31 Easter Desserts, Each One Better Than a Chocolate Egg
Spring flowers, bunny motifs, the season’s first berries—Easter gives us the perfect excuse to feast. Whether your table gathers for an unhurried brunch or a formal dinner, Easter desserts are the crown jewel of the holiday meal. And no, we’re not talking about chocolate bunnies, Peeps, or mini eggs from a kid’s basket—though those are welcome too. We mean shortcakes gilded with cream and fresh berries, tart lemon meringue pie, a tower of chocolate and praline, and stunning layer cakes fit for a celebration.
We’ve gathered 31 of our favorite Easter dessert recipes, including true project bakes like a marzipan-cloaked Princess cake and more laid-back options like hot cross muffins and coconut macaroons. Not every dessert needs to wait until after the big meal: Ease into the day with fresh-baked honey buns or rhubarb crisp (a dollop of yogurt makes it breakfast). However you celebrate, these Easter desserts are the sweetest way to end your holiday meal.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Sean Dooley1/31Carrot Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting
This easy cake recipe is just about as classic as it gets, with thick layers of carrot cake swathed in cream cheese frosting. It’s one of our all-time favorite Easter desserts.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Olivia Mack Anderson2/31Poppy Seed and Pecan Strudel
It’s not a Ukrainian Easter celebration without makoviy rulet, a poppy-seed-and-nut roll. Cookbook author Olia Hercules simplifies the process using store-bought phyllo instead of the traditional yeast dough.
Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich3/31Lemon Chiffon Cake
If ever there was a cake to be called ethereal, it’s this one. With the tenderest sponge and the brightest flavor, it’s an Easter crowd-pleaser that tastes just as good days beyond the festivities.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne4/31Coconut Macaroons
This easy cookie recipe strips macaroons down to the basics: Sweetened shredded coconut, an egg white, a small amount of sugar, a pinch of kosher salt, and a few flavorings.
7/31Chocolate “Creme Egg” Tart
Is it really an Easter celebration without a Cadbury egg–inspired dessert? Skip the mini eggs and go for this crowd-pleasing tart, which encapsulates the flavor of the beloved Easter candy.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Nathaniel James, Food Styling by Simon Andrews8/31Chocolate Mousse
Make this classic Gourmet dessert up to 24 hours in advance and top it with whipped cream when ready to serve.
Photo by Travis Rainey, Prop styling by Gerri Williams, Food styling by Lillian Chou9/31Fudgy Chocolate Bundt Cake
Photo by Andrew Purcell, Prop Styling by Paige Hicks, Food Styling by Carrie Purcell11/31Easter Egg Cake With Strawberry Frosting
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Drew Aichele12/31Rhubarb Crisp
For an easy Easter dessert, cover fresh rhubarb pieces with a pecan-studded brown sugar crumble, then bake until nicely browned and bubbly. Adorn each serving with whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Prop Styling by Sean Dooley, Food Styling by Kendra Vaculin13/31Sheet-Pan Berry Shortcake
Strawberry shortcake is a spring favorite for good reason. But a slab shortcake topped with billows of whipped cream and a multitude of berries? That’s holiday-worthy.
Photo by Travis Rainey, Prop styling by Linden Elstran, Food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich14/31Lemon Icebox Pie
For a refreshing palate cleanser after Easter dinner, we like this cool and creamy pie from the Epicurious archives. Make it up to a week ahead and keep it in the freezer until it’s time to serve.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Stevie Stewart15/31Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake
A homemade raspberry sauce swirled through the batter, and a splash of orange liqueur gives this cheesecake variation a decidedly springy vibe.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Pearl Jones, Prop Styling by Beth Pakradooni17/31Tiramisu-y Icebox Cake
For a light and refreshing dessert idea, try this frosty spin on tiramisu. It strikes a perfect balance of sweet, boozy, and creamy.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by M. Pearl Jones18/31Grated Shortbread Bars With Rose Jam
A swipe of floral jam turns shortbread into a stunning spring dessert. For the tenderest shortbread, freeze, then grate your dough directly into the baking dish.
Photo by Janis Nicolay19/31Hot Cross Muffins
Sure, you could make hot cross buns, but you could also make this muffin alternative that’s easier, faster, and—dare we say it—tastes better too.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne20/31Chewy Flourless Pistachio Cookies
These crispy, chewy (and naturally gluten-free) Easter cookies get their vibrant color from ground pistachios. Raw ones will make them extra green, while toasted ones will lend a tanner hue.
Photograph by Emma Fishman, food styling by Susie Theodorou, prop styling by Aneta Florczyk21/31Ginger-Raspberry Icebox Cake With Caramel Cream
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne23/31Honey Buns
The nostalgic snack cake gets the ultimate glow-up with a plush, tangzhong-style dough, swirls of cinnamon-honey filling, and an optional sprinkle of bee pollen to finish.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Lillian Chou24/31Tahini Chiffon Cake With Burnt Honey Cream and Poached Rhubarb
This 6-inch cake is ideal for a small celebration. The poached rhubarb and honeyed cream are deliriously good accompaniments to earthy sesame, but plain whipped cream and macerated strawberries would also be excellent partners for this Easter dessert.
Photo by Andrew Purcell, Prop Styling by Paige Hicks, Food Styling by Carrie Purcell26/31Lemon Curd Tart With Olive Oil
Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne, Prop Styling by Maggie DiMarco27/31Almond-Apricot Crostata
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne28/31Marjolaine
Reminiscent of a candy bar, this cake, made with nutty meringue, rich chocolate ganache, and vanilla and hazelnut buttercreams, is perfect for special occasions.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton29/31Tre Latte Olive Oil Cake
This Italian-influenced take on tres leches cake uses a lemony, light-as-air chiffon base to soak up a combination of sweet milk and olive oil. Baked in a 9x13-inch pan, it’s an excellent Easter dessert to feed a crowd.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Samantha Seneviratne & Jason Schreiber30/31Pastel Butter Cookies
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Astrid Chastka, Food Styling by Olivia Mack Anderson31/31Carrot-Coconut Cake
