Fruity Krispie Treats Peep Nests

April 7, 2022

There is a soft spot in my heart for Easter candy, and traditional chick-shaped Peeps are right at the core. So this recipe celebrates and highlights these sweet marshmallow friends. Each of these Peeps nests cradles the candy in a fruity and krispie treat for some spring fun!

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I think there are like a hundred or more varieties of Peeps these days, when you think about all the different colors, shapes, flavors, and holiday specials available. But I’m a traditionalist. I only eat them during the Easter season, and generally limit myself to the chick-shaped ones.

My unapologetic love for these soft and chewy goodies was the inspiration for these treats. What better way to present them than each in their own fruit-flavored and colorful nest? Use krispies treats as a base makes them simple to mold, and the fruity cereal adds the perfect splash of color.

What You Need to Get Started

You can easily find all of the ingredients for these fruity krispie treats Peeps nests at your grocery store:

Fridge: Butter
Pantry: Mini marshmallows, Rice Krispies cereal, Fruity Pebbles cereal, Peeps
Equipment: Large nonstick pot, Sturdy flexible spatula or wooden spoon, Muffin pan (optional)

How to Make Fruity Krispie Treats Peeps Nests

If you completely dropped the ball on making something fancy for Easter this year, no worries. These adorable and colorful Peeps nests come together super quick, and they are the perfect addition to any basket or brunch.

Since these are pretty fast and easy to make, be sure you have all of your ingredients measured and ready to go. There isn’t a lot of downtime when making this recipe. But first, grab a big nonstick pot, and start by melting some butter.

If you cut the butter into smaller pieces, it will melt faster, but I tend not to bother. Those extra few seconds of melting time are perfect for hunting down the mini marshmallows and two different cereals used in these treats.

Once the butter has fully melted, but before it starts to pop and crackle too much, dump in all the mini marshmallows at once. According to the official Rice Krispies Treats recipe, you can use regular-sized marshmallows.

But I never do, because I like that when I use the mini ones, there’s a few leftover for munching or topping some hot cocoa. With regular ones, you’d use the entire bag instead.

Stir to get the marshmallows coated in the butter, and then they will begin to melt fairly quickly. Continue cooking as the marshmallows begin to melt and form together into a gooey marshmallowy blob. It will take just a couple minutes.

Then add in about two-thirds of the cereals, or two cups of each. If you are concerned about distribution, feel free to combine the two cereals in a separate bowl first, but I found that you stir these treats enough that they end up pretty well distributed among the finished treats.

Continue stirring to coat the cereal with all of that marshmallow goodness. It may look a little bit stringy as you stir, and this is normal. Just keep getting it all covered. Then you can add in the last little bits of cereal.

At this point, stirring can get tough, so be sure you are using a sturdy wooden spoon or spatula. I have definitely broken weaker utensils making Rice Krispies Treats in the past.

Turn off the heat, and let the mixture sit in the warm pot for just a few minutes, until it has cooled enough to handle. You’ll be molding the actual nest shapes with your hands, so you want to make sure you won’t be touching any molten marshmallow.

Form the treats into fifteen bowl shapes. I found that making rough balls and then using a muffin pan helped me get the basic shape. Then you can push outward with your thumbs to create a depression in each.

I personally think the nests themselves are the best the following day. Peeps, I prefer about three days stale. To get yours a little chewier than when they are fresh, simply slice open the package and let them sit on the counter for a couple days.

If you are making these ahead of time, these treats can be stored in a sealed container at room temperature for a few days. They will still be okay to eat for about a week, but will harden slightly, both the nests and the Peeps.

While they are still somewhat warm and gooey, tuck a Peep into each nest. I found that angling them so the front of the Peep was pointing down into the depression of each nest worked well. This helps them stay put.

If you are not a fan of Peeps, feel free to fill your nests with other fun Easter candy, like jelly beans, chocolate mini eggs, or gum drops. You could even keep them empty, and have filled glass candy jars for some DIY decorating.

You can also enjoy these in other seasons by spreading the treats into a pan when hot. Then let them fully cool before slicing and serving them as you would with traditional krispie treats.

Make a lovely home for your Peeps this Easter with these fun and colorful Peeps nests. Each bite-sized treat is fruity, sweet, and crispy!

How to Serve Peeps Nests

These adorable treats are perfect for Easter, or any part of the spring. Whether you are throwing a cute party for kids, or hosting a sweet seasonal brunch, you can definitely find a place for these little guys to add an extra pop of color.

I love the idea of having them sitting on the table for Easter brunch, as part of the place setting. You can even use different-colored Peeps for a fun rainbow, and color coordinate your dishes. Serve a platter of curry deviled eggs and then a springy strawberry rhubarb crumble to round out the meal. Or try one of these other ideas!

Or you could have a whole gaggle of Peeps nests as part of a colorful dessert bar. Serve them alongside other fun-hued snacks like blueberry cheesecake cookies, texas sheet cake with watermelon frosting, and peach cupcakes with colored buttercream.

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