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These adorable Easter Bird’s Nest Mini Cheesecakes will be a hit at your Easter brunch or dinner and are so easy to make! Delicious, silky mini cheesecakes, topped with toasted coconut and mini egg candies make a cute and festive dessert!
SPRIIIIING. It’s coming. I know, it might seem like winter will never end, but it will, and then we will finally be surrounded by spring blossoms, green grass and blue skies. And you know how I know that? Easter candy is in stores. 😂😂😂
I am a sucker for Easter Candy, particularly anything Cadbury. And my all time favorite Easter candy is Cadbury Mini Eggs. DON’T even think about leaving them out of the Easter festivities. That is why I needed to find a way to incorporate them into a fun Easter dessert. I thought about making cupcakes, but mini cheesecakes are even easier, and what could be better than a creamy bite sized cheesecake topped with coconut and the best Easter candy of all time?
These Mini Cheesecakes can be made a day ahead, and then just topped with the toasted coconut and mini eggs the day you are serving them, making them even easier! Just wait to top them with the coconut and egg candies until the day of serving, so they don’t get soggy.
What is your favorite Easter candy?
Easter Bird's Nest Mini Cheesecakes
Ingredients
For Cheesecakes
- 16 ounces Cream Cheese softened (2 packages)
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup sugar
- zest of one lemon optional
For Crust
- 8 sheets graham crackers
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons melted butter
For Topping
- 1 cup sweetened coconut toasted
- 36 mini egg candies
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Line a 12 cup muffin tin with cupcake liners, set aside.
- Crush the graham crackers into crumbs in a food processor. Add the 2 tablespoons of sugar and the 1/8 teaspoon of salt, pulse a few times to combine. Pour in the melted butter and pulse until mixed. (If you don't have a food processor, crackers can be crushed by sealing in a large ziptop bag and crushing with a rolling pin or other heavy object until they are fine crumbs. Pour them into a bowl, whisk in sugar and salt, then stir in the butter and mix until combined))
- Evenly divide the crumb mixture between the 12 muffin cups. Use a small flat bottomed measuring cup to press the crumbs into the bottom of each cup (I used a 1/4 cup).
- Beat the cream cheese, sour cream, vanilla and sugar until smooth.
- Add the eggs, one at a time and mix until well combined. Mix in lemon zest if using.
- Evenly divide the cheesecake mixture between the 12 muffin cups. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until centers are set.
- Allow to cool completely, then refrigerate for 2 hours or up to overnight.
- To toast the coconut, spread in an even layer on a baking sheet. Toast in the oven at 325°F, stirring every 5 minutes, until golden. This should take 10-15 minutes. Watch closely because the coconut can go from golden to burnt in an instant!
- Before serving, sprinkle the toasted coconut in a circle around the edges of each mini cheesecake to form the "nest" Place 3 mini egg candies in the center. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
What size muffin tins are used? Muffin size or mini muffin size?
I used regular size!
Can you make them without cupcake liners? I forgot to buy some! 😭
Hi Lindsay – the only worry I would have is that they would stick to the muffin tin and be hard to get out. Let us know if you give it a try!
Can I use the ready made graham cracker cheese cake crumbs instead of crushing actual graham crackers?
Hi Andrea, yes that should work!
Can you keep the cheesecakes in the cupcake wrappers?
Hi Emily – I found that the wrappers I used didn’t stick and were falling off. But if you want to leave them in the wrappers that would be fine!
Can I make ahead & freeze them?
Hi Iris – I haven’t tried to freeze them so I can’t be sure. I think you could freeze the cheesecakes alone, and then just add the coconut and candy eggs before serving.
This recipe sounds perfect. I am just wondering if you can add the coconut and eggs at some point before serving, if you are traveling with them? Will the coconut and eggs stick, or any tips?
Hi Tara – I would wait to add the coconut and eggs until as close to serving as possible. Otherwise the coconut gets kind of soggy and the eggs get kind of sticky. It depends on how long you are travelling with them. If it is a short time, like an hour or so, that should be fine, but if it is longer I would just transport them in separate containers and then put the coconut and eggs on top when you get to where you are going. I hope you enjoy them!
These are so adorable! That toasted coconut is my fav!
Thanks so much Megan!
I have been known to eat those mini easter eggs by the bagful and I’m not even ashamed about it!!! I might even do it this year right after I make these adorable birds nest mini cheesecakes. Love this recipe!
These are just so *happy*. Love them!