Mini Easter Pavlova Nests

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These Mini Easter Pavlova Nests are light, airy, and perfect for spring celebrations. Each nest is filled with creamy cheese filling and topped with shaved chocolate and Mini Cadbury Eggs.

Filled mini meringue nests with cheesecake filling and Cadbury Mini eggs.

Why You'll Love This Mini Easter Pavlova Recipe

The pastel color palette and playful presentation make these individual Easter pavlova nests ideal for Easter celebrations. They're super easy to make, and with a little planning and our helpful tips, you can whip up a batch of these impressive treats in no time.

Feel free to experiment with different flavored fillings and toppings to create your own unique flavor combinations.

Light and Airy: The meringue nests are incredibly light and airy, providing a delightful textural contrast to the creamy filling.
Easy to Customize: Feel free to get creative with your fillings and toppings! Swap the whipped cream for lemon curd, fresh berries, or passion-fruit for a tropical twist.
Perfect for Spring Celebrations: The pastel colors and bird's nest design make these Easter pavlova nests perfect for baby showers, or any spring gathering.

Ingredients Overview

Be sure to use room temperature egg, as it makes separating the white from the yolks so much easier, and you get better volume to your meringue. When making the filling you'll want cold heavy cream, but room temperature, softened cream cheese.

The cream cheese not only give you a delightful 'cheesecake' taste to the filling, but also stabilizes the whipped cream so that your mini pavlova nests hold up better.

Full ingredient amounts and preparation instructions are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Room temperature eggs for making meringue.

How To Make Easter Pavlova Nests

Making individual meringues for individual pavlovas easy, involving mostly just whipping egg whites. The long, low heat baking dries the meringues out to little light weight nests that you can fill with anything from our cream cheese filling to lemon curd, chocolate pudding, etc.

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 175F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with a Silpat mat that has 12 circles on it.

Step 2: Separate the egg whites from the egg yolks taking care to not get egg yolk mixed in. Save the egg yolks for making our lemon curd.

Step 3: Add the cream of tartar to the egg whites and whisk until foamy. Then add the sugar and whip until glossy, stiff peaks form.

Step 4: Transfer the meringue to a large piping bag fitted with a large star tip (open or closed).

Step 5: Pipe the meringue onto a silicone mat following the circle guidelines so they don't touch each other. Start with the bottom, swirling from the center and then back again to create a filled center with a double swirl for the outside of the circle.

Baked individual meringue nests on Silpat.

Place the baking sheet in the preheated oven at 175F to dry for 11/2 - 2 hours. Don't open the oven door the first 30 minutes.

Check the dryness of the meringues after 90 minutes. If too soft and springy, continue drying for another 30 minutes. When crisp and hollow feeling, remove the meringues to cool on a cooling rack.

Make The Cream Cheese Filling

While the meringues are baking, whip the softened cream cheese and sugar into the cold heavy cream for a light and fluffy filling. Keep chilled in the refrigerator until ready to fill the nests.

Cream cheese and heavy whipping cream in a bowl.

Step 6: Measure the cold whipping cream, softened cream cheese, vanilla, and sugar into a mixing bowl.

Bowl of cream cheese and whipped cream filling for mini pavlova.

Step 7: Whip with a mixer until you get a fluffy, thick cream filling mixture. Be careful to not over mix.

Step 8: When ready to fill the completely cooled meringue nests, transfer the whipped cream and cream cheese topping into a piping bag fitted with a star tip. Pipe the filling into the center or each meringue nest to create a mini pavlova.

Decorating the mini meringue nests with filling.

Step 9: Decorate the nests with shaved milk chocolate, and optionally with three pastel Cadbury Mini Easter Eggs.

Serving Suggestions

These individual Easter pavlova nests are perfect on their own or alongside a Easter brunch of Green Chile Breakfast Casserole, Glazed Spiral Ham, and Oven Roasted Carrots and Parsnips. For a more decadent dessert, serve them with a drizzle of chocolate ganache.

For more decadent holiday desserts, see our Chocolate Brownie Lasagna, Red Wine Poached Pears, and Easy No-Bake Tiramisu.

Filled mini Easter Pavlova nests with cheesecake filling and Cadbury Mini eggs.

Substitutions and Variations

Here are a few delicious options when making this mini pavlova recipe.

Get fruity! Fill the nests with fresh berries, passion-fruit curd, or a dollop of lemon curd.
Chocolate lovers rejoice! Fill the nests with our Baileys Chocolate Ganache, pudding, or drizzle the nests with melted chocolate before adding toppings.
Flavorings: Add a few drops of almond or coconut extract to the whipped cream for an extra flavor boost.

Tips for Success

Here are a few tips for making these Easter pavlova nests:

Clean all utensils: Ensure your mixing bowl is completely clean and grease-free for the egg whites to whip properly.
Use room temperature egg whites: This will help them whip up more easily and create a lighter meringue.
Don't overmix the meringue: Once stiff peaks form, stop mixing to prevent the meringue from becoming deflated.
Let the meringues cool completely: This is crucial to ensure they are crisp and don't become soggy from the whipped cream.

Storage Options

Some recommended storage options for this recipe are:

Room temperature: Store in an airtight container for up to 2 days to keep the meringue crisp.
Refrigerator: If filled, keep the nests in an airtight container for up to 12 hours; note that the meringue may soften slightly.
Assembling later: Store baked meringue nests separately from the filling and toppings to maintain their crisp texture.
Freezing: Unfilled meringue nests can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 1 month; thaw at room temperature before filling.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to use cream of tartar?

Cream of tartar helps stabilize the egg whites and achieve a greater volume. However, you can still make the pavlovas without it, but the peaks might not be as stiff.

Do I have to use Cadbury Mini Eggs?

No, you can use any type of candy you like to decorate the nests. Jellybeans, chopped dried fruit, or sprinkles would all be delicious options.

How can I tell if the pavlovas are done?

The pavlovas are done when they are dry and crisp to the touch and feel light and hollow.

My meringue nests spread too thin. What went wrong?

First, make sure you whisked the egg whites and sugar until stiff peaks formed. Second, the meringue might have been piped too thinly. Try using a spoon to create thicker nests.

How far in advance can I make these mini pavlovas?

The meringue shells can be made a day in advance and stored in an airtight container at room temperature. However, assemble the nests with the filling and toppings just before serving.

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