These no-bake holly cookies are an old-fashioned holiday favorite straight from Nana's recipe box! Featuring crunchy cornflakes in a sweet, peppermint-infused marshmallow coating, these vibrant green treats are topped with cute candy "berries" for a fun and festive finish. If you're worried about the sticky mess that usually comes with cornflake Christmas cookies, don't be. My simple tricks make assembling these a total breeze!
Jump to:
- 🌲Holly Cornflake Cookies: A Festive Twist on Rice Krispie Treats
- 💚❤️How to Make Holly Cookies Without the Sticky Mess
- 🥘Just 7 Simple Ingredients Needed
- 🔪How To Make Holly Cookies
- 🌿Healthy Ingredient Substitutions
- 📖Easy Recipe Variations
- 🍽Essential Equipment Needed
- 🍶Storing Cornflake Christmas Cookies
- ❓Holly Cookies FAQ
- 🥄More Recipes With Marshmallows
- 🌲More Christmas Baking Recipes
- 📋Recipe With Step-By-Step Instructions
- 💬 Comments
🌲Holly Cornflake Cookies: A Festive Twist on Rice Krispie Treats
If you've ever made Rice Krispie treats, you already know how to make these holly cookies. Swap in cornflakes, add a little green food dye and a splash of vanilla and peppermint, and you've got an easy no-bake treat with serious retro vibes.
Rice Krispie trees are everywhere during the holidays, but holly cookies are more unique, vibrant, and pretty. They're also more flavorful, with a subtle mint taste and a nostalgic charm that takes you right back to Nana's kitchen.
💚❤️How to Make Holly Cookies Without the Sticky Mess
The first tip is all about shape. You'll see a lot of recipes that call for wreaths, but they're much harder to make and work with when you're dealing with sticky marshmallows. I skip the wreaths and make holly leaves instead, which are simply small clumps of the mixture set on parchment paper.
Next up, as with our Gumdrop Nougat Candy, cooking spray is your best friend here. Marshmallow mixture sticks to everything, so give your bowl, spatula, and hands a good spritz before you start. Keep that spray bottle handy (with the cap off!) and reapply as you go. You'll spend far less time scraping sticky cornflakes off your fingers.
Finally, assemble the cookies one at a time. Dollop out mixture for one holly cookie and immediately press the candies on top before moving on to the next one. It's helpful to have a helper in the kitchen for this step so you can work quickly before the mixture starts to set.
🥘Just 7 Simple Ingredients Needed
- Cornflakes: These give the cookies their signature crunch and classic holly leaf texture.
- Marshmallows: Melted marshmallows act as the sweet, gooey glue that holds the cornflakes together.
- Butter: Butter adds richness and helps the marshmallow mixture melt smoothly for easier mixing.
- Vanilla extract: A splash of vanilla rounds out the sweetness with warm, classic flavor.
- Peppermint extract: This is the secret ingredient that sets these holly cookies apart. It adds a subtle mint taste that feels fresh and festive.
- Green food coloring: Just a few drops turn the mixture into a vibrant, holiday-ready green.
- Red hots (cinnamon imperials): These little candies become the bright red holly berries that make each cookie look so festive. They are sold in theater boxes in most grocery stores; you'll use about half of the box for one batch.
See recipe card for quantities.
🔪How To Make Holly Cookies
Step 1: Melt butter and marshmallows over low heat in a nonstick saucepan.
Step 2: Remove from heat; add the extracts and food coloring.
Step 3: Gently stir mixture with cornflakes until they're well coated.
Step 4: Dollop mixture by the spoonful onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Immediately press candies into the cookies so they stick.
For step-by-step instructions, see the printable recipe card below.
Hint: Assemble holly cookies on a rimmed cookie sheet, lined with parchment paper. This makes them easy to transfer while they set. Plus, you can easily pop them in the fridge to speed up the process.
🌿Healthy Ingredient Substitutions
- Natural green food coloring for green food dye: Plant-based colorings made from spirulina or spinach give the cookies their green color without artificial dyes. Start with a small amount, since the shade can be a little softer than traditional dye.
- Dried cranberries for red hots: Chopped or whole dried cranberries make natural-looking holly berries with less sugar and no artificial coloring. They'll taste tart instead of cinnamon-spicy, so it's a good choice for kids who don't like the heat of cinnamon candies.
- Whole grain or lower-sugar cornflakes for regular cornflakes: Choosing a whole grain or reduced-sugar cornflake adds a little extra fiber and cuts back on sugar while keeping that classic crunch.
📖Easy Recipe Variations
- Classic Christmas Wreaths: While the holly leaf shape is faster and easier, you can turn this recipe into traditional holiday wreaths! Let the mixture cool for about 30-60 seconds so it's easier to handle. Using well-greased fingers, drop the mixture into mounds on your parchment paper and gently press a hole in the center of each one to form a wreath shape.
- Chocolate "Berries" (No Cinnamon!): Not everyone loves the spicy kick of cinnamon Red Hots. For a sweeter alternative, swap them out for red Mini M&Ms. The candy coating gives a great crunch, and the chocolate pairs perfectly with the marshmallow and cornflakes.
- Almond Extract Swap: If you aren't a fan of peppermint, you can use ½ teaspoon of almond extract instead. Almond is a very popular flavor profile for cornflake cookies. It pairs beautifully with the vanilla and toasted cereal for a warmer, nuttier taste.
Check out Christmas Bark for another easy no bake treat for the holidays!
🍽Essential Equipment Needed
- medium nonstick saucepan
- heat-resistant silicone scraping spatula
- large mixing bowl
- large rimmed cookie sheet, lined with parchment paper
- cooking spray (A MUST!)
🍶Storing Cornflake Christmas Cookies
Once set, store cookies in an airtight container. Separate rows with wax paper or parchment paper to avoid sticking. Cookies are best stored at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Freezing isn't recommended.
❓Holly Cookies FAQ
You need to add the red cinnamon candies immediately after dropping the cookies onto the wax or parchment paper. This is when the marshmallow mixture is still warm and tacky. If you wait too long and the cookies begin to cool, the candies will fall right off. If they have already cooled, you can use a tiny dab of leftover melted marshmallow to "glue" them on.
If your mixture is impossibly sticky, you may have cooked the marshmallows for too long or over too high of heat, which causes the sugars to seize. Make sure you melt them gently over low heat, removing the pan from the burner as soon as the mixture is smooth. Additionally, always generously coat your hands, spoon, and spatula with cooking spray before handling the mixture to prevent sticking.
Not automatically. Standard Kellogg's Corn Flakes contain malt flavoring, which is not gluten-free. If you're making these for someone with a gluten sensitivity, be sure to purchase a certified gluten-free brand.
Freezing is generally not recommended for this recipe. When cornflake cookies thaw, the trapped moisture and condensation cause the cereal to lose its crunch and become soggy. They are best kept in an airtight container at room temperature, layered between parchment paper, where they will stay fresh for up to a week.
🥄More Recipes With Marshmallows
Looking for other recipes with marshmallows? Try these:
🌲More Christmas Baking Recipes
These are my favorite treats to gift and serve with Holly Cookies during the holidays. For more ideas, visit our Holiday Baking page.
📋Recipe With Step-By-Step Instructions
Holly Cookies
Equipment
- medium non-stick saucepan
- silicone scraping spatula (heat resistant)
- large mixing bowl
- large, rimmed cookie sheet (lined with parchment paper)
- cooking spray (A MUST!)
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Ingredients
- 1 stick (½ c.) salted butter
- 4 & ½ cups mini marshmallows
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon peppermint extract
- 1 & ½ teaspoon green food coloring for a more vibrant green as pictured, add an additional ½ teaspoon to total 2 tsp
- 4 & ½ cups cornflakes
- 1 small box Red Hots cinnamon candies or red mini M&M's
Instructions
- In a medium non-stick saucepan, melt butter and marshmallows over low heat until smooth, stirring constantly.
- Remove from heat. Add the vanilla and peppermint extract; stir. Then add the food coloring; blend until mixture is fully green.
- Place cornflakes in large mixing bowl. Pour marshmallow mixture over cornflakes. Gently mix until all cornflakes are coated green.
- Using a greased cookie scoop, drop cornflake mixture onto parchment-lined cookie sheet. Immediately press 3 candies on top. Repeat this process for all cookies, one at a time.
- Allow cookies to set for 1 hour before storing or serving. To speed up the process, you can pop the tray in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Notes
Nutrition
Please note that nutritional information is provided by a third party service and is intended for guidance purposes only. KitchenReadyBetty.com makes no claims to its accuracy.
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