Food and Recipes Party Food and Drink 56 Divine Desserts To Celebrate Easter By Southern Living Editors Southern Living Editors Since 1966, the editors of Southern Living have been carrying out the mission of the brand: to bring enjoyment, fulfillment, and inspiration to our readers by celebrating life in the South. We inspire creativity in their homes, their kitchens, their gardens, and their personal style. We are a friend they can trust, a guide to the seasons, a helping hand during the holidays, and a relentless champion of the Southern way of life. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on December 16, 2021 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Greg DuPree Every holiday meal needs a showstopper dessert to top off the celebration. Whether you do Easter brunch, lunch, or dinner, we have a mouthwatering selection for you to choose from for your Easter celebration. Many of our divine Easter desserts showcase one of our favorite fruits, the beautiful and luscious strawberry. Your guests will happily dig into Strawberry-Pretzel Icebox Pie, Strawberry-Lemonade Cake, Strawberry Dream Cake, Strawberry Icebox Cake or Fresh Strawberry Cupcakes. And that is just the beginning! If you prefer something beyond strawberries for an Easter dessert, try the Carrot Cake Cheesecake, a delightful twist on the classic favorite, or Coconut-Carrot Cake with Coconut Buttercream. Fanciful desserts such as Chocolate Bundt Cake, Easter Birds' Nest Coconut Cupcakes, or colorful and citrus-flavored Lemon Sherbet Cupcakes with Buttercream Frosting will charm children of all ages. Welcome springtime with these vibrant desserts. Warning: no Easter egg hunt is required for these prized treats. Browse our full selection to find the perfect Easter dessert for your party. 01 of 56 Strawberry-Lemonade Cake Jen Causey Recipe: Strawberry-Lemonade Cake Serve a slice of spring with this pretty pastel cake. 02 of 56 Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Buttermilk-Cream Cheese Frosting Antonis Achilleos Recipe: Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Buttermilk-Cream Cheese Frosting Swap your usual carrot cake for this big-batch recipe that's sure to feed the whole crowd. 03 of 56 Lemon Raspberry Cake Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Melissa Gray; Prop Styling: Missie Neville Crawford Recipe: Lemon Raspberry Cake In terms of fresh dessert ideas, this tangy and zesty treat takes the cake. 04 of 56 Key Lime Pound Cake Jen Causey Recipe: Key Lime Pound Cake Capture the sunshine of the Florida Keys in this classic citrus cake. 05 of 56 Chocolate Bundt Cake Photo: Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Torie Cox; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke Recipe: Chocolate Bundt Cake Your Easter guests won't believe this tasty bundt is made with boxed cake and brownie mix...that is if you decide to tell them. 06 of 56 Chocolate Strawberry Cake Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Melissa Gray; Prop Styling: Missie Neville Crawford Recipe: Chocolate Strawberry Cake Chocolate and strawberry come together to create a heavenly delight. 07 of 56 Dreamy Lemon Cheesecake Jennifer Causey Recipe: Dreamy Lemon Cheesecake Save your self a step Easter day by making the lemon curb topper up to two weeks in advance. 08 of 56 Coconut Pound Cake Antonis Achilleos Recipe: Coconut Pound Cake You won't have to worry about room for leftover cake in the fridge with this tasty treat. It's sure to be a crowd favorite. 09 of 56 Coconut-Carrot Cake with Coconut Buttercream Photo: Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Torie Cox; Prop Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas Recipe: Coconut-Carrot Cake with Coconut Buttercream This sheet cake combines two seasonal favorites so no one is disappointed. 10 of 56 Lemon Sherbet Cupcakes with Buttercream Frosting Hector Manuel Sanchez Recipe: Lemon Sherbet Cupcakes with Buttercream Frosting These citrus treats are too good to keep to yourself. Make an extra batch and bring to a friend for the sweetest surprise. 11 of 56 Hummingbird Cupcakes with Candied Pineapple Wedges Photo: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Hummingbird Cupcakes with Candied Pineapple Wedges Treat your Easter crowd to two dozen of what just might be the easiest version of our Hummingbird Cake recipe ever. 12 of 56 Mini Confetti Cakes Photo: Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Torie Cox; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke Recipe: Mini Confetti Cakes Little hands will love these mini cakes. 13 of 56 Easter Egg Rice Krispies Micah A. Leal Recipe: Easter Rice Krispies Treats A pretty party decoration and delightful Easter treat all in one recipe. 14 of 56 Chocolate Éclair Cake Micah A. Leal Recipe: Chocolate Éclair Cake A cake that's just as worthy of celebration as the classic eclair, this chocolate confection is stunning, simple, and worth the extra effort. 15 of 56 Chocolate-Coconut Pavlova Cake Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Christine Keely; Food Styling: Tina Bell Stamos Recipe: Chocolate-Coconut Pavlova Cake Dairy-free, gluten-free, and flourless, this fabulous dessert will meet any Easter guest's dietary needs without sacrificing flavor. 16 of 56 Fresh Strawberry Cupcakes Micah Leal Recipe: Fresh Strawberry Cupcakes Fresh ingredients combine to create sweet spring flavor in these gorgeous cupcakes. 17 of 56 Banana Pudding Cheesecake Photo: Jennifer Davick Recipe: Banana Pudding Cheesecake This sinfully sweet dessert is the perfect blend of fresh bananas, creamy cheesecake, and crunchy vanilla wafers. 18 of 56 Strawberry Dream Cake Photo: Greg Dupree Recipe: Strawberry Dream Cake You'll fall in love with this too-good-to-be-true strawberry cake. Fluffy whipped frosting made with marscapone cheese, sugar, whipping cream, and vanilla and almond extracts is the perfect finishing touch. We love the presentation of cake slices with upright strawberries between the layers. When it comes down to the details, this sweet confection takes the cake. 19 of 56 Texas Skillet Cake Stephen DeVries, Prop Styling: Missie Neville Crawford; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Texas Skillet Cake Slice it up or eat it straight out of the skillet. This twist on the Lone Star State classic will be anything but left alone on your dessert table. 20 of 56 Strawberry-Pretzel Icebox Pie Jennifer Davick Recipe: Strawberry-Pretzel Icebox Pie Cool off after a heated egg hunt with a slice of fruity icebox Easter pie. 21 of 56 Buttermilk-Lime Mini Cakes with Vanilla-Mascarpone Buttercream Greg DuPree Recipe: Buttermilk-Lime Mini Cakes with Vanilla-Mascarpone Buttercream Create petite white cakes for your celebration by cutting your sheet cake into rounds with a biscuit cutter. 22 of 56 Easter Bunny Cake Recipe: Easter Bunny Cake This cute Easter centerpiece is one bunny you'll be happy to bite into after brunch. 23 of 56 Mama's German Chocolate Cake Southern Living Recipe: Mama's German Chocolate Cake Dressed to impress, the rich frosting with pecans and flaked coconut is the star of this recipe. 24 of 56 Pineapple-Coconut Cupcakes with Buttermilk-Cream Cheese Frosting Photo: Iain Bagwell; Styling: Vanessa McNeil Rocchio Recipe: Pineapple-Coconut Cupcakes with Buttermilk-Cream Cheese Frosting Make birds' nests with malted milk balls and edible paper. 25 of 56 Grand Marnier Cakes Photo: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Ana Kelly Recipe: Grand Marnier Cakes The orange liqueur glaze gives this simple orange pound cake an explosion of flavor. 26 of 56 Raspberry Crumble Bars Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Christine Keely; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer Recipe: Raspberry Crumble Bars Add these irresistible berry bars to the Easter dessert spread for an easy grab-and-go choice. 27 of 56 Sweet Tea Bundt Cake Micah A. Leal Recipe: Sweet Tea Bundt Cake The only thing better than a tall glass of sweet tea is a cake that's filled with the same, delicious sweet tea flavor. 28 of 56 Easter Birds' Nest Coconut Cupcakes Cedric Angeles; Prop Styling: Claire Spollen; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Easter Birds' Nest Coconut Cupcakes Mix edible luster dust with powdered sugar to tint the coconut on these birds' nest toppings to give your dessert a shimmery color. 29 of 56 Best-Ever Lemon Meringue Pie Recipe: Best-Ever Lemon Meringue Pie It's called best-ever for a reason; this silky lemon pie is the prized dessert on Easter Sunday. 30 of 56 Pineapple-Ginger Upside-Down Cake Antonis Achilleos Recipe: Pineapple-Ginger Upside-Down Cake Caramelized pineapple serves as a rich topping to this adored cake. 31 of 56 Orange Cake Hector Manuel Sanchez Recipe: Orange Cake This cake was first shared and published in Southern Living back in 1995, and makes a wonderful holiday or springtime dessert. 32 of 56 Lemon-Orange Pound Cake Recipe Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Ana Kelly Recipe: Lemon-Orange Pound Cake Recipe Combining two zesty flavors and topped with rich, homemade frosting—this cake is simply irresistible. 33 of 56 Strawberry Icebox Cake Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Melissa Gray; Prop Styling: Missie Neville Crawford Recipe: Strawberry Icebox Cake This cake is a fancier version of a whipped cream-and-cookies icebox cake but with an added strawberry flavor twist. 34 of 56 Carrot Cake Cheesecake Micah A. Leal Recipe: Carrot Cake Cheesecake Combining two carrot cake and cheesecake to create a tender and delectable mile-high cake. 35 of 56 Strawberry Lemonade Pie Micah A. Leal Recipe: Strawberry Lemonade Pie This sweet and refreshing pie will be the ultimate winner at the dessert table. 36 of 56 Lady Baltimore Cake Micah A. Leal Recipe: Lady Baltimore Cake With a rich frosting and extra delicate cake texture, this white cake is one-of-a-kind. 37 of 56 Pineapple Pie Recipe: Pineapple Pie Try baking up this sweet, Mexican-inspired dessert—you won't be sorry. 38 of 56 Coconut Cream Cake Hector Sanchez; Styling: Buffy Hargett Miller Recipe: Coconut Cream Cake A Southern Easter favorite, this gorgeous white cake is garnished with toasted coconut shavings. 39 of 56 7UP Bundt Cake Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Kathleen Varner Recipe: 7UP Bundt Cake This 7UP recipe may just be one of the most iconic ways that soda is used in baked goods. 40 of 56 Apricot-Almond Coffee Cake Southern Living Recipe: Apricot-Almond Coffee Cake Apricot preserves offer traditional coffee cake a sweet twist that's topped off with slivered almond and a vanilla glaze. 41 of 56 Caramelized Banana Pudding Photo: Jennifer Davick, Prop Styling: Annette Joseph, Food Styling: William Smith Recipe: Caramelized Banana Pudding Caramelize the bananas in brown sugar, cinnamon, and butter to make this dessert even more irresistible. 42 of 56 Chocolate-Peanut Butter Eggs Cedric Angeles; Prop Styling: Claire Spollen; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Chocolate-Peanut Butter Eggs These homemade chocolate peanut butter treats will rival the likes of any store-bought ones. Add signature piping to each for even more festive decor. 43 of 56 Oreo Cookie Balls Southern Living Recipe: Oreo Cookie Balls Use pastel food dye to dress these chocolate treats up for Easter. 44 of 56 Lemon Meltaways Hector Sanchez; Styling: Caroline M. Cunningham Recipe: Lemon Meltaways These little lemon cookies are tossed in powdered sugar while they're still warm. 45 of 56 Mini Coconut-Key Lime Pies Jennifer Causey; Prop Styling: Missie Neville Crawford; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Mini Coconut-Key Lime Pies Behold: the perfect Key lime bite with just a hint of coconut. You may never go back to the basic recipe. 46 of 56 Peach Bourbon Upside-Down Bundt Cake Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Lindsey Lower; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Peach-Bourbon Upside-Down Bundt Cake Because bourbon can belong at Easter, too. Just ask your uncle—he agrees. 47 of 56 Blueberry-Lemon Crunch Bars Photo: Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Styling: Mary Clayton Carl Jones Recipe: Blueberry-Lemon Crunch Bars Get ready for some fruity, buttery, crumbly goodness. 48 of 56 Banana Pudding Poke Cake Greg DuPree Recipe: Banana Pudding Poke Cake This poke cake will feed a crowd, which is good—because they're going to be coming back for more. 49 of 56 Strawberry-Banana Pudding Icebox Cake Iain Bagwell; Prop Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine; Food Styling: Hadas Smirnoff Recipe: Strawberry-Banana Pudding Icebox Cake Easter deserves next-level treats. So combine two spring party favorites—strawberry cake and banana pudding—into a cool and creamy icebox cake. That'll do it. 50 of 56 White Chocolate-Covered Strawberries Micah A. Leal Recipe: White Chocolate-Covered Strawberries We'll happily hunt for these sweet treats on Easter. 51 of 56 Chocolate Éclair Cake Micah A. Leal Recipe: Chocolate Éclair Cake This three-tiered creamy, dreamy cake makes a show-stopping centerpiece for Easter. 52 of 56 Buttermilk-Pecan Pralines Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Christine Keely; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer Recipe: Buttermilk-Pecan Pralines We're all for a grab-and-go Easter sweet, and this praline recipe might be our best-ever. 53 of 56 Chocolate Trifle Hector Manuel Sanchez Recipe: Chocolate Trifle Here's what they won't know: These fancy mini trifles only take five store-bought ingredients. 54 of 56 Peach Icebox Cake Iain Bagwell; Prop Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Peach Icebox Cake Cool off any post-hunt heat with a hearty helping of this icebox cake. Peaches will pop alongside your Easter pastels. 55 of 56 Cheesecake Cookies Caitlin Bensel Recipe: Cheesecake Cookies It's no secret that everyone loves cheesecake. These bite-sized cheesecakes with cherries on top are sure to be a hit. 56 of 56 Lemon Bar Cheesecake Jennifer Davick; Styling: Lydia Degaris Pursell Recipe: Lemon Bar Cheesecake Get ready to be the talk of the town—er, Easter lunch. This citrus-inspired cheesecake beckons rave reviews. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit