These snowflake crisps are a symphony of contrasting flavors and textures: chewy and crispy, milky and fragrant, sweet and salty, yet with a hint of tanginess for balance. With only 5 ingredients and 10 minutes of prep time, this quick and easy no bake snack is blowing up in popularity in Taiwan and China for a good reason!
Snowflake crisp (雪Q餅) is probably the most popular snack in Taiwanese in the recent years. It was created and sold at a store in Yilan city, and because of its amazing taste and textures and how simple it is to make, it quickly went viral on the internet. Even today, you still can see lots of people making snowflake crisp on Chinese websites, with many different flavors.
At first I thought it would just taste like a fancier rice krispy treat. But I was wrong, it's actually very different. I love the balance of the soft, chewy and creamy milky nougat with the slightly salty cracker, all of which is brightened up with the hint of tartness from the cranberries. While these are slightly chewy, they melt in your mouth in the most satisfying way after a few bites. Make some today and I bet you will enjoy it!
Why You Should Try This Recipe
- It's super easy to make and only requires five ingredients.
- Spend 20 minutes and you will have your snack in the following week taken care of.
- This went viral for a reason -- try it and see what the fuss is all about!
- It's a great holiday gift that you can even send it to your family and friends.
Ingredients You'll Need
Ingredient Notes
- Dry Milk powder - you can use either full fat or reduced fat.
- Marshmallow - get the mini one as they melt quicker. If you only have the larger type, cut them in half before using.
- Dried cranberry - I like the organic whole dried cranberry from Trader Joe's. You can also use other kinds of dried fruit of your choice.
- Ritz cracker - you can use other types of cracker, but the texture and flavor will be different.
Step by Step Instructions
Step 1 - Line the baking pan with parchment paper.
Step 2 - Break the crackers into big chunks.
Step 3 - Melt butter in a large Dutch oven or non stick pan over medium low heat.
Step 4 - Add marshmallows and stir until they melt and become smooth.
Step 5 - Stir in dry milk powder.
Step 6 - Stir in crackers and cranberries, mix until they are evenly coated with the marshmallow mixture.
Step 7 - Transfer everything to the baking tray, cover with another piece of parchment paper and press down until it's firm and the surface is smooth.
Step 8 - Let it cool completely before cutting into bite size, dust with more milk powder and enjoy!
Tips and Tricks
- When breaking the crackers, fold two or three pieces together and break into half. Don't break them too small, as they will break more during the folding process.
- When folding in the crackers and dried cranberries, work quickly and try to keep the crackers from being crushed too much.
- During the shaping process, it will be easier to use a square or rectangular shaped object with a flat bottom to flatten your snowflake crisp in order to end up with nice flat/smooth pieces.
- If you don't have an appropriately sized tray, you can also place the mixture between two pieces of parchment paper or silicon mat, shape it to the desired thickness with your hand and roll it with a rolling pin to get a smooth surface. Basically, you can form it to any shape you want before the mixture cools down and hardens.
Recipe FAQs
No, milk powder is essential for both flavor and the texture for this recipe.
Yes! For example, you can add about a cup of walnut or pecan, or half a cup of pumpkin seed when you mix in crackers and dried cranberries.
Two weeks in air tight container or up to three months in the freezer.
If you liked this recipe, also check out my quick and easy puff pastry almond cookies or easy baked mochi balls! If you need a drink to go with these for a complete afternoon tea experience, try my Taiwanese milk tea!
Don't Forget to Try
I would like to hear from you! If you make this recipe, please consider leaving a star rating and comment in the section further down the page. Stay in touch by following my Instagram and Pinterest!
Snowflake Crisp (Milk Nougat Bite)
Equipment
- parchment paper
- square baking pan
Ingredients
- 1 stick unsalted butter, 113 g
- 1 10 oz bag mini marshmallow , 283 g
- 1 cup + 2 tablespoon dry milk powder, 150 g, plus more for coating
- 1 11.8 oz box Ritz cracker, 334 g
- 1¼ cup dried cranberry, 150 g
Instructions
- Line a 9 X 9 or 8 X 8 baking pan with parchment paper and set it aside.
- Break the crackers into large chunks and set aside.
- Melt butter in a large Dutch oven or non-stick pan over medium low heat.
- Once the butter melts completely, add mini marshmallows into the pot. Stir and cook until all the marshmallows melt and became a smooth batter. Adjust the heat accordingly to prevent the bottom from burning.
- Stir in milk powder and mix until there's no more dry powder before adding cranberries and crackers.
- Fold the crackers and cranberries until they are evenly coated with the marshmallow mixture. Work quickly and try to keep the crackers from being crushed too much.
- Transfer everything into the baking tray, cover with another piece of parchment paper and press down until it's firm and the surface is smooth.
- Let it cool completely before cutting into bite sized pieces; dust with more milk powder and enjoy!
Wasn't sure what I was expecting going in, but the sweet and salty mixed with the unique texture is so addicting that it is dangerous knowing that this recipe is so simple!
I agree, They are so good! Thank you so much for trying the recipe! 🙂
Hi there
Can you tell me how to freeze the snowflake crisp? Do you just thaw in the fridge?
Hi Shirley,
I would freeze them in a ziploc bag and thaw in room temperature.
Do you think sprinkling some milk powder on the outside help or should I not ?
I know different people like different textures to their nougat. Would you say with the amount of crackers you put in that your resulting texture is more on the crispy/crunchy side? Could I reduce the cracker amount for a chewier texture?
Hi Susanna, of course! You can customize it base on your preference 🙂
Thank you for posting this recipe!
Do you think I can tweak the butter in some way? (e.g. replacing it or halving it?)
Thanks!
Hi Liv, butter is necessary for making this recipe :).
have you tried using coconut oil instead?
Hi Daniel, I haven't tried using coconut oil but I think it should work just fine.
These are incredible! I made these twice now. The first time I followed the recipe...and they were delicious! The second time, instead of using the crackers I used lemon Oreos, lemon zest from a fresh lemon and dried blueberries! I also made a graham cracker crumble which I sprinkled on top after putting it in the square pan to cool. It was FABULOUS!!
Hi Jessica, thank you so much for sharing it! That sounds so yummy 😀
Q1: Any suggestions to tweak the recipe to make it less sweet ? I tried reducing the marshmallow but the texture change as well.
Q2: How long is the cooling period after baking?
Hi, you can try increasing the amount of crackers or add some nuts so that there'd be less nougat in each bite. For your second question, do you mean after shaping? You can cut it once it's completely cool, at least 30 minutes.
Great recipe
Many thanks!!
Thank you, Sue!!
Hi do we store in fridge or just room temperature? Thanks so much! I am so I love with this now!!😍
Snowflake crisp are so addictive! I usually just store it room temperature, but if I want to keep it longer (like more than 5 days) I'll put it in the fridge.
Oh great thanks so much for the tips Edwina!!😍
You are very welcome!!
hello, can i use digestives instead for the biscuits?
Yes you can!
Can I use freeze-dried fruits?
Yes you can!
hello! my nougat came out pretty tough, may I know how can i make it chewier & softer? 🙂
Hi, what brand of marshmallow do you use? I found out the Kraft brand works the best for this recipe.
Hey! I'm from India. Don't know their actual taste and texture. I tried the recipe. Do they get hard after getting cooled down??
As mine get hard to bite. But they are chewable. Why do they get hard to take bite?
Am I making them wrong or they are like this only???
Please reply
Hi Nisha, yes, it will harden a little once it's cool but should still be chewy. If it's very tough and hard to bite, the reason I can think of is that you probably cook the marshmallow mixture for too long, or it can also be the brand of marshmallow you use tend to create tougher texture.
Can we use big marshmallows?
Yes, just cut them into half before cooking.
That's sounds yummy! If you replace the crackers with nuts and dried fruits, it will became Taiwanese style milk nougat, which is also very popular in Taiwan 🙂
This is absolutely delicious! We are not a fan of the crackers, so we put in 1-1/3 to1-1/2 cups for dried fruit and nuts. I've made quite a few batches of it since I found your recipe, and each time have a little bit of fun with diiferent mixins to see which combo we like the best. These don't last long since we can't stop eating them! My daughter has given them to friends to try and they all ask for the recipe afterwards!
One question - If I want to use only freeze dried strawberries in the nougat, how much should I put in?
I should clarify that I make only 1/2 batch at a time. The amount of dried fruit and nuts are for 1/2 a recipe.
Thank you Elie! I agree, snowflake crisp is so addictive that I always have to hide it so I won't keep snacking on them. I've always want to try putting freeze dried strawberries but haven't had a chance. I would probably try 2 cups and adjust from there. Please let me know how it goes if you get to try it! 🙂
Hi! i Hope you see this msg!
I have made this recipe several times now and love it however after day 1, it gets a little too hard/chewy.
Do you know if we use less milk powder, it will stay a bit more pliable/soft?
I notice your recipe uses alot more milk powder than other recipes.
Thank you!
Hi, yes, you can try adding less milk powder or shorten the time of cooking marshmallow, as the longer you cook the harder the candy will get. Also, make sure you store them in an airtight container.
can advise why my marshmallow just wont melted after i put into melted the butter n ended crumble marshmallow inside instead of melted creamy marshmallow?
If you struggle with this as I did, soften your marshmallow in the microwave first
Hi, for the dried milk powder, can I use instant soy milk powder? Thanks!
Hi April, sorry I've never tried using soy milk powder so I'm not sure.
Hi Edwina,
So excited to try this recipe! Is it possible to substitute salted pretzels instead of crackers? If yes, how much should I use? Thanks!
Hi Lisa, that's an interesting idea and I think it will work well! I would probably just use the same amount as the ritz crackers in the recipe. Please let me know how they turn out 🙂
after i stir in the milk powder, everything got clumpy and stuck together before i can add in the biscuit and cranberries. didn't manage to coat everything 🙁
Hi Dora, thanks for trying the recipe and sorry to hear that happen to you. Did you use Kraft marshmallow? Because that actually happened to me before when I used other brand. Another possibility is the marshmallow has been cooked for too long. Hope the tips help.
I have made these as the recipe stand and also vegan with vegan marshmallows, soy milk powder and Nuttlex instead of butter. They taste the same. I’ve learned:
1. Instead of cutting up the large marshmallows just pop them uncovered in a plastic bowl in the microwave for 20-30 seconds to soften before adding to the saucepan of melted butter
2. Work really quickly once you start mixing together. Have the tray lined and prepared and ready to put it in
3. You can wet your hands and then flatten the mixture out with your wet hands and they won’t stick to the mixture.
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Thank you so much for sharing the useful tips!
This is my "go-to" whenever I want to gift a special treat to friends or family, especially over the Christmas holidays. It's such a quick and easy recipe but looks like you've slaved away in the kitchen to make it. I added a cup of pecans as suggested and it's tastes even more amazing. Thank you for this wonderful recipe!
Hi Yee, I'm so happy to hear that! Adding pecans sounds like a great idea, I would like to try it next time when I make it.
I found it hard to distribute the marshmallow mixture evenly & it almost seemed like too many crackers. The taste & texture is interesting! I added some powder sugar to the milk powder for the coating. My husband preferred it w/the powder sugar mixted with milk powder….”American sweet tooth”
Hi, could I substitute coconut milk powder? I want to make these dairy-free/vegan for a potluck 🙂
Hi Olivia, sorry I've never tried using coconut milk powder for this recipe, but I think it should work.
So delicious and easy to make. I added chopped pistachios with the cranberries. I am going to try adding a little pistachio cream the next time. GREAT RECIPE!!!
Overall, I liked the recipe but it felt like the ratio was off for the marshmallow vs milk powder? I used the weight measurements and it felt like maybe the cup measurements are the ones to use instead.. once I added all the milk powder, the mixture lost all its fluffiness and was incredibly hard to work with.
The taste was good, though again, felt like too much milk powder. Incredibly sweet, so should last a long time! I added in freeze dried strawberries and pistachios, as well as some vanilla.
These look really good! I don’t currently have marshmallows but I doo have marshmallow fluff, could that be used instead? If it can how much would I need to use?
Hi Tammy, thanks for asking, but you need to use marshmallows for this recipe.