicker to make this way. I cut into pieces with scissors but leave in the wreath or tree shape. I also chill them. They are delicious chilled.
My mom has made these wreaths every Christmas for many years & the grandkids ( who are now in their 20’s – 40’s) look for them every year. It is an on-going conversation when they would gather for the Christmas party — where are Grandma’s wreaths or who found them first!! This year my mom decided to move to an assisted living facility so no more wreaths. Coming across this recipe is bittersweet! And she probably did save it from an Erma Bombeck column. I guess it’s time I start to make them and pass on the tradition!!
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe, this was the best Wreath recipe I have ever used. That extra 1/4 cup of butter made the difference when working with them and also the amount of food coloring. One thing I always added to mine is a 1/2 teaspoon or less of Almond Flavoring.
They never set up if you make them on a wet day. Pick a nice dry day & let them set on parchment paper until dry. Then store in air tight container.
My husband’s family would bring these @ Christmas when our son’s were young; now age 38 & 34. They are such a pretty addition & tradition to our Christmas’. It’s now time to introduce these yummy, pretty Christmas wreaths to our 4 year old grandson. Grandma T.
My family made wreaths every Christmas when i was younger except we added a tsp. Of almond extract…delicious!!!
I have made these for years, however, mine never set up. Any idea why they don’t?
Some of the recipes for this call for vanilla extract…. (thankfully not this one)
DO NOT USE VANILLA EXTRACT!
If you use vanilla extract they will become soggy, almost stale tasting and won’t set up properly.
A little bit of vanilla paste works well though
They never set up if you make them on a wet day. Pick a nice dry day & let them set on parchment paper until dry. Then store in air tight container.
Try using food coloring gel/paste (Wilton) instead of liquid food coloring. Less watery that way.
Awesome recipe, I made these today! And added festive sprinkles! Blessings! 🎅🏻
Thank you Don. Happy Holidays!
Finding this recipe is a blessing and a reminder of my grandmother who use to make these for christmas every year. Since she has passed I haven had one of these cookies in quit a few years. So making these so I can share them with my granddaughter and family!!
What a great tradition to carry on with your granddaughter! I know she will enjoy them and maybe one day make them for her own grandchildren!
I still have the magazine (somewhere) where I first saw this recipe published. They were called Erma Bombeck’s Christmas Wreath cookies. Don’t know where she got the recipe as the article didn’t say but it was way back in the day, probably the late 60’s that I found the recipe. I use to put a few of them on top of all the other Christmas cookies that I use to make and give to friends for the holiday. It was a nice decoration to have on the very top. I have made this cookies almost every year since. They are so addictive.
These are the cutest! I love how easy and festive they are! My kids will have so much fun making them! Hope you and your family have an amazing Christmas, Christin! 🙂
These are so cute and delicious- obsessed!
OMG, I never made these as a child… and I’m wondering why the heck not?! Shame on my parents for not showing me these! 😉 These wreaths are SO pretty it’s hard to believe they are made of cornflakes!! LOVE this! Sending this like to my sister so she can make them with my niece and nephew! Cheers, my friend and warm wishes for a very Merry Christmas! <3
How have I never made these?! They are seriously so cute and festive!!
I have made these many times. Make a large wreath and use candied cherries and with the small, I use red hots. Kids loved making and eating them.
I was wondering if they could be made n a pound cake pan ..then dump them on a Christmas platter for a center piece at finger sandwich and such party..has anybody done this..my first time..my husband loves them plan to surprise them…