63 Spring Desserts Starring *All* the Seasonal Produce

1. Easy Lemon-hibiscus Layer Cake

• Time Commitment: 1 hour, 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.

2. Pineapple And Ginger Upside-down Cake

• Time Commitment: 1 hour, 45 minutes
• Why We Love It: Under 500 calories, crowd-pleaser, special occasion–worthy

It seems summery, but pineapple is actually in season in the spring. It gets caramelized and ultra-sweet in this recipe, which has a little bit of fresh ginger for a kick.

3. Mini Strawberry Ice-cream Pies

• Time Commitment: 40 minutes
• Why We Love It: Kid-friendly, <10 ingredients

Roasting the strawberries brings out their sweetness, even if you can’t get the best pint at the farmers market. Plus, this dessert takes no time to make.

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.

5. Lemon Meringue Cookies

• Time Commitment: 50 minutes
• Why We Love It: Crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, under 500 calories

The trick to maximum citrusy flavor involves rubbing the lemon zest and sugar together before making the dough. (Genius.)

6. Coconut Rice Pudding With Rhubarb Compote

• Time Commitment: 30 minutes
• Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, ready in <30 minutes

On its own, rhubarb is pretty tart. A creamy, sweet coconut rice pudding is the ideal foil.

7. Botanical Shortbread Cookies

• Time Commitment: 2 hours, 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.”) We like to get edible flowers online from Gourmet Sweet Botanicals, FYI.

8. Grapefruit Meringue Stacks

• Time Commitment: 3 hours
• Why We Love It: Special occasion–worthy, gluten free

This is like a cross between a meringue pie and a pavlova, and while it looks totally impressive, it’s 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.

10. Lemon Pie With Blueberry Meringue

• Time Commitment: 1 hour, 35 minutes
• Why We Love It: Special occasion–worthy, crowd-pleaser

This is the baking project you’ve been searching for. The meringue topping gets its soft purple tint from freeze-dried blueberries, which add color and flavor.

11. Glazed Blueberry Cake

• Time Commitment: 40 minutes
• Why We Love It: Beginner-friendly, kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser

Permission to eat the leftovers for breakfast granted.

12. Meyer Lemon Loaf Cake

• Time Commitment: 1 hour, 20 minutes
• Why We Love It: Kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly

Meyer lemons are technically in season in winter, but you can substitute regular lemons in the spring. It’ll taste a little tart, but we like that.

13. Strawberry Pie With Strawberry Crust

• Time Commitment: 2 hours, 45 minutes
• Why We Love It: Special occasion–worthy, crowd-pleaser

Get this: The crust is colored with strawberries instead of food dye, so this pie is strawberries squared.

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

It all comes together on one sheet pan, which means more time eating and less time worrying about the dishes.

15. Orange Flower Olive Oil Cake

• Time Commitment: 45 minutes
• Why We Love It: Under 500 calories, <10 ingredients, special occasion–worthy

When you think cake, you probably don’t think “less than an hour” or “doesn’t require special equipment,” but this recipe will change your mind.

16. Jammy Shortbread Bars

• Time Commitment: 55 minutes
• Why We Love It: Beginner-friendly, kid-friendly, <10 ingredients, make ahead

These cuties are made with raspberry jam, but you could use any flavor you prefer.

17. Bite-size Almond Raspberry Spoon Cakes

• Time Commitment: 30 minutes
• Why We Love It: Ready in <30 minutes, crowd-pleaser

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.

18. Lemon-raspberry Whoopie Pies

• Time Commitment: 1 hour, 5 minutes
• Why We Love It: Crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly

Whether you consider it a cookie, pie or cake is a moot point—it’s delicious any way you spin it.

19. Lemon-berry Sheet-pan Trifle

• Time Commitment: 3 hours, 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 right on the baking sheet, 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

Mastering the fine art of the soufflé is officially NBD, thanks to this foolproof recipe.

21. Strawberry Sponge Cake

• Time Commitment: 1 hour, 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.)

22. Strawberry, Cardamom And Pistachio Pavlova Bites

• Time Commitment: 3 hours, 25 minutes
• Why We Love It: Crowd-pleaser, gluten free, special occasion–worthy

They’re small and light as air. Go ahead and have more than one.

23. Raspberry Choux Puffs

• Time Commitment: 2 hours, 30 minutes
• Why We Love It: Special occasion–worthy, under 500 calories, crowd-pleaser

Making the moving parts is slightly involved, but the end result—creamy, dreamy éclair-like pastry—is so worth it.

24. 3-ingredient Japanese Cheesecake

• Time Commitment: 1 hour, 20 minutes
• Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, crowd-pleaser, special occasion–worthy, gluten free

The texture is light and fluffy, but the taste is just like New York-style cheesecake. You might even have the ingredients in your kitchen already.

25. Angel Food Cake

• Time Commitment: 1 hour, 5 minutes
• Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, crowd-pleaser, under 500 calories

When three layers and homemade buttercream aren’t in the cards, make this “less is more” cake and let the fresh fruit garnish do the hard work.

26. Muffin-tin Lemon Meringue Tarts

• Time Commitment: 2 hours
• Why We Love It: Crowd-pleaser, special occasion–worthy

Sugar cookie crust, creamy lemon custard and soft meringue all baked up in a muffin tin—what’s not to love?

27. Angel Food Cupcakes

• Time Commitment: 30 minutes
• Why We Love It: Ready in <30 minutes, crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, under 500 calories

These cupcakes take 30 minutes to make from start to finish. Need we say more?

28. Strawberry Shortcake Skewers With Whipped Cream

• Time Commitment: 1 hour
• Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, crowd-pleaser

On the first 60-degree day, we’re firing up the grill and making these sweet skewers.

29. Carrot Cake Doughnuts With Cream Cheese Glaze

• Time Commitment: 1 hour
• Why We Love It: Crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, under 500 calories

Carrots for spring? Not so groundbreaking. Carrot doughnuts, on the other hand…

30. Peanut Butter Cream Pie With Raspberry Meringue

• Time Commitment: 1 hour, 45 minutes
• Why We Love It: Special occasion–worthy, crowd-pleaser

It’s the raspberry meringue for us.

31. Tie-dye Sugar Cookies

• 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’re in business.

32. 10-minute Strawberry Cobbler For One

• Time Commitment: 10 minutes
• Why We Love It: One bowl, ready in <15 minutes, <10 ingredients

This one is for those nights when you don’t want to share.

33. 4-ingredient Lemon Cookies

• Time Commitment: 15 minutes
• Why We Love It: Beginner-friendly, ready in <30 minutes, <10 ingredients

You had us at four ingredients (and again at ready in 15 minutes).

34. Cheater’s Brioche Buns With Fruity Glaze

• Time Commitment: 2 hours, 15 minutes
• Why We Love It: Crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, under 500 calories

Homemade bread? You’ve got this.

35. Lemon Curd With Whipped Cream

• Time Commitment: 20 minutes
• Why We Love It: Ready in <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.

36. Lemon Ginger No-churn Ice Cream

• Time Commitment: 35 minutes
• Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly, under 500 calories, gluten free

Would you like a cup of sunshine, or a cone?

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.

38. Easy Cherry Skillet Cake

• Time Commitment: 1 hour
• Why We Love It: One pan, crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly

Swap the cherries for strawberries to make it spring-ready.

39. Pineapple Sheet Cake

• Time Commitment: 1 hour
• Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, crowd-pleaser, special occasion–worthy, make ahead

The cake itself is just five ingredients. That means there’s no excuse to skip the luscious cream cheese frosting.

40. Birthday Cake Petit Fours

• Time Commitment: 1 hour, 35 minutes
• Why We Love It: Special occasion–worthy, kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser

You don’t need a birthday to make these adorable bites. Just saying.

41. Pistachio Drop Cookies

• 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.

42. Rhubarb Cobbler With Mint

• 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 is the cherry on top.

43. Strawberry-Glazed Old-Fashioned Doughnuts

• Time Commitment: 3 hours
• Why We Love It: Under 500 calories, crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly

Just look at the color of that strawberry glaze and try to resist. We know you can’t.

44. Rhubarb-almond Cake

• Time Commitment: 1 hour, 5 minutes
• Why We Love It: Crowd-pleaser, special occasion–worthy, make ahead

Is it breakfast, or is it dessert? We say both!

45. Neapolitan Cookies

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

They’re matcha, vanilla and strawberry all in one. We like to save our favorite bite (strawberry) for last.

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.

47. Lemon Crumb Cake

• Time Commitment: 1 hour, 30 minutes
• Why We Love It: Crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly

Hidden beneath the lemon crumb (!) are swoops and swirls of gorgeous homemade lemon curd.

48. Lemon Blueberry Cupcakes

• Time Commitment: 1 hour, 20 minutes
• Why We Love It: Kid-friendly, under 500 calories, crowd-pleaser, special occasion–worthy

If this flavor combination doesn’t scream “warmer weather,” we don’t know what does.

49. Blackberry Lemon Bars

• Time Commitment: 55 minutes
• Why We Love It: Crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly

The magenta-colored filling is tangy, fruity and too pretty to pass up.

50. Mini Carrot Cakes With Cream Cheese Frosting

• Time Commitment: 2 hours
• Why We Love It: Special occasion–worthy, crowd-pleaser

Everything can be prepared a day or two ahead, making assembling—and devouring—these tiny treats even sweeter.

51. Lucky Charms Treats

• Time Commitment: 20 minutes
• Why We Love It: Ready in <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 for St. Patrick’s Day, so we couldn’t skip ’em.

52. Passionfruit Pie With A Coconut Graham Cracker Crust

• Time Commitment: 3 hours, 55 minutes
• Why We Love It: Special occasion–worthy, crowd-pleaser

This tastes like a vacation in the best way possible.

53. Mini Coconut-lime Tarts With Sugar-soaked Strawberries

• Time Commitment: 3 hours, 35 minutes
• Why We Love It: Crowd-pleaser, special occasion–worthy

Coconut is rich and creamy; lime is tart and zippy. They’re the perfect pair.

54. Pistachio Cupcakes With Strawberry Frosting

• Time Commitment: 3 hours
• Why We Love It: Special occasion–worthy, crowd-pleaser

These cupcakes are softer and fluffier than a marshmallow, thanks to cake flour, egg whites and sour cream in the batter.

55. Banana Pudding Pie

• Time Commitment: 2 hours
• Why We Love It: Crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly, kid-friendly

The most difficult part is waiting for it to chill before you can dig in with a spoon.

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. Here, you can make eight of them.

Get the recipe

57. Upside-down Mini Lemon Meringue Pies

• Time Commitment: 4 hours
• Why We Love It: Crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly, make ahead

Every element in these cute cups can be made ahead. How’s that for effortless?

58. Berries And Cream Cookies

• Time Commitment: 40 minutes
• Why We Love It: Kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly

We used a mix of freeze-dried strawberries and raspberries (got ’em at Trader Joe’s), but you can use any variety you like.

59. Little Jam Flower Cookies

• Time Commitment: 1 hour, 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, these spring-ready bites are some of the cutest we’ve seen.

60. Strawberry Galette With Whipped Cream

• Time Commitment: 1 hour, 45 minutes
• Why We Love It: Crowd-pleaser, special occasion–worthy

There are surprise ingredients in every element of this classic dessert, from the rosemary-laced crust to the tangy, balsamic strawberries.

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

This is even better than a bouquet of fresh flowers.

63. Strawberries And Crème

• Time Commitment: 15 minutes
• Why We Love It: Ready in <30 minutes, no cook, beginner-friendly

The beauty of cooking with in-season produce is that usually, less is more.