These crispy, crunchy 3-ingredient roses des sables are made with pantry items and easy to prepare!
Looking for a no-hassle snack? These no-bake cornflake cookies (roses des sables) are an incredibly simple French recipe and perfect for your snacking needs! Made with just cornflakes, chocolate and butter, you can whip up a big batch in under 15 minutes and have a little chocolate treat for your tea or coffee all week long!
la rose des sables (desert rose)
These chocolatey treats get their name for their resemblance to a crystal formation found in the desert: la rose des sables or desert rose. The crystal contains grains of sand and often appears in clusters of rosette-like “flowers”. Desert roses (or sand roses) can be found in large numbers in the Sahara, but have also been found in the Southwest US and other desert regions.
Okay that’s enough geology talk — let’s get to the snacks. The French invented these little clusters of chocolate covered cornflakes and they might just be the easiest dessert we’ve ever made. They’re the perfect grab and go treat and take only 10 minutes to whip up!
the ingredients
Just three ingredients and an optional sprinkle of sea salt is all you’ll need for these treats:
- Chocolate: The quality of these snacks is dependent on the chocolate you choose. A basic rule of thumb? If you enjoy eating the chocolate plain, you’ll enjoy it here. Because there’s no sugar in this recipe, I like to use chocolate with 50-60% cocoa to add a bit of sweetness!
- Butter: I generally use unsalted butter, but salted butter will also work well (especially if you skip the finishing sprinkle of salt).
- Cornflakes: You’ll want plain cornflakes for this recipe. Avoid anything with extra flavors or sweeteners.
- Sea salt (optional): Our favorite snacks are sweet and salty and a sprinkling of coarse sea salt takes these simple treats to the next level!
making roses des sables
Now let’s talk process. You can make roses des sables in three easy steps:
- Melt the chocolate and butter.
Using a bain marie (water bath) is our preferred way to melt the chocolate and butter. Place the chopped chocolate and butter in a bowl over a pot of simmering water (making sure the bowl doesn’t touch the water). Stir the chocolate and butter until completely melted. - Combine the melted chocolate with the cornflakes.
Use a spatula or spoon to very gently fold the chocolate into the cornflakes. Be patient on this step! You want to be careful not to crush the cornflakes so it will take a few minutes to completely coat the mixture. - Form into roses and allow to set.
Use a cookie scoop or spoon to transfer the chocolate cornflake mixture into mini muffin liners. You can put the liners in a mini muffin tin if you prefer, but I don’t find it necessary.
roses des sables: FAQs
There are only 3 ingredients in this dessert, which means the chocolate really shines. Make sure to choose a high-quality chocolate bar for best results. Because there’s no added sugar, I prefer something in the 50-60% cocoa range to give this recipe a little sweetness.
You’ll want to use chopped chocolate bars for this recipe. Chocolate chips have added stabilizers that prevent them from melting smoothly.
Once the chocolate sets, transfer the cornflake cookies to an airtight container. Store at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. They may lose a bit of crunch in the refrigerator, but they’ll still be delicious! I don’t recommend freezing these treats, as they’ll lose the crunchiness as they thaw (although they’re pretty good if eaten straight from the freezer).
For more easy dessert ideas, make sure to check out these recipes!
- Simple Lemon Posset
- Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies
- Brandy Snap Baskets with Mascarpone Whipped Cream
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownies
- Easy Mango Mousse Cake
Roses des Sables (no bake cornflake cookies)
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 30
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Category: dessert
- Method: no bake
- Cuisine: french
Ingredients
- 7 ounces (200 grams) chocolate*, chopped
- 5 tablespoons (70 grams) unsalted butter*, cut into cubes
- 4 cups (150 grams) plain cornflakes
- sea salt for sprinkling
Instructions
- Melt the chopped chocolate and butter in a bain marie*. Place the chocolate and butter in a bowl over a pot of simmering water, making sure the bowl isn’t touching the water. Stir with a spatula until completely melted.
- Pour the melted chocolate over the cornflakes and gently mix until completely coated. Be patient! It will take a few minutes to fully mix in the chocolate without crushing the cornflakes.
- Use a cookie scoop or spoon to divide the mixture among mini muffin liners. Alternatively, place heaping spoonfuls of the mixture on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Sprinkle with sea salt and allow to set at room temperature until hardened.
Notes
Chocolate: Make sure to use high quality chocolate bars (I prefer something in the 50-60% cocoa range for this recipe). Avoid chocolate chips as they have added stabilizers that prevent them from melting smoothly.
Butter: Both unsalted and salted butter work well for this recipe. If sprinkling the roses des sables with sea salt, I recommend using unsalted butter.
Bain marie: Instead of a bain marie, you can also melt the chocolate and butter in the microwave. Make sure the chocolate and butter are chopped into small pieces and microwave in short intervals.
Storing: Store in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
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2 comments
wow! Amazing! very good recipe for people like me who don’t like to it corn flakes in milk.
So easy!