If there is one Easter bake that never fails to make my kids squeal with delight, it has to be these puff pastry Easter nests. Golden, flakey puff pastry entwined with a layer of Nutella and twisted into swirly knots. Top with extra Nutella and a couple of mini eggs, and hey presto you’re done!
Why you’ll love these puff pastry Easter nests
- Uses store-bought puff pastry. In the name of ease, there is no need to make pastry for this one (unless you really want to that is!). Keeping it super simple by using ready-rolled puff pastry, which means you can have these beauties on the table in under 30 minutes. Bingo!
- A brilliant Easter bake for kids. Little hands absolutely love helping in the kitchen, and this cute bake makes it such fun! From cutting, twisting and rolling up the pastry to piping/spooning Nutella and nestling the mini eggs on top, every step is perfectly kid-friendly.
- Endlessly customisable. Fill your nests as the fancy takes you! I used Nutella, but you could easily also use any other spread such as hazelnut, pistachio or even jam! And swap out the mini eggs for any other small Easter eggs or something else entirely like smarties, chocolate buttons or sugared almonds.
- Totally impressive and utterly adorable. These little cuties look so complicated, but in reality they come together in minutes! Bring them out at any Easter gathering and watch them disappear in super quick time!
Ingredients for puff pastry Easter nests
- Ready-rolled puff pastry: One pack of pastry is all that is needed for this sweet little bake. Find it in the chilled baking or butter aisle in your supermarket.
- Nutella: For me, chocolate is at the heart of Easter baking, and Nutella always makes me swoon. If this isn’t your thing however, you can easily substitute for another spread such as chocolate, hazelnut or pistachio both in the pastry filling as well as the swirl on top.
- Mini eggs: The jewels of the nest! I especially love love LOVE Cadbury mini eggs for their beautiful speckled shells, but any mini-sized chocolate eggs will work just as well.
- Milk (optional): Brushed over the pastry before baking, this helps give the nests that gorgeous colour. You can absolutely do an egg wash too, but I use milk to avoid wasted eggs.
- Demerara sugar (optional): A generous sprinkling over the milk-brushed pastry before baking helps give the pastry extra crunch as well as a lovely glisten.
Equipment needed to make Easter chocolate nests
- Baking tray*: For baking the nests on. Line with parchment for easy removal of the nests after baking and clean up too.
- Digital kitchen scales: I always recommend weighing ingredients over using cups, as it gives far more accurate results and leads to a much better bake every time.
- Offset spatula*: To spread the Nutella in an even layer before encasing in the puff pastry.
- Pizza cutter*: Used to cut the pastry into strips before twisting and curling into adorable Easter nests.
How to make puff pastry Easter nests
These gorgeous Easter nests pastries come together in just a few simple steps. Simply spread the Nutella and encase in the pastry before cutting into strips and twisting/rolling into nest shapes. Bake before topping with more Nutella and some mini eggs to finish. Enjoy!
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
Step 2: Soften 150g of Nutella to make it easier to spread by warming in the microwave for a few seconds.
Step 3: Unroll the pastry sheet, leaving it on the paper it comes in. Spread the Nutella over half the pastry, going right to the three edges. Fold the uncovered pastry half over the Nutella, encasing it in pastry, then press down evenly for it to stick together.
Step 4: Using a pizza cutter or sharp knife (the pizza cutter is fun!), cut the pastry into twelve strips. Each of my strips was about 1.5cm wide.
Step 5: Holding the top and bottom edges of each strip, twist it 3-4 times to create a pattern where the Nutella pokes through. Then tuck one end in towards the rest of the strip and create a spiral and a round nest shape. Tuck the other end under the nest before placing on the prepared baking tray. Repeat with the remaining strips.
Step 6: Brush each nest lightly with some milk and sprinkle with sugar, if using. Bake for 12-14 minutes until golden, crisp and flakey. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.
Step 7: Once cool, spoon or pipe the extra Nutella over the top of each nest before finishing with a couple of mini eggs. Your puff pastry Easter nests are finished and ready to be devoured. Enjoy!
Puff pastry Easter nests FAQs
Here I’ll try to answer as many potential questions as I can. As always, if you have any questions I’ve not answered below, please do drop me a message below. I’d be glad to help!
Can I make puff pastry Easter nests ahead of time?
Yes! You can bake the pastry nests in advance and store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a day. Add the topping and mini eggs just before serving to keep everything crisp and fresh.
Can I use homemade puff pastry?
Absolutely! Homemade pastry works beautifully here and will give an incredible flavour and flaky texture. That said, a good quality ready-rolled shop-bought puff pastry is a brilliant shortcut and gives fabulous results with all the convenience added too!
What can I fill puff pastry Easter nests with?
The options are endless and delicious! I went with a dollop of Nutella topped with mini eggs but you could also try:
- a simple cinnamon sugar filling (think cinnamon roll flavours), topped with a whipped white chocolate ganache and mini eggs.
- hazelnut spread for the filling and a sprinkling of chopped hazelnuts, then topped with some melted chocolate and more nuts before adding the mini eggs.
- fill the pastry with jam then top with a cream cheese swirl for a sweet and tangy bake.
Why didn’t my puff pastry Easter nests puff up?
The most likely culprit is that the pastry was too warm before going into the oven. Make sure you work quickly with the pastry and if it has become very soft, give the shaped nests a 10-minute chill in the fridge before baking. Also check your oven temperature as puff pastry really does need a well preheated oven to get that gorgeous rise!
Tips for perfect puff pastry Easter nests
- You can absolutely use homemade puff pastry to make these cute little nests. However, I find store-bought ready-rolled pastry soooo much easier and more convenient, with excellent results. Especially if you plan to make this with kiddies, shop-bought is the stress-free way to go, in my opinion!
- Warm up the Nutella before spreading over the pastry. This will make it easier to spread in a smooth, even layer before creating the nests.
- I use milk to brush my nests, but if you prefer you can easily use a lightly beaten egg instead. The egg will give the pastry a more golden colour than milk, but is a great alternative for an egg free option.
- The sprinkling of demerara over the brushed nests will give a light glisten and offer an additional crunch to the finished bake. This is an optional extra, so don’t worry if you haven’t any at home as you can easily forego this step.
- Wait until the nests are cool before adding the extra Nutella and eggs on top. If the nests are still warm, the Nutella will melt and slide off, as will the mini eggs!
Troubleshooting
If you have any questions about these puff pastry Easter nests, please comment below and I will do my best to help. And remember: if you enjoy this recipe for puff pastry Easter nests, please leave a rating and review below. You could even post a picture on Instagram and tag me when you share it with the world. You already know I would love to see!
More Easter baking ideas you’ll love
If you loved these Easter nests, here are some more of my all time fave Easter recipes I think you’ll love too!
Mini egg cheesecakes: These cute individual mini egg cheesecakes make for excellent single serve desserts! They are so simple to make, perfect for stress free entertaining and are just too adorable to resist!
Easter egg lemon curd cookies: buttery sugar cookies sandwiched with zesty lemon curd and dusted with icing sugar. The perfect bake to do with the kids or just for spring!
Easter hot cross bun muffins: muffins are always popular, and these beauties are a delicious (and quick!) Easter treat, perfectly combining muffins with the spiced Easter favourite. Yum!
Mini egg cookie bars: These are wonderfully moist and chewy, and extra delicious with beautiful browned butter! Delicious and so simple to make, this Cadbury mini eggs recipe is sure to be a hit all round!
Thank you so much for joining me for this one, friends! I truly hope these puff pastry Easter nests bring as much joy to your Easter as they have to ours. Whether you are making them as a show-stopping Easter centrepiece, an Easter party treat, or simply because you fancy something easy and delicious to make with the kiddies, I just know you are going to absolutely love them. As always, happy baking! x
Recommended equipment I used *
| Baking tray | Digital kitchen scales |
| Offset spatula | Pizza cutter |
Adorable Puff Pastry Easter Nests
Ingredients
- 1 roll puff pastry sheet (pre-rolled)
- 300 g Nutella, divided equally
- 1-2 tbsp milk
- 1-2 tbsp demerara sugar (optional)
- 120 g mini eggs
Equipment
- 1 Baking tray
- 1 Weighing scales
- 1 Offset spatula
- 1 Pizza Cutter
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
- Soften 150g of Nutella to make it easier to spread by warming in the microwave for a few seconds.300 g Nutella, divided equally
- Unroll the pastry sheet, leaving it on the paper it comes in. Spread the Nutella over half the pastry, going right to the three edges. Fold the uncovered pastry half over the Nutella, encasing it in pastry, then press down evenly for it to stick together.1 roll puff pastry sheet (pre-rolled)
- Using a pizza cutter or sharp knife (the pizza cutter is fun!), cut the pastry into twelve strips. Each of my strips was about 1.5cm wide.
- Holding the top and bottom edges of each strip, twist it 3-4 times to create a pattern where the Nutella pokes through. Then tuck one end in towards the rest of the strip and create a spiral and a round nest shape. Tuck the other end under the nest before placing on the prepared baking tray. Repeat with the remaining strips.
- Brush each nest lightly with some milk and sprinkle with sugar, if using. Bake for 12-14 minutes until golden, crisp and flakey. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.1-2 tbsp milk, 1-2 tbsp demerara sugar (optional)
- Once cool, spoon or pipe the extra Nutella over the top of each nest before finishing with a couple of mini eggs. Your puff pastry Easter nests are finished and ready to be devoured. Enjoy!300 g Nutella, divided equally, 120 g mini eggs
Video
Notes
-
You can absolutely use homemade puff pastry to make these cute little nests. However, I find store-bought ready-rolled pastry soooo much easier and more convenient, with excellent results. Especially if you plan to make this with kiddies, shop-bought is the stress-free way to go, in my opinion!
-
Warm up the Nutella before spreading over the pastry. This will make it easier to spread in a smooth, even layer before creating the nests.
-
I use milk to brush my nests, but if you prefer you can easily use a lightly beaten egg instead. The egg will give the pastry a more golden colour than milk, but is a great alternative for an egg free option.
-
The sprinkling of demerara over the brushed nests will give a light glisten and offer an additional crunch to the finished bake. This is an optional extra, so don’t worry if you haven’t any at home as you can easily forego this step.
-
Wait until the nests are cool before adding the extra Nutella and eggs on top. If the nests are still warm, the Nutella will melt and slide off, as will the mini eggs!