Coconut Macaroon Nests
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These Coconut Macaroons shaped into nests and garnished with candy eggs are a delicious, sweet, and easy spring dessert!
I have loved sweetened coconut for as long as I can remember. When I was a boy, if I had a craving for something sweet, I would sometimes go into my Mom’s baking cabinet and sneak a pinch of coconut from the bag. Into my mouth, that coconut would go. (This might be one of the reasons I was a chubby little kid. Ha! Oh well.)
To this day, I cannot pass on a coconut dessert. (Coconut cupcakes and coconut cream pie are two of my faves.) I also love me some toasted coconut macaroons. They are quite easy to bake, which makes them even more appealing. That’s why today I thought we’d whip up some Coconut Macaroon Nests. With thoughts of spring and Easter in the air, it only seems fitting.
I realize that these aren’t anything out of the ordinary, but sometimes basic is best. These little coconut nests have become a classic spring dessert for obvious reasons. They are a cinch to make, they taste delicious, and they look adorable.
How to Make Coconut Macaroons:
To make them, coconut is mixed with egg whites and a touch of extra sweetness. Tucked and pressed into mini muffin pans to resemble mini nests, they are quickly baked until perfectly browned.
Once they’ve cooled, you add a touch of melted white chocolate to each nest as “glue” and then tuck in a few candy eggs for color and crunch.
You can use any type of candy egg you prefer: candy coated chocolate eggs, jelly beans, Jordan almonds, or malted-milk eggs, to name a few options. I filled some of my nests with jelly beans and some with malted-milk eggs. After all, variety is the spice of life!
And that’s it, my friends. I told you these coconut macaroons are simple. These nests are a classic, tasty, and fun treat for spring that your guests are sure to love.
Want more Easter and spring dessert ideas? Check out:
- Cream Puff Cake
- Egg Hunt Easter Sugar Cookies
- Easter Dessert Kabobs
- Carrot Cake Truffles
- Peanut Butter Sheet Cake
- The Ultimate Coconut Cupcakes
If you’ve never tried making Coconut Macaroon Nests for spring or Easter, I definitely recommend giving them a try. They’ll make a beautiful and tasty addition to your seasonal entertaining.
Enjoy!
If you like these Coconut Macaron Nests, then I think you’ll love my Easter Dessert Kabobs. Aren’t they adorable?
These creative and colorful kabobs are a fun way to serve dessert for spring or Easter. You can learn how I made them by clicking HERE.
Coconut Macaroons Nests
Ingredients
Instructions
- Begin by preheating your oven to 300 degrees F. Coat the cups in a mini muffin pan with cooking spray and set the pan aside.
- In a large bowl, lightly whisk together the eggs whites, salt, and sugar to combine. Then, with a fork, mix in the coconut.
- Drop 2 tablespoons of the coconut mixture into each prepared mini muffin cup.
- Lightly press the mixture into the bottom and up the sides of each cup. (Use your thumb or a wine cork.) Bake for 28 to 30 minutes, until lightly golden on top. (Loosely place a piece of aluminum foil over the top of the pan if the coconut starts to brown too quickly.)
- Let the nests cool in the tins on a wire rack for about 10 minutes. Then run a spatula around the edges of the muffin cups to loosen the nests. Carefully lift out the nests and allow them to cool completely.
- With the melted chocolate in a piping bag (or plastic baggie with a corner cut off), pipe a small amount of chocolate into each nest. Add 2 or 3 candy eggs and press them gently to secure.
- Pack and store in an air-tight container.
I read the reviews before trying this. As I had no time for failure, I took an extra step to avoid the “getting stuck in the pan” issue. I cut aluminum foil into squares and pressed them to the sides of each muffin. I then also sprayed the aluminum liners. This way I was able to lift them out to a cooling rack. The only one that broke was the one i tested when it was too warm. I let them cool for about 20 minutes and then removed the foil. The extra steps took maybe 5-10 minutes total.
If you have mini muffin aluminum liners that would save time. Spray liberally.
Passing along to help others out. I’m excited to share them for Easter!
I made these last night and followed the directions carefully, which included spraying the pans, however I couldn’t get them out!! AGH!! Ended up scooping the coconut mix out and I intend to “reuse”….somehow with more coconut and some condensed milk. Tasted great, but they didn’t set! Mixed the egg whites too much??? Oven (300) was too cool? Oh well, will see if the recycling works.
Stuck to the pan and all fell to pieces despite following the recipe exactly. Very disappointing and a waste of ingredients. Do not recommend.
Hi there! So sorry these didn’t turn out for you. Did you remember to coat the pan with cooking spray? If you give me a little more information I can try and help troubleshoot what may have went wrong. I just had another person send me photos of hers on Instagram and they turned out beautifully, so I assume the recipe is okay. Thanks!
xo Michael
What size scoop did you use when you filled your mini muffin tin?
As I mentioned in the recipe you want about 2 tablespoons of mixture in each cup. Hope that helps!
xo Michael
Hi, Michael…
So, did they freeze well? How long did you have them in the freezer?
Thanks!
The wonderful technique of using coconut. You nailed it.
These tiny nest may help me in the upcoming potluck gatherings.
Thanks for sharing this amazing information it will be really helpful for me.
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They stuck to the pan. Don’t know what I did wrong. And I was so foreward to having these cuties for my Easter dinner.
Oh bummer! I’m so sorry to hear they stuck.
xo Michael
I just finished making these to take to my daughter’s for Easter. They look fabulous! My husband sneaked one that didn’t come out as well and said that they taste good, too! Thanks for posting. They’re lots of fun!
Love that! Thanks for sharing. Enjoy and Happy Easter!
xo Michael
Would I be able to use this recipe for a regular muffin tin? Would anything need be to doubled to account for the larger size?
It should work, the amount you get may just be different depending on the size of the pan.
xo Michael