No Bake Cornflake Clusters with Dark Chocolate
Christmas is a time for treats, but some of my favorite sweets don’t come out of the oven! This awesomely easy, no-bake cornflake Cluster recipe treats you to a little festive joy without all the hassle!
There is so much to love about Christmas. From carols to cookie swaps and everything in between, it is the most magical time of the year, but for many, it’s also the busiest!
Take a little stress off your plate with this amazing no-bake recipe! These yummy Christmas Cornflake Clusters are ready in a flash and will fly off the plate at your next holiday soiree!
🥘 Ingredients
Dark Chocolate Couverture – Dark chocolate couverture, or melting chocolate, has a little extra cocoa butter for fast and easy melting.
Butter – Melted butter helps give the chocolate a velvety smooth consistency and rich flavor.
Cornflakes – This common breakfast cereal has many more applications than just the morning meal! Crispy, crunchy cornflakes bring a popping texture to this recipe, making it impossible to eat only one! Use plain, unsweetened cornflakes to highlight the white chocolate and dried cranberry flavor.
Vanilla Sugar – This optional ingredient adds a lovely, sweet vanilla flavor. Try my easy recipe for homemade vanilla sugar to make your treats sparkle!
Desiccated Coconut – The final flavorful touch to these perfect clusters is a generous sprinkle of coconut. This gives them a nice holiday look and delicious coconut chew!
See the recipe card for quantities.
🔪 Instructions
Step One: Melt the chocolate.
Step Two: Mix the remaining ingredients (except the coconut) into the chocolate.
Step Three: Use a tablespoon to portion the cluster and sprinkle them with desiccated coconut. Allow them to set up.
Step Four: Once fully set, transfer them to a platter to enjoy or store them in an airtight container.
🎄 More Christmas Cookie Recipes
🍫 Substitutions
- Chocolate – Trade the dark chocolate in these tasty white or milk chocolate treats for a lighter take on this sweet.
- Dried Fruit – If you like chocolate with a little fruit, try stirring in some dried cranberries, currants, or yummy fruity flavors you like!
- Nuts – Fancy a little sweet crunch; try stirring in some finely chopped almonds.
You can also serve them as little chocolate cornflake cakes.
🍽 Equipment
- Double-Boiler – Make a quick double-boiler by placing a metal bowl on top of a medium pot or using a microwavable or countertop chocolate melting device.
- Tablespoon – A tablespoon is the perfect portion size for these festive delights. Alternatively, you can use a small ice cream scoop instead.
- Lined Baking Sheet – Line a sheet pan with parchment or a silicone mat and use that area for the chocolate to set.
🌡 Storage
Keeping these no-bake cornflake cookies in an airtight container lined with parchment paper is best. The cookies are best stored in a cool place, but not in the fridge since they would lose their crispy texture there.
💭 Top tip
Take it slow when adding the cornflakes. Depending on the consistency of the chocolate mixture, you may need a little more or less than what the recipe calls for. Add them slowly until you reach the perfect crispy, crunchy texture.
🌡️ Melting (Tempering) Chocolate
Water bath: If you use a water bath for melting, you need two pots of different sizes. Fill one pot 3-4 finger-widths with water and place the second, smaller pot in it. The second pot should not touch the water! Now put the chocolate to be melted into the upper, smaller pot and melt it over moderate heat while stirring over the rising steam.
Tempering unit: Add the chocolate to be melted to the tempering unit and set it to the appropriate melting temperature. White and milk chocolate: 40 °C // 104 °F, dark chocolate 50 °C // 122 °F.
🙋🏻 FAQ
This may vary depending on the chocolate brand, but generally, these treats are set within a half hour!
These holiday sweets can be stored in an airtight container on the countertop for up to one week. Don’t expect them to last too long because these clusters fly off the plate!
Yes! These delectable treats are naturally nut-free!
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Dark Chocolate Cornflake Clusters
Equipment
- Double boiler or tempering device
- Tablespoon
- Baking pan
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups Dark chocolate couverture or ready-made chocolate glaze
- 2 cup Cornflakes
- ½ tbsp Melted butter
- 2 tsp Vanilla sugar optional
Garnish
- Desiccated coconut for sprinkling
Instructions
- Melt 1 ¼ cups Dark chocolate couverture in the microwave, with the double boiler, or a tempering device.1 ¼ cups Dark chocolate couverture
- Add ½ tbsp Melted butter, 2 tsp Vanilla sugar (optional), and 2 cup Cornflakes and mix well while lightly crushing the cornflakes.2 cup Cornflakes, ½ tbsp Melted butter, 2 tsp Vanilla sugar
- Then, portion out small heaps onto a baking tray lined with baking paper and sprinkle them immediately with the Desiccated coconut.Desiccated coconut
- Once the cornflakes are firm, store them in a cool place in an airtight container.
Nutrition
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⛑️ Food Safety
- Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Don’t leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
For further information, check Safe Food Handling – FDA.
Oh my god, this recipe is such a life saver! I missed “Choco Crossies” from Germany for 17 years now, since I moved to Ireland and they don’t have them here and there I stumble over your recipe and can finally remake my alltime favourite sweet. I’ll retreat to a quiet corner now, with a big bowl full of these, pretending they are totally healthy, because: Cornflakes and dark chcolate are both good for you!
Nope, I won’t share. “growls”
That is so wonderful, Sonja! Enjoy the big bowl! I am so happy that they turned out so good! 🙂