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homemade marshmallow nests
Yesterday, my kids and I polished off our fifth bag of Cadbury Mini Eggs since February. What is it about those things? Pastel candy-coated chocolate. They just make us happy.
And they work well as payment. The kids cleaned the entire living room the other day in exchange for a handful of them.
I’ve been thinking about making these nests for weeks, and how they’d make a perfect Easter treat, whether as a gift, or as a favor for guests to take home at the end of dinner. Of course, you can always just eat them yourselves, like we did.
marshmallow nests
3 cups sweetened coconut
4 packets (28g total) unflavored gelatin
2 cups granulated sugar
1 tablespoon corn syrup or honey
1 tablespoon of pure vanilla extract
Cadbury Mini Eggs or jelly beans
1. In a nonstick skillet set over medium heat, toast the coconut (stirring frequently) until it begins to turn golden brown. Spread out on a baking sheet to cool.
2. In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar, 1/2 cup of water, and corn syrup. Bring to a boil over medium high heat and boil until the sugar mixture reaches 230 degrees (the soft ball stage).
2. While the sugar mixture comes to a boil, sprinkle the gelatin over 1/2* cup of water in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, and let it dissolve.
3. When the sugar mixture comes to temperature, turn the mixer on low speed, and slowly pour in the sugar mixture. Slowly raise the speed to high, and beat for 10 minutes. Beat in vanilla.
4. Spoon marshmallow into a large pastry bag fitted with a star tip (such as Wilton 1M), and pipe a 3 inch solid circle onto the toasted coconut. Pipe another circle of marshmallow on the outer edge of the bottom circle to create a nest. Sprinkle with more coconut to coat. Place Cadbury Mini Eggs or jelly beans in the center.
*My sincerest apologies to anyone (i.e. Rachel) who tried this and got too thin a mixture. As often as I check and recheck my recipes, I do sometimes have mistakes. I guess that’s why publishers hire editors, and even then, sometimes things get overlooked. Before, I had written the gelatin was to be dissolved in 1 cup of water. It should have been 1/2 cup. Again, I’m so, so sorry. 
49 Responses to “homemade marshmallow nests”
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It’s so pretty, seems like I’ll be spending my time adoring than eating it!
Those are just beautiful. I bet they are delicious too.
Oh yum! My kids would love these! We have done cookies like this with colored coconut. Yes, I agree the Cadbery mini eggs work great for payment for kids and late night snacks for adults too!
These are fabulous! The “nest” is so clever, too.
Too cute!
These look amazing! They’re so cute! I made marshmallows last night for the first time, and used them to make peeps. I’ll be posting them on my blog in the next few days if you want to take a look. I wish I’d come across these little nests before I made my marshmallows so I could have made some of these as well. Must try them another time, so cute!
This is so cute, I bet your kids loved this!
Thanks, everybody!
So beautiful Jamie! Any chance you are coming east soon? blogher food?
Oh, these are so cute!!!!
I am finally going to try these. You make them look so easy and delicious. I have been wanting to do it for years now and you have motivated me.
These look sooooo good! I can’t wait to make them. I love trying your recipes, all the ones I’ve tried so far have always worked out and tasted amazing! Keep up the amazing work! We all love it!!
What a delicious idea!
thank you for all the great recipes, and the pictures are what pull me into wanting to try them.Thanks
Would you believe I’ve never had a Cadbury Egg? I used to be totally icked out by eggs (DEAD BABY BIRDS! Never mind that I have no problem eating the mama.) and so the Cadbury Eggs just seemed wrong. I eat eggs now, but I’ve still never braved the candy version.
These DO look quite yummy though, and if anything could convince me, it’d be these!
Karly—that’s so funny! These mini eggs will be an easier lead in to the bigger Cadbury eggs!
These look delicious and beautiful! Love your website!
[...] Chocolate Chip Cookies from Two Peas and Their Pod Easter Egg Shortbread Cookies from Baking Bites Homemade Marshmallow Nests from Sophistimom Chocolate, Peanut Butter, & Marshmallow Pudding Cookies from Picky [...]
Super cute for Easter! How many nests does this recipe make?
Katie—depending on how big you make these, you should end up with around 10-12. Thanks for your question!
Quick question for ya- I’ve got severe mommy brain, but do these ‘set up’? As in can I make them, pack em up and send them to work with my husband while they stay in one piece? Or are they a ‘mushy’ treat? Thanks!
Rebecca—Thanks for asking, I was meaning to add something about that in the instructions, but I forgot.
They will set up—best to leave them for a few hours or overnight, uncovered. They’ll still be squishy, but they should hold their shape.
These are simply stunning! And precious! I love them!! ♥- Katrina
Jaime, these look wonderful. I’d been looking for a homemade marshmallow recipe, but I’m wondering if maybe there’s an ingredient I haven’t heard of before, or maybe there’s a minor letter typo: “1 tablespoon corn syrup of honey”? Thank you so much!
Thanks, Kimberly! I just fixed it. It was supposed to say “OR honey”
These are so beautiful and perfect for Easter! I love mini cadbury eggs…quite possibly the best part of Easter!
YUMMY!!!! Looks delicious!
I know I’m asking to stretch this recipe quite a bit, but I could use the advice if you know the answer…
One of my sons adores marshmallows but the other one detests them. I thought about making these for their Easter party at their daycare tomorrow but I don’t want to make something that one will hate. I was considering changing the marshmallow center to a macaroon center, but I have never made macaroons! Will the coconut stick to them, if I change the recipe that way? I’ve had coconut macaroons but the coconut is completely mixed in. I don’t know if that makes a difference.
Decaf Debi–If you made macaroons, the coconut would stick to them before you bake them. However, I’m not sure how toasted the coconut will get while they’re baking. It might be a case of trial and error. I might coat some in lightly toasted coconut, and some in untoasted coconut, bake them, and then see! Good luck, and Happy Easter!
New to your Blog and can I just say I love it! I think I’m home!
Love Love the nests! Can’t wait to make them for my kiddos!
Also, love those plates. Do you know who makes them?
Thanks!
Thanks, Twyla!
I bought the white plates at Pier 1 this season. They were about $6 each. As for the pastel colored plates, I found those at Target about five years ago, and I have no idea where you could find them now. Wish I did—I love them, and wish I had more.
Those are adorable.
You’ve inspired me!:
http://raptortoe.com/2011/04/21/birds-nest-cupcakes-yay-easter/
[...] with Raspberries and Lemon Curd from Katie of Good Life Eats Marshmallow Nests from Jaime of Sophistimom Cascaroñes from Amber of Bluebonnets and Brownies Nested Easter Egg [...]
Those mini eggs are absolutely delicious. We love them too. I’ve seen this idea with a cookie base, but never with marshmallows. I love it! How creative!
I love these nests. What a cute idea! And congrats on being the featured blog on Foodista today!
These are so adorable! For some reason, cooking w/ candy thermometers always scares me, but it seems really easy. Might have to break these out next Easter…
[...] Marshmallow Nets by Sophistimom. So sweet and [...]
Very very pretty!
[...] by these Marshmallow Nests from Sophistimom. I set out to make cupcakes. I LOVE cupcakes, but I never make them. Mostly [...]
[...] The Marshmallow Nest recipe (shown above) is from SophistiMom [...]
Seriously, I am so addicted to those candies. I have to limit myself to just one bag a year or I end up in a sugar coma. The cookies look amazing! So cute and yummy!
Jen—I know, right?? The kids and I are already on our second bag this year, and I have another one hidden for Easter.
[...] Homemade Marshmallow Nests from Sophistimom [...]
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Mine is too thin…how do i thicken and make more marshmallow like fast?! heeelp!
Uh-oh, Rachel! I just saw your comment this morning. I wonder what happened? How much water did you dissolve the gelatin in?
Rachel!!The fault is completely mine! I just looked over my recipe, and I don’t know how I did this, because I’ve had the same trouble as you before when I followed a recipe by Tyler Florence and it told me to use the same amount of water, and I ended up with marshmallow soup! I vowed I would never do it again, and I just did to all of you. I’m so so sorry. Nothing can make me more mad than a ruined recipe!
It should have been 1/2 cup of water dissolved in the gelatin. Not a full cup. Again, I’m so sorry. You must have been so stressed making these the night before Easter!
[...] The Marshmallow Nest (shown above) is from SophistiMom [...]