60 Unbelievably Delicious Desserts to Celebrate Easter

updated Mar 20, 2024
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Credit: Joe Lingeman

If you’re starting to plan your Easter menu, we’ve got you covered with easy and classic Easter dinner recipes to get you started. If you’ve already got dinner (or brunch) worked out, then you just need a dessert or two for the Easter table — they’ll add to the decor just as much as dyed Easter eggs will.

Easter desserts are some of the best. Seasonally, you get to combine the last citrus fruits of winter and the first fresh berries of spring. Plus the kitchen itself is often cool enough to bake a cake, some shortcakes, or angel food cake with dollops of whipped cream without causing everyone to burst into sweat. Traditional Easter desserts — think carrot cake and hot cross buns — are always welcome at the table.

Whether you’re hosting Easter brunch or just looking for something to bring to an Easter dinner potluck, here are 60 recipes to choose from — all of them delicious.

Classic Easter Desserts

Light and fluffy angel food cakes and the first berries of spring should make an appearance at your Easter table alongside classics like Hummingbird cake and coconut cake.

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Classic Easter Cake with Coconut and Jelly Beans

This cake is nothing short of pure American ingenuity, in our minds — a sweet and sticky confection of angel food cake, marshmallow icing, and all the jelly beans you can handle.

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2 / 10
Easter Egg Blondies

These one-bowl Easter egg blondies are studded with a generous layer of creamy milk chocolate Cadbury Mini Eggs; have a chewy, fudgy texture, and have a rich butterscotch flavor.

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3 / 10
Coconut Cake

Whether you’re a coconut cake lover from way back or are new to the joys of coconut cake, this is the best and easiest recipe around.

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4 / 10
Easy Strawberry Shortcake

Homemade strawberry shortcakes are the very best way to showcase the freshly picked, super-juicy spring berries. This simple recipe is quick to whip together and lets the naturally sweet strawberries shine.

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5 / 10
Easter Lamb Cake

This delicious vanilla sponge cake is covered in buttercream and nestled on an altar of green shredded coconut.

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Angel Food Cake

A classic recipe for light and fluffy angel food cake, complete with step-by-step instructions for foolproof results every time. Serve with a dollop of fresh whipped cream.

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7 / 10
Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

A classic cake for good reason, this rich, buttery cake topped with fragrant, caramelized pineapple and amber cherries is pantry-friendly and easy to make.

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8 / 10
Banana Pudding

The ultimate no-bake, make-ahead Easter dessert!

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9 / 10
Pavlova

The hallmark of this beloved New Zealand and Australian dessert is that amazing, plate-sized layer of meringue. It’s crispy on the outside, but soft as marshmallows on the inside.

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10 / 10
Classic Hummingbird Cake

This Southern classic doesn't even require a mixer! It does, however, require perfect cream cheese frosting.

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Easter Lemon Desserts

Lemon meringue pie is a favorite spring dessert because it brings together winter citrus and spring eggs in a symphony of flavors, but just about any lemon dessert will delight.

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Lemon Bars

You’ll definitely be team lemon bar once you taste this classic lemon dessert.

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Easy Lemon Bundt Cake with Fresh Lemon Glaze

Not only is it fast, fancy, and packed with sweet citrus tang, but this is the easiest, most foolproof lemon bundt cake you'll ever make.

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Lemon-Coconut Cake

Luscious bright lemon and creamy coconut are perfectly paired in this decadent layer coconut cake.

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Impossibly Creamy Lemon Mousse

This easy, no-bake dessert comes together in just 20 minutes.

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Lemon Cupcakes

Say hello to spring with these lemony cupcakes that taste like pure sunshine. The tender moist-crumbed lemon cupcakes are topped with a buttercream frosting and for extra dazzle, you can sprinkle on yellow or gold sparkling sugar.

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Triple Lemon Cake

This triple lemon cake has a delicate crumb and is bursting with bright lemon flavor.

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Lemon Cloud Cookies

Sugar-dusted, soft lemon cookies that are as light as clouds are the perfect lemon dessert for Easter.

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Classic Lemon Tart

A showstopping lemon tart with a buttery crust and a sunny lemon curd filling.

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No-Bake Lemon Icebox Pie

No-bake lemon icebox pie has a creamy bite from cream cheese, sweetened condensed milk, and lemon juice and zest — topped with Cool Whip or whipped cream.

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10 / 10
Lemon Blueberry Pound Cake

A buttery-rich pound cake with fresh lemons to add a citrusy flavor to the batter and fresh (or frozen) blueberries to embellish every slice.

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Easter Carrot Desserts

Carrot cake isn’t the only way to serve this sweet spring vegetable, but it’s a very good option.

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Carrot Cake

Incredibly moist, extra flavorful, and easy to make, there’s so much to love about this carrot cake for your Easter dessert.

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Easy Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

One-bowl carrot carrot cake cupcakes are the tastiest way to incorporate a dose of veggies into a sweet treat. These cupcakes are as easy as can be, requiring just one bowl and a whisk to make the batter. with an easy cream cheese frosting.

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Carrot Quick Bread

Swap carrots for zucchini in this easy quick bread with a tangy yogurt glaze.

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Easy Carrot Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting

This simple carrot cake with its tender cinnamon-scented crumb and thick layer of cream cheese frosting is the perfect end to your Easter meal this year.

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Big Mary's Carrot Cake

This moist, tender carrot cake gets its texture and flavor not from carrots but from jars of carrot baby food. No carrot-grating required!

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Vegan Carrot Cake

You won't miss the dairy products in this spice-packed and fully plant-based cake.

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Italian Carrot Cake (Torta di Carote)

The couple behind the Tuscan Gun share their family recipe for a just-sweet-enough carrot cake that's free of whole nuts, spices, and raisins. Served with the mascarpone cream, it is a lovely dinner party dessert, but it also works well with your morning espresso or afternoon coffee.

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9 / 10
Carrot Cake Cookies

These carrot cake cookies are for the carrot cake lovers out there. Each soft, chewy bite is packed with warm spices, tender shreds of carrots, and notes of brown sugar — it’s just like a really good slice of carrot cake in cookie form.

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10 / 10
Carrot Cake Muffins

Turn your favorite Easter party cake into a morning muffin you can eat all throughout spring.

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Easter Cheesecakes

Cheesecake is beloved for its creamy texture and stunning presentation but it is best made in advance — perfect for a busy host.

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Perfect Cheesecake

This foolproof dessert recipe is perfect for beginners. It results in a rich, tangy, perfectly smooth cheesecake every single time.

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Lemon Meringue Cheesecake

If you’re searching for a unique, showstopping Easter dessert that will delight everyone in your household, look no further than this lemon meringue cheesecake.

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Raspberry Cheesecake

With a simple 3-ingredient topping, this dreamy raspberry cheesecake is the perfect balance of sweet and tart.

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Triple Chocolate Cheesecake

This decadent chocolate cheesecake is a showstopper and surprisingly straightforward.

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Lemon Cheesecake

For a zesty, hearty Easter dessert, look to lemon cheesecake.

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No-Bake Tiramisu Cheesecake

These showstopping cheesecake, inspired by Italian tiramisu, is creamy, rich, and easy to make.

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Strawberry Cheesecake

This classic springtime dessert is sure to win over hearts at the dessert table.

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Buckeye Cheesecake Bars

Bake up a batch of these triple-layer bars with an Oreo cookie crust, layer of peanut butter cheesecake, and a chocolate ganache topping.

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Easy Mini Cheesecakes

These mini cheesecakes are ridiculously creamy, and feature that buttery graham cracker crust everyone agrees on. They’re equal parts celebratory and homey, which is really the best kind of dessert.

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10 / 10
Copycat Costco Lemon Meringue Cheesecake

With a toasty graham cracker crust, rich cheesecake filling, lemon custard, and an airy meringue crown, this stunner rivals the viral dessert from Costco.

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Easter Chocolate Desserts

Chocolate is a little less obvious choice for the Easter table but just as festive.

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Triple Chocolate Mousse Cake

A bowl of chocolate mousse is a decadent treat, but a double-layered chocolate mousse cake with a cookie crust is next level.

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Ding Dong Cake

Inspired by the classic snack, this decadent chocolate cake is filled with a fluffy marshmallow-esque frosting and covered in fudgy ganache.

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3 / 10
Chocolate Angel Food Dream Cake

This vintage chocolate angel food cake is light, airy, and filled and frosted with whipped cream.

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4 / 10
Chocolate Delight

Packed with four dreamy layers of chocolate pudding, creamy cheese, fluffy whipped cream, and shaved chocolate, this no-bake dessert is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser.

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Chocolate Cake

Make a rich chocolate cake with layers of fluffy chocolate buttercream frosting.

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No-Bake Chocolate Cream Pie

A silky-smooth chocolate cream pie made with an Oreo crust and topped with whipped cream and chocolate shavings.

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Fancy No-Bake Chocolate Caramel Tart

It couldn't be easier to make this chocolate ganache caramel tart that looks as fancy as anything you would find at a restaurant, thanks to two very clever shortcuts.

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Mississippi Mud Pie

Chocolate lovers, listen up! You’ll want to dive deep into the layers of Oreo cookie crust, chocolate pudding, chewy fudge brownie, and whipped cream.

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Chocolate Bread Pudding

Dust this chocolate bread pudding with powdered sugar or top with scoops of vanilla ice cream if you like — you won’t regret it.

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Chocolate Trifle

This tiered dessert is equal parts elegant and easy, thanks to store-bought pudding, whipped cream, cake, and crushed cookies.

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Easter Breads

Sweet breads are traditional in many cultures. They are used to celebrate the arrival of spring and they do double duty as centerpieces to your Easter table.

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Hot Cross Buns

Spiced breakfast rolls flavored with orange, spices, and plump dried fruit are finished with a piped pastry or icing cross.

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Italian Sweet Easter Egg Breads

This bread takes its cue from the flavors and traditions most often found in Sicily — namely the anise and orange — and delivers a rich and tender texture that might remind you of challah bread.

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Greek Tsoureki (Easter Bread)

Greek Tsoureki, a sweet, egg-rich bread usually prepared around Easter, is a showy, sweet loaf that is just as delicious as it is beautiful.

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Paska Bread

This traditional Easter bread is tender and subtly sweet with a texture and flavor similar to brioche or challah bread.

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Easter Bread with Raisins and Sugar Cubes (Aachener Poschweck)

This gorgeously burnished sweet bread has been an Easter tradition in Aachen, Germany’s westernmost city, since medieval times. Serve it at your Easter Sunday breakfast table, sliced thickly, along with homemade jams and sweet butter.

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Shoreek (Egyptian Sugared Brioche Rolls)

These fluffy, buttery rolls dotted with crunchy sugar are perfect for Orthodox Easter or a celebration of everyday, with a cup of coffee or tea. While they are perfect as-is, a sprinkle of cinnamon or a drizzle of honey butter over the top is sublime.

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7 / 10
Polish Easter Babka

Easter Baba, or babka, babka wielkanocna, has graced the table for Easter for centuries. Feel free to add finely diced candied orange before baking.

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Lemon Poppy Seed Sweet Rolls

These fluffy sweet lemon rolls boast lemon poppyseed flavor three ways: in the dough, in the filling, and in the tangy cream cheese glaze.

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Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls

A step-by-step recipe for making cinnamon rolls with sourdough starter.

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Sticky Lemon Rolls with Lemon Cream Cheese Glaze

These buttery, flaky breakfast buns with the sweet, tangy, taste of lemon are perfect for Easter brunch.

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