Birds' Nest Easter Macaroons

Another Easter treat here, this time featuring coconut, macnuts, and chocolate. Name a better trio. I'll wait.

These delicate coconut macaroon nests are the perfect lightly sweet, all-natural treat that you have just enough time to make in time for tomorrow, because they are so. simple! They're so cute and impressive, no one will know it took less than 20 minutes from start to finish to put these little nests together. Plus, they're entirely vegan so long as you use vegan chocolate, so they're safe and fun for even those with dairy and egg allergies to enjoy.

Bird's Nest Easter Macaroons

20 minutes

Makes 12 macaroons

1.5 cups unsweetened dessicated coconut

3 tbsp agave or maple syrup

1.5 tbsp melted coconut oil

1 tsp coconut milk

1 tsp spirulina powder

¼ tsp vanilla extract

12 raw macadamia nuts

2 tbsp vegan dark chocolate

Preheat oven to 350° and grease a baking sheet with coconut oil.

Add all ingredients to the base of a blender or food processor and pulse until the coconut shreds are consistently green and everything sticks together loosely, like rice.

If you're using a blender, this will probably take a little extra work on your part to shake things up and mix the ingredients with a spoon to ensure that everything gets hit by the blades evenly.

Using a round tablespoon measure, scoop and gently pack the mixture, depositing onto the sheet pan. Using your thumb or a ½ teaspoon measurer, gently press on the top of each mound to make an indent. You might have to re-pack the nests a little, but I found that they kept their shape pretty well.

Bake for 8 minutes, or until the bottoms of the macaroons are toasty brown. Your kitchen will smell amazing.

While the macaroons cool, melt the dark chocolate using 15-second intervals in the microwave. When melted, dip one side of the macadamia nuts into the chocolate and place into the indent on each macaroon. The chocolate helps the macnuts stick to the macaroons and makes them that much tastier.

Kids will love the fun, springy green colors these get from the spirulina, and they might even enjoy helping to make the nests!

For those with nut allergies, leave out the macnuts and just use chocolate instead.

You can also skip the nest-making and simply bake these as mounds, drizzling chocolate over the tops after baking.

Happy Easter!