Christmas Wreaths

I came across this recipe by accident as I was browsing the site. I have been making these treats for over 40 years (got the recipe from a lady I used to babysit for) and not until now did I realize how popular they must be! With slight variations in measurements my recipe is the same except I also add 1/2 tsp of almond extract. I have never had a problem working with them as I have always been lucky enough to find another set of hands to put the red hots on while I drop the sticky mixture onto waxed paper! (Buttered hands really help!) They are a pretty and colorful addition to any Christmas cookie plate. I'ver never known anyone who didn't like these and all these years later my own kids, now 26 and 28, ask for reassurance every year that I'll be making them when they come home for Christmas. An easy, delicious and very sentimental Christmas tradition.

I'm not a huge fan of marshmellowy things but I'm giving them five starts because they are SO adorable!! When I first read the recipe I thought it would take forever, but it only took about 30-45 minutes from start to finish. I used rice crispies for the cereal, and to decorate I used colored sprinkles and cherry chips. I used pull & peel cherry licorice for the bows, it seemed to be the perfect length, and I was amazed at how it sticks to itself - when you shape a bow you don't have to 'tie' it - just press it between your fingers for a few seconds and it stays!

Things I learned about these cookies from making them: *you can wet your fingers with water instead of butter/oil when shaping them *I had a tough time getting them to really harden and hold their shape...make double sure that your wax paper is on the correct side and wait awhile before moving them. *I used multi-color nonpariels instead of cinnamon dots (personal preference, but I don't care for that much cinnamon candy crunch in my cookies) *Plan to work fast...they become stickier as time passes *If you want to make it even more child-friendly, I suspect you could melt the butter and marshmellows in the microwave , though I didn't try it this way. *Good tasting...similar to rice krispy treats for sure!

My family loves this recipe. It is messy, and I could never manage making the little wreaths. My solution was to make one large wreath and decorate it with the candies. We just slice pieces off it when we want to eat it. It can be the centerpiece of the dessert table.

I remember these...my mother used to make them when I was a kid. We always loved them and they add a lot of color to a cookie plate. I recommend to butter your hands when forming the wreaths and lay on a greased sheet of waxed paper until they have had a chance to set and cool. Also, they are easy to form into wreaths but you need to hurry. If they have a chance to cool they will be impossible. The best way I have found is to spoon a glob onto the waxed paper and use your fingers form a wreath by pulling from the middle out, kind of hard to explain.

I first made these in the 3rd grade with my classmates - our teacher taught us how to make them. I've made them for many Christmases since! You can also make one big wreath, or mix in the cinnimon candies, and drop spoonfuls on the waxed paper to make "holly bushes". Also, you can also keep the mixture warm in a slow cooker while you're shaping the wreaths.

I've been making these for over 20 years (minus the vanilla), and I think I've made them every Christmas. I love them, my daughter loves them and so do my co-workers. :-) I don't shape them as wreaths either, just holly "lumps". :P They are still very festive when decorated with the candies. I put them on wax paper that is sprayed with cooking spray, that always seems to work best to avoid a mess. I use a whole bag of miniature marshmallows and just add corn flakes until the mixture is coated and there is a good ratio of flakes to the goo.

My Grandmother used to make these every Christmas! In fact, it just wasn't Christmas without them (or church window cookies, and her fudge). Now, it's up to me to carry on her tradition but mine didn't turn out quite as pretty.....

I made these for our church's tree decorating party last night after a week of baking cookies out the wazoo! These were a beautiful addition and very tasty. I added a little almond extract too, for a little more flavor, but got to thinking you could add peppermint extract or even anise. ( Helps to bring the flavors of the season out, ya know?) Work QUICKLY when adding the cornflakes and coating them! I added a touch of white decorating crystals on the tops along with the cinnamon candies. Oh yeah, remember to butter your hands when shaping them in wreaths!

I've been doing a form of this one for years - it is basically Rice Krispie treats, but you use corn flakes. It sounds strange, but they turn out VERY cute, and they taste GREAT! I usually use only vanilla flavoring in mine by personal preference. They really add a wonderful touch to cookie trays as well.

These ROCK! We add a little Almond extract to the marshmellos once they've melted. It makes them even more Deenishous! You should to seriously.....DO IT!!!!!!!!!!! NOW! ADD THE EXTRACT FOR THE LOVE OF PETE!!!

What a fun holiday cookie. Here are a few suggestions to anyone who wants to make this. Instead of greasing your finger, put a plastic sandwich bag over your hand and it won't stick to you (or the bag). And if you don't like cinnamon candies, use red mini candy-coated chocolate candies.

I also make them for valentine's day, just add red food coloring and shape into hearts! Yum!

These were ok, but there just didn't seem to be enough marshmallow mixture to cover all the cornflakes and we ended up with "bald" spots.

No other recipe brings back as many memories of Christmas for me as this one. Be careful when forming the wreaths, the mixture will be hot. It is helpful to have someone to place the red hots and bows. If you try to put the red hots and bows on with buttered fingers they won't stick, but if you wait too long to place them on, the wreaths will harden and they also won't stick. I make bows from the Pull and Peel Twizzlers. Make the bows up ahead of time. Just form them into a bow and press together. They will hold their shape.

4 stars because I made just a couple adjustments. I used an entire bag (10oz) of marshmallows & 2 tsp. green food coloring. Melted the marshmallow mixture in glass bowl in microwave. Cooked 1 minute, stirred, then did 30 second intervals until smooth. It made 24 large wreaths. Will look very festive on cookie trays.

My mom loved these and wants me to make them again for her friends this year. I used mini red m&ms instead of red hots, just because I'm not a particular red hot loved. They turned out so so cute, and tasted delicious.

Everyone loved these! Definitely spray the wax paper with cooking spray before dropping mixture on it. Also, be aware that 1 1/2 tsp. of food coloring is almost the entire small bottle, so if you are making a double batch, buy extra! I had to make my own and ended up with "blue spruce" wreaths :-)

I am so excited to have found this recipe! When I was little, I used to go over to my friend's house & make these with her mom. I thought they were the coolest thing because they were green cookies...ah the simple pleasures of life. Thanks for posting this!

This was so easy to make. I microwave the marchmallows and used the entire bag rather than count them out. I also added 1/2 tsp almond extract which was a good idea, used springles and coconut to decorate. Alot of good ideas and I used a spoon to make the center of the wreath. All of this is creativity in the kitchen! Merry Christmas!

I recommend 3 c. of mini marshmallows instead of 30 large ones -- they are easier to measure and melt better. Also, the gel icing color manufactured by Wilton is far superior to food coloring. It produces much better color results. You can also do 1/2 t. vanilla and 1/2 t. almond extract for a different flavor.

I have been making these for years. I use original Special K instead of Corn Flakes because the flakes are smaller and easier to coat with the marshmallow mixture.

you can't go wrong with this recipe. it is widely known everywhere. i've seen some with almond extract and that is just weird to me. and i don't use red hots anymore because my husband just picks them off for me to eat anyway. one year when i did use them my dog got into the bag when we were gone and we came back to a pink eared golden retriever. so no more red hots!

These are awesome Christmas cookies! They are so beautiful and they are yummy. They taste best when warm. But in order to place in tin for gift make sure they are cooled or they will stick together! Also make sure you use the green food coloring and do not mix yellow and blue, it makes an ugly green color.

I make these every year. Its an easy recipe to follow and a great addition to your Christmas cookie plate. Its unique and everyone loves them.

Loved this recipe. Looks really cute on a cookie plate. When handling them, sprayed my hands with non-stick cooking spray and it worked like a treat to avoid a mess. I didn't have red hots so I used smarties, then melted white chocolate and drizzled it on top for a "snow" effect. Very edible! Thanks!

I LOVE this holiday treat! My mom made them every christmas and she couldn't hide them well enough to keep us away... Kids can help put the red hots on quickly after you form the circles. Use a little pam spray on your fingers if it gets too sticky. Yummy - can't wait to make them next week!

These didn't work for me at all. This was a mess and they didn't taste all that great.

consistancy was a gooey mess, tasted good, but had to throw out...couldn't give to others

Although these were very pretty to look at they weren't very practical especially when making up cookie gift tins. I found them to be very sticky and didn't always stay firmly together. So....as an alternative...when my daughter had her friends over through the holidays, this was what we served as a snack. It was a big hit. This is also a recipe that is fun for kids to help out with.

Not enough corn flakes!! I used 1 full bag of mini marshmallows so needed more than 4 cups of cornflakes. It caused the wreath to spread since it was too mallow-ee. But it tasted good. will increase flakes next time.

Very easy and fun. My 4 year old daughter helped make these for a pre-school party, and the recipe was so easy to follow and fun to prepare, that we are planning to make them again this week! We did spray our hands with cooking spray before forming the wreaths, and it worked perfectly!! Thank you for the recipe

I tried to make them just as the recipe said, however, after fighting to get them shaped right I finally just rolled them in log form then shaped them into wreaths... musch easier. I also used rice krispies

I have always loved this recipe and lost it in a move. I am so glad to find it here! I agree with another reviewer who stated to add corn flakes as needed to avoid a mess and to spray wax paper with a non stick cooking spray. Thanks for a great holiday favorite!

Fun, also made them with rice krispies, either way they were good

These are REALLY good, I love them! They are especially good if you use almond extract in place of vanilla. I never use the cinnamon candies either, but when I take them to a potluck this year, I may try using the nonpareils as another reader suggested

These were not good at all. No one like them not even the children. Corn flakes don't taste good and are too crunchy. Stick to Rice Crispy treats.

When I was a girl, my mother would make these with my brother and me every Christmas. They were amazing as a kid. I guess I will have to try them this year.

Husband was really pleased (was made for his work potluck). Because they were so sticky I put them in the fridge while still on the wax paper in order to peel them off.

I girl from work made these and they were great, but mine were a little hard...a little too crunchy. I think I used a little too many corn flakes. They're good though. And don't be stingy with the food coloring, otherwise they're just a pale green.

These are so good! I couldn't stop eating them! I used half corn flakes and half rice krispies which gave them a lighter texture! I also just wet my fingers and they stayed sticky long enough to make these by myself and form them easily. They have a great buttery vanilla flavor and they are just so cute! Will make these every Christmas for sure!

Been a family favorite here for years and is one of the first to fly off the cookie trays. Work fast, don't have a dry mixture and avoid stacking them for storage unless you have waxed paper between the layers. A Christmas staple around here!!

The cornflakes were soggy/chewy and never did get very crispy. They fall apart and stuck to each other when stored also.

Turned out good. Hard to shape. I used cheap corn flakes. Next time with use name brand.

Hard to shape into wreaths, but they are cute when you do. Wet your hands with water and let the marshmallow cool a bit before attempting to form them. Very impressive as part of a gift cookie pack.

one of the hardest "easy" cookies on my list this year. i used half of the food coloring and still was a ridiculous shade, so i added red and blue to make it a more realistic evergreen color. also 30 marshmallows and a stick of butter made a strange liquid so i dumped the rest of the bag in the pot, about 12-13. next time i'll use rice krispies as i find them easier to work with. overall thoroughly frustrating.

I use six to 10 more marshmallows and skip the vanilla. Instead I use 1 teaspoon of lemon extract. It gives them a unique subtle lemon taste that is not at all overpowering. My mom made them that way. Also, I don't bother trying to shape them into wreaths. It's easier to just drop them by the spoonful. They still look great- like holly bunches. You can also use red M&M's if you don't like red hots.

I wish I would have read the reviews before I made this, because I wasn't expecting such a gooey mess. I panicked because I thought I had made a mistake, and pressed them into a square pan (like Rice Krispie bars). So...we had green bars, which was fine. The kids loved them :o). I'll know what to expect next time!

These are just as I remember them from when I was a kid! A couple things that helped: I kept the pan on a very low heat as I made the wreaths. This kept the mixture easy to work with. Also, I used non-stick spray on a couple fingers of the hand I used to shape them. That really helped!

Worked even without the cornflakes. I used Kix cereal and added a red licorice bow. Fun!

Great for a party tray, maybe, not as gift tins, too messy, they don't firm up well, I did use rice crispy cereal instead of corn flakes, probably won't make again!!

Delicious! You definitely need to work quickly or have a helper on hand. Spraying the wax paper with cooking spray really helps. I doubled the recipe and ended up using the entire bottle of green food coloring (8.65 mL) - the wreaths were a nice Kelley green in the end. Next time I will purchase a larger bottle of coloring to make a more pine-like color. I also used an entire 16 oz. bag of large marshmallows (about 70 marshmallows) and found the wreaths to be a bit too gooey for my taste so will reduce by a bit next time around. Really excellent snack though! A cute holiday treat.

1/2 a cup of butter to 30 marshmallows is too much. It worked with 1/4 cup of butter. I didn't add any vanilla. There really is no need for it. After 1 wreath I put the rest in a baking dish and sprinkled red hots on top then cut into squares after it cooled.

I have had something similar to these before and was looking for that recipie- this isn't it! Taste wasn't bad, but way too gooey and very hard to form into wreaths. A waste of time!

I have been making these for years. All kinds of yumminess. I add 1/2 tsp of almond extract as well. yummy!

I love the color these add to my christmas cookie trays.

I tried this recipe and they were very cute and tasted very good...once we got it off the wax paper. I have not idea why but they stuck to the waxed paper and would not come off. Once we did get them off the paper they no longer looked like wreaths. The kids still loved them and were very happy.

LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE these! Can't ever make or get enough! Thanks for sharing the recipe!

These are my FAVORITE to eat and make---they can be tedious to make but I feel if they cool off a little in the pan they are easier to work with, and make sure you have well greased hands and I keep a small bowl of water to dip them in like a PP said water works just as good as greased hands. Also I use red sprinkles instead of red hots for decoration.

whoever wrote this must have meant regular sized marshmallows because I couln't even get the mix off of my oiled hands.

I make a style of these every year. My mom made them for my birthday and they just followed me through my life :)

Good

I've been making these for a few years now and they are great and there are never any leftovers once you bring them out!

Fun to make, and kids love to help!

I have made these for years and they are always a family favorite. I add Almond extract also, and only 1 tsp green coloring. Tips for shaping...Keep a small glass of water handy, use a large table spoon to scoop mixture onto wax paper lined cookie sheets, then use a table knife dipped in water, starting in the center of the scooped mixture, just pull it out to shape into a wreath, then sprinkle with any colored sugar, sprinkles or cinnamon candies. Work fast, let them set over night and then package up in-between wax paper the next day. I can never make enough of these.

Tasted good, but not easy to form into wreath shapes. Wound up making big green blobs instead.

So delicious I loved them for sure, and even more sure that my guests will love them just as much as I do. Thanks for the wonderful recipe.

This recipe is such a cute one for the holidays! I always give these away as gifts and people love them, and so do I!

Very cute! I had trouble shaping them, as they are quite gooey. However, they were perfect for kids. They taste similar to rice krispie treats.

These treats are a Christmas Tradition, but great for any Winter gathering. Love the color and flavor! I think this recipe is excellent, but if you think you've got too many corn flakes, add more marshmallows; or too marshmallowy, add more flakes on the next batch! So simple to tweak to your liking. I get about 10 treats per cook. TIPS: For faster creation, Melt the butter first, then Microwave the Marshmallows in an 8 cup Pyrex, add the melted butter and vanilla to it, stir well, THEN add it to the Corn flakes in a Gi-normous sized metal or plastic bowl stirring with a medium sized flat Spatula, THEN add the food coloring, keep stiring. I noticed the food coloring had a better natural Green color doing it this way instead of mixing it into the melted marshmallows. Definitely Helps to have another person help 'form' the wreaths as you are 'spatulating' them onto the wax paper. Highly recommend having buttered Vinyl/Rubber gloves to form/shape them. I don't worry about making 'donut-hole shaped' wreaths, as they look fine and are easier to eat/handle just as a solid glob shape (will upload a photo when I get the pixels up to allrecipes standards). One final tip: use caution if putting your Wax paper on Granite countertops —depending on the type of granite or sealant, you could end up with darkened 'splotch' stains.

These were the cutest cookies I made for Christmas this year. Like another reviewer, I didn't bother making the wreath shape and instead just did "holly bushes". They are very colorful and looked great on my cookie plate with my other cookies. Sure, they're a little messy to make but everyone gobbled them up.

My aunt has been making these since before I was born! They are my absolute favorite. She shapes in the form of holly leaves (uses the corn flakes). I'm getting a craving....

Great dessert!Instead of red hots, I chose to set aside 1/2c. of the corn flake and marshmellow mixture and used red food coloring to form little berries.My family looks forward to this sweet treat each year!

Very easy and fun to make with children!

Too gooey and soggy. Did not taste well either.

Ever popular!

I'm only giving this 4 stars because I found it very hard to form the wreaths in time before they cooled. I now see the other reviews that said it helps to have a 2nd person! It also didn't help that i have long nails. As far as the taste? Excellent. They taste just like rice krispie treats. I might use those less time and less than 3 cups too. I used way more food coloring than it said or otherwise they would have been not very green. They look really cute too. I'll definitely save this recipe for future years and one day, little helpers.

I love this. I have made this with my mom since I was really little, and this is my first year married and my brother and I both called for the recipe. We love making these. They are so easy to make, even for kids.

Fantastic, we make every year

I have received these every year as a gift. Love Em! Glad to have the recipe. Just change the color to a dab of red to make pink and you have a great valentine treat.

My kids LOVED making these. The cinnamon red hots were hard for their teeth to eat, so I will put christmas M&M's on instead. Thanks for the great idea!!

Fun to make but you must use frosted flakes instead of plain corn flakes. Plain just isn't sweet enough for a treat.

I made the recipe as posted, and my wreaths turned out very gooey and didn't set up well. The recipe seemed to have too much butter/not enough marshmallows. I used generic marshmallows, so maybe they are smaller than brand-name mallows? I probably need more than 30 if I use generic again. They were good, but too buttery for my tastes. I put the wreaths together by dipping my hands in ice-water before handling the mallow-mixture, and I didn't have any issues with anything sticking to my fingers.

Yum! I think the food coloring makes these extra moist...everyone loved them!

yum....my favorite christmas treat and so easy!

Mine looked good, but turned out a disaster - I probably did something wrong somewhere, they wouldn't lift off the wax paper

My daughters and I have made these cookies each Christmas season for the third year now since finding the recipe here. It is Great and fun to make. Very decorative to bring lots of color to any plate of cookies

I have been making these wreaths for years - they have always been my cookie plate showpieces. Don't fret if they don't look like anything at first, just keep you fingers buttered and keep playing with it until you get a decent shape. Adding the red hots really makes a huge difference. Dip them in a little xtra mixture if they are not sticking. Kids really love them, most adults will find them a bit too sweet. My Floridian 80 year old Mom reused hers year after year to decorate her platter.

not good

Great, used different color decorated with jelly beans for easter.

I make this every year. The red hots help cut through the sweetness of marshmallow treats, and the color really livens up my cookie plate gifts at Christmas.

This recipe has been handed down through my Family for at least six generations, so it truly shocked me to see it here today. Something I'd like to add is that you can use a variety of colored candy gems and other cake decorations to make your wreaths, and in fact, you don't have to make them in round shapes. There is nothing you can't make with this recipe as the starting point. Maybe I'll make something for the Dodgers on Opening Day.

I swapped out the red hot candies for M&Ms. They turned out beautifully.

Definitely have to grease the paper as they stuck and ruined the wreath forms

Very decorative and festive! Mine had a hard time keeping their shape but otherwise beautiful addition to a treat plate!

We have been making these for over 35 years. all I can tell people, is that if it comes out to where they are too gooey, or too hard - then you didn't do it right. Try playing with the recipe if it dosen't work perfectly. The cooking time plays a HUGE part in this - remember - marshmallows are SUGAR nad if you cook it too long, it will basically "candy" and they will be too hard. If you put in too much butter or marshmallows they become gooey, and are hard to shape. I can pretty much eyeball what's right, so I can't offer any tips there. All I know is that I make them for my christmas baskets - and that's the first thing anyone has ever requested - "are you going to make those wreaths again this year?" I'm going to make some in about 10 minutes and the kids and husband are hovering around me like flies - waiting for the finished product! LOL!

My favorite Holiday treat! This was easy to make and yummy to eat!

I love this recipe, easy and always a bit.

Did not turn out at all, the green turned into a crayon-green, and it never set right. Not a fan.