White Christmas Recipe: The Ultimate No-Bake Aussie Classic

This white Christmas recipe makes a no-bake slice full of crispy rice cereal, coconut and bright glacé cherries. It’s a classic Aussie Christmas treat because the oven stays off on hot December days.

The big choice is your base: copha, white chocolate, or a mix of both. Here’s how they compare.

Which base should you use?

Not sure? Go half and half. You get the flavour of white chocolate and the firm set of copha.

What goes into white Christmas

• Crispy rice cereal: for crunch. Coco Pops or Corn Flakes work too.
• Desiccated coconut: adds body and chew.
• Dried fruit: red and green glacé cherries are classic. Cranberries add tang. Chop big pieces small so the slice cuts neatly.
• Nuts: pistachios or almonds. For a nut-free version, use pumpkin seeds or more cereal.
• Orange zest and a pinch of salt: stop the slice tasting too sweet.

Christmas in Australia falls in summer, so no-bake treats like this are a big part of the season.

White Christmas Recipe

Recipe by Ella McKenzie

0.0 from 0 votes

Course: DessertCuisine: AustralianDifficulty: Easy

Servings

24

servings

Prep time

20

minutes

Cooking time – including chilling

1

hour 

Calories

180

kcal

Total time

1

hour 

10

minutes

A no-bake white Christmas slice with crispy rice cereal, coconut and festive fruit. Choose a copha, white chocolate or mixed base. Sets firm, even in summer.

Ingredients

• Dry mix

• 3 cups crispy rice cereal

• 1 cup desiccated coconut

• 1 cup mixed dried fruit chopped small. Use a festive mix of glacé cherries, cranberries and sultanas

• 1 cup roughly chopped pistachios or slivered almonds. For nut free, use pumpkin seeds or more cereal

• Finely grated zest of 1 orange

• Pinch of fine salt

• Base, choose one of the three options below

• Copha base

• 250 g copha chopped

• 200 g white chocolate chopped

• White chocolate base only

• 600 g white chocolate chopped

• 1 tablespoon neutral oil such as sunflower to help with slicing

• Half and half base

• 150 g copha chopped

• 450 g white chocolate chopped

• Optional garnish

• Extra chopped pistachios

• Extra cranberries or dried cherries

• A little coconut to dust

Directions

• Prepare the tin: Line a 20 × 30 cm slice tin with baking paper, leaving overhang on both long sides. Pop the lined tin into the fridge. Cold tins help the mixture firm quickly.
• Combine the dry mix: In a very large bowl combine the cereal, coconut, dried fruit, nuts, orange zest and a good pinch of salt. Toss so everything is evenly distributed.
• Melt the base: Set a heatproof bowl over a saucepan with a few centimetres of barely simmering water. The bowl should not touch the water. Add your chosen base ingredients. Stir gently until mostly melted. Remove the bowl from the pot while there are still a few small unmelted pieces and keep stirring until smooth. If you are using the white chocolate only base, stir in the teaspoon of neutral oil for a clean slice later.
• Fold to coat: Pour the melted base over the dry mix. Using a silicone spatula fold and turn the mixture until every bit of cereal glistens and all the fruit looks coated. Work quickly but gently to keep the cereal from crushing.
• Press and level: Tip the mixture into the cold tin. Lay a sheet of baking paper on top and press firmly with your palms or the base of a measuring cup to remove air pockets and level the surface. Remove the top paper.
• Chill: Refrigerate for 40 to 60 minutes until set. In hot weather, leave it a full hour.
• Slice: Lift the slab onto a chopping board using the baking paper overhangs. Warm a large sharp knife under hot water and dry it well. Cut the slab into squares in confident downward strokes. Wipe and warm the knife as needed.
• Finish and store: Scatter with extra pistachios, cranberries and a light dusting of coconut if you like. Store in an airtight container in the fridge with baking paper between layers.

Notes

• For an all-white look, use only white chocolate, coconut and cereal with vanilla.
• For a very sturdy picnic slice, add an extra 50 g copha.
• For gluten free, use a certified gluten free rice cereal and check your white chocolate brand.
• To freeze, layer squares with baking paper in a container. Thaw in the fridge.
• To gift, cut small squares and stack 3 or 4 in a cellophane bag with a ribbon. Keep chilled until you head out.

White Christmas troubleshooting

• Greasy slice: the base got too hot. Melt it on very low heat and take it off before it’s fully melted.
• Crumbles when cut: press the mix firmly into the tin and chill longer. Use a warm, dry knife.
• Faint white streaks: that’s just humidity on the white chocolate. It’s safe to eat.
• Too sweet: use cranberries instead of some cherries and add orange zest.

Variations to try

• Pistachio and cranberry: extra pistachios, cranberries instead of sultanas.
• Tropical: dried pineapple and mango with toasted coconut.
• Macadamia and apricot: a very Aussie mix. Chop the fruit small.
• Candy cane: sprinkle crushed peppermint candy on top before chilling.

Make ahead, storage and gifting

Keep white Christmas in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week, with baking paper between layers. It freezes for up to 2 months.

For gifts, stack small squares in a jar or tin and keep them cold until you hand them over.

Frequently asked questions

This white Christmas recipe takes 20 minutes of work and the fridge does the rest. Make it a few days before Christmas and you’ve got one less thing to worry about.

Merry Christmas,
Ella x