Corn Flake Wreaths

Corn Flake Wreaths

The Spruce Eats / Bahareh Niati

Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 5 mins
Total: 25 mins
Servings: 8 servings
Yield: 8 wreaths

This easy corn flake wreaths recipe is a long-time holiday favorite because they're so fast and simple to whip up and make a great kids' cooking project.

Kids and adults alike love the sweet taste and crunchy, chewy texture of these cute wreaths. Enjoy them on their own, serve them as part of a holiday cookie plate, or package them individually and hand them out as party favors.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup (4 ounces) butter

  • 3 cups miniature marshmallows

  • 1/2 teaspoon almond extract

  • 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

  • 1 bottle green food coloring

  • 4 cups corn flakes cereal

  • 24 pieces small red candies, like Red Hots

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients to make corn flake wreaths

    The Spruce Eats / Bahareh Niati

  2. Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with aluminum foil and spraying the foil with nonstick cooking spray.

    A baking sheet lined with foil and sprayed with non-stick cooking spray

    The Spruce Eats / Bahareh Niati

  3. Place the butter in a large microwave-safe bowl, and microwave the butter just until melted. Add the marshmallows to the bowl, and microwave in 30-second intervals until the marshmallows are melted, stirring between each interval.

    A bowl of melted butter and mashmallows

    The Spruce Eats / Bahareh Niati

  4. Once the marshmallows and butter are melted and smooth, stir in the almond extract, vanilla extract, and enough food coloring to get the desired color. Adding the cornflakes will dilute the green color, so make the color a little darker than you want the finished product to be.

    Extracts and green food coloring added to the bowl of melted butter and marshmallows

    The Spruce Eats / Bahareh Niati

  5. Pour the cornflakes over the marshmallow mixture and stir gently to coat the flakes, trying not to crush them.

    Cornflakes added to the bowl of green marshmallow-butter mixture

    The Spruce Eats / Bahareh Niati

  6. Place a heaping spoonful of coated cornflakes onto the prepared baking sheet. Spray your hands with nonstick cooking spray, and gently form a hole in the middle of the candy, working it into a 3-inch wreath to yield 8 candies. 

    Hands forming the green corn flakes into round circles with a whole in the center on the foil-lined baking sheet

    The Spruce Eats / Bahareh Niati

  7. While the wreath is still sticky, press three red candies in a cluster on each wreath for decoration.

    Corn flake wreaths with small red candies on a foil-lined baking sheet

    The Spruce Eats / Bahareh Niati

  8. Allow the wreaths to set at room temperature, then carefully remove them from the baking sheet. Serve them at room temperature. These candies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature. Separate each layer of candy with waxed paper so that they do not stick together.

    Corn flake wreaths in a glass container with parchment paper

    The Spruce Eats / Bahareh Niati

Recipe Variation

You can make the wreaths any size you like, or make a variety of sizes from one batch for example. If the cornflakes are shaped into 2.5-inch wreaths, the yield will be 12, and you will need 36 red candies instead of 24 for decoration. 

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
285 Calories
12g Fat
45g Carbs
2g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8
Amount per serving
Calories 285
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 12g 15%
Saturated Fat 7g 37%
Cholesterol 30mg 10%
Sodium 215mg 9%
Total Carbohydrate 45g 16%
Dietary Fiber 1g 2%
Total Sugars 24g
Protein 2g
Vitamin C 3mg 15%
Calcium 9mg 1%
Iron 4mg 23%
Potassium 31mg 1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)