Home » Holidays » Coconut Macaroon Easter Nests

Coconut Macaroon Easter Nests

posted by Liz Berg on April 4, 2023

Classic macaroons are easily transformed into these festive Coconut Macaroon Easter Nests with just a few simple steps! The coconut lovers in your life will adore these holiday cookies.

This tasty, amped-up Easter Cookie is perfect for Easter especially if you’re a fan of Coconut Macaroon Recipes!

Coconut Macaroon Easter Nests lined up on a thin white tray

Table of Contents hide

1 Why You Should Make these Easter Nests

2 How to Make

3 Recipe Tips

4 Frequently Asked Questions

5 You May Also Like:

6 Coconut Macaroon Easter Nests

Why You Should Make these Easter Nests

I have a bit of a crush on coconut desserts, so it’s no surprise I came up with an Easter treat featuring one of my favorite cookies, macaroons.
If you love coconut, too, you MUST make these cookies!
Warm, fresh from the oven macaroons can easily be molded into nests.
The fillings and candy eggs are easily adapted to your favorites.
Both kids and adults will love these. Plus they’re easy to make!

How to Make

If you’ve made coconut macaroons before, this recipe will be a breeze. Plus, they are so cute and festive.

Make the macaroon cookies following the recipe below.
Use a generous scoop to form the balls to get a sizable nest.
As soon as they come out of the oven, create a well right in the center while they are hot and pliable.
The filling is up to you, but make it easy on yourself and use a jar of fudge sauce. Lemon curd is another fun idea—especially if topped with jelly bean eggs!
There are loads of different Easter egg candies, but these Cadbury Mini Eggs looked the most like real eggs except for the crazy colors!

Two Coconut Macaroon Easter Nests on a small oval dish

Recipe Tips

Use your favorite macaroon recipe if you like. Many folks love the easy version that uses a can of sweetened condensed milk which would also work fine.
Make the cookies a little larger than your normal macaroons. This is so you can fit some filling and 3 candy eggs into the divot you form in the center.
Mix and match your fillings and candies. I almost made a small batch of chocolate buttercream frosting but decided on an easy, store-bought fudge sauce as an alternative. As stated above, lemon curd would be a nice spring option, too.
Be careful what candies you top on which fillings. I had some Reese’s peanut butter eggs that might not have paired well with lemon curd but would be scrumptious over chocolate.
You’ll want to form the nest when the cookies are fresh out of the oven. I used the back of a measuring spoon (affiliate link). It stuck a bit at times, but since the well was going to be filled, it really didn’t matter.

Coconut Macaroon Easter Nests lined up on a white ceramic tray

Frequently Asked Questions

How is a Macaroon Different from a Macaron?

Macaroons (Mack -a- ROONS) are composed of egg whites, coconut, and sugar, though there are shortcut versions made with sweetened condensed milk. Their name comes from the French macaron. Sweeter and chewier than their namesake, there are only a few variations including vanilla, lemon, and chocolate. Macaroons are super easy to make.
Macarons (Mack- a – ROHNS) are composed of almond flour, egg whites, and sugar, and can be made in numerous flavors. Their name comes from the Italian word Macaroni. With a delicate crust and a meringue-like middle, two usually form a sandwich with a complimentary filling. Macarons are more technical to make including whipping egg whites to the perfect consistency and baking up even-sized cookies to pair and fill.

Why Are Macaroons Served for Passover?

Since they have no dairy or flour, they follow the dietary guidelines for Passover. If your fudge sauce contains either, you can fill these cookie nests with lemon curd for a Passover dessert.

How Do You Store Macaroons?

Keep them in an airtight container to prevent them from drying out. They’ll keep well at room temperature for at least 3-4 days, in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks, and in the freezer for 3-4 months. Just bring them to room temperature before serving if they’re cold.