The 53 Best Mother’s Day Desserts to Treat Mom to on Her Big Day
Mother’s Day—a celebration that honors our moms, grandmas, aunts and loved ones who raised us to be who we are today—is coming on May 9. So, grab a spatula and get into the kitchen with your stash of flour, sugar and spices—you’re whipping up dessert for your most important guest of all time. Whether you have five minutes or five hours, we’ve got a recipe that will make her feel the love on her special day. Here are 50 Mother’s Day desserts that will remind her how special she is, from cake to pie to cookies. (P.S., a bouquet of flowers might help drive the message home even more...just saying.)
1. Naked Lemon and Olive Oil Layer Cake
Impress Mom with this professional-looking naked cake—and adding olive oil makes it kinda healthy, right? (Sorta?)
2. Sachertorte Chocolate Apricot Cake with Dark Chocolate Ganache
Aida Mollenkamp presents her take on the classic Austrian cake from Vienna’s Hotel Sacher: the sachertorte. 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. We’re a little obsessed with this one.
3. Strawberry Shortcake
If your mom loves fresh berries, look no further than Maria Lichty’s strawberry shortcake, aka love on a plate. We bet Mom will love digging into this pile of produce, whipped cream and homemade shortcake.
4. Grapefruit Meringue Stacks
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.)
5. Vegan Chocolate Bundt Cake with Chocolate Ganache Glaze
If your mom is vegan, whip up Gena Hamshaw’s chocolate Bundt cake, drizzled with vegan 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.)
6. Key Lime Pie
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.)
7. Chocolate Raspberry Fool
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 just 25 minutes.
8. Loaded Funfetti Dessert Nachos
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.
9. Easy Lemon-Hibiscus Layer Cake
The prettiest way to dress up a simple yellow cake? Use hibiscus tea bags to make bright pink frosting in honor of your mother.
10. Simple Butterscotch Pudding
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.)
11. Pear and Thyme Tarts
Here’s a dessert pairing we’re all about: Jodi Moreno’s vegan and gluten-free fruit and herb tart alongside a glass of Champagne. We hope mama loves bubbly.
12. Three-Ingredient Blood Orange Granita
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 takes only five minutes of prep.
13. Damn Good Peanut Butter Banana Cake
Monique Volz’s peanut butter and banana cake may be the ultimate dessert: It’s sweet, gooey, chocolatey and has peanut butter frosting. Need more convincing? It's also shockingly gluten-free.
14. White Chocolate Citrus Pots de Creme
Whisk melted white chocolate with citrus juice and egg whites for Charlene Thomas’s fancy pots de creme this Mother’s Day.
15. Kiwi and Lime Curd Fools with Blackberries
Fool is an English dessert that combines fruit and custard or whipped cream. Try this refreshing kiwi and lime version topped with blackberries.
16. Easy Tiramisu
Mom’s face when you bring out homemade tiramisu? Priceless. (Especially if she's a habitual espresso drinker.)
17. Red Velvet Lava Cakes
If chocolate is her kryptonite, mom will go gaga for this restaurant-caliber cake that's begging to be pierced.
18. Banana Cream Pie Parfaits
Magnolia Bakery has nothing on you. Gaby Dalkin shares her banana cream pie parfaits, which will look gorgeous in Mom’s crystal dessert bowls.
19. Carrot Cake Roll
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.
20. Limoncello Prosecco Floats with Lemon Sorbetto
Remind Mom of that epic trip to Italy you took way back with this tangy dessert made with limoncello and lemon sorbet. And the best part? It’s doused in Prosecco.
21. Heart Thumbprint Cookies
Show Mom some love with simple heart-shaped thumbprint cookies filled with her favorite flavor of jam.
22. Foolproof Vegan Applesauce Spice Cake
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.
23. Mixed Berry Pavlova with Lemon Curd and Mascarpone Whipped Cream
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.)
24. Yogurt Coffee Cake
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.)
25. Easy Chocolate Mousse
Searching the pantry for what to make for Mother’s Day? You likely already have the ingredients you need for this oh-so-simple chocolate mousse.
26. Cardamom Cream-Filled Bundt Cake
Surprise Momma with this Swedish twist on Bundt cake. It’s cut in half and filled with cardamom-laced whipped cream, so each bite tastes like a fluffy bite of heaven.
27. Meyer Lemon Bars
Is lemon her go-to? We got you. Try these bittersweet, bite-sized sweets dusted with powdered sugar from Heidi Larsen.
28. Mini Blackberry Cheesecake Tarts with Walnut Crust
Carlene Thomas’s bite-sized tarts 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.
29. Easy Turtle Sundae Ice Cream Pie
Six ingredients and store-bought ice cream come together in this decadent pie from Jesse Reilly. We bet Mom will be impressed.
30. Salty Dark and Milk Chocolate Skillet Cookie
“No, I don’t want a salted chocolate skillet cookie,” said no mom (or human) ever.
31. No-Bake Berry Tiramisu
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.
32. Cheesecake Thumbprint Cookies
Mom will love whatever you decide to make her, but what she really wants for Mother's Day is quality time. Luckily, these cuties will only take you 30 minutes to make, so you'll have plenty of time to hang.
33. Cantaloupe-Mint Sorbet
What has four ingredients, comes together in a blender and tastes like sunshine? This refreshing sorbet, of course.
34. Puff-Pastry Plum and Thyme Galette
Every mom loves a shortcut. Thanks to frozen puff pastry, you won't have to fuss with making pie dough from scratch.
35. Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes
Behold, the most delicious mashup of all time. These handhelds have a secret to boot: They're filled with sweetened fresh strawberries.
36. Lemon Pie with Blueberry Meringue
Part pie, part work of art. You can thank freeze-dried blueberries for the meringue's gorgeous lilac hue.
37. Mini Strawberry Ice-Cream Pies
Cool off with these simple pies filled with uber-sweet roasted strawberry filling. BTW, if you don't have mini pie pans, ramekins will work just fine.
38. Cheater’s Mini Rhubarb Galettes
How gorgeous are these pretty-in-pink treats? They're just begging to be topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or fresh whipped cream.
39. Coconut Rice Pudding with Rhubarb Compote
Speaking of rhubarb, she can do way more than just pies and galettes. And this three-ingredient compote proves it.
40. Botanical Shortbread Cookies
If your mom almost loves her plant babies or garden more than you, these cookies will be an easy win. You can find edible flowers like violets, pansies, roses or lavender online at Gourmet Sweet Botanicals.
41. Lemon-Raspberry Whoopie Pies
Be sure to brag to mom about not using food dye in the cream filling. Raspberry jam and fresh raspberries turn it pink on their own.
42. No-Bake, Gluten-Free Rose Petal Brownies
How can brownies this fudgy and chocolatey also be gluten-free and no-bake, you ask? The recipe calls for a base of sweet pitted dates instead of traditional flour. (They also just so happen to be vegan.)
43. Blueberry Crumble Pie
Why not pregame your Mother's Day celebration with a trip to the local farmers market for fresh berries? This one's all about the produce, so feel free to use a store-bought pie crust.
44. Strawberry, Cardamom and Pistachio Pavlova Bites
They're as stunning as they are delicious, so much so that mom might not even believe you made these light-as-air pavlova bites yourself.
45. No-Bake Coconut Cream Pie
Trust us: This no-bake gem is the next best thing to gifting her a tropical vacation for Mother's Day.
46. Meyer Lemon Loaf Cake
Might we suggest digging into this breakfast delight with a batch of lavender lattes?
47. Ice-Cream Cone Cannoli
Easy store-bought sugar cones > challenging homemade pastry shells.
48. Ricotta-Honey Ice Cream
Repeat after us: “I do not need fancy equipment to make ice cream.” All you need to pull it off is a large casserole dish or pan instead of an ice cream maker.
49. Oatmeal Cookie Cream Pies
Remember all those times mom slipped one into your lunchbox as a kid? It's about time you return the favor. Little Debbie would be proud.
50. Strawberry Pie with Strawberry Crust
Presenting the most gorgeous pie you'll ever make from scratch. Good looking out, freeze-dried strawberries.
51. PEANUT BUTTER CREAM PIE WITH RASPBERRY MERINGUE
Your grade-school PB&J, all grown up. The elegant swoops of pink, fruity meringue make the pie look like it was pulled straight out of a fairytale.
52. CARROT CAKE DOUGHNUTS WITH CREAM CHEESE GLAZE
We didn’t say carrot cake was completely off the table. “Doughnuts for dessert” has a nice ring to it.
53. SALTED PEANUT BUTTER AND HONEY ICE CREAM
Free of dairy and added sugar? Pinch us, we’re dreaming. Oh, and pass the hot fudge.