Easter chocolate egg chick in a wheaty Easter birds nest

You'll love this cheeky little fellow - an Easter chocolate egg chick in a wheaty birds nest!

The chick, the eggs and the nest are all completely edible so this is a great activity to try over the half term bread.

The chick is made from a Kinder egg, with giant milk chocolate buttons for the wings and feet, orange candy melts for the beak and white mini eggs for the eyes!

Meanwhile, the nest is made from shredded wheat, combined with melted chocolate and pressed into a sandwich cake tin to give the perfect nest shape. 

Once the nest is set, you simply stand the Kinder egg chick in the centre and surround it with mini eggs. Perfect! 

Here's the full recipe, complete with plenty of step-by-step photos to help you along the way.

Instructions

In a large bowl, crush the shredded wheat.

Then stir in the chocolate (once melted), keeping back about a 1/2 tbsp to use with the chick.

Grease a sandwich tin and tip the shredded wheat mix into it.

Press it into the tip so that it's slightly higher around the sides, then place in the fridge to set.

Turn a clean plate or bowl upside down and place two chocolate buttons side by side on the base.

Dab a little melted chocolate in the middle between the two.

Sit the egg on top, with the widest end at the bottom and leaning back slightly. Hold in place until the chocolate sets enough to allow you to let go.

Dip the bottom edge of another button into the chocolate and stick on the side of the chick to make a wing. Repeat to make the other wing.

Use dabs of chocolate to fix two white mini eggs, pointy end up, on to the egg to form the eyes.

The feet should have set enough now that you can lift the chick off the plate to lie flat. If it won't come away, run the hot tap over the other side of the plate for 1-2 seconds and the chick should lift away into your hand.

Trim a little off the edges of the two orange buttons, dip the trimmed edge in chocolate and stick on to make the beak.

Use the black icing pen to draw on the pupils.

Dab the pupils with a slightly wet finger to make them even and round.

Retrieve your nest from the fridge and tip it out. If it's stuck, run the hot tap over the base of the tin for 1-2 seconds and it should drop out into your hand. Stand the chick in the middle of your nest.

Surround with the remaining Mini Eggs.

Ta da! Isn't it cute?

I do hope you try this - it's super easy and the result is really effective.

Did you try this Easter craft activity? I'd love to know how it went!

Easter chocolate egg chick in a wheaty Easter birds nest

Pointers, tricks and troubleshooting tips for the perfect Easter birds nest

Is this Easter birds nest recipe easy to make?

This Easter birds nest recipe is a super easy one, so it's perfect for making with the kids! 

The only ‘proper’ cooking you’ll do is melting the dark chocolate. So you can get on with that by melting your chocolate in the microwave and letting the kids smash up the wheat biscuits. Then you just combine the ingredients, shape the nest and leave it to set in the cake tin. It’s a messy process but very simple.

Then, while your nests set, you can all make your chicks together!

Will I need any special equipment to make Easter birds nest?

No, the only equipment you’ll need for this recipe are bowls, spoons and a loose bottomed cake tin. Then the final bits of equipment you’ll need are your hands for making the chocolate chicks.  

If you’re in doubt, there’s always a full list of suggested equipment on the recipe card below my recipes. I always include links to example products, so you can see exactly what I used to make each recipe.

Is this Easter birds nest recipe suitable for vegetarians?

At the time of writing, this recipe is suitable for vegetarians. The Vegetarian Society has Kinder Eggs and Mini Eggs on its list of approved vegetarian products. 

The rest of the ingredients may vary by brand (chocolate, icing pen, candy melts), but it would be unusual for these ingredients to contain ingredients unsuitable for vegetarians. However, you should still check the labels just in case!

Is this Easter birds nest recipe suitable for vegans?

This recipe contains chocolate, so it isn’t vegan. However, you could try making a vegan version using vegan chocolates. This recipe should be fairly straightforward to adapt, as there’s no cooking - only melting the chocolate. So you won’t need to worry about ingredients behaving differently, as vegan chocolate tends to melt similarly to dairy chocolate.

Wheat biscuits (Shredded Wheat) are usually vegan, though you should check the labels to confirm this as it may vary between brands. So the only ingredients you’ll need to swap out are the dark chocolate, the butter, the Kinder Egg, the candy melts and the chocolate buttons.

For the Kinder Egg, feel free to use a vegan egg. For example, Montezuma makes vegan chocolate peanut butter eggs which would work well - as long as no one has a nut allergy.

You can find vegan chocolate buttons in the Free From section of most supermarkets, or from Amazon and online health food stores.

For the candy melts, you may need to get inventive. You could use a different type of vegan chocolate in an orange colour. Or you could use some vegan white chocolate buttons and colour them with food colouring.

Finally, I used butter to grease my cake tin, but you can use any neutral and vegan friendly oil.

Is this Easter birds nest recipe gluten-free?

This recipe isn’t gluten-free, as the shredded wheat biscuits contain gluten. However, you could use some gluten-free cornflakes or something similar. 

The rest of the ingredients should be gluten-free, and at the time of writing (April 2022) Kinder Eggs are gluten free. However, some brands can carry a risk of cross-contamination. So make sure to double check all of your ingredients labels to make sure that they are gluten-free. 

Is this Easter birds nest recipe recipe keto-friendly?

This recipe is decidedly non-keto, as it is mainly sugar and carbohydrates. Sorry!

Is this Easter birds nest recipe healthy?

This recipe is a little healthier than many Easter treats, as I used dark chocolate and wheat biscuits. This helps bring down the sugar content a bit, though not completely. So while it’s relatively healthy in the grand scheme of Easter chocolate, I wouldn’t eat it for breakfast every day!

Is this Easter birds nest recipe safe to eat while pregnant?

There’s nothing in this recipe that would be considered unsafe for pregnant people. However, some pregnant people can be very sensitive to blood sugar changes, so it may be something to consider before serving sweet treats.

Make sure that all of your ingredients are in good condition and this meal is prepared safely and hygienically.

A Mummy Too does not offer medical advice. Please seek help from a medical professional if you need further information or have any concerns.

Where can I get an icing pen?

Icing pens are fairly common, so you can usually find them on the baking aisle of your supermarket. 

Don’t worry if you can’t find one in store, there are plenty available on Amazon. You can find icing pens in various colours, so you could even buy a multipack of icing pens to use as decoration in other recipes.

How should I store Easter birds nest?

It’s best if you store your Easter birds nest in an airtight container, in a cool, dark place. This will prevent it from getting stale or melting. Plus, it keeps any bugs or scavengers from sneaking extra portions.

How long will Easter birds nest recipe keep?

If you keep your Easter birds nest in an airtight container as directed above, it should stay crisp and fresh for up to 3 days. However, it’s best to enjoy it on the day you make it.

Can I leave Easter birds nest recipe out on the counter?

No, the chocolate will melt and the wheat will get soft if you leave it out on the counter for too long.

Can I make Easter birds nest recipe ahead?

Sure, your Easter birds nest should keep well for up to 3 days in an airtight container. So feel free to make it ahead and store it before serving.

Can I keep Easter birds nest recipe in the refrigerator?

You can keep your Easter birds nest in the fridge if you like, though bear in mind that it will be very hard and difficult to eat.

Can I freeze Easter birds nest?

It's not a good idea to freeze the chicks, as they’re quite delicate. 

However, the birds nest should freeze fairly well if you take care to wrap it up well to protect it from damage. It’s probably best to wrap it in cling film (Saran Wrap) and then place it inside a box to keep it from getting damaged. 

Your birds nest should keep for up to 3 months, though it will become quite brittle and may break. 

What is the best way to defrost Easter birds nest?

Your Easter birds nest should defrost in under 30 minutes. There’s very little water content, so it won’t really need much time to defrost at all. So just take it out of the fridge and leave it on the counter for a short while before you serve it.

Can I make this Easter birds nest recipe in a different quantity?

If you want to make more or less of this recipe then go ahead! As long as your wheat nest is of a similar depth, it should set in the same amount of time. So you could make an even bigger nest, or individual nest cakes.

You can use an online recipe calculator to change the size of the recipe while retaining the correct ratios.

Can I make Easter birds nest recipe in a stand mixer such as a KitchenAid or Kenwood Mixer?

There’s no point in this recipe that would require a stand mixer. You only need a spoon and your hands.

Can I make Easter birds nest recipe with a food processor?

Again, this is a very simple recipe which requires no heavy mixing, so a food processor is unnecessary.

How can I make sure my Easter birds nest recipe turns out perfectly?

This recipe is super easy to follow, so you should get a perfect looking Easter birds nest with little effort! I’ve also included some helpful step by step photos, so you know how your recipe should look at every stage. So if you're ever lost, check the pictures to see if you’re on the right track.

To make sure your birds nest and chicks turn out perfectly here are a few points to watch out for:

• Melting the chocolate: The best way to melt your chocolate is by microwaving it in 15 second bursts. You can also melt your chocolate in a heatproof bowl over some simmering water, but it's a little safer and neater to use a microwave. For some more advice and chocolate recipes, I have some chocolate melting tips in my free Easter eBook!
• Crushing the wheat: If you have helpers breaking up the wheaty biscuits for you, make sure that they don’t completely pulverise the wheat biscuits. You’ll want the wheat to contain small and slightly bigger pieces to help the nest hold its shape. Don’t let them turn it into a fine dust!
• Combining the nest mix: Make sure you mix the chocolate and wheat well, so the nest doesn't have any areas without chocolate. The wheat should be well coated and consistently chocolate looking.
• Work in a cool room so the chocolate ingredients don’t melt while you work with them.

Why did my Easter birds nest recipe turn out dry/crumbly?

If your Easter birds nest turned out very crumbly, then it sounds like an issue with the chocolate to wheat ratio.

If you use too little chocolate or too much wheat biscuits, the mix won’t bind together properly. So make sure you weigh and measure your ingredients out before you begin cooking. Equally, make sure you scrape down the bowl and use all of your melted chocolate.

If you’re sure you used the correct amount of ingredients, then the ingredients probably weren’t mixed enough. You need to make sure that the wheat is completely and evenly covered in the chocolate. The chocolate acts like a glue, so if there are areas without chocolate they won’t hold together and the nest will crumble apart.

Finally, you should make sure that your wheat biscuits are in small enough pieces, because if they're too large they might break apart more easily.

Why did my Easter birds nest recipe turn out wet?

Even if you add too much chocolate, your Easter birds nest should set into a solid, crunchy nest. So if your nest is wet then it may just need more time to set.

How can I add/change the flavours in my Easter birds nest?

If you want to add flavours to your Easter birds nest, you could add some extra ingredients to the nest like marshmallows, chopped nuts or dried fruit. If you add extra ingredients, try adding a little extra melted chocolate (3-4 squares per handful of ingredients) so ensure that the mix holds together.

You could also top your nest with drizzled melted chocolate and then scatter ingredients over the top. This method will affect the way the nest will look, so make sure you use something that looks pretty!

Why do we use chicks at Easter?

Eggs and chicks have been associated with Spring for thousands of years. When people followed Pagan religions, they associated chicks with new life and fertility. Spring is full of new life, as animals and birds start to breed and plants grow after winter. 

When Christianity began to spread, religious leaders decided to use pagan holidays as a template for Christian holidays, to make converting to Christianity seem easier. So Easter, the celebration of Jesus’ resurrection, was adapted to fit in with the Spring celebrations of the Pagan religions. 

This is why we still see so many symbols for new life and fertility, because of the time of year, but also it fits in with the idea of Easter and rebirth. 

Plus, Easter chicks are super cute, so it’s not hard to see why they have endured as a popular figure for the season!

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