Mini Eggs are one of the most popular chocolates come Easter time, these Mini Egg recipes are all about making the most out of them this year...
Mini Eggs are right up there with the very best of all the very wonderful (mostly chocolate-based) things about the Easter season – proved by the fact that we spend a staggering £30 million on bags of them each year, making them a go-to Easter food we could not be without. And while these iconic Cadbury chocs, encased in those super cute pastel sugary shells, are perfectly wonderful just as they are, they're also the dream ingredient for making Easter cakes.
"Mini Eggs are great to use in baking and instantly add that Easter feel. They're perfect because the fact they're encased in a hard shell means that they don’t melt very easily," says Ruth Chubb, founder of Three Bears Cookery Club, specialising in cooking classes for children. "You can add Mini Eggs to cookies and cakes or make a chocolate nest by adding the Mini Eggs on top. Let the kids run away with their imaginations to create a fun, edible Easter scene."
Cadbury made the first incarnation of the Mini Egg in 1875. Called 'dragees', they were made with dark chocolate and filled with sugar-coated chocolate drops. The version we know and love first hit the shells in 1967. Now, of course, there are many other young pretenders on the market, from Smarties Mini Eggs to Terry's Orange Mini Eggs to Mint Aero Mini Eggs, all of which will brighten up any of your Easter bakes. Just don't eat them all before cooking...
Delicious Mini Egg recipes
Who needs hot chocolate when you can have cake in a mug?
1. Mini Egg mug cake
Makes: 1 | Skill level: Easy | Total time: 8 mins
Mug cakes are a marvelous idea for baking with kids – who are far too impatient to wait for oven times (as are we, to be fair). Made with the baking basics of flour, sugar, and eggs with cocoa powder and a few drops of vanilla essence, your mug cake will be ready in pretty much the same time it takes to make a hot chocolate, thanks to the power of the humble microwave.
This one is given an Easter twist by melting in some Mini Eggs. And don't forget to save some for the top for decoration. An excellent idea to make for a movie night during the school hols.
Get the recipe: Mini Egg mug cake
No skimping on the topping on with this awesome cake
2. Mini Egg cake
Serves: 6-8 | Skill level: Medium | Total time: 1 hr
The pleasingly vibrant colour of Mini Eggs makes them perfect for decorating – and this cake really isn't messing about, with the topping completely covered in them. You'll need at least two large bags of Mini Eggs and a tub of Nutella to smother all over the cake's exterior before sticking. Melted chocolate works too – when set, it will create a hard choc shell.
"If you are looking to impress, this is the cake to do. It's a perfect one for the kids to get involved in and great for helping little ones to develop their hand-eye coordination when putting the Mini Eggs on top," says Ruth Chubb.
Get the recipe: Mini Egg cake
Decadent, delicious and very, very pretty
3. Mini Egg brownie tart
Serves: 8 | Skill level: Easy | Total time: 50 mins
The rich tart looks divine and tastes divine. One for the grown-ups with the dark choc, it's a perfect combination of textures – thick, gooey brownie, crunchy eggs, and a perfectly crumbly pastry shell.
It's a great Easter Sunday dessert after a roast, topped with a simple scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Get the recipe: Mini Egg brownie tart
A brilliant homemade Easter gift for your nearest and dearest
4. Mini Egg bark
Makes: 6-8 | Skill level: Easy | Total time: 20 mins
Essentially slabs of chocolate, melted, swirled about with other goodies, and set. Simple but oh-so effective. This one features white chocolate (but feel free to use milk or dark, or choc flavoured with orange, mint, coffee, or even salt) mixed with pastel food colourings and crushed Mini Eggs.
Try wrapping it in cellophane tied with pastel ribbons, or decorate a box and fill it for a fab alternative gift that'll mean far more than buying an egg off the supermarket shelves.
"Super simple and great fun to make, the bark is perfect for a homemade Easter gift. You can have great fun creating all kinds of decorations and patterns with this recipe," says Ruth Chubb.
Get the recipe: Mini Egg bark
Like pastel coloured traffic lights, in brownie form
5. Mini Egg brownie bars
Makes: 6-8 | Skill level: Easy | Total time: 45 mins
A layer of brownie with buttercream, covered in melted chocolate and topped with a trio of Mini Eggs, similar to the shop-bought Mini Egg cake bars. It's the perfect indulgent treat you could whip up as an Easter gift or share among friends at an Easter get-together.
They could also be made into blondies with white chocolate if that is your sweet fancy.
Get the recipe: Mini Egg brownie bars
Chocolate for breakfast is entirely acceptable at Easter, right?
6. Mini Egg pancakes
Makes: 10 | Skill level: Easy | Total time: 20 mins
American-style pancakes are the perfect base for some more Mini Egg experimentation. Mini Eggs in the batter, drizzled in chocolate and topped with more Eggs, this is the ultimate Easter Sunday breakfast – because if you can't have chocolate for breakfast today, then when can you have chocolate for breakfast?
"The whole family will love these pancakes and it's a good way to use up leftover Easter chocolate…if you have any!" says Ruth Chubb.
Get the recipe: Mini Egg pancakes
And you thought millionaire's shortbread couldn't be bettered
7. Mini Egg millionaire's shortbread with salted caramel
Serves: 8-10 | Skill level: Medium | Total time: 40 mins
This Mini Egg millionaire's shortbread gives another dimension to a decadent sweet treat. The layer of salted caramel is perfection, expertly cutting through the added sweetness of the Mini Eggs.
Sliced, boxed up, and gifted, it'll go down very well with any grateful recipient, or just keep it all for yourself because it might just be far too tempting not to...
Get the recipe: Mini Egg millionaire's shortbread
No doubting what season it is with this offering, is there?
8. Mini Egg hot cross buns
Makes: 12 | Skill level: Medium | Total time: 45 mins
Could anything say Easter more than a Mini Egg and hot cross bun combo? Making the buns with chocolate dough and chunks of melting Mini Eggs will give them a lovely sweet edge. And that traditional cross? It's made with melted white chocolate, of course.
Try them lightly toasted with proper butter, or, if you really need more chocolate, Nutella spread is perfectly acceptable. It is Easter, after all.
Get the recipe: Mini Egg hot cross buns
How pretty are these edible Mini Egg ornaments?
9. Mini Egg flower pots
Serves: 6 | Skill level: Medium | Total time: 25 mins
These pretty flower pots are a fun thing to make with the kids. Melted chocolate, Rice Krispie Squares, a stick, a pot, and a little imagination and you've got yourself a perfect centerpiece for your Easter buffet table, or a delightful edible decoration for the mantelpiece. Either way, it won't be sticking around for too long.
"I love these, they look amazing. The kids will have a ball making them and they'll make a great edible table decoration for Easter Sunday, adding the wow factor to your table," says Ruth Chubb.
Get the recipe: Mini Egg flower pots
Stick the kettle on, we need a tea to dunk these beauties in
10. Mini Egg cookies
Makes: 8-10 | Skill level: Easy | Total time: 30 mins
This simple cookie recipe is livened up a treat with the addition of Mini Eggs and is a delight for the taste buds, as well as making a humble biscuit more visually striking.
A wonderful and highly wholesome activity for when the kids get bored over the holidays. Make a big batch to see you through and take a tin of them to your ever-so-grateful friends. Yum.
Get the recipe: Mini Egg cookies
Doughn't mind if we do
11. Mini Egg doughnuts
Makes: 12 | Skill level: Medium | Total time: 40 mins
This isn't just any doughnut, this is a Gordon Ramsay doughnut. And while we wouldn't normally dare to mess with the fearsome one's recipes, whenever did a Mini Egg not add more value to anything? Just add them chopped into the creamy filling of the doughnuts and decorate the tops too, after deep frying.
Mastering doughnuts is a good addition to your baking skill set. Almost as satisfying as eating them. Almost.
Get the recipe: Gordon Ramsay's chocolate doughnuts
Because Mini Eggs make everything better
12. Mini Egg chocolate mousse
Makes: 2 | Skill level: Medium | Total time: 20 mins
Adding a sprinkling of Mini Eggs to a classic chocolate mousse can only improve perfection. Add crushed Mini Eggs into the mixture and sprinkle more once set and you've transformed a simple dessert into an Easter treat, perfect for pudding on Easter Sunday or at any other time over the Bank Holiday weekend.
Get the recipe: Chocolate mousse
13. Mini Egg rocky road
Makes: 16 | Skill level: Easy | Total time: 20 mins
This chunky chocolate creation is the perfect setting for Mini Eggs, providing pops of pastel colour in the mix. A fridge cake that works marvelously for anyone who is challenged in the baking department, this rocky road also features marshmallows, fudge pieces, and chunks of shortbread in the mix, and is another one that makes for a smashing Easter gift.
Get the recipe: Mini Egg rocky road
Who wants a pre-packaged, mass produced Easter egg when you can have one of these homemade beauties?
14. Rocky road Easter aggs
Makes: 6-10 | Skill level: Easy | Total time: 45 mins
Reminiscent of the white chocolate jazzies we used to get in our penny mix-up from the corner shop – except better because they also have marshmallows and smashed-up Mini Eggs in them and they're bigger and egg-shaped.
Ingredient swaps could include dark chocolate and added chopped biscuits (we like amaretti biscuits of ginger nuts) plus raisins for a more adult rocky road – Mini Eggs are a non-negotiable though, of course.
Get the recipe: Rocky road Easter eggs
Because wreaths aren't just for Christmas
15. Mini Egg wreath
Makes: 6 | Skill level: Easy | Total time: 30 mins
Using a mere five ingredients, this unique wreath-shaped sweet treat is simple to make, even if it doesn't look it. Using shredded wheat cereal for texture, coated in melted white choc, the Mini Eggs serve as bauble-style decorations.
Excellent for making with the kids as a rustic centerpiece on your Easter buffet table – they'll be super proud of their efforts.
Get the recipe: Mini Egg wreath
A classic cake with a pastel coloured topping twist
16. Mini Eggs simnel cake
Makes: 8-10 | Skill level: Medium | Total time: 2 hr 10 mins
SImnel cake is Easter's answer to an iced fruitcake at Christmas time. And while the requisite topping is the iconic marzipan balls (each representing Jesus's disciples), we have messed about with tradition by adding Mini Eggs to the design too.
You can enjoy both a traditional Easter cake and popular chocolate Easter egg in one recipe - what's not to love?
Get the recipe: Mini Eggs Simnel cake
That's Easter Sunday dessert sorted, then
17. Mini Egg meringue nests
Makes: 6 | Skill level: Medium | Total time: 1 hr 40 mins
A fabulous Easter Sunday dessert idea, these meringues filled with chocolate cream (because is there anything that doesn't have chocolate in it at Easter?) are just the ticket after a roast lamb lunch or other festive feasts.
Filled with Mini Eggs, you could also crush some into the cream. Fruit – blueberries and raspberries, or how about passion fruit and/or peach? – would also be a great addition.
Get the recipe: Mini Egg meringue nests
IMPORTANT MESSAGE: Please note that Mini Eggs are choking hazards to children under the age of 4 years old according to Mini Egg packaging.
The Goodto Team would recommend watching your children closely and making children older than 4 years old aware of the risk that Mini Eggs propose in regard to choking.
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