Mini Easter Pavlovas

These Mini Easter Pavlovas have a chocolate swirled pavlova base and are topped with coconut whipped cream, shredded coconut, and Cadbury Mini Eggs. They make for a fun and delicious Easter dessert, but the mini pavlova base can be made any time of year!

Were you up late watching Game of Thrones last night? I... was not. I legit think I'm the only person in the country who doesn't watch, but I feel like it's too late for me to start now.

I know, I know, I could totally binge watch it, but I'm honestly just not a good TV binge watcher (I googled it and it would take me 65 hours to watch GoT. 65 hours!!). Especially for shows that you really have to pay attention to.

The only way I can binge watch anything is if I can half watch the show and half edit photos or read blogs or do recipe research. What I really need to do is put a television in my kitchen so I can cook, bake, and cocktail and watch at the same time.

Maybe I would actually really enjoy Game of Thrones if I was watching it while making pavlovas? Also, I wonder how many mini pavlovas I could make in 65 hours?

Pavlova isn't difficult to make, but it does involve a little bit of focus... So it's probably for the best that I don't have a TV in my kitchen. Pavlova baking will win over TV watching for me every time (unless it's really bad reality TV and then I'll try my very best to do both).

I'm calling these little desserts mini Easter pavlovas, but you can certainly make them any time of year without the Cadbury Mini Eggs. Or I mean, you could always save a bag of mini eggs and make these in the middle of October.

The actual pavlovas are a simple chocolate swirl pavlova and they're topped with coconut cream whipped cream, shredded coconut, and Cadbury Mini Eggs.

What's the Difference Between Meringue and Pavlova?

Great question! It's actually funny because I brought these to my parents' house and when my mom took a bite, she said, "they're a little marshmallow-y in the center." Yes! And that, my friends is the difference between meringue and pavlova.

Pavlovas are a type of meringue, but while typical meringues are crispy throughout, pavlovas are crispy on the outside and more gooey on the inside.

Pavlovas generally have cornstarch in them (regular meringues don't) and they're cooked for a shorter time than meringue.

Both are delicious, but I think of meringue as more of a fun little treat and pavlova as more of a served dessert.

How to Get Soft Egg Whites and How to Get Stiff Egg Whites

The most important part of making pavlova is making sure your egg whites are at the right consistency.

You'll start by beating the egg whites and salt in a mixing bowl at medium speed until soft peaks form. It will probably take about 2 minutes and you can see what soft peaks look like in the upper right photo of the below collage.

While the mixer is still running, add in the sugar, 1-2 Tbsp at a time. Continue to beat until the egg whites get shiny and develop stiff peaks, like in the left image in the collage below. This will take about 6-8 minutes. Technically, you should be able to hold the mixing bowl upside down without the egg whites moving (I dare you to hold the bowl over your head!)

Once stiff peaks have formed, mix in cornstarch, white wine vinegar, and vanilla.

How to Form Mini Easter Pavlovas

Now you're ready to form your mini pavlovas. You could technically just scoop the batter onto a baking sheet, but I like to pipe it on since it's a little bit nicer looking. I use a Wilton 1A tip, but you could also use a star tip like a 1M.

Pipe batter onto parchment-lined baking sheets. For these ones, I made rounds that were about 3 inches in diameter, but you can make any size you want. Leave at least an inch between each round, but don't worry too much because the pavlovas shouldn't really spread.

Using a toothpick, swirl a little melted chocolate into the pavlova and then press gently with the back of a spoon to indent a bit. This is where your whipped cream and eggs will sit once the pavlova is baked.

Pop in the oven at 240 degrees for 60 minutes. When an hour is up, turn the oven off and crack open the oven door. Let the pavlovas sit in the oven for another hour. This will help them dry out more and prevent cracking.

Below you can see how they look just piped onto the baking sheet and right out of the oven.

How to Make Coconut Whipped Cream

When pavlova Easter desserts are finished baking, you can make the coconut whipped cream. Take a can of chilled coconut cream (you can also use coconut milk) and spoon out all of the cream, leaving any watery liquid behind in the can.

In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, whip the cream until it's nice and fluffy. Add confectioners' sugar and beat another minute.

When pavlovas are completely cooled, top them with the coconut whipped cream, a little bit of shredded coconut, and Cadbury Mini Eggs. They're like little bird's nests!

This Easter dessert is definitely for coconut lovers, but you can make a couple quick changes to it if you're not a coconut fan. Instead of using coconut whipped cream, make whipped cream with regular heavy cream (or you can even buy it!) and omit the shredded coconut.

These will still be seriously delicious.

Because this dessert is really all about those chocolate swirled mini pavlovas. To be honest, they don't need to be topped with anything at all and are fun to eat simply as a treat... But the whipped cream, coconut, and candy certainly make them more of a fun Easter dessert.

Plus, there's no chance I'd turn down the opportunity  to eat more Easter candy.

And I like that each mini pavlova has exactly three Cadbury Mini Eggs on it... Please keep the bag away from me, otherwise, I will not be able to stop eating them. I think I might vote them as most addictive candy EVER.

Instead, now I can't stop eating these chocolate swirled Easter pavlova desserts.

Can You Make These Ahead of Time?

Not only can you make these mini desserts ahead of time, but you should make them ahead of time!

I highly recommend making the pavlovas and coconut whipped cream in advance and then assembling them right before serving.

The coconut whipped cream really needs to be refrigerated, but the pavlova will soften if you put it in the fridge, so I try to avoid that by assembling right before serving. Keep the pavlova in an airtight container on your counter until you're ready.

I absolutely love that these mini Easter pavlovas are nice and crispy on the outside and marshmallow-like on the inside and I wouldn't want to do anything to lose that consistency!

More Easter Desserts

If you're looking for more fun treats to enjoy during the Easter season, I have plenty! Here are some of my favorite Easter desserts:

• Rainbow Sherbet Meringues
• Easter Candy Popcorn
• Cadbury Mini Egg Scones
• Easter Oreo Bark
• Cadbury Creme Egg Chocolate Cream Pie
• Carrot Cake Oreo Truffles
• Cadbury Creme Egg Ice Cream
• Easter Egg Cheesecake (from LittleSugarSnaps)
• Italian Easter Ricotta Cake (from Garlic & Zest)

So, yes, I'm calling these Easter pavlovas, but I highly recommend you make the mini pavlovas any time and then top them with whipped cream and the candy of your choice.

And now I'm ready to get in the kitchen and start binge making pavlovas!

What are you serving for Easter dessert?

If you want to binge make pavlova, too, check out my S'mores Pavlova or my Peppermint Pavlova with White Chocolate Whipped Cream. I also love this Blood Orange Pavlova from Kitchen Cartographer!

View Web Story for this recipe.