Fun Christmas treats combine two of the best things about Christmas: food and crafts. All it takes is a few easy-to-find ingredients and a short window of time to make these edible Christmas crafts.
Marshmallow Rudolph Treats
It wouldn't be Christmas without Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. These marshmallow treats are great for class parties or stocking stuffers. The following recipe makes five treats.
Ingredients
- 5 jumbo marshmallows
- 4-ounce baking chocolate bar
- 10 mini pretzels, broken into halves to resemble antlers
- 5 sturdy straws, popsicle sticks, or lollipop sticks
- Small red and white candies for the eyes and nose
Directions
- In the microwave or a double-boiler on the stove, melt the chocolate bar until smooth.
- Push a straw into the center of a marshmallow, about 3/4 of the way through.
- Holding the top end of the straw, dip the marshmallow into the melted chocolate; use a spoon to help you coat the entire marshmallow in chocolate.
- Place the chocolate-coated marshmallow on a plate covered with wax paper; repeat the process for the remaining marshmallows.
- While the chocolate is still soft, push a pretzel antler into the top of each side of each marshmallow. This step can be challenging. You may have to hold each antler for several seconds to set.
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Using the candies, add a red nose and white eyes to each marshmallow, holding each candy for several seconds to set.
- Place reindeer treats in the refrigerator until chocolate is completely set.
Once the reindeer are set you can put them in individual bags tied with a bow or serve them uncovered on a plate. The reindeer do not have to be stored in the refrigerator unless they are in a warm environment and at risk of melting.
Festive Rice Cereal Christmas Trees
Kids of all ages enjoy rice cereal treats, and they will love decorating these cut-out trees! Besides creating Christmas trees with this recipe, get creative with other holiday-themed cookie cutters to make other festive shapes.
This recipe will make about a dozen treats, depending on the size of your cookie cutter.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 10-ounce bag of marshmallows (mini or regular)
- Six cups crispy rice cereal
- Green food coloring
- Christmas tree cookie cutter
- Assorted candies (peppermints, mini M&Ms, candy sprinkles, etc.)
Directions
- In a large saucepan, melt butter over low heat; add marshmallows and stir until smooth. Remove from heat.
- Stir in five drops of the green food coloring, adding more if necessary to reach your desired shade.
- Add rice cereal to marshmallow mixture and stir until completely coated.
- Pour rice mixture onto wax paper and spread to 1/2" thickness (use a buttered spatula for non-stick spreading).
- Using a cookie cutter, cut out tree shapes from the rice mixture.
- Decorate the trees with candies as desired.
- Eat immediately, wrap in individual bags, or store in an airtight container.
Popcorn Christmas Wreath
This wreath is a fun take on the traditional popcorn ball. Kids will enjoy combining the popcorn with the marshmallow mixture and pressing it into the pan to mold. The wreath makes a beautiful centerpiece for any holiday table.
This recipe makes about ten servings.
Ingredients
- 15 - 16 cups air-popped popcorn
- 1/2 cup butter
- 10-ounce bag marshmallows (mini or regular)
- Green food coloring
- 1 cup gumdrops (red and green look great but you can use any colors you like)
- Red string licorice
Instructions
- Spray a bundt pan with cooking spray; scatter several gumdrops along the bottom of the pan.
- Place popcorn and remaining gumdrops onto a jelly roll pan or in a large roasting pan; combine well.
- Melt butter and marshmallows over low heat in a large saucepan until melted and smooth; remove from heat.
- Add green food coloring to the marshmallow mixture to desired color; stir until well combined.
- Pour marshmallow mixture over popcorn and gumdrops; mix well.
- Fill bundt pan with popcorn mixture; press mixture as you fill the pan using a buttered spatula to prevent sticking.
- Let popcorn mixture set in the pan for 15-20 minutes.
- Release popcorn wreath from the pan onto a serving plate, using a buttered knife around the edges to loosen it if necessary.
- Create a bow out of string licorice and press it into the wreath to attach it.
To serve, slice the wreath like a cake or pull it apart.
Make Christmas Memories
Edible Christmas crafts are fun to make and eat. Whether you create them to take to a party or to enjoy at home, they're a great way to make lasting memories and add whimsy to any holiday occasion.
