Bird's Nest Coconut Macaroons With Nutella and Easter Egg Candy

Every spring, there's that one recipe that makes the whole kitchen feel festive — and for us, it's these bird's nest coconut macaroons. I first made them three years ago when Amy came home from school buzzing about Easter, dragging me toward the kitchen before I'd even set down my grocery bags. We had a bag of sweetened coconut, a jar of Nutella, and a bag of pastel chocolate eggs sitting on the counter. That was all the inspiration we needed.

The result was these chewy, golden coconut nests filled with creamy Nutella and nestled with little candy eggs on top. They were gone in about 20 minutes. John kept sneaking them off the cooling rack before I could get a single photo. Bradley, who normally acts too cool for anything cute, ate four of them and asked if we could make them again the next day.

If you love easy Easter baking, you'll also want to bookmark my Milk Bread Nutella Donuts for another Nutella-filled treat the whole family will go crazy for. But today, these little nests are getting all the attention — and they deserve every bit of it.

Jump to:

• Why You'll Love These Coconut Macaroon Nests
• Ingredients For Bird's Nest Coconut Macaroons
• How To Make Bird's Nest Coconut Macaroons Step By Step
• Storage And Make-Ahead Tips
• Fun Variations On These Coconut Macaroon Nests
• Frequently Asked Questions About Bird's Nest Coconut Macaroons
• Recipes You May Like
• Ready To Make These Easter Coconut Macaroon Nests?
• Bird's Nest Coconut Macaroons With Nutella and Easter Egg Candy

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Why You'll Love These Coconut Macaroon Nests

• Only 7 ingredients — nothing fancy, all easy to find at any regular grocery store
• Prep takes just 10 minutes, which means you can make a batch on a busy weeknight
• Make-ahead friendly — bake 2-3 days before your Easter party with zero stress
• Kid-approved and adorable — Amy insists on placing every single candy egg herself
• Chewy coconut texture with a crisp golden edge and a rich, creamy Nutella center
• No mixer needed — just a bowl, a spoon, and your hands

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Ingredients For Bird's Nest Coconut Macaroons

Here's everything you'll need to make about 10 coconut macaroon nests:

• ⅔ cup sweetened condensed milk
• 1 large egg white
• 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
• ⅛ teaspoon salt
• 3 ½ cups sweetened shredded coconut
• 1 cup Nutella (or your favorite chocolate-hazelnut spread)
• Chocolate Easter egg candy — use your favorite pastel variety

Ingredient tip: Stick with sweetened shredded coconut here. I tried the unsweetened version once and the nests came out dry and didn't hold their shape well at all. The sweetened variety gives you that chewy, golden texture that makes these cookies so good.

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How To Make Bird's Nest Coconut Macaroons Step By Step

Getting Ready To Bake

1. Preheat your oven to 325°F.
2. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat mat. Don't skip this — the condensed milk is sticky and the nests will stick without it.

Mixing The Dough

3. In a large bowl, stir together the sweetened condensed milk, egg white, vanilla extract, and salt until fully combined.
4. Add the sweetened shredded coconut and mix everything together well. The mixture should be thick and hold its shape when pressed.

Shaping The Coconut Nests

5. Scoop up about 2 tablespoons of dough with a spoon and place it on the prepared baking sheet.
6. Shape each mound into a bird's nest — press down the center firmly with your thumb to create a well. Space them a couple of inches apart.

Pro tip: Don't rush the shaping step. Take an extra 30 seconds per nest to press the sides up so they hold their shape while baking. Amy calls herself the "nest architect" during this part, and honestly, she does a better job than I do.

Baking The Nests

7. Bake for 17 to 20 minutes, until the edges and tops are lightly golden brown.
8. As soon as they come out of the oven, press your thumb into the center of each nest again — they puff up slightly while baking and you want that well clearly defined.
9. Let the nests cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes until firm, then transfer to a wire cooling rack with a spatula.
10. Cool completely before adding the Nutella. Adding it to a warm nest makes it melt and run everywhere — I learned that the hard way on our first batch.

Filling And Decorating

11. Spoon about 1 tablespoon of Nutella into the center of each cooled nest.
12. Press 3 chocolate Easter egg candies into the Nutella center of each nest.
13. Finish decorating and serve — or store for later (details below).

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Storage And Make-Ahead Tips

One of the best things about this Nutella coconut nests recipe is how well they hold up ahead of time.

At room temperature: Store finished nests in an airtight container on the counter for up to 2-3 days. They stay chewy and fresh — no refrigeration needed.

If prepping ahead: Bake the coconut macaroon shells a few days early and store them unfilled. Add the Nutella and candy eggs the day you plan to serve them for the freshest look.

Freezing: The plain baked nests (without Nutella) freeze well for up to a month. Thaw at room temperature and fill when you're ready to serve.

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Fun Variations On These Coconut Macaroon Nests

Want to switch things up a little? Here are some ideas I've actually tried:

• Swap the Nutella filling: Peanut butter, Biscoff cookie butter, almond butter, or any chocolate spread works wonderfully — Bradley voted the peanut butter version as his all-time winner
• Try different candy eggs: Mini Cadbury eggs, M&M's Easter eggs, or even jelly beans look adorable nestled in the center
• Add a chocolate drizzle: Melt a little dark chocolate and drizzle it over the finished nests for a more dressed-up look
• Toasted coconut version: Lightly toast the shredded coconut in a dry skillet before mixing for a deeper, nuttier flavor
• Mini nests for parties: Use just 1 tablespoon of dough per nest for smaller bites — perfect for Easter dessert platters

Here's the thing — when I tested both the Nutella version and the peanut butter version side by side last Easter, it was genuinely a close call. You can't really go wrong with either one.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Bird's Nest Coconut Macaroons

Can I Make Coconut Macaroon Nutella Nests Ahead Of Time?

Yes! This is one of the most make-ahead friendly Easter cookie recipes out there. You can make them fully assembled 2-3 days in advance and store them in an airtight container at room temperature. They stay perfectly chewy and fresh. If you want the candy to look its shiniest, add the Easter egg candy the day you plan to serve them — but honestly, they look great even after a couple of days.

Can I Use Unsweetened Coconut Instead Of Sweetened?

I really don't recommend it here. Sweetened shredded coconut provides the moisture and binding that the nests need to hold their shape. When I tested unsweetened coconut, the nests were noticeably drier, crumbled more easily when I tried to move them, and just didn't have that rich, chewy texture. If you only have unsweetened coconut, you'd need to add extra sugar and probably a bit more condensed milk to compensate — at that point, it's easier to just grab the sweetened bag.

How Do I Keep The Nest Shape From Falling Apart While Baking?

The secret is two rounds of thumb-pressing. Press firmly into the center before baking to create the well, then press down again immediately after pulling them from the oven while they're still warm and soft. That second press reinforces the nest shape as the cookie cools and sets. Also, resist the urge to move them too quickly — letting them sit on the baking sheet for a full 5 minutes before transferring makes a real difference in how cleanly they hold together.

Can I Substitute Nutella With Another Filling For The Coconut Nests?

Absolutely! Peanut butter, cookie butter, almond butter, or any chocolate hazelnut spread all work perfectly. You could even use a thick ganache if you want something more special. The key is choosing a filling thick enough to hold the candy eggs in place — something too thin or runny will just slide around. If you want to use a looser caramel sauce, pop the finished nests in the fridge for a few minutes to help it set before placing the eggs.

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Recipes You May Like

If you loved these Easter coconut macaroons, here are a few more recipes worth saving:

• Milk Bread Nutella Donuts — pillowy soft donuts filled with Nutella that are absolutely worth the effort
• Strawberry Cheesecake Danishes — a gorgeous springtime bake that looks impressive and comes together much more easily than you'd expect
• Pumpkin Spice Sugar Cookies — beautifully decorated cookies that are as fun to make as they are to eat

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Ready To Make These Easter Coconut Macaroon Nests?

These bird's nest coconut macaroons check every box I care about in a recipe — fast prep, simple ingredients, totally make-ahead, and genuinely impressive to bring to any Easter gathering. Whether you're making them for a spring party, a school bake sale, or just a fun Tuesday afternoon with the kids, they always get people excited.

Amy still claims the nest-shaping as her official job. Bradley still eats more than his fair share. John still sneaks one before they're fully cooled, every single time.

Give these a try this Easter and let me know how they turn out in the comments! And if you're building out your spring baking lineup, save this recipe to Pinterest so it's ready when you need it.

Happy baking!

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