On the hunt for an Easter egg dessert that's easy to make, adorable, and full of delicious flavors?
Flavored with almond and orange, stuffed full of coconut and topped with mini chocolate eggs – these Birds Nest Macaroons are a sure-to-please Easter dessert!
The dough comes together in just 15 minutes – then after an hour of chill time, bake these tiny ‘nests’ of deliciousness, press a hole in the centers, and fill them with mini chocolate eggs! This is also a fantastic recipe to make with kids. Depending on their ages, they can help with anything from pressing holes in the centers and decorating with eggs to rolling the cookies in coconut to making the dough!
What makes this recipe special?
The first thing I love about this recipe is that the cookie comes out soft, not crunchy or crumbly. Maybe I’ve only ever tried over-baked macaroons, but that’s been my biggest complaint about them in general. These baked for 10-12 minutes max in my oven, and even the 12-minute pan of cookies with more toasty coconut were still soft in the centers and didn’t crumble apart. Since I’m not a fan of crumbly cookies this was a big plus for me!
Many macaroon recipes are flavored predominantly (or exclusively) with coconut – not a bad thing, especially for coconut lovers! But this recipe also features almond and orange extracts (or orange juice concentrate) to add extra dimensions to the flavor. All three flavors pair AMAZINGLY with the chocolate eggs on top – and they look absolutely adorable to boot!
“Can I make these gluten-free?”
Absolutely! Check labels on your ingredients, but I love making recipes gluten-free for my sisters by subbing out regular all-purpose flour for Pamela’s 1:1 gluten free flour substitute! Especially in a cookie like this one, where the texture comes more from the coconut than from the flour, it’s REALLY hard to tell the difference between a regular and a gluten-free macaroon!
As an Amazon affiliate I may earn from qualifying purchases, and my posts sometimes contain affiliate links. If you click a link and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you!
Don't forget to pin this recipe for later! 😉
Bird's Nest Macaroons
Equipment
- 1-2 cookie sheets + liners or parchment paper
- 1 cookie scoop (optional, but makes uniform cookies easier)
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup butter (softened)
- 4 ounces cream cheese (softened)
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 egg yolks
- 2 teaspoons almond extract
- 1 teaspoon orange extract (or 2 teaspoons orange juice concentrate)
- 1 ¼ cup flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 14 ounces coconut, shredded (divided)
- 1 bag Cadbury mini eggs (or other Easter eggs or M&Ms)
Instructions
Make & chill the dough
- Cream softened butter and cream cheese together until combined. Beat in sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg yolks, almond extract, and orange extract (or concentrate); beat well.
- Combine flour, baking powder, and salt; gradually add to butter/cream cheese mixture. Measure and mix in 3 cups coconut (save remaining coconut to roll cookies in before baking.) Cover and chill 1 hour.
Bake
- Shape into 1-inch balls (I used a small cookie scoop). Roll in remaining coconut. Bake at 350° for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from oven and cool 1-2 minutes; then press a small 'bird's-nest-hole' into the center of each cookie. I used the back of a vegetable peeler; any blunt-ended kitchen utensil will do. Fill with 2-3 Cadbury eggs per cookie. Carefully remove from cookie sheet and cool completely on wire rack.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Did you make these Birds Nest Macaroons?
Please consider leaving a star rating and/or review at the bottom of the page - this really helps other coconut-lovers find this page! 😉
Please email me with any questions/comments/concerns/etc- emails through my contact form go straight to my inbox and I can see them on my phone!
Other recipes you may love...
