Coconut Macaroon Nests

Coconut Macaroon Nests are a colorful and adorable Easter treat that will delight kids, adults, and all coconut lovers. Coconut nests are an easy spring dessert that will fit right in on your Easter brunch or Easter dinner table!  

With Easter right around the corner, I’ve been stocking up on chocolate Easter candies so that I can make my coconut macaroon Nutella nests. These fun holiday treats are also known as coconut bird’s nest cookies and macaroon Easter nests.  

Coconut macaroon nests are sweet and chewy cookies with golden brown edges. They’re indented in the middle to form a “nest,” where you’ll add a dollop of Nutella chocolate hazelnut spread and three mini speckled egg candies.  

This is a spring recipe that my family has been making for years and always really loves. I’m excited to continue our Easter tradition and start making them with my toddler. 

Just like my no bake key lime pie and my easy 2-ingredient fruit dip, this dessert is also a fun and easy treat. The only challenge I have when making this recipe is keeping my toddler out of the bag of chocolate eggs!   

Why You’ll Love This Recipe 

Classic spring dessert. The sound of birds chirping in the morning is one of the first signs of spring in the upper Midwest. Bird’s Nest Cookies just belong on the counter this time of year! 

Simple ingredients. My macaroon nests only call for 7 common baking ingredients. I guarantee you already have most of them in your kitchen!  

Easy to customize. This fun holiday treat can be customized with different fillings. Swap out the candy eggs for jelly beans. Use chocolate fudge instead of hazelnut butter.  

So fun and cute! I don’t think you’ll find a more adorable coconut dessert! Plus, they’re fun to make! My toddler loves to press the macaroons into nests and count out the chocolate egg candies.

Are you looking for more ways to involve your kids in the kitchen? Check out my top tips on Cooking and Baking with Toddlers.  

Ingredients Needed

Sweetened Coconut Flakes. Sweetened coconut flakes are dried coconut meat that is grated (or shredded) into small pieces. The shredded coconut meat is sweetened with added sugar. Unsweetened coconut flakes tend to be dryer and chewier than sweetened coconut flakes. The added sugar not only changes the taste of the coconut but the texture as well, which makes sweetened coconut flakes perfect for baking.   

Sweetened Condensed Milk. Sweetened condensed milk is concentrated milk with added sugar. Don’t confuse condensed milk with evaporated milk. They are both forms of concentrated milk, but evaporated milk is unsweetened. We want the sweet stuff for this recipe! 

Large Egg Whites. You can separate your egg whites using the shell or with a slotted spoon. To use the shell, crack your eggs over a bowl and slowly let the egg whites drip out of the shell. While the whites are dripping out, keep the yolk trapped in the shell. Transfer the yolk back and forth between the two shell halves, letting more whites drip out during each transfer. To use a slotted spoon, crack your eggs open over the slotted spoon, letting the whites drip into a bowl, and allowing the spoon to catch the yolk. 

Nutella. Nutella is the perfect combination of chocolate and hazelnut. Hazelnut Nutella is smooth, creamy, and seriously sweet. After you use it in these Coconut Macaroon Nests, I highly recommend spreading it on toast or on my homemade Funfetti pancakes!  

M&M Milk Chocolate Speckled Egg Candies. These crunchy little candies add the perfect pop of spring color to the Easter nest cookies! 

Salt and Vanilla Extract. Salt and pure vanilla extract are added to enhance and balance out the sweet flavors in this recipe. 

See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.

Recipe Variations and Substitutions

• Use different candy eggs. I love that the m&m Chocolate Speckled Eggs add classic spring colors to these macaroon nests. However, jelly beans, Cadbury mini eggs, Whopper’s mini robin eggs, or Hershey’s candy-coated eggs would all work too!  
• Add food dye. You can change the color of the nests by adding a few drops of food coloring to the condensed milk. Green food dye is the most common choice. 
• Try different fillings. Hazelnut Nutella is my #1 choice, but you could also try using melted chocolate, melted white chocolate, chocolate fudge sauce, or fruit jellies and jams.
• Top with Peeps. Are you on Team Peeps or Team NO Peeps? People either love them or hate them… if you’re on Team Peeps, top your Easter Coconut Macaroons with Peeps Marshmallow Chicks for an added cute factor.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Preheat oven to 325°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper (or a silpat silicone baking mat). Set aside.

Step 2: In a large mixing bowl, stir together the shredded coconut, sweetened condensed milk, and vanilla extract until well combined. Set aside.

Step 3: In the bowl of a stand mixer, or a medium mixing bowl with a hand mixer, beat together egg whites and salt until stiff peaks form.

Step 4: Gently fold the whipped egg whites into the coconut mixture with a rubber scraper.

Step 5: Use a medium cookie scoop to portion out the coconut macaroon mixture onto the prepared baking sheets. Gently shape each portion into a nest by pressing down the center of each scoop with your thumbs (or the back of a tablespoon measure). Press the edges in with your other hand as needed to keep a nice shape.

Step 6: Bake for 20-25 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through baking, until the tops and edges are golden brown.

Step 7: Remove from the oven and press down the center of the nests again. Allow to cool on the pans for 5-10 minutes to allow them to set. Then move to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.

Step 8: When cooled, place 1-2 tablespoons of Nutella into the center of each next. Place 3 egg-shaped candies into each next.

Possible Dietary Restrictions?

These Coconut Macaroon Nutella Nests can easily fit into a gluten free diet. Coconut flakes, condensed milk, Nutella, vanilla extract, and salt are all gluten-free. M&M’S Speckled Eggs Easter Candy does not list any gluten-containing ingredients and does not list wheat as a possible allergen. It’s always best to double-check your candy label though!   

Unfortunately, this recipe cannot be modified to be dairy free or nut free.

Storage

Easter Coconut Macaroons can be stored on the counter in an airtight container for a few days. They will soften up a bit and lose any crispy edges that developed during baking, but they won’t lose any flavor. 

If you’d like to store them for a longer period of time, it’s best to keep them in an airtight container in the refrigerator. 

Expert Tips  

• Keep an eye on your macaroon nests as they’re baking. When the tips start to turn golden brown, you’ll want to take them out of the oven.
• Coconut Macaroon Nests won’t spread much at all during baking. This means you can pack quite a few onto one baking sheet! 
• Eggs are easier to separate when they’re cold. Also, make sure there are no traces of egg yolk in your separated egg whites. If you think this step will be a challenge for you, then you can purchase liquid egg whites. Typically, 2 tablespoons of liquid egg whites are equal to 1 egg white fresh from the shell. 
• Sweetened condensed milk and evaporated milk are often sold side-by-side at the grocery store, and at first glance can look identical. Double-check your label to make sure you have purchased sweetened condensed milk, not evaporated milk.  
• This recipe calls for shredded coconut flakes, not large, flaked pieces of coconut.

Helpful Equipment

This is a really low-maintenance recipe that doesn’t require any special equipment! 

I like to use a medium cookie scoop to evenly portion out each coconut nest, but if you don’t have one, a tablespoon measure will work just fine.   

Recipe FAQs

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Recipe inspired by / adapted from two peas & their pod and once upon a chef.