One of my favorite parts of Easter Brunch is the desserts 😊 Everything is decorated with bunnies, Peeps, little candy eggs, etc. It’s just so cute and festive! I love to explore and create new recipes using all the seasonal candies and that’s what I’m going to share with you today – dessert ideas for your Easter celebration.

First up are Birds’ Nests.  I’m sure you’ve seen these before for other holidays, sometimes referred to as Haystacks.  These are super easy to make and only require a few ingredients.  They are sweet, crunchy, and the perfect bite-sized treat!  I have 2 different flavors, Chocolate and Peanut Butter.

The Chocolate Birds’ Nests recipe can be found here.

The Peanut Butter Birds’ Nests recipe can be found here.

Let’s start with the Chocolate Birds’ Nests.  Add the chocolate and peanut butter to a microwave safe bowl.  Heat for 60 seconds, then stir.  Heat for an additional 30 seconds and stir again.  Continue to heat in 15 second intervals until the mixture is completely melted and smooth.  Don’t overheat or you will burn the chocolate!

Add the chow mein noodles to a large bowl.  Pour the chocolate mixture over the top and stir to fully coat.

Scoop the mixture into the wells of a muffin tin.  The wells should be mostly full, and you will have enough for 12-15 birds’ nests.  I like to use muffin tins because it helps the chow mein noodles hold their round shape.  Alternately, you can drop spoonsful onto wax paper and create the nests this way.

Top each with 3 Cadbury mini eggs.

Place in the fridge until the chocolate is set, about 10 minutes.

Remove from the muffin tin and serve immediately or store in an airtight container on the counter.

The recipe can be found here.

For the Peanut Butter Birds’ Nests, add the chocolate and peanut butter to a microwave safe bowl.  Heat for 60 seconds, then stir.  Heat for an additional 30 seconds and stir again.  Continue to heat in 15 second intervals until the mixture is completely melted and smooth.  Don’t overheat or you will burn the chocolate!

Add the chow mein noodles to a large bowl.  Pour the chocolate mixture over the top and stir to fully coat.

Scoop the mixture into the wells of a muffin tin.  The wells should be mostly full, and you will have enough for 12-15 birds’ nests.  Alternately, you can drop spoonsful onto wax paper and create the nests this way.

Top each with 3 Cadbury mini eggs.

 

Place in the fridge until the chocolate is set, about 10 minutes.

Remove from the muffin tin and serve immediately or store in an airtight container on the counter.

The recipe can be found here.

The next recipe I want to share with you is for Cadbury Egg Nest Mini Cheesecakes.  The recipe is for traditional cheesecake that is topped with a chocolate ganache, coconut, and Cadbury mini eggs.  These are amazing!  The chocolate ganache adds a hint of sweetness, the coconut is toasted and adds a nice crunch, and the cheesecake is rich and creamy.  And these also look like birds’ nests so they will make a great centerpiece on your table…until everyone is ready to dig in!

The recipe can be found here.

Start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees F.

Add the graham cracker crumbs, 2 Tbsp sugar and melted butter to a mixing bowl.  Mix until well combined.

Evenly divide between the cheesecake pan wells and press down to form the crust.  A link to the pan I use can be found here.  The wells are a little large, but I love that the bottoms have little discs that can be pushed up to remove the cheesecakes when done.  No mess and no paper liners needed.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the cream cheese and ¾ cup sugar.

Add the eggs and vanilla and beat until well combined.

Scoop into the cheesecake pan wells until about ¾ full.  You want each well to be filled about the same amount for even baking.

Bake for 15-17 minutes then turn off the oven and crack the oven door open.  Allow the cheesecake to cool for 5-10 minutes while still in the oven.  If your oven door won’t stay open when cracked, put a wooden spoon between the door and oven to hold it open slightly.

Remove the pan from the oven and set on a wire rack to cool completely.

Once the cheesecakes are completely cooled, start on the toppings.  Add the coconut to a skillet and heat over medium heat, stirring frequently, to toast.  This should take about 2-3 minutes then remove it from the heat.

Add the chocolate chips to a heat safe bowl.

Add the heavy cream to a saucepan and bring to a boil.  Once boiling, turn off the heat and pour the cream over the chocolate chips.  Let it sit for about 5 minutes then whisk to combine.  The hot cream will melt the chocolate.

Spoon the ganache over each cheesecake.  It’s OK if you don’t use all the chocolate – it’s better to have too much than not enough.

Top with toasted coconut and 3-4 Cadbury mini eggs.

 

Refrigerate to allow the ganache to set.  Keep refrigerated until ready to serve and store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge.

The recipe can be found here.

Last, is my recipe for Mini Easter Bundt Cakes.  These mini bundt cakes are made using a boxed cake mix and are decorated with frosting and various candy.  I like to use a combination of jellybeans and Cadbury mini eggs, but you can use any candy you like.  The frosting hides the candy in the divot on top, so it’s a fun little surprise when you cut into the bundt cake.  These are also customizable…. I used a yellow cake mix but you could use white, chocolate, carrot, red velvet, etc.  Anything goes because you are just frosting and decorating, so the colors can be changed up for different holidays.

The recipe can be found here.

 

One thing I want to point out before getting into the recipe is that I only have 2 mini bundt cake pans.  They are about 4-inches wide x 4-inches tall.  I had to bake 2, let the pans cools slightly so I could remove the cakes, then refill a second, and third time.  I was able to make 6 mini bundt cakes with the recipe.  If you have a mini bundt cake pan that has 6 wells, that will make your life SO MUCH easier when making these 😊 It wasn’t hard to keep refilling and baking the same 2 pans, just time consuming!  So, lesson learned, and it looks like I need to invest in a few more mini bundt cake pans!

Start by preheating the oven to the temperature indicated on the back of the boxed cake mix.  This is most likely 350 degrees F but double check the box to be sure.

Use shortening to grease each mold of the bundt cake pan.  Then sprinkle with flour to fully coat.

Prepare the boxed cake mix according to package instructions.  Pour into the mini bundt cake molds.  Bake according to package instructions.  I follow the cupcake directions because they are similar in size.  I baked mine for 21 minutes and they came out perfect.

Remove from the oven and cool slightly.  Then remove the mini cakes from the pan and let cool completely on a wire rack.

Once cool, make the glaze.  Add the powdered sugar, water, lemon juice, and vanilla extract to a mixing bowl.  Stir until smooth.  It should be thick but pourable.  Add powdered sugar or water as needed to thin or thicken the glaze.  I ended up adding a bit more water to thin out the mixture.

If you like a lot of frosting, I suggest doubling the recipe.  One batch makes enough to add a nice layer to each bundt cake but it’s going to be a thick frosting layer.

Divide into 3 small bowls and add one drop of food coloring to each bowl.  You can use any colors of your choosing, but I recommend red, yellow, and blue as nice complementary colors for spring.  If you want darker colors, add an extra 1-2 drops of food coloring.

Add candy to the center of each bundt cake.  Drizzle the glaze over the top of the bundt cake and candy and let it drop down the sides.  The glaze will also fill in the well a bit and help hold the candy in the center.  Top with additional candy.  Repeat until all bundt cakes are decorated.

Serve immediately or store in an airtight container on the counter.  I think these taste best when enjoyed the day they are made.  If you aren’t serving right away, I would wait to add the glaze until closer to serving time.  Enjoy!

The recipe can be found here.

I really enjoyed working on these recipes, exploring Pinterest for inspiration, and shopping for candy, props, etc.  The birds’ nests ended up being enjoyed by coworkers (for taste test purposes), the cheesecakes are going to be enjoyed with family on Easter, and the bundt cakes were a fun weekend brunch.  Be creative and have fun with whatever you end up making for your Easter celebration!

Happy Cooking and Happy Easter!