60 Mother's Day Desserts Your Mom Will Adore

Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

1. Naked Lemon and Olive Oil Layer Cake

Time Commitment: 1 hour and 35 minutes
Why We Love It: special occasion-worthy, crowd-pleaser

Impress Mom with this professional-looking naked cake. Adding olive oil makes it kinda healthy, right? (Sorta?)

2. Sachertorte (Chocolate Apricot Cake with Dark Chocolate Ganache)

Time Commitment: 2 hours and 30 minutes
Why We Love It: special occasion-worthy, crowd-pleaser

Aida Mollenkamp presents her take on the Austrian classic from Vienna’s Hotel Sacher. While the real recipe is a secret, plenty of people have crafted their own versions of the delectable blend of dark chocolate and apricot jam.

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Two Peas and Their Pod

3. Strawberry Shortcake

Time Commitment: 1 hour
Why We Love It: kid-friendly, beginner-friendly, crowd-pleaser

If your mom's a fan of fresh berries, look no further than Maria Licht y’s strawberry shortcake. We bet Mom will love digging into this pile of produce, whipped cream and homemade shortcake.

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Photo: Mark Weinberg/Styling: Erin McDowell

4. Grapefruit Meringue Stacks

Time Commitment: 3 hours
Why We Love It: gluten free, special occasion-worthy

Calling all citrus lovers: This cross between a meringue pie and grapefruit pavlova is the dessert you never knew you needed. (But be warned: Now that you know it exists, you’ll need to eat it every weekend.)

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The Full Helping

5. Glazed Vegan Chocolate Bundt Cake

Time Commitment: 1 hour
Why We Love It: vegan, crowd-pleaser, dairy free

If your mom is vegan, whip up Gena Hamshaw’s chocolate Bundt cake, drizzled with dairy-free chocolate ganache glaze. (Plus, here’s a tip: You can make it in advance and store it for up to six weeks in the freezer.)

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Foodie Crush

6. Key Lime Pie

Time Commitment: 4 hours and 30 minutes
Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients, one bowl, beginner-friendly

Key lime is the queen of pies—the fresh, tart and sweet dessert will surely have Mom going for seconds. (Thanks for the recipe, Heidi Larsen.)

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Photo: Christine Han/Styling: Erin McDowell

7. Chocolate Raspberry Fool

Time Commitment: 25 minutes
Why We Love It: <30 minutes, beginner-friendly, kid-friendly

Rushing to get Mother’s Day dinner on the table? Don’t stress about the sweets. This chocolate and raspberry mousse-ish dessert is done in a flash.

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The Cupcake Project

8. Loaded Funfetti Dessert Nachos

Time Commitment: 1 hour and 15 minutes
Why We Love It: kid-friendly, beginner-friendly

Let Mom feel like a kid again on Mother’s Day with Stefani Pollack’s loaded dessert nachos: cookies covered with rainbow sprinkles, meringue and chocolate chips.

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Photo: Nico Schinco/Styling: Erin McDowell

9. Easy Lemon-Hibiscus Layer Cake

Time Commitment: 1 hour and 5 minutes
Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, special occasion-worthy, crowd-pleaser

The prettiest way to dress up a simple yellow cake? Use hibiscus tea bags to make bright pink frosting in honor of your mother.

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The Mom 100

10. Simple Butterscotch Pudding

Time Commitment: 2 hours and 15 minutes
Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, one pot, gluten free

Dessert doesn’t need to be a big to-do. Sometimes a simple butterscotch pudding checks all the boxes. (Katie Workman has done it again.)

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What’s Cooking Good Looking

11. Pear and Thyme Tarts

Time Commitment: 2 hours
Why We Love It: vegan, gluten free, dairy free

Here’s a dessert pairing we’re all about: Jodi Moreno’s vegan, gluten-free fruit and herb tart, served alongside a glass of Champagne. We hope mama loves bubbly.

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Photo: Nico Schinco/Styling: Erin McDowell

12. Three-Ingredient Blood Orange Granita

Time Commitment: 15 minutes (plus freezing time)
Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, dairy free, gluten free, one pot

Finish your alfresco Mother’s Day dinner with the easiest warm-weather dessert: granita. This recipe has just three ingredients—blood orange juice, sugar and water—and requires only five minutes of prep.

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Ambitious Kitchen

13. Damn Good Peanut Butter Banana Cake

Time Commitment: 1 hour and 30 minutes
Why We Love It: gluten free, crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly

Monique Volz’s peanut butter and banana cake may be the ultimate dessert: It’s sweet, gooey, chocolatey and enrobed in peanut butter frosting.

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Healthfully Ever After

14. White Chocolate Citrus Pots de Crème

Time Commitment: 1 hour and 50 minutes (plus chilling time)
Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, gluten free, special occasion-worthy

Whisk melted white chocolate with citrus juice and egg whites for Carlene Thomas’s fancy pots de crème this Mother’s Day.

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Floating Kitchen

15. Kiwi and Lime Curd Fools with Blackberries

Time Commitment: 2 hours and 10 minutes
Why We Love It: gluten free, make ahead

Fool is an English dessert that combines fruit and custard or whipped cream. Try this refreshing kiwi and lime version topped with juicy blackberries.

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The Modern Proper

16. Easy Tiramisu

Time Commitment: 25 minutes
Why We Love It: no bake, beginner-friendly, <10 ingredients, <30 minutes

Mom’s face when you bring out homemade tiramisu? Priceless. (Especially if she's a habitual espresso drinker.)

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Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

17. Red Velvet Lava Cakes

Time Commitment: 45 minutes
Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, kid-friendly, special occasion-worthy

If chocolate is her kryptonite, mom will go gaga for this restaurant-caliber cake that's begging to be pierced.

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What’s Gaby Cooking

18. Banana Cream Pie Parfaits

Time Commitment: 1 hour
Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, beginner-friendly

Magnolia Bakery has nothing on you. Gaby Dalkin shares her banana cream pie parfaits, which will look gorgeous in Mom’s crystal dessert bowls.

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Gimme Some Oven

19. Carrot Cake Roll

Time Commitment: 35 minutes
Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy

Hi, spring. We missed you. Want to dress up basic carrot cake? Fill it with cream cheese icing, roll it up and cut it into slices.

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Plays Well With Butter

20. Limoncello Prosecco Floats with Lemon Sorbetto

Time Commitment: 5 minutes
Why We Love It: no bake, <10 ingredients, <30 minutes, special occasion-worthy

Remind Mom of that epic trip to Italy you took way back when with this tangy dessert made with limoncello and lemon sorbet. Best part? It’s doused in Prosecco.

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Photo: Nico Schinco/Styling: Erin McDowell

21. Heart Thumbprint Cookies

Time Commitment: 40 minutes
Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly

Show Mom some love with simple heart-shaped thumbprint cookies filled with her favorite flavor of jam.

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The Full Helping

22. Foolproof Vegan Applesauce Spice Cake

Time Commitment: 1 hour and 15 minutes
Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, vegan, dairy free, beginner-friendly

No one said Mother’s Day dessert had to come after dinner. Serve Gena Hamshaw’s vegan applesauce spice cake for brunch alongside coffee or tea.

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Salt & Wind

23. Mixed Berry Pavlova with Lemon Curd and Mascarpone Whipped Cream

Time Commitment: 2 hours
Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, gluten free, special occasion-worthy

We’ll admit that a pavlova isn’t the easiest dessert to make, but you’ll be so satisfied when it’s done. Layer homemade meringue, mixed berry compote, lemon curd and mascarpone whipped cream to blow her away. (Brava, Aida Mollenkamp.)

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Two Peas and Their Pod

24. Yogurt Coffee Cake

Time Commitment: 1 hour and 10 minutes
Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, crowd-pleaser

Start Mother’s Day off right with a sweet treat. This yogurt coffee cake includes classic streusel topping and cream cheese glaze. (Maria Lichty knows the drill.)

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The Mom 100

25. Easy Chocolate Mousse

Time Commitment: 5 hours and 15 minutes
Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, <10 ingredients, kid-friendly

Searching the pantry for Mother’s Day dessert inspo? You likely already have the ingredients you need for this oh-so-simple chocolate mousse.

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Photo: Matt Dutile/Styling: Erin McDowell

26. Cardamom Cream-Filled Bundt Cake

Time Commitment: 1 hour and 50 minutes
Why We Love It: special occasion-worthy, crowd-pleaser

Surprise Momma with this Swedish twist on Bundt cake. It’s cut in half and filled with cardamom-laced whipped cream, so each forkful tastes like a fluffy bite of heaven.

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Foodie Crush

27. The Best Classic Lemon Bars

Time Commitment: 1 hour and 30 minutes
Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly

Is lemon her go-to? We got you. Try these bittersweet, bite-sized sweets dusted with powdered sugar from Heidi Larsen (and use Meyer lemons if you can find them).

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Healthfully Ever After

28. Mini Blackberry Cheesecake Tarts with Walnut Crust

Time Commitment: 1 hour and 30 minutes
Why We Love It: special occasion-worthy

Carlene Thomas’s bite-sized tarts topped with peanut brittle will make a great addition to the dessert bar at your Mother’s Day celebration. Even if it’s just the immediate family, they’ll really dress up the party.

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Plays Well With Butter

29. Easy Turtle Sundae Ice Cream Pie

Time Commitment: 30 minutes
Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, kid-friendly

Six ingredients (including store-bought salted caramel ice cream) come together to create this decadent pie from Jesse Reilly. We bet Mom will be impressed.

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The Modern Proper

30. Salty Dark and Milk Chocolate Skillet Cookie

Time Commitment: 35 minutes
Why We Love It: kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly

“No, I don’t want a giant salted chocolate chunk cookie,” said no mom (or human) ever.

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Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

31. No-Bake Berry Tiramisu

Time Commitment: 1 hour and 40 minutes
Why We Love It: no bake, crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, beginner-friendly

No-bake desserts are our love language. And we have a *major* crush on this layered treat made with store-bought ladyfingers, raspberry jam and ricotta-cream cheese filling.

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The 60 Best Mother’s Day Desserts to Treat Mom to on Her Big Day

1. Naked Lemon and Olive Oil Layer Cake

2. Sachertorte (Chocolate Apricot Cake with Dark Chocolate Ganache)

3. Strawberry Shortcake

4. Grapefruit Meringue Stacks

5. Glazed Vegan Chocolate Bundt Cake

6. Key Lime Pie

7. Chocolate Raspberry Fool

8. Loaded Funfetti Dessert Nachos

9. Easy Lemon-Hibiscus Layer Cake

10. Simple Butterscotch Pudding

11. Pear and Thyme Tarts

12. Three-Ingredient Blood Orange Granita

13. Damn Good Peanut Butter Banana Cake

14. White Chocolate Citrus Pots de Crème

15. Kiwi and Lime Curd Fools with Blackberries

16. Easy Tiramisu

17. Red Velvet Lava Cakes

18. Banana Cream Pie Parfaits

19. Carrot Cake Roll

20. Limoncello Prosecco Floats with Lemon Sorbetto

21. Heart Thumbprint Cookies

22. Foolproof Vegan Applesauce Spice Cake

23. Mixed Berry Pavlova with Lemon Curd and Mascarpone Whipped Cream

24. Yogurt Coffee Cake

25. Easy Chocolate Mousse

26. Cardamom Cream-Filled Bundt Cake

27. The Best Classic Lemon Bars

28. Mini Blackberry Cheesecake Tarts with Walnut Crust

29. Easy Turtle Sundae Ice Cream Pie

30. Salty Dark and Milk Chocolate Skillet Cookie

31. No-Bake Berry Tiramisu

32. Cheesecake Thumbprint Cookies

33. Cantaloupe-Mint Sorbet

34. Puff-Pastry Plum and Thyme Galette

35. Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes

36. Lemon Pie with Blueberry Meringue

37. Mini Strawberry Ice Cream Pies

38. Cheater’s Mini Rhubarb Galettes

39. Coconut Rice Pudding with Rhubarb Compote

40. Botanical Shortbread Cookies

41. Lemon-Raspberry Whoopie Pies

42. No-Bake, Gluten-Free Rose Petal Brownies

43. Blueberry Crumble Pie

44. Strawberry, Cardamom and Pistachio Pavlova Bites

45. No-Bake Coconut Cream Pie

46. Meyer Lemon Loaf Cake

47. Ice-Cream Cone Cannoli

48. Ricotta-Honey Ice Cream

49. Oatmeal Cookie Cream Pies

50. Strawberry Pie with Strawberry Crust

51. Peanut Butter Cream Pie with Raspberry Meringue

52. Carrot Cake Doughnuts with Cream Cheese Glaze

53. Salted Peanut Butter and Honey Ice Cream

54. Big Raspberry-Rye Cookies

55. Lemon Earl-Grey Polenta Loaf

56. Cheater’s Mini Strawberry-Vanilla Galettes

57. Biscochito Biscotti

58. Gluten-Free Ricotta Cheesecake

59. Clementine Meltaway Cookies

60. Dulce de Leche Skillet Brownie

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