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No bake, just chill! Snowflake crisps (雪花酥) are the easiest winter snack to make for your next holiday gathering with friends and family. Make this crispy, sweet, nutty, and milky snack in three flavors: classic nut, strawberry matcha, and purple potato.
What Are Snowflake Crisps?
Snowflake crisps (雪花酥) are a popular crunchy treat in Taiwan and China. It is similar to a nougat that is made with sugar and different kinds of nuts. However, snowflake crisps make use of almost anything!
You can use nuts, seeds, biscuits, crackers, granola, freeze-dried fruits, oatmeal, and many more. That’s definitely something to love about this no-bake treat since you can customize the flavoring ingredients the way you like them. You can make it nutty, fruity, or both!
These crunchy ingredients are compressed and fused together with a melted butter and marshmallow base. For a milky outer layer, I sprinkle lots of milk powder on top before chilling the treat.
The best part? No need for baking in the oven! Just let it cool before cutting it into small cubes for serving.
The only manual effort that you need to put in is compressing and shaping it into a rectangular block of crisps. You really have to push your hands to break the ingredients and evenly coat it with the base. If you love no-bake recipes like this, try these sweet treats as well:
What Are The Ingredients For The Three Flavors?
The base is made with butter and marshmallows. You can use salted or unsalted butter. If you want to make it dairy-free, use plant-based or dairy-free butter. For the marshmallows, I suggest using white marshmallows to have a white base for the three flavors, but any color will do.
Cook the butter and marshmallows in the pan until both ingredients are completely melted. Then, you will stir in milk powder. Use coconut milk powder, soy milk powder, or cashew powder if you are lactose intolerant. After making the base, these are the following ingredients and suggestions for the three flavors:
- Classic Nut: The ingredients I used are almonds, pumpkin seeds, biscuits, and dried cranberries. You can add more variety of nuts with walnuts, pistachios, hazelnuts, and macadamia. The biscuits I used are actually specifically made for snowflake crisps, but you can use biscuits or crackers available to you. Ritz crackers, Digestive biscuits, bourbon cream, and nice biscuits are some examples you can use.
- Strawberry Matcha: To make a green-colored base, I add matcha powder before adding the rest of the mix. You can also use green spinach juice to make it green. If you prefer a pink-colored crisp, use pink beetroot or strawberry juice. Then, I make it strawberry flavored with frozen dried strawberries. Add the rest of the biscuits and peanuts.
- Purple Potato: Last but not least, I make a purple base with purple potato flour. If you want to make this chocolate instead, add some chocolate powder to the base. This is different from others with the added dried figs and yogurt oatmeal crisps. You can also use dried apricots, dates, raisins, prunes, plums, or pears. Aside from yogurt oatmeal crisps or cookies, you can use oatmeal cookies, raisin cookies, or any other types of cookies.
One thing to note about adding fruits is to use freeze-dried fruits rather than frozen. If you use frozen fruits, it will defrost and add moisture to the snowflake crisps. And you don’t want a soft and soggy treat, right?
After chopping these into small cubes, keep them in an airtight container in a cool and dry place or in the fridge. It can be stored in the fridge for 3 to 5 days. When you are ready to eat them, take them out of the fridge and allow them to come to room temperature to make it less cold and easier to eat.
Ingredients And Kitchen Tools To Prepare
Prepare a non-stick pan to ensure the ingredients and the base do not stick and burn on the pan. As part of a baker’s must-have tools, I recommend using a kitchen weighing scale for accurate measurements of the butter and marshmallow base. Here’s a complete list of what to prepare:
Kitchen Tools
- Mixing bowls
- Non-stick pan
- Spatula
- Kitchen scale (optional but recommended for accurate measurements)
- Kitchen gloves
- Baking sheet
- Baking tray
- Sifter
- Pastry brush
- Knife and chopping board
Ingredients
Classic Nut:
- 65g butter
- 230g marshmallows
- 80g milk powder
- 100g almond and pumpkin seeds
- 200g biscuits
- 40g cranberries
- A sprinkle of milk powder
Strawberry Matcha:
- 65g butter
- 230g marshmallows
- 75g milk powder
- 5g matcha powder
- 150g biscuits
- 100g freeze-dried strawberries
- 50g peanuts
- A sprinkle of milk powder
Purple Potato:
- 65g butter
- 230g marshmallows
- 75g milk powder
- 5g purple potato flour
- 150g biscuits
- 100g freeze-dried figs
- 50g yogurt oatmeal crisps
- A sprinkle of milk powder
Steps On How To Make Snowflake Crisps
The steps are pretty basic and easy to do. Simply melt the butter and marshmallow in the pan, mix in the rest of the ingredients, and compress and shape into cubes. Check out my short tutorial guide on Instagram or TikTok to see how I made these in a few steps.
1. Make The Classic Nut
- Melt the butter and add in marshmallows.
- Stir until the marshmallows are completely melted and turn off the heat.
- Stir in milk powder.
- Add almonds, pumpkin seeds, biscuits, and cranberries.
- Mix thoroughly to coat it with the butter and marshmallow mixture evenly.
- Use your hands to compress the ingredients together. By this time, it will be firm and somewhat sticky and webby.
- Keep compressing until you form a rectangular block.
- Spread on a baking sheet and sprinkle sifted milk powder on all sides.
- Dust off excess milk powder and set aside.
2. Make The Strawberry Matcha Snowflake Crisps
- In a bowl, combine milk powder and matcha powder.
- Melt the butter and add in marshmallows.
- Stir until the marshmallows are completely melted and turn off the heat.
- Stir in milk and matcha powder mixture.
- Add biscuits, freeze-dried strawberries, and peanuts.
- Mix thoroughly to coat it with the butter and marshmallow mixture evenly.
- Use your hands to compress the ingredients together.
- Keep mixing and compressing until you form a rectangular block.
- Spread on a baking sheet and sprinkle sifted milk powder on all sides.
- Dust off excess milk powder and set aside.
3. Make The Purple Potato Snowflake Crisps
- In a bowl, combine milk powder and purple potato flour.
- Melt the butter and add in marshmallows.
- Stir until the marshmallows are completely melted and turn off the heat.
- Stir in milk and purple potato flour mixture.
- Add biscuits, dried figs, and yogurt oatmeal crisps.
- Mix thoroughly to coat it with the butter and marshmallow mixture evenly.
- Use your hands to compress the ingredients together.
- Keep mixing and compressing until you form a rectangular shape.
- Spread on a baking sheet and sprinkle sifted milk powder on all sides.
- Dust off excess milk powder and set aside.
4. Cut And Serve!
- Let it cool in the fridge.
- Cut it into small cubes, about 1 inch thick.
- Serve it with a refreshing drink like Winter Melon Tea!
Crunchy And Sweet Snowflake Crisps Recipe
Equipment
- Mixing bowls
- Non-stick pan
- Baking sheet
- Baking tray
- Knife and chopping board
Ingredients
Classic Nut:
- 65 g butter
- 230 g marshmallows
- 80 g milk powder
- 100 g almond and pumpkin seeds
- 200 g biscuits
- 40 g cranberries
- A sprinkle of milk powder
Strawberry Matcha:
- 65 g butter
- 230 g marshmallows
- 75 g milk powder
- 5 g matcha powder
- 150 g biscuits
- 100 g freeze-dried strawberries
- 50 g peanuts
- A sprinkle of milk powder
Purple Potato:
- 65 g butter
- 230 g marshmallows
- 75 g milk powder
- 5 g purple potato flour
- 150 g biscuits
- 100 g dried figs
- 50 g yogurt oatmeal crisps
- A sprinkle of milk powder
Instructions
Make The Classic Nut
- Melt the butter and add in marshmallows.
- Stir until the marshmallows are completely melted and turn off the heat.
- Stir in milk powder.
- Add almonds, pumpkin seeds, biscuits, and cranberries.
- Mix thoroughly to coat it with the butter and marshmallow mixture evenly.
- Use your hands to compress the ingredients together. By this time, it will be firm and somewhat sticky and webby.
- Keep compressing until you form a rectangular block.
- Spread on a baking sheet and sprinkle sifted milk powder on all sides.
- Dust off excess milk powder and set aside.
Make The Strawberry Matcha Snowflake Crisps
- In a bowl, combine milk powder and matcha powder.
- Melt the butter and add in marshmallows.
- Stir until the marshmallows are completely melted and turn off the heat.
- Stir in milk and matcha powder mixture.
- Add biscuits, freeze-dried strawberries, and peanuts.
- Mix thoroughly to coat it with the butter and marshmallow mixture evenly.
- Use your hands to compress the ingredients together.
- Keep mixing and compressing until you form a rectangular block.
- Spread on a baking sheet and sprinkle sifted milk powder on all sides.
- Dust off excess milk powder and set aside.
Make The Purple Potato Snowflake Crisps
- In a bowl, combine milk powder and purple potato flour.
- Melt the butter and add in marshmallows.
- Stir until the marshmallows are completely melted and turn off the heat.
- Stir in milk and purple potato flour mixture.
- Add biscuits, dried figs, and yogurt oatmeal crisps.
- Mix thoroughly to coat it with the butter and marshmallow mixture evenly.
- Use your hands to compress the ingredients together.
- Keep mixing and compressing until you form a rectangular shape.
- Spread on a baking sheet and sprinkle sifted milk powder on all sides.
- Dust off excess milk powder and set aside.
Cut And Serve!
- Let it cool in the fridge.
- Cut it into small cubes, about 1 inch thick.
- Serve it with a refreshing drink like Winter Melon Tea!
These are excellent!!! And so customizable with different nuts, seeds and fruits! Question though… I’ve made them a few times and sometimes they are harder than other times. How do I end up with a softer snowflake instead of a harder one? Cook marshmallows longer/shorter time? I don’t know what I’ve done differently
Hi Nelly,
Thank you for your feedback and I’m glad you enjoy the Snowflake Crisps!
Throughout the process, be sure to use the lowest heat setting. Once the butter is completely melted, add the marshmallows and continuously stir to ensure even heating.
Based on my experience, the key lies in monitoring the marshmallows’ heating time. When they have softened completely or are about 90% softened and still fluffy, promptly turn off the heat. In essence, avoid overheating the marshmallows to maintain the soft texture of the snowflake crisps.