These baked coconut donuts are decorated to look like Easter egg nests. They taste amazing, and are so cute – perfect for Easter brunch!
You knew I couldn’t let a holiday pass without making a donut for it, right?? Especially a holiday like Easter, when brunch is the star of the show. And what would a good Easter brunch be without some donuts?! I’ve seen so many Easter goodies on Pinterest lately that look like bird nests and Easter baskets. They are seriously so adorable! I clearly needed to get in on the cuteness action, so I made a baked coconut donut and decorated it to look like a nest.
If you are a coconut lover, you are going to flip for these donuts! The coconut flavor starts in the donut itself. It is made with coconut oil and coconut greek yogurt. So much coconutty goodness is baked into this little donut. I am kind of obsessed with Chobani coconut yogurt. I used it in this bread and this smoothie – it is so creamy and flavorful. It gives the donuts such a great coconut taste and helps to keep them light and moist.
The icing itself does not have any coconut flavor – it is simply powdered sugar mixed with milk or cream. I tested out an icing made with coconut milk, but coconut milk was just too thin to get a good consistency. But honestly the icing doesn’t need any coconut flavor, because the donut is piled high with toasted coconut!! And man is that stuff tasty. I love toasted coconut.
The final touch to make these donuts look like bird nests is to put a few candy eggs in the centers. M&Ms has some speckled Easter egg shaped candies, and they were the perfect size for these. And really, what would Easter morning be without some candy? I remember digging into Easter baskets as a kid and being so excited to eat candy for breakfast!
These donuts are the perfect addition to any Easter Brunch table. They are like an edible decoration!
These baked coconut donuts are decorated to look like Easter egg nests. They taste amazing, and are so cute - perfect for Easter brunch!
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil (measured as a liquid)
- 1 large egg
- 6 tablespoons coconut Greek yogurt (I used Chobani)
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2-3 tablespoons cream or milk
- 1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut
- 25 chocolate egg shaped candies
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Spray 2 donut pans with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- In a separate medium bowl, whisk together sugar, coconut oil, and egg until well combined. Add the yogurt and milk and whisk well. Whisk in the vanilla.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Stir until batter just comes together - do not over mix. Batter will be lumpy.
- Spoon the batter into the donut pans, filling each cavity about 2/3 full. Use the back of the spoon to even out the top of the batter.
- Bake for about 8 minutes. Remove from oven, let cool in pan for one minute, then turn out onto a wire rack.
- Meanwhile, toast the coconut. To do this, line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spread out the coconut evenly. Toast in the oven, watching closely. When it starts to get brown, remove from the oven and let cool. It burns quickly!
- Whisk together powdered sugar with 2 tablespoons of cream/milk. Whisk until smooth and no lumps remain. Add more milk until desired consistency is reached.
- Dip the top of the donut in the glaze. Sprinkle generously with toasted coconut. Place about 3 eggs in the center of the donut. Repeat with all donuts.
Looking for more Easter brunch ideas? Here are three amazing coffee cake recipes!
Blueberry and Jam Buttermilk Coffee Cake
Oh Cate these are just too cute for words! They look exactly like a sweet little birds nest. So Spring-y and perfect for an Easter brunch. Pinning!
TOO CUTE! I love these!
These are super cute and would be a great addition to our Easter brunch! And can I just tell you how excited I am that now I actually own a donut pan and can actually make these!!! Like, I’m part of the donut club now!
How darn cute are these?! You are bailing the donut recipes Cate! The pastel and coconut is the best!
These are so adorable! I didn’t even realize they were donuts at first, they just looked like cute little birds nests! Haha. I love that you went with coconut donuts, so perfect for this! Pinned! 🙂
I’ve been craving coconut so badly lately! I have GOT to try these out.
They look so amazingly delicious.
Oh how CUTE! I never realized how perfect a doughnut’s shape is for turning into a little nest. These are seriously adorable, and I bet they taste amazing, too 🙂 What a great recipe!
these look so cute! i just ate a coconut muffin- i can’t imagine how good a coconut doughnut would be! yum!
seriously-SO CUTE!!!! and I love coconut so these look super delish!
What a cute idea Catey! These are adorable!
I love the little birds nests! So cute 🙂
Love these- such a fun Easter recipe idea!
These are the definition of adorable!! And delicious. Somehow the cuter the food is, the better it tastes.
Oh they are so cute! You had a great idea for the next coming Ester! I love coconut flavour, I’m sure your donuts are delicious!
Cate! These are so dang CUTE! Like little birds nests. And you know I love me some coconut : )
You are so right, Cate. These donuts are too cute and couldn’t be more perfect for Easter brunch. Love ’em!!!
I LOVE these, Cate! Such a great idea to use flaked coconut … it really does make the donuts look like a nest. So classy … and I really love your photos, too! Definitely Pin-worthy!
I want to make every Easter goodie that I see on pinterest! There’s so many. These donuts are adorable! They seriously make the perfect shape for a nest…hehe. I’ve never been known to refuse a donut. 😉
Oh my goodness, these donuts are too darn cute! I am such a sucker for donuts and anything with coconut totally has my attention! You totally rocked by making these look just like birds nests too – so adorable and perfect for Easter – pinning:)
These are adorable Cate, definitely something I’d make in my kitchen!
These are too cute! The coconut looks like a nest. My MIL always makes Easter nests using cereal and coconut.
Adorable!!!
What a fun and creative idea 🙂 Easter basket donuts would be a big hit in our house.
Seriously the cutest donuts for Easter! The icing consistency looks puurrrrfect to hold to wonderful (my favorite part) coconut!
I am a big fan of coconut treats and these donuts are right up my alley. Too cute! xo