Easter is just around the corner and I am so excited to share with you one of my favorite Easter treats. These are Coconut Macaroons.
And if you’re as into cute holiday bakes as I am, you’ll also love my A Super Fun St. Patrick’s Day Velvet Cake! and St. Patrick’s Day Special: Amazing Chocolate and Mint Lava Cake!. They’re just as fun and festive as these nests!
Now, don’t get these confused with macarons—those are the little delicate sandwich cookies with the filling inside. These are macaroons! They are a drop coconut cookie, and we’ve made them into these cute little bird nests with some shredded coconut as the grass. Then, you can add your favorite Easter egg candy right on top.
They only take a few ingredients and a few minutes, and it is just a really fun way to celebrate the season.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This
- Super Simple: This recipe is “my jam” because it’s just so easy. You don’t need complicated techniques; just mix, scoop, and bake.
- Festive & Fun: They look adorable on a platter or a cake stand. You can even use them as place settings for your Easter dinner with a little name pick!
- Make-Ahead Friendly: You can make these a couple of days in advance. They stay nice and soft and chewy if you keep them in a Tupperware container.
- Customizable: I use Cadbury eggs because I cannot get enough of them this time of year (so crunchy and smooth!), but you can use jelly beans, malt balls, or whatever egg-shaped candy your family loves.
If you love playful spring colors and flavors, definitely check out my Matcha and White Chocolate Brownies too—they’re rich, fudgy, and give you that gorgeous green moment on the dessert table.
What You’ll Need
Special Equipment:
- Large mixing bowl
- Electric mixer or sturdy spatula
- Baking sheets lined with parchment paper
- 1-inch ice cream scoop (cookie scoop)
- Small Ziploc bag (for dyeing coconut)
The Macaroons:
- 2 ⅔ cups Shredded coconut (sweetened)
- ⅔ cup Granulated sugar
- ¼ cup All-purpose flour
- 4 Large Egg whites (reserve yolks for another use)
- 1 tsp Clear vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp Salt
The Decorations:
- ⅔ cup Shredded coconut (for the grass)
- 5 drops Green food coloring (liquid or gel)
- 1 cup Cadbury Mini Eggs (or jelly beans/malt balls)
Let’s Get Baking!
1. Preheat & Mix Dry Ingredients
To get started, preheat your oven to 325°F (165°C).
Take your shredded coconut, sugar, flour, and salt and mix that in a bowl until it’s all combined.
2. Prep the Eggs
For the eggs, you need to separate them. Just crack them in half and transfer the yolk back and forth until you get all the white out.
Pro tip: Be sure you watch and make sure you don’t have any little eggshells in there! You can reserve those yolks for another recipe—maybe make some homemade pudding? That’d be a great idea.
3. Make the Dough
Add the egg whites and clear vanilla to the coconut mixture. Mix it all together vigorously (cream it together pretty good) so it’s all the same consistency. That way, when it bakes, you don’t have clumps of egg in there.
4. Scoop & Shape
I love using those Reynolds wrap parchment sheets that just fit your baking sheet—they are so handy! Use a 1-inch ice cream scoop to drop the coconut mixture right onto the pan. I usually do about 12 per sheet (4 rows of 3) so there is plenty of space.
Here is the trick: Dip the back of your scoop or a spoon in water (to prevent sticking) and press firmly into the center of each mound. It compresses the coconut so it cooks evenly and creates that little “nest” indentation.
5. Bake
Bake them at 325 degrees for about 18 to 20 minutes. You just want to see a little bit of golden color forming around the base of the macaroon, and then you know it is ready to take out of the oven.
6. Reshape & Cool
When the cookies first come out of the oven, I like to use a spoon (or the back of that scoop again) to gently press the center down one more time. This ensures we have a nice hollow for the bird nest. Let them cool completely on the baking sheet or transfer to a wire rack.
7. Make the Grass
While cookies cool, put the remaining ⅔ cup coconut in a Ziploc bag with 4 or 5 drops of green food coloring. Seal the bag and shake/massage it until it looks like little spring grass.
8. Assemble
Once cookies are cool, place a pinch of green coconut “grass” into the center indent. Top with 3 Cadbury mini eggs (or your candy of choice). It is the perfect springtime treat!
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FAQs
Macaron vs. Macaroon: What’s the difference?
This is a super common question! Macarons are those delicate, colorful French sandwich cookies made with almond flour and filling. Macaroons (what we are making today!) are rustic, drop-style cookies made primarily with shredded coconut and egg whites. They are much easier to make and have a delicious chewy texture.
Can I make these ahead of time?
Yes, absolutely! These are actually great for making ahead. You can bake the cookies 2-3 days in advance. Just store them in an airtight container (I use Tupperware) on the counter or in the fridge. I recommend adding the candy eggs right before serving just so they look their best!
Can I use unsweetened coconut?
You can, but since this recipe uses loose sugar rather than sweetened condensed milk, the texture might be slightly drier. If you use unsweetened coconut, you might want to add just a tiny bit more sugar. However, for that classic sticky, chewy texture, sweetened shredded coconut is my favorite.
My nests lost their shape in the oven. What do I do?
Don’t worry! Coconut mixture can sometimes puff up while baking. As soon as you pull the baking sheet out of the oven, take the back of your spoon or measuring teaspoon and gently press the center down again while the cookies are still hot and soft. They will cool in that perfect nest shape.
What if I don’t want to use flour?
The small amount of flour helps bind the cookie and keep it from spreading too much, but if you need to be strictly gluten-free, you can use a gluten-free 1:1 flour blend, or simply omit it. If you omit it, just make sure you really pack the coconut into the scoop so it holds together.
Cute Little Bird Nest Coconut Macaroons
Course: DessertCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy15
Macaroons15
minutes20
minutes160
kcal10
minutes45
minutesThese adorable Easter treats feature a chewy coconut macaroon base, green coconut “grass,” and chocolate egg candies. A fun, easy, and gluten-free optional dessert perfect for spring!
Ingredients
- Equipment Needed:
Baking sheet
Parchment paper
Mixing bowls
1-inch cookie scoop
- Ingredients:
2 ⅔ cups (approx. 250g) Shredded sweetened coconut
⅔ cup (135g) Granulated sugar
¼ cup (30g) All-purpose flour
4 Large Egg whites
¼ tsp Salt
1 tsp Clear vanilla extract
- Decoration:
⅔ cup (60g) Shredded coconut
5 drops Green food coloring
1 cup Cadbury Mini Eggs
Directions
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, mix 2 ⅔ cups coconut, sugar, flour, and salt.
- Add egg whites and vanilla. Mix well until the dough is sticky and uniform.
- Scoop dough onto baking sheets using a 1-inch scoop.
- Press an indentation into the center of each cookie using the back of a wet spoon.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes until bottoms are golden brown.
- Remove from oven and re-press the indentation if needed while warm. Let cool.
- In a bag, shake remaining coconut with green food coloring to make “grass.”
- Fill cooled cookie centers with grass and top with 3 candy eggs.
Notes
- Storage: Store these in an airtight Tupperware container at room temperature or in the fridge for up to 3 days. They stay soft and chewy!
- Egg Whites: Make sure no yolk gets into your whites, or they won’t bind as well. Save the yolks for pudding or scrambled eggs.
- Candy: I love Cadbury eggs, but malt balls or jelly beans work great too.
- Gluten-Free: You can swap the 1/4 cup flour for a gluten-free blend or omit it (though the flour helps them hold shape better).
