27 Easter Desserts for a Bright, Beautiful Spring Table Celebrate Easter Sunday with citrus, edible flowers, and centerpiece worthy seasonal desserts. By Jodie Kautzmann Jodie Kautzmann Jodie Kautzmann is an editor, baker, and confectioner with more than 15 years of experience in content creation, recipe development, and pastry production. She's obsessed with the fine details and ingredients that take dishes from tasty to outright otherworldly. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Published on March 30, 2026 Add Us On SAVE ALL RECIPES NEW! Save as a collection on MyRecipes Close Credit: Morgan Hunt Glaze / Prop Styling by Christina Daley / Food Styling by Julian Hensarling Save those chocolate bunnies, marshmallow chicks, and jelly beans for another day — you’ll want to leave room for one (or more!) of these impressive Easter desserts after the holiday feast. Our favorite recipes range from roasted carrot pots de crème to caramelized rhubarb upside-down cake and decadent white chocolate bread pudding. If you haven’t finalized your Easter menu yet, you’ll find plenty of inspiration here. Looking for something easy? Try a make-ahead icebox cake or strawberry-topped honey-ricotta mousse. Want to keep things bright and fresh? Citrus desserts are especially welcome after a big meal. You can even make an adorable Easter bunny cake! These Easter-ready sweets are perfect for your holiday table. Keep all of your recipes at your fingertips. With the MyRecipes app you can easily save and organize your favorites from anywhere, including Instagram and TikTok, in one convenient place. Get the free app. 01 of 27 Spiced Carrot Cake with Brown Butter Frosting Christopher Testani / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Kathleen Cook Varner Cookbook author Hetal Vasavada brings a new addition of cardamom into the traditional mix of warming spices in this tender, moist carrot cake, while sweet golden raisins and crunchy pistachios add layers of texture and flavor. Brown butter ghee is incorporated into both the cake and its frosting, lending a deep, nutty richness throughout. Get the Recipe Save 02 of 27 Green Tea Banoffee Pie Greg DuPree / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen Since bananas are reliably tasty year-round, this hojicha-tinged take on the classic British dessert is an ideal treat to make while awaiting the arrival of spring fruit. Get the Recipe Save 03 of 27 Fraisier Cake Morgan Hunt Glaze / Prop Styling by Christina Daley / Food Styling by Julian Hensarling Show off early spring strawberries with this classic French cake. Our version is composed of two pillowy, amaretto-brushed genoise sponge layers, vanilla-flecked mousseline cream, and fresh ruby-red berries. Get the Recipe Save 04 of 27 Coconut, Banana, and Pandan Pudding Greg DuPree / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Christina Daley This layered dessert from chef Anna Nguyen is a playful mashup of American banana pudding and chè chuối, a coconut-flavored Vietnamese tapioca treat. Pandan extract imparts a vanilla-like flavor and vibrant green hue. Get the Recipe Save 05 of 27 Chantilly Cream Cake Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall / Prop Styling by Julia Bayless Light, tender, and not too sweet, chantilly cake is an elegant way to punctuate your Easter meal. Our version is filled with berry-tinged whipped cream; the chantilly frosting is made extra creamy with the addition of mascarpone cheese. Get the Recipe Save 06 of 27 Orange Blossom Almond Cake with Ricotta Whipped Cream Food & Wine / Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Julian Hensarling / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen A combination of almond paste, butter, and extra-virgin olive oil gives this Mediterranean-inspired cake its dense, moist texture, while orange blossom water infuses it with a citrusy fragrance. Dollops of pillowy, ricotta-enriched whipped cream bring balance to each slice. Get the Recipe Save 07 of 27 Rhubarb Upside-Down Cake with Orange Zest Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall / Prop Styling by Christina Daley Tart rhubarb caramelizes in a mix of butter and brown sugar to create a tender, balanced, pretty pink topping for this exceptionally moist spring cake. We like it with softly whipped cream or scoops of vanilla ice cream. Get the Recipe Save 08 of 27 White Chocolate Bread Pudding Food & Wine / Photo by Morgan Hunt Glaze / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Josh Hoggle This indulgent bread pudding from New Orleans’ now-closed Palace Café calls for nearly a pound and a half of high-quality white chocolate, divided between the custardy base and its rich accompanying sauce. Get the Recipe Save 09 of 27 Moscato Pound Cake with Grape Glaze Jessica Pettway / Food Styling by Micah Morton / Prop Styling by Paola Andrea Moscato lends this cake a subtle sweetness while creating a lighter, more delicate crumb than a traditional pound cake. A glaze made with freeze-dried grapes adds a vivid pop of color. Get the Recipe Save 10 of 27 Black and White Cookie Icebox Cake Food & Wine / Photo by Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Christina Daley Strategically cut and layer black and white cookies with your favorite ice cream flavors — we like the classic trio of vanilla, strawberry, and chocolate — into a loaf pan and top with lightly sweetened whipped cream for an easy no-bake dessert sure to garner lots of oohs and ahhs. Get the Recipe Save 11 of 27 Salted Caramel Tart Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Julia Bayless Rich, buttery, and easy to love, this simple tart starts with a blind-baked crust that comes together entirely in the food processor. Pour in the amber caramel, cover with dark chocolate ganache, then sprinkle flaky sea salt over the top for tiny bits of contrasting crunch. Get the Recipe Save 12 of 27 Strawberry Ekmek Kataifi Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall / Prop Styling by Lydia Pursell Traditional ekmek kataifi layers syrup-soaked phyllo with custard. Here, 2021 F&W Best New Chef Paola Velez swaps the custard for luscious strawberry pudding and a dollop of honey-flavored whipped cream, still capturing the crispy-creamy balance of the original. Get the Recipe Save 13 of 27 Dubai Chocolate Tiramisu Food & Wine / Photography by Jen Causey / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Josh Hoggle This trend-inspired take on tiramisu layers espresso-soaked ladyfingers, creamy mascarpone, and a pistachio-kataifi mixture that adds nutty flavor and delicate crunch. Finish with cocoa powder and chopped pistachios. Get the Recipe Save 14 of 27 Yuzu and Lemon Cake with Buttercream Frosting Hugh Davison Los Angeles chef Kat Turner frosts her dense, yuzu-infused cake with fluffy condensed milk buttercream, then garnishes it with sticky candied kumquat slices and crunchy bee pollen. Get the Recipe Save 15 of 27 Roasted Carrot Pot de Crème Food & Wine / Photo by Kelsey Hansen For these silky carrot cake–inspired custards, you'll stir pureed roasted carrots and baking spices into the eggy cream mixture, adding an earthy sweetness and lovely orange hue. Get the Recipe Save 16 of 27 Maria Cookie Icebox Cake Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall / Prop Styling by Lydia Pursell For an easy, no-bake Easter dessert that still feels celebratory, turn to this eye-catching treat built on layers of toasty Maria cookies, softly spiced whipped cream, and store-bought dulce de leche. Decorate it with strawberries and edible flowers for an extra special touch. Get the Recipe Save 17 of 27 Limoncello-Ricotta Cheesecake Fred Hardy II / Food Styling by Ruth Blackburn / Prop Styling by Christina Brockman This light ricotta cheesecake gets lots of lemony flavor from both fresh lemon juice and limoncello, a sweet and potent Italian liqueur made from steeping lemon peels in grain alcohol or vodka. A spiced cookie crust and garnish of basil balance the lemon beautifully. Get the Recipe Save 18 of 27 Paradise Freeze Food & Wine / Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Christina Daley Chef David Chang’s vibrant shaved-ice float layers mango, strawberry, and coconut syrups over fluffy ice and vanilla ice cream with jewel-toned fruit for a nostalgic, customizable treat that’s refreshing, playful, and tropical. Get the Recipe Save 19 of 27 Chocolate-Amaretto Pudding Cake Alex Lau / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Jillian Knox This pudding cake bakes into two layers: a soft chocolate cake on top and a luscious, saucy base beneath. Amaretto and coffee deepen the chocolate, adding complexity and intensity. Get the Recipe Save 20 of 27 Old-Fashioned Strawberry-Rhubarb Crisp Diana Chistruga Here, the sweet-tart fruit filling turns tender in the oven, while above sits a buttery oat topping scented with warm cinnamon. Finish this dish with a scoop of cold vanilla ice cream that melts into the crunchy oats and vivid juice of the fruit. Get the Recipe Save 21 of 27 Coconut Custard Pie Food & Wine / Photo by Sara Haas For a holiday dessert with old-fashioned charm, reach for this recipe from chef Andrew Zimmern. The flaky, from-scratch crust is made with a mix of butter and shortening for an easy-handling dough that bakes up tender and crisp. Once you've blind-baked it, simply whisk together the filling, pour it into the shell, and give it another round in the oven. Get the Recipe Save 22 of 27 Melted Ice Cream Cake Food & Wine / Photo by Robby Lozano / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Christina Daley Light, airy, and perfectly moist, this one-bowl cake from Pooja Bavishi, owner of artisanal ice cream shop Malai in Brooklyn, is made with an entire pint of melted ice cream. The recipe calls for vanilla, but feel free to use whatever flavor you like best. Get the Recipe Save 23 of 27 Julia Child’s Chocolate Mousse Cake Matt Taylor-Gross / Food Styling by Barrett Washburne Somewhere between a flourless chocolate cake and a cheesecake sits this intensely chocolaty mousse cake. A whopping pound of chocolate is bolstered by coffee and dark Jamaican rum, then folded into whipped eggs along with vanilla-scented whipped cream, and baked in a water bath. Get the Recipe Save 24 of 27 Grand Marnier Soufflé Greg DuPree In the inaugural issue of Food & Wine, legendary chef Jacques Pépin shared his recipe for the perfect soufflé. This ethereal recipe is as good today as it was in 1978, showing that some dishes are simply timeless. Food & Wine named this recipe one of our 40 best in 2018. Get the Recipe Save 25 of 27 Honey-Ricotta Mousse with Strawberries Christopher Testani / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Kathleen Cook Varner Make creamy mousse in just 15 minutes from whipped ricotta, heavy cream, and vanilla; chill for an hour or more; then finish with sliced strawberries, a sprinkle of toasted almonds, and a drizzle of honey. Get the Recipe Save 26 of 27 Lemon Meringue Pie with Marcona Shortbread Crust Jennifer Causey It's easy to save a little room for a bright, tangy slice of this lemon pie from F&W's Ann Taylor Pittman. A shortbread crust studded with salty, crunchy bits of toasted marcona almonds holds an assertively lemony filling, all topped with a creamy, dense Italian meringue. Get the Recipe Save 27 of 27 Rainbow Panna Cotta Greg DuPree / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Christine Keely 2019 F&W Best New Chef Kwame Onwuachi tops his almond panna cotta with a thin layer of raspberry-apricot jam, grated chocolate, and candied dukka-spiced almonds. The layers of pastel colors are perfect for Easter. Get the Recipe Save Explore more: Food Holidays & Occasions Easter Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit