Holidays & Occasions Easter Easter Recipes Easter Dessert Recipes Grandpa’s Favorite Easter Desserts By Jenna Sims Jenna Sims Jenna is a Digital Editor for Southern Living and joined the team in 2014. She writes, produces, and assigns content with a focus on email growth and commerce content. She covers a range of topics in the lifestyle space from holiday gift guides to new product launches to tips for cooking with your air fryer. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Published on April 1, 2023 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Photographer: Jennifer Causey Food Stylist: Ana Kelly Prop Stylist: Kay Clarke It's just not Easter without several classic Southern desserts on the sideboard. Whether Grandpa was in charge of making his famous recipe, helped Grandma whip up his favorite cake, or just liked to put in a request for his favorite dessert, these recipes are just like the ones Grandpa always looked forward to eating after Easter dinner. Of course, he was probably always trying to sneak a taste before it was officially time to serve dessert.From cookies to cakes to pies and more, these are Grandpa's favorite Easter dessert recipes. 01 of 12 Angel Food Cake Photographer: Jennifer Causey Food Stylist: Ana Kelly Prop Stylist: Kay Clarke The trick to making sure your Angel Food Cake comes out of the pan without tearing is to let it cool upside down. 02 of 12 Birds Nest Cookies Joy Howard This no-bake dessert is always fun for the grandkids to whip up with Grandpa. 03 of 12 Peanut Butter Cornflake Cookies Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox This easy, no-bake recipe transforms Grandpa's favorite cereal into cookies in just a few minutes. 04 of 12 Pineapple Upside-Down Cake Photographer: Jennifer Causey Food Stylist: Ana Kelly Prop Stylist: Kay Clarke Baking up this upside-down cake in Grandpa's favorite cast-iron skillet will ensure that it comes out perfectly. 05 of 12 Éclair Cake Molly Bolton/Southern Living Grandpa probably always kept graham crackers on hand for a late night snack and this no-bake recipe elevates them into a crowd-pleasing dessert. 06 of 12 Preacher Cookies Fred Hardy II, Food Stylist: Kelsey Moylan, Prop Stylist: Caleb Clarke These cookies are best when enjoyed soon after they're made so the cereal will still be crispy. 07 of 12 Million Dollar Pound Cake Photography: Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Torie Cox Pound cake is delicious on its own, but can also easily be dressed up with fresh berries, whipped cream, caramel sauce, or lemon curd. 08 of 12 Cake Mix Brownies Hannah Zimmerman There's no occasion where brownies shouldn't be on the menu, and Grandpa probably always grabbed one from the plate before Easter dinner was ever served. 09 of 12 Old-Fashioned Caramel Cake Courtney West Trust us, homemade caramel frosting is worth the extra effort. 10 of 12 Cherry Fluff Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Torie Cox This classic Cherry Fluff recipe requires no cooking and is made with just five ingredients. 11 of 12 Old-Fashioned Banana Pudding Photo: Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox Old-fashioned meringue transforms homemade banana pudding into an Easter-worthy dessert. 12 of 12 Coconut Cream Pie Southern Living Grandpa probably always had a second slice when coconut pie was on the table. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit