63 Spring Desserts to Celebrate the New Season

Photo: Nico Schinco/Styling: Erin McDowell

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.

Get the recipe

Photo: Mark Weinberg/Styling: Erin McDowell

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.

Get the recipe

Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

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.

Get the recipe

Photo: Mark Weinberg/Styling: Erin McDowell

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.)

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Photo: Nico Schinco/Styling: Erin McDowell

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.

Get the recipe

Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

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.

Get the recipe

Photo: Mark Weinberg/Styling: Erin McDowell

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.

Get the recipe

Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

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.

Get the recipe

Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

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.

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Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

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.

Get the recipe

Photo: Nico Schinco/Styling: Erin McDowell

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.

Get the recipe

Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

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.

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Peter Som

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.

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Karen Tedesco/Family Style

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.

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Photo: Mark Weinberg/Styling: Erin McDowell

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.

Get the recipe

Photo: Nico Schinco/Styling: Erin McDowell

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.

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Photo: Matt Dutile/Styling: Erin McDowell

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.

Get the recipe

Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

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.

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Photo: Mark Weinberg/Styling: Erin McDowell

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.

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Mark Roper/So French So Sweet

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.)

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Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

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.

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Mark Roper/So French So Sweet

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.

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Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

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.

Get the recipe

Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

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.

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Photo: Nico Schinco/Styling: Erin McDowell

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?

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Photo: Mark Weinberg/Styling: Erin McDowell

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?

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Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

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.

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Photo: Nico Schinco/Styling: Erin McDowell

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…

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Mark Weinberg/The Book on Pie

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.

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Photo/Styling: Katherine Gillen

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.

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Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

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.

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Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

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).

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Photo: Matt Dutile/Styling: Erin McDowell

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.

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Christopher Hirsheimer/Canal House Cook Something

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.

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Matthew Septimus/Rose’s Ice Cream Bliss

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?

Get the recipe

Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

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.

Get the recipe

Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

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.

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What’s Gaby Cooking

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.

Get the recipe

Photo: Nico Schinco/Styling: Erin McDowell

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.

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Sally’s Baking Addiction

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.

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The Modern Proper

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.

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Spoon Fork Bacon

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.

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Floating Kitchen

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!

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I Am a Food Blog

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.

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Spoon Fork Bacon

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.

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How Sweet Eats

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.

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A Cookie Named Desire

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.

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Grandbaby Cakes

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.

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Erin McDowell

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.

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A Cookie Named Desire

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.

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A Classic Twist

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.

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Spoon Fork Bacon

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.

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Sally’s Baking Addiction

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.

Get the recipe

What’s Gaby Cooking

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.

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Katherine Gillen

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

Katherine Gillen

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?

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Katherine Gillen

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.

Get the recipe

Charlotte Bland/La Vita e Dolce

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.

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Robert Bredvad/The Secret Ingredient Cookbook

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.

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Lisa Romerein/Love Is Served

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.)

Get the recipe

Katherine Gillen

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.

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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.

Get the recipe

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63 Spring Desserts Starring *All* the Seasonal Produce

1. Easy Lemon-Hibiscus Layer Cake

2. Pineapple and Ginger Upside-Down Cake

3. Mini Strawberry Ice-Cream Pies

4. Cheater’s Mini Rhubarb Galettes

5. Lemon Meringue Cookies

6. Coconut Rice Pudding with Rhubarb Compote

7. Botanical Shortbread Cookies

8. Grapefruit Meringue Stacks

9. Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes

10. Lemon Pie with Blueberry Meringue

11. Glazed Blueberry Cake

12. Meyer Lemon Loaf Cake

13. Strawberry Pie with Strawberry Crust

14. Sheet-Pan Strawberry Shortcake with Black Pepper, Whipped Honey Ricotta and Togarashi

15. Orange Flower Olive Oil Cake

16. Jammy Shortbread Bars

17. Bite-Size Almond Raspberry Spoon Cakes

18. Lemon-Raspberry Whoopie Pies

19. Lemon-Berry Sheet-Pan Trifle

20. Blueberry, Blackberry and Raspberry Soufflés

21. Strawberry Sponge Cake

22. Strawberry, Cardamom and Pistachio Pavlova Bites

23. Raspberry Choux Puffs

24. 3-Ingredient Japanese Cheesecake

25. Angel Food Cake

26. Muffin-Tin Lemon Meringue Tarts

27. Angel Food Cupcakes

28. Strawberry Shortcake Skewers with Whipped Cream

29. Carrot Cake Doughnuts with Cream Cheese Glaze

30. Peanut Butter Cream Pie with Raspberry Meringue

31. Tie-Dye Sugar Cookies

32. 10-Minute Strawberry Cobbler for One

33. 4-Ingredient Lemon Cookies

34. Cheater’s Brioche Buns with Fruity Glaze

35. Lemon Curd with Whipped Cream

36. Lemon Ginger No-Churn Ice Cream

37. No-Bake Cheesecake with Raspberry Compote

38. Easy Cherry Skillet Cake

39. Pineapple Sheet Cake

40. Birthday Cake Petit Fours

41. Pistachio Drop Cookies

42. Rhubarb Cobbler with Mint

43. Strawberry-Glazed Old-Fashioned Doughnuts

44. Rhubarb-Almond Cake

45. Neapolitan Cookies

46. Roasted Strawberry Shortcake Shakes

47. Lemon Crumb Cake

48. Lemon Blueberry Cupcakes

49. Blackberry Lemon Bars

50. Mini Carrot Cakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

51. Lucky Charms Treats

52. Passionfruit Pie with a Coconut Graham Cracker Crust

53. Mini Coconut-Lime Tarts with Sugar-Soaked Strawberries

54. Pistachio Cupcakes with Strawberry Frosting

55. Banana Pudding Pie

56. Cheater’s Mini Strawberry-Vanilla Galettes

57. Upside-Down Mini Lemon Meringue Pies

58. Berries and Cream Cookies

59. Little Jam Flower Cookies

60. Strawberry Galette with Whipped Cream

61. Vegan Strawberry Shortcake in a Jar

62. Hummingbird Cupcakes with Pineapple ‘Flowers’

63. Strawberries and Crème

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63 Spring Desserts Starring All the Seasonal Produce