COCONUT MERINGUE EASTER NESTS RECIPE
These cute little Easter nests are made with a delicious crunchy and chewy coconut meringue, filled with tart raspberry purée and whipped cream, and decorated with mini Easter egg candies and toasted shredded coconut. You could fill the nests with different fillings, but I absolutely love and recommend you try out the combination of coconut meringue, raspberries and whipped cream!
This recipe is so much fun to make and I’m sure your kids will love to help you decorate the little meringue nests with their favourite Easter candy, mini eggs or fresh berries in case you’d rather wait for the Easter bunny to bring the candy!
Making some of these Easter meringue nests is also a great way to use up some extra egg whites, considering some recipes - like my CRÈME BRÛLÉE RECIPE - only ask for egg yolks.
Since this recipe is gluten free, it is a total crowd pleaser and a great idea to share with your loved ones for your Easter celebrations. To make it dairy free as well, use whipped coconut cream instead and use dairy free candy or fruit for the decorations. Serve your coconut meringue Easter nests as a light dessert after your Easter meal or as an adorable, sweet treat- and trust me not only the kids will be delighted!
TIPS TO MAKE THE PERFECT
COCONUT MERINGUE EASTER NESTS
Use a kitchen scale if you can, to weigh your ingredients rather than measuring them in cups. This will ensure accurate ingredients and will result in a great end product.
Use a clean, grease- free bowl and avoid any egg yolk in your egg whites when you make your meringue.
Make sure you have enough time. The meringue nests need time to bake and cool and can’t be rushed.
You can make the meringue nests ahead of time and store them in an airtight container at room temperature, but make sure they are completely cooled down before storing them away!
Fill your coconut meringue nests right before serving to avoid them from getting soggy.
The same applies for the raspberry purée. Let it completely cool down before assembling your nests, to avoid the whipped cream from melting.
INGREDIENTS
Egg whites - make sure your egg whites are free from any egg yolks!
Unsweetened shredded coconut - I don’t recommend sweetened shredded coconut, if you do want to use it, cut down on the granulated sugar in the meringue.
Sugar - granulated sugar works best for the coconut meringue and the raspberry purée in this recipe.
Raspberries - you can use frozen or fresh raspberries to make the fruit purée.
Cream - use whipping cream with at least 35% fat content. For a detailed description on how to make the perfect whipped cream check out my blog post about HOMEMADE WHIPPED CREAM.
Vanilla sugar - use store bought or make your own and follow my post about HOMEMADE VANILLA SUGAR or substitute with granulated sugar and pure vanilla extract.
The full ingredient list with exact measurements can be found in the recipe card below.
TOOLS YOU WILL NEED
baking sheet
parchment paper
double boiler (a stainless-steel/ heatproof pot or bowl that fits inside a bigger one)
small saucepan
fine mesh sieve
small pan
hand or stand mixer with whisk attachment
rubber spatula
piping bag
star tip
INSTRUCTIONS STEP BY STEP
Preheat your oven to 210 °F (100°C).
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
Add 1-2 inches of water to your double boiler and heat until barely simmering.
Into a heatproof bowl or saucepan whisk together the egg whites and sugar and set over the simmering water. Stir continuously, but gently until the sugar has dissolved completely. Turn the heat to a low and be careful not to make scrambled eggs, you just want the sugar crystals to dissolve.
Transfer the egg whites to the bowl of your mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and add in the lemon juice.
Whisk on medium- high speed for 8-10 minutes. The meringue should be tripled in size, cool to the touch and hold stiff peaks.
Gently fold in the shredded coconut with a rubber spatula until nicely combined.
Fit a piping bag with a star tip and fill with the coconut meringue.
Pipe 10-12 Easter nests by piping a solid disk with 2-3 circular layers around on the prepared baking sheet. Make sure to leave 1/2-1 inch space between the meringue nests.
Bake for 90 minutes, turn off the oven and let them sit in the oven for 30-35 more minutes with the door slightly open.
Allow the meringue nests to cool down on a wire rack completely before assembling or storing in an airtight container at room temperature.
To prepare the fruit purée, add raspberries, sugar and water to a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium- high heat. Boil for 5 minutes, stirring constantly.
Press the raspberry mixture through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl to remove the seeds. Make sure to scrape down the outside of the sieve to get all the purée and let it cool down completely before assembling the Easter nests.
In the clean bowl of your mixer fitted with the whisk attachment add the whipping cream with 1 tbsp of vanilla sugar and whip until medium peaks form for 2-3 minutes. For a more detailed description on how to make the perfect whipped cream, check out my blog post about HOMEMADE WHIPPED CREAM.
In a small pan over medium heat, toast some coconut flakes until golden, keep stirring and don’t walk away to avoid burning it.
Before you assemble your meringue nests, make sure all your components are cooled down completely, to avoid them from getting soggy.
Fill your coconut meringue Easter nests with a spoon of raspberry purée, some whipped cream and decorate them with toasted coconut flakes, mini Easter eggs or fresh berries and enjoy!
COCONUT MERINGUE EASTER NESTS RECIPE
by Julia
These cute little Easter nests are made with a delicious crunchy and chewy coconut meringue, filled with tart raspberry purée and whipped cream, and decorated with mini Easter eggs and toasted shredded coconut. Make them as a light dessert or as an adorable sweet treat for your Easter celebration!
PREP : 30 minutes BAKE : 2 hours 10 minutes COOL : 20 minutes
SERVINGS : 10-12 Easter nests
INGREDIENTS
for the coconut meringue:
4 medium egg whites
120 g shredded coconut,
unsweetened
150 g granulated sugar
1 tsp lemon juice
for the raspberry purée:
180 g frozen raspberries
1-2 tbsp granulated sugar
80 ml water
for the whipped cream:
125 ml whipping cream
1 tbsp vanilla sugar
(Make your own HOMEMADE VANILLA SUGAR if you can’t find it in your store.)
for the decorations:
2 tbsp coconut flakes
mini eggs or other Easter candy
fresh berries (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat your oven to 210 °F (100°C).
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
Add 1-2 inches of water to your double boiler and heat until barely simmering.
Into a heatproof bowl, whisk together the egg whites and sugar and set over the simmering water. Stir continuously, but gently until the sugar has dissolved completely. Turn the heat to a low and be careful not to make scrambled eggs, you just want the sugar crystals to dissolve.
Transfer the egg whites to the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and add in the lemon juice.
Whisk on medium- high speed for 8-10 minutes. The meringue should be tripled in size, cool to the touch and hold stiff peaks.
Gently fold in the shredded coconut with a rubber spatula until nicely combined.
Fit a piping bag with a star tip and fill with the coconut meringue.
Pipe 10-12 Easter nests by piping a solid disk with 2-3 circular layers around on the prepared baking sheet. Make sure to leave 1/2-1 inch space between the meringue nests.
Bake for 90 minutes, turn off the oven and let them sit in the oven for 30-35 more minutes with the door slightly open.
Allow the meringue nests to cool down on a wire rack completely, before assembling or storing in an airtight container at room temperature.
To prepare the fruit purée, add raspberries, sugar and water to a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium- high heat. Boil for 5 minutes, stirring constantly.
Press the raspberry mixture through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl to remove the seeds. Make sure to scrape down the outside of the sieve, to get all the purée and let it cool down completely, before assembling the Easter nests.
In the clean bowl of your mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, add the whipping cream with 1 tbsp of vanilla sugar and whip until medium peaks form for 2-3 minutes. For a more detailed description on how to make the perfect whipped cream, check out my blog post about HOMEMADE WHIPPED CREAM.
In a small pan over medium heat, toast some coconut flakes until golden, keep stirring and don’t walk away to avoid burning it.
Before you assemble your meringue nests, make sure all your components are cooled down completely to avoid them from getting soggy.
Fill your coconut meringue Easter nests with a spoon of raspberry purée, some whipped cream and decorate them with toasted coconut flakes, mini Easter eggs or fresh berries and enjoy!