Coconut Macaroon Nests

Coconut Macaroon Nests – fill with your favorite candy, or use jelly beans or Easter eggs for a fun holiday treat.

Easter is right around the corner so when I saw these coconut nests, I couldn’t resist trying them.

Really though, it was just an excuse to buy jelly beans.

I intended to buy chocolate eggs as that is the candy featured in the original recipe, but I couldn’t resist the “gourmet jelly bean” bag as I passed it in Trader Joe’s.

I think at least 50% of my purchases at that store are impulse buys and I don’t think I’m alone. Must learn their marketing secrets.

From my experience, there are two types of jelly bean eaters.

One type eats them by the handful, and the other type picks out their favorite flavors and eats them one by one. (Or rather, picks out their least favorite flavors one by one first.)

Luckily with this brand I like all the flavors – well, except the licorice – but at least I don’t have to worry about getting a weird buttered popcorn flavor mixed in and ruin it all.

Technically I guess there’s a third type, people who don’t like jelly beans at all. So for you guys, you can pick your favorite candy to throw in these nests. Maybe get those chocolate eggs I meant to get.

Or I’m sure there will be another impulse option near checkout if you go to Trader Joe’s.

I made these in a regular muffin pan, though if you have a mini-muffin pan they’d be even cuter. Or you can just put a dollop on the pan and press them down like a thumbprint cookie before you bake.

The original recipe had the ingredients cooked together on the stove beforehand, but I skipped that and it worked just fine. I’m all about time saving here 😉

Need more Easter recipe ideas? Check out this list of 40+ vegetarian Easter mains, sides, and desserts.