TBH, we don’t need a real reason to make dessert. Wednesday? Cupcakes. Slept in one morning? Cookies, coming right up. But thawing out from winter’s permafrost and saying hello to spring? Now that’s an occasion worth celebrating with sweets. In honor of a new season (and the return of our farmers market favorites), here are 68 spring desserts to make from now until June. Our favorites include cheater’s mini rhubarb galettes, lemon pie with blueberry meringue and sheet pan strawberry shortcake.
68 Spring Desserts Starring *All* the Seasonal Produce
From rhubarb to strawberries to pineapple
•
Published Feb 13, 2024
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
1. Easy Lemon-Hibiscus Layer Cake
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 5 minutes
- Why We Love It: special occasion–worthy, crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly
By easy, we mean it’s ready in about an hour. If you want to be extra festive, decorate it with edible flowers (or even simpler, sprinkles).
2. Pineapple and Ginger Upside-Down Cake
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 45 minutes
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion–worthy, <500 calories
It seems summery, but pineapple is actually in season in the spring. It turns caramelized and ultra-sweet in this spring dessert recipe, which has a bit of fresh ginger for a welcome kick.
3. Mini Strawberry Ice Cream Pies
- Time Commitment: 40 minutes
- Why We Love It: kid-friendly, <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly
Roasting the strawberries brings out their sweetness, even if you don’t find the best pint at the farmers market. Plus, this dessert takes no time to make and it's picky kid-approved.
4. Cheater’s Mini Rhubarb Galettes
- Time Commitment: 45 minutes
- Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly
Psst: The crust is made from store-bought puff pastry, but you don’t have to tell anyone. The rest is fresh rhubarb, sugar and an easy egg wash for browning.
- Time Commitment: 50 minutes
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, <500 calories, make ahead
All the flavor of pie, minus the work. The trick to this spring dessert's intense citrusy flavor is rubbing the lemon zest and sugar together before making the dough. Ingenious.
6. Coconut Rice Pudding with Rhubarb Compote
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly, gluten free
On its own, rhubarb is pretty tart. A creamy coconut rice pudding, sweetened with condensed milk, is the ultimate foil, if you ask us.
7. Botanical Shortbread Cookies
- Time Commitment: 2 hours and 15 minutes
- Why We Love It: special occasion–worthy, <10 ingredients, crowd-pleaser
They’re almost too pretty to eat. (The keyword there is “almost.”) For the flower toppers, violets, pansies, roses and lavender are all edible and relatively easy to find.
- Time Commitment: 3 hours
- Why We Love It: special occasion–worthy, gluten free, beginner-friendly
This spring dessert is like a cross between a meringue pie and a pavlova. While it looks totally impressive, it’s practically foolproof to put together.
9. Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes
- Time Commitment: 1 hour
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, beginner-friendly
Two desserts in one? Don’t mind if we do. We're betting finicky eaters will even ask for seconds of this simple spring dessert.
10. Lemon Pie with Blueberry Meringue
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 35 minutes
- Why We Love It: special occasion–worthy, crowd-pleaser, make ahead
This is the wow-worthy baking project you’ve been searching for. The meringue topping gets its soft purple tint from freeze-dried blueberries, which add color and flavor.
- Time Commitment: 40 minutes
- Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser
Permission to eat the leftovers for breakfast, granted. This eye-catching confection will fit right in at an alfresco dinner party and Sunday brunch alike.
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 20 minutes
- Why We Love It: kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly
Meyer lemons are technically in season in winter, but you can easily substitute standard lemons in the spring. It'll taste a bit more tart, but that's no problem in our book.
13. Strawberry Pie with Strawberry Crust
- Time Commitment: 2 hours and 45 minutes
- Why We Love It: special occasion–worthy, crowd-pleaser, make ahead
Get this: The crust is colored with strawberries instead of food dye, so this pie is strawberries squared. How's that for a spring dessert?
14. Sheet Pan Strawberry Shortcake with Black Pepper, Whipped Honey Ricotta and Togarashi
- Time Commitment: 55 minutes
- Why We Love It: sheet pan recipe, beginner-friendly, special occasion-worthy
It all comes together on one sheet pan, which means more time eating and less time worrying about the dishes. (In case you're wondering, togarashi is a Japanese spice blend that’s toasty, spicy and sweet.)
15. Orange Flower Olive Oil Cake
- Time Commitment: 45 minutes
- Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, special occasion–worthy, <500 calories
When you think cake, you probably don’t think “less than an hour” or “doesn’t require special equipment,” but this spring dessert will change your mind. Garnish with a dusting of confectioners' sugar and fresh berries or citrus fruit.
- Time Commitment: 55 minutes
- Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, kid-friendly, <10 ingredients, make ahead
These cuties start with an easy, press-in brown sugar shortbread. It's filled with store-bought raspberry jam, but you could use any flavor you'd like.
17. Bite-Size Almond Raspberry Spoon Cakes
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy, <500 calories
Lightly sweet and bursting with almond flavor, these cake bites can be made by hand using just a whisk and a single bowl. We’re smitten—and you will be, too.
18. Lemon-Raspberry Whoopie Pies
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 5 minutes
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, make ahead
Whether you consider it a cookie, pie or cake is a moot point—it’s delicious any way you spin it. This spring dessert travels well, so pack it in lunchboxes, picnic baskets and purses galore.
19. Lemon-Berry Sheet Pan Trifle
- Time Commitment: 3 hours and 45 minutes
- Why We Love It: sheet pan recipe, crowd-pleaser, special occasion–worthy, gluten free
Trifles only sound stuffy and old-school. This modernized version is served on a baking sheet instead of in a crystal-cut bowl, making it easy for everyone to dig in at once.
20. Blueberry, Blackberry and Raspberry Soufflés
- Time Commitment: 55 minutes
- Why We Love It: special occasion–worthy, <10 ingredients, gluten free
Mastering the fine art of the soufflé is officially NBD, thanks to this foolproof recipe. Just be sure not to over-mix the batter or slam the tray down when you take them out of the oven.
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 10 minutes
- Why We Love It: special occasion–worthy, <10 ingredients, crowd-pleaser
Everyone will think you're running a fancy French bakery out of your kitchen. (Not a bad idea, if you ask us.) The icing on top is two strawberries and confectioners' sugar—that's it.
22. Strawberry, Cardamom and Pistachio Pavlova Bites
- Time Commitment: 3 hours and 25 minutes
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, gluten free, special occasion–worthy
They’re miniature and light as air, so go ahead, have three (or five...). This nine-ingredient spring dessert is also free of flour, so gluten-free eaters can safely get in on the goods.
- Time Commitment: 2 hours and 30 minutes
- Why We Love It: special occasion–worthy, crowd-pleaser, <500 calories
Making the moving parts is slightly involved, but the end result—a creamy, dreamy éclair-like pastry—is so worth it. They're filled with whipped cream, fresh raspberries and passionfruit pulp.
24. 3-Ingredient Japanese Cheesecake
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 20 minutes
- Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, crowd-pleaser, special occasion–worthy, gluten free
The texture is supremely light and fluffy, but the taste is just like New York-style cheesecake. You might even have the necessary ingredients already in your kitchen.
25. Angel Food Cake
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 5 minutes
- Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, crowd-pleaser, <500 calories
When three layers and homemade buttercream aren’t in the cards, make this “less is more” spring dessert and let the fresh fruit garnish do the hard work. Bonus points for grilling the cake slices before serving.
26. Muffin Tin Lemon Meringue Tarts
- Time Commitment: 2 hours
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion–worthy, make ahead
Sugar cookie crust, creamy lemon custard and soft meringue, all baked up in a muffin tin—what’s not to love? Face it, you've been looking for a reason to buy a kitchen torch anyway.
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, <500 calories
These cupcakes take 30 minutes to make from start to finish. Need we say more? Kids will love the strawberry-kissed frosting on top.
28. Strawberry Shortcake Skewers with Whipped Cream
- Time Commitment: 1 hour
- Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly
On the first 60-degree day, we’re firing up the grill to make these sweet skewers. The berries are served on biscuits made from store-bought dough, slathered in honey butter.
29. Carrot Cake Doughnuts with Cream Cheese Glaze
- Time Commitment: 1 hour
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, <500 calories
Carrots for spring? Not so groundbreaking. Carrot doughnuts, on the other hand, are revelatory. These have Easter dessert written all over them.
30. Peanut Butter Cream Pie with Raspberry Meringue
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 45 minutes
- Why We Love It: special occasion–worthy, crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly
It’s the raspberry meringue for us. Substitute a store-bought pie crust if you're pressed for time; it'll be our little secret.
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, kid-friendly, special occasion–worthy, crowd-pleaser
Swap the heart cookie cutters for flowers, the pink food coloring for yellow, orange and green, and you'll have an adorable, spring-themed dessert in a flash. Sub store-bought sugar cookies to save time.
32. 10-Minute Strawberry Cobbler for One
- Time Commitment: 10 minutes
- Why We Love It: one bowl, <30 minutes, <10 ingredients
This one is for those nights when you don’t want to share—or turn on the oven. Top this microwave masterpiece with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
33. 4-Ingredient Lemon Cookies
- Time Commitment: 15 minutes
- Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, <30 minutes, <10 ingredients
You had us at four ingredients (and again at ready in 15 minutes). Boxed lemon cake mix makes this low-lift spring dessert possible.
34. Cheater’s Brioche Buns with Fruity Glaze
- Time Commitment: 2 hours and 15 minutes
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, <500 calories
Homemade bread? You’ve got this. Even if you don't nail the brioche on the first try, the raspberry and blueberry glazes will make up for it. Trust.
35. Lemon Curd with Whipped Cream
- Time Commitment: 20 minutes
- Why We Love It: <30 minutes, make ahead, <10 ingredients
This unfussy, elegant dish can be refrigerated for two weeks and frozen even longer. Make-ahead dessert has a nice ring to it, no?
36. Lemon Ginger No-Churn Ice Cream
- Time Commitment: 35 minutes
- Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly, gluten free, <500 calories
Would you like a cup of sunshine or a cone? You won't need a fancy ice cream maker to pull off this gem, which starts with super silky Italian meringue.
37. No-Bake Cheesecake with Raspberry Compote
- Time Commitment: 3 hours
- Why We Love It: no cook, special occasion–worthy, <10 ingredients
No oven, no problem. The simple topping can be made with any type of berry; just adjust the sugar to taste.
- Time Commitment: 1 hour
- Why We Love It: one pan, crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly
A cast iron skillet guarantees crisp edges and a tender interior. Swap the cherries for strawberries to make it spring-ready (or use frozen cherries if you can't wait until summer to get your fix).
- Time Commitment: 1 hour
- Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, crowd-pleaser, special occasion–worthy, make ahead
The cake itself only requires five ingredients. That means there’s no excuse to skip the luscious cream cheese frosting.
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 35 minutes
- Why We Love It: special occasion–worthy, kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser
Yeah, it's in the name. But you don't need a birthday to make these adorable bites. Just saying.
- Time Commitment: 1 hour
- Why We Love It: one bowl, crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly
The green color practically screams spring, and the brown butter glaze means you’ll have to eat at least two. We don’t make the rules.
- Time Commitment: 1 hour
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly, <10 ingredients
Imagine a biscuit-based shortcake, only with all the flavor of a fruit pie. The fresh mint brings this simple spring dessert to life.
43. Strawberry-Glazed Old-Fashioned Doughnuts
- Time Commitment: 3 hours
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, <500 calories
Just *look* at the color of that strawberry glaze and try to resist. It'd also taste great on sugar cookies, brownies, ice cream and pound cake.
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 5 minutes
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion–worthy, make ahead
Is it breakfast, or is it dessert? We say both. Feel free to make it ahead; the Greek yogurt will keep the cake moist for the long haul.
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, <10 ingredients
This spring dessert features matcha, vanilla and strawberry all in one. We like to save our favorite bite (strawberry) for last, but you do you.
46. Roasted Strawberry Shortcake Shakes
- Time Commitment: 55 minutes
- Why We Love It: kid-friendly, <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly
The secret ingredient is white balsamic vinegar, which gives the berries a little oomph while they roast in the oven. (Oh, and the blended pound cake helps too.)
47. Lemon Crumb Cake
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 30 minutes
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, beginner-friendly
Hidden beneath the lemon crumb (!) are swoops and swirls of gorgeous homemade lemon curd. Might we suggest washing it down with an Earl Grey latte?
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 20 minutes
- Why We Love It: kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser, special occasion–worthy, <500 calories
If this flavor combination doesn’t scream “spring weather,” we don’t know what does. A mix of cream cheese and blueberry frostings piped side by side make the cupcakes appear extra fancy.
- Time Commitment: 55 minutes
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly, make ahead
The magenta-colored filling is tangy, fruity and too pretty to pass up. Use frozen blackberries for it if they're not at peak freshness yet.
50. Mini Carrot Cakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Time Commitment: 2 hours
- Why We Love It: special occasion–worthy, crowd-pleaser, make ahead
Aren't they precious? Everything can be prepared a day or two ahead, making assembling—and devouring—these tiny spring desserts even sweeter.
- Time Commitment: 20 minutes
- Why We Love It: <30 minutes, kid-friendly, beginner-friendly
If we’re being honest, there’s nothing particularly “spring” about Lucky Charms. But we feel compelled to make a batch of these sticky-sweet treats every St. Patrick’s Day, so we couldn’t skip ’em.
52. Passionfruit Pie with a Coconut Graham Cracker Crust
- Time Commitment: 3 hours and 55 minutes
- Why We Love It: special occasion–worthy, crowd-pleaser, make ahead
This tastes like a vacation in the best way possible, from the coconut-graham cracker crust to the three-ingredient passionfruit purée filling.
53. Mini Coconut-Lime Tarts with Sugar-Soaked Strawberries
- Time Commitment: 3 hours and 35 minutes
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion–worthy, make ahead
Coconut is rich and creamy, while lime is tart and zippy. They’re the perfect pair, don't you think? Cream cheese in the pie dough makes the tarts ever so slightly tangy.
54. Pistachio Cupcakes with Strawberry Frosting
- Time Commitment: 3 hours
- Why We Love It: special occasion–worthy, crowd-pleaser, make ahead
These cupcakes are softer and fluffier than a marshmallow, thanks to cake flour, egg whites and sour cream in the batter. The vibrant frosting is just a tasty bonus.
- Time Commitment: 2 hours
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly, kid-friendly
The most difficult step is waiting for it to chill before you can dig in with a spoon. We won't tell if you opt for store-bought pudding instead of homemade.
56. Cheater’s Mini Strawberry-Vanilla Galettes
- Time Commitment: 50 minutes
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients, special occasion–worthy
It’s not often you can say you made a pie in less than an hour. With this spring dessert recipe on your side, you can make eight of them. Color your guests impressed.
57. Upside-Down Mini Lemon Meringue Pies
- Time Commitment: 4 hours
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly, make ahead
Every element (graham cracker crumble, lemon curd, meringue) in these cute cups can be made ahead. In the words of Ina Garten, how easy is that?
- Time Commitment: 40 minutes
- Why We Love It: kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly
We used a mix of freeze-dried strawberries and raspberries (which you can find at Trader Joe’s, BTW) to color these cookies, but you can use any variety you like.
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 5 minutes
- Why We Love It: kid-friendly, make ahead, beginner-friendly
A cookie is a beautiful thing, whether it’s intricately decorated with icing or spilling over with melted chocolate chips. However, this spring dessert is one of the cutest we’ve ever seen.
60. Strawberry Galette with Whipped Cream
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 45 minutes
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion–worthy, beginner-friendly
There are surprise ingredients in every element of this classic dessert, from the rosemary-laced crust to the tangy, balsamic strawberries. Oh, and did we mention the sour cream whip?
61. Vegan Strawberry Shortcake in a Jar
- Time Commitment: 1 hour
- Why We Love It: vegan, make ahead, gluten free
No dairy, no problem. These shortcake cups get their richness from plant-based ingredients like coconut oil and almond milk instead of butter and cream. (Bonus: They’re also gluten free.)
62. Hummingbird Cupcakes with Pineapple ‘Flowers’
- Time Commitment: 4 hours
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion–worthy, make ahead
This is even better than a bouquet of fresh flowers. Hummingbird cake—a lightly spiced pineapple dessert—is considered a Southern classic, and it's the best way to use up ultra-ripe bananas, which are the key to its moisture.
- Time Commitment: 15 minutes
- Why We Love It: <30 minutes, no cook, beginner-friendly
The beauty of cooking with in-season produce is that usually, less is more. This beyond-simple spring dessert is delicious proof.
- Time Commitment: 50 minutes (plus chilling time)
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, make ahead, special occasion-worthy
Sweet, sour and salty, this lemon pie's signature is the crushed saltine cracker crust. Use lemon juice in the filling or a mix of lemon and lime juices for slightly floral, less tart results.
65. Grilled Pineapple Split Sundae with Cherry Sauce
- Time Commitment: 40 minutes
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly, <10 ingredients
We all scream for this delightful spring dessert. Whip out the grill pan to char the pineapple indoors if it isn't warm enough to cook outdoors. Feel free to use frozen cherries for the sauce if they aren't in season yet.
66. Strawberry Half-Moon Cookies
- Time Commitment: 50 minutes
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, make ahead, kid-friendly
No hate to the O.G., but this fruity spin on black and white cookies is pretty irresistible. The cookies' dreamy blush hue is courtesy of powdered, freeze-dried berries, not food dye.
67. Lemon Curd Thumbprint Cookies
- Time Commitment: 45 minutes
- Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, crowd-pleaser, make ahead
So buttery, so sweet-tart. None of your guests will know if you opt for filling this spring dessert with store-bought lemon curd instead of making it from scratch (and we won't tell).
68. Mini Strawberry-Rhubarb Shortcakes
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 20 minutes
- Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy, beginner-friendly
Don't let the homemade shortcake biscuits intimidate you: They're easy enough for even newbies to master. If you have the time, make the fruit compote ahead; it'll keep in the fridge for five days.
