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Finish your Easter feast with a dramatic, delicious dessert. Our seasonal sweet treats feature the flavors of spring—lemon, rhubarb, and strawberries—in crisp, cobbler, cookie, and cake form. You'll also find a smattering of treats from storied Easter traditions, like Greek cookies and Martha's pashka. Read on and choose one or more of these easy Easter dessert ideas to wow your holiday crowd.
No-Bake Cheesecake
Cheesecake is a favorite year-round but is especially well suited to Easter. This no-bake version is one of our most popular recipes. It doesn't require any oven time or fussing with a hot-water bath, and the result is a smooth, creamy, downright irresistible dessert with the crunchy contrast of a graham-cracker crust.
Strawberry Shortcakes
We emphasized "cake" in our take on this popular strawberry dessert. We swap the usual biscuits for little cakes, using a one-bowl cupcake batter that's so easy you don't even need a mixer. The baked and cooled cupcakes are sliced horizontally and filled with macerated strawberries and whipped cream.
Lemon-Curd Phyllo Tartlets
Crispy shells hold a silky lemon curd filling. These treats are made with store-bought phyllo shells and you can make them super easy by using store-bought lemon curd in place of homemade if preferred. Mint leaves and blueberries add a fresh springtime garnish.
Martha's Pashka
An Easter buffet table is the ideal setting for a dramatic and pyramidal pashka. The traditional Russian Easter dessert looks impressive and it is simple to make—the hardest part about making it is finding the necessary space for its overnight draining and chilling. With a texture like a blancmange or uncooked cheesecake, Martha's pashka is scented with citrus and extra-rich with butter and egg yolks.
A clean, new flower pot or deep bowl can also be a great substitute if you don't have a pashka mold.
Strawberry-Rhubarb Crisp
Strawberry-rhubarb crips can be easier to make than pie and just as or more tasty. Our recipe calls for a crunchy oat topping over the fruits.
Rhubarb-Raspberry Cheesecake Squares
Make this gorgeous dessert the day before your meal. Rhubarb and raspberries are paired with lemon juice to make a mouthwatering jelly that tops the velvety cheese filling and graham cracker base.
Lemon-Rhubarb Olive-Oil Bundt Cake
The glittering curves of this Bundt cake are created by the sanding sugar coating the pan. Fruity olive oil stands in for butter, which means this confection is dairy-free. Cornflour adds a bit of crunch, while the melting texture of rhubarb brings a subtle but tart contrast to the sweet cake.
Strawberry Cobbler
Teaming up strawberries with a buttery biscuit topping is always a good idea. This easy Easter dessert recipe can be served warm or at room temperature with a drizzle of cream or a scoop of ice cream.
Orange-Cardamom Madeleines
Madeleines are quick-baking, deceptively light little cakes that are incredibly delicious. After a lavish meal, they have a featherweight finish that offers just enough sweetness. These cakes are perfumed with orange zest and paired with cardamom spice. Bake them the night before you need them.
Grand Raspberry Trifle
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The party appeal of English trifle is undeniable. This version's glory lies in its rich color and restraint. Scarlet layers of fresh raspberries mashed with raspberry jam are separated by slices of lemon syrup-brushed pound cake and lashings of cream. It's an eye-catching dessert the moment you carry it to the table.
Easter Chick Cookies
Did a cookie ever look as sweet as these chicks and eggs? The perfect symbols of the season, these lemon shortbread cookies also happen to be delicious. Make the cookies ahead, and then have the kids help decorate with sanding sugar, sprinkles, mini chocolate chips, and candy.
Daffodil Cake
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Jacob Fox
Celebrate the holiday—and the season—with this beautiful cake that pays homage to spring's favorite flower. Our daffodil cake comes together in under an hour (including baking time). The dessert is a combination of a heavenly angel food cake on the bottom and a rich citrus cake on top. Finish it with a citrus glaze and craft flowers from icing or add decorative faux blooms to create your feast's cheery grand finale.
Pavlova with Rhubarb and Pistachios
The beauty of a make-ahead meringue base is that last-minute prep time is minimal. Have your whipped cream, poached rhubarb, and pistachios waiting and this stunning dessert is ready in minutes.
Greek Butter Cookies
These scrumptious, butter-and-honey cookies are served traditionally at Easter or Christmas in Greek households. Their distinctive flavor comes from mastiha, a liqueur infused with the resin of the mastic tree. They're wonderful with a side of vanilla ice cream.
Lemon-Meringue Sheet Cake
Feed a holiday crowd with this pie-inspired cake that marries the flavors of lemon meringue with the festivity of a sheet cake. It is topped with clouds of fluffy meringue gently torched for that toasty taste—if you don't have a kitchen torch, a quick blast under the broiler will do.
Caramelized Pears
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While we're all about the fruits to come, in many parts of the United States, the new growing season is not yet underway. Apples and pears are still plentiful at grocery stores and farmers' markets. They make a warmly comforting yet light dessert after a good meal. These easy, pan-cooked pears yield a caramel and you'll want every last drop.
Lemon Cake
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Julia Hartbeck
If you prefer a basic lemon cake, this recipe is perfect. Lemon cake is perfect for an Easter brunch or any time in the spring. Decorate the top with lemons or pastel-hued Easter treats.
Edible Flower Cupcakes
Start the season with extra-special, pretty Easter cupcakes. No need to use frosting or special piping tools to decorate—these cupcakes call for beautiful, seasonal edible flowers for a special touch.
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