When it comes to Easter desserts, there are tons of delicious options out there. This list includes a good variety so you can pick your own favorite to make for the holiday. That being said, carrots are their own food group in our house, so anything carrot cake related is a must for my family!
One thing I love about baking treats for holidays is that it can make them feel more exciting and memorable, especially for kids. Some of the best memories we have as a family are when we bake together. We put on music, tell jokes, and make sweet treats that we all get to enjoy. My girls love flipping through cookbooks or browsing my food blog posts for inspiration.
Remember, baking doesn’t have to be complicated. My girls get just as excited to make Rice Krispies treats as they do making elaborate cakes. If it feels a little too extra right now, be sure to check out my Easter baking tips for ideas on how to make it feel easier. All of the Easter dessert ideas I’m sharing are simple, too.
Easter Baking Tips
Don’t have a lot of time? Not sure what to bake for Easter? These tips for Easter recipes will make it easier for you to whip up something delicious for your celebration — and make sure nothing goes to waste!
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Buy a box mix, icing, and frosting if you don’t have time to bake a cake or cupcakes from scratch.
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Use pastel colors — whether it’s food dye, frosting, or sprinkles — to turn simple recipes into Easter treats.
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Add Easter candies — like mini chocolate eggs or jellybeans — to cookies.
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Focus on spring flavors that are fresh and light, like lemon, lime, strawberry rhubarb, or coconut.
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Look for no-bake recipes when you want easy Easter dessert ideas that still taste homemade.
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Stick to the classics (like carrot cake or carrot cupcakes) when you’re not sure what to bring for Easter dessert.
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Have kids help — whether it’s choosing what to bake, mixing ingredients, or decorating desserts.
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Prep your kitchen so you have a clean, clear space and all of your ingredients are out and ready to use.
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Plan it out and see if there’s anything you can make a day or two in advance of your Easter celebration.
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Make leftovers last longer by storing them in the fridge or freezer — just be sure to check the recipe notes. You can also gift extra cookies and cupcakes to neighbors or coworkers.
If your kids love to help out in the kitchen, make sure to check out my post on baking with kids for more tips.
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Easter Dessert Ideas
Since the date for Easter shifts every year, having a list of Easter treat ideas that are easy to make can come in very handy. These are all of my family’s favorites that we have made time and time again. And all of them are simple enough for kids to help out with, too.
Bird’s Nest Cookies
Want a yummy treat you can make in less than 10 minutes? These no-bake Easter desserts are super simple (and fun!) to prepare. The end result is a cute little bird’s nest with eggs — perfect for the holiday.
Carrot Cake
The most popular Easter dessert! This carrot cake is light, moist, and perfectly spiced. Plus the cake and cream cheese frosting are both easy to make. I also love that this recipe doesn’t include raisins (though you can add them if you like).
Carrot Cupcakes
Sometimes you just want to make cupcakes for your Easter desserts instead of a whole cake. Cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger add lots of warmth and flavor to these carrot cupcakes. And the applesauce makes them extra moist!
Carrot Cake Cookies
Carrot cake in cookie form? Yes please! Soft, fluffy, and chewy — this recipe combines all the best parts of a cookie, cake, and muffin. Leave them plain or add cream cheese frosting for a rich and tangy flavor.
Lemon Cake
The bright, light, and tangy flavors of this cake make it a perfect dessert for spring and summer. I love that this recipe includes a made-from-scratch version as well as a cake mix version so you can choose how much time you want to spend on it.
Lemon Olive Oil Bundt Cake
Bundt cakes make great Easter desserts. Even though their design is simple, they always look beautiful on Easter tables. Plus they’re easy to bake. The lemon-infused olive oil gives this cake a wonderful citrus flavor, and the white chocolate ganache adds a sweet, creamy topping.
Lemon Biscotti
Light, lemony flavor, crispy texture, and a simple, sweet glaze… This biscotti recipe is perfect for an Easter brunch! While these cookies look fancy, they’re surprisingly easy to make.
Easter Sugar Cookies
Sugar cookies are a must for any holiday. Crisp on the outside and soft on the inside, these Easter cookies are easy to make and fun to decorate. I also like that this recipe includes lots of helpful baking and decorating tips.
Peanut Butter Eggs
Why buy Easter egg candies when you can make your own? Similar to Reese’s peanut butter eggs, this is a simple no-bake dessert for Easter that’s rich, smooth, and creamy. The flaky sea salt on top offsets some of the sweetness and adds an elegant touch to these homemade treats.
Coconut Birds Nest Cookies
These Easter desserts are super cute and only use three ingredients. Made from coconut shreds and condensed milk, you can form the bird nests easily in a muffin tin. Once they’re cooled, top them with mini chocolate eggs or jelly beans.
Easy Easter M&M Cookies
Soft, chewy, and easy to make! This recipe uses basic ingredients and includes expert tips to help you get your cookies just right. Simply add Easter M&Ms and pastel sprinkles to make them more festive for the holiday.
Easter Pretzel Rods
I love adding some sweet and salty options to my plate of Easter treats. This is an easy treat to make, and kids will enjoy dipping and decorating the pretzels. I also like that this recipe includes different ideas for switching up the toppings and flavors.
Bunny Butt Cupcakes
Kids will love these cute and silly Easter desserts! Made with yellow cake as the base, green icing for the grass, and marshmallows for the bunny butt and feet, these cupcakes are fun — and simple enough — to make with kids.
Spring Chick Cupcakes
If you’re short on time but enjoy getting creative with your Easter cupcakes, this is a good recipe to make. The decorating is easy enough for beginners and kids will enjoy helping — especially when it comes to adding the eyes! Along with being fun Easter treats for kids, these cupcakes would also be great for a spring birthday.
Pound Cake
My mom always makes pound cake. While not a traditional Easter dessert, we serve it with fresh berries, which always makes me think of spring produce and other seasonal desserts.
Chocolate Cadbury Egg Cookies
Cadbury eggs and Easter go hand in hand! These thick and chewy cookies taste almost like brownies. And the mini chocolate eggs add a delightful crunch and festive touch.
Easter Baking Tools & Accessories
You probably have most of these in your kitchen already, but here are all of my favorite baking tools and gadgets. Some are absolute must-haves while others are helpful, but optional.
Chocolates & Candies
Easter M&Ms: I love these pastel M&Ms for Easter cookies and brownies.
Pastel Sprinkles: These sprinkles are super cute for all kinds of Easter desserts.
Decorative Sprinkles: We love this variety of sprinkles pack too.
Mini Cadbury Eggs: An Easter candy staple! You could even just put some out in a bowl for a quick and easy Easter treat.
Baking Must-Haves
Hand Mixer: All of the recipes above are easy to make with a hand mixer. I like this one because it has five speeds — and it’s a good price.
Half Sheet Baking Pan: Perfect for cookies and more! This is a high-quality pan that’s designed to prevent warping.
9x13 Pan: The lid is key with this pan! It makes it easy to store cakes, brownies, or cookie bars in the same pan you baked it in.
Muffin Pan: This set includes two pans — perfect for muffins and cupcakes. I like to use silicone baking cups in them, too.
Silicone Baking Cups: A great alternative to disposable baking cups. We also use these to separate food in the kids’ lunchboxes.
Glass Measuring Cup: This measuring cup can go in the dishwasher, freezer, microwave, and a preheated oven. You can also use it to melt butter.
Shop Easter Baking Must Haves 👆
Measuring Cups: This stainless steel set is built to last with strong handles that don’t easily bend or break. It also has a flat design that prevents spills.
Measuring Spoons: These double-headed spoons make it convenient to measure out both liquids and dry ingredients.
Silicone Spatula Set: My daughter received this set as a party favor from a cake decorating party, and now it is our most-used spatula set. The small spatulas are the perfect size for little kids.
Mixing Bowls: This set includes five mixing bowls with measurement marks, non-slip bottoms, and lids for easy storing and transporting.
Whisk: This whisk is well-made and comfy to hold.
Spatula: These silicone spatulas are sturdy, flexible, and safe for pans. Use them to stir, scrape, and fold ingredients in.
Easter Cookie Cutters: This 3-piece set includes a bunny, carrot, and egg to help you make some super cute Easter cookies.
Baking Nice-to-Haves
KitchenAid Stand Mixer: This mixer comes in handy if you do a lot of baking and want quicker, more consistent results. Keep an eye out on Facebook Marketplace or your local Buy Nothing group for a cheaper option!
Bundt Pan: If you’re going to make a bundt cake for Easter, you’ll need the right pan. The side handles make it easier to hold, plus it’s scratch-resistant and dishwasher safe.
Silicone Baking Mats: These reusable mats keep your baking sheets clean and help you reduce waste since you don’t need to use any oil, cooking sprays, or parchment paper. They’re also dishwasher-safe.
Cooling Rack: These cooling racks keep cookies from over-baking and help them cool down more quickly.
Food Scale: A food scale can make a huge difference when baking since it measures ingredients more accurately.
Rolling Pin: I like a silicone rolling pin to keep the dough from sticking to it.
Cookie Scoop: This kitchen tool makes it so much easier to scoop out the right amount of cookie dough or cupcake batter.
Icing or Piping Bags: These come in handy if you are icing cookies or cakes. You can also use it to melt candy in the microwave and fill candy molds.
Frosting Spatula: This straight spatula makes it easier to frost cakes and cupcakes.
Easter Baking Q&A
What are the easiest desserts to make for Easter?
No-bake recipes like the bird’s nest cookies and Easter pretzel rods will be the simplest and fastest treats to make. For baked desserts, the pound cake, carrot cake, and chocolate cadbury egg cookies are also very simple and straightforward.
What are the best Easter recipes for kids?
Kids can help with all of these recipes! But they’ll probably have the most fun with desserts they can decorate, like the Easter sugar cookies, bunny butt cupcakes, spring chick cupcakes, and pretzel rods.
How long will these Easter desserts stay fresh?
Always check the recipe notes for tips on how to store your dessert and keep it fresh. Most baked goods stay fresh up to 7 days in an airtight container, stored at room temp. However, anything with cream cheese frosting (like carrot cake) should go in the fridge.
Do I need special baking tools for these Easter baking ideas?
You don’t need anything special, though certain tools can help improve your baking! Most of what you need are common kitchen items, like a hand mixer, measuring cups, and pans.
How can I make Easter baking feel more special?
First, include your kids when it’s time to bake Easter dessert. They’ll love helping and it’ll make for fun memories to look back on. You can also make it feel more magical by making your table look fancy and festive for your treats. Just add a seasonal tablecloth, linens, and other Easter decor.
More Easter Fun
Is there an Easter dessert your family makes every year? Share it with me in the comments — or tell me if you make anything from my list!
Along with baking, we also like to decorate for Easter and read Easter books. Any sort of traditions you can start (or continue!) can make the holiday feel more fun and meaningful for your family.
