63 Spring Desserts Starring *All* the Seasonal Produce
We’ll take any excuse to make dessert. Wednesday? Cupcakes. Only hit snooze once? Cookies, coming right up. 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 63 spring desserts to make from now until June.
RELATED: 70 Spring Dinner Ideas to Celebrate the Season
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.
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.
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