Holidays & Occasions Easter 43 Last-Minute Easter Desserts That Will Save The Day These easy Easter desserts will save the day when you're short on time. By Mary Alice Russell Mary Alice Russell Mary Alice Russell is a Southern Living fellow who is starting her career in lifestyle journalism. Primarily focused on social media and digital production, Mary Alice is excited to hone her skills and dedicate her professional life to beautiful things, from homes to hearts.A recent graduate of Washington and Lee University, Mary Alice majored in journalism and art history. At W&L, she was co-editor-in-chief of her school paper, The Ring-tum Phi, with her best friend and interned for The Welcome Home Podcast. Now based in Birmingham, Alabama, Mary Alice is a Virginia native who is proud to hail from the land of ham and peanuts. Southern Living's editorial guidelines and Zoe Gowen Zoe Gowen After a notable obsession with yellow houses, historic homes, and glossy magazines as a child that lead to a degree in American Studies from Sewanee: University of the South followed by a jaunt through the Washington, DC art world, Zoë found her way as the Senior Home and Garden Editor with Southern Living. There she crisscrossed the region to produce inspiring interiors, entertaining, and holiday stories while also overseeing the Idea House franchise. After seeing more porches and Christmas trees than any other reasonable person can claim, she ventured out to pave new roads freelancing for various magazines and helping people bring magazine tearsheets to life inside private homes via interior decorating. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on March 17, 2024 Close Photo: Joy Howard Mama's got the ham, Grandma's bringing the rolls, and your sisters are bringing the scalloped potatoes and asparagus salad. Looks like you're in charge of Easter dessert. Before you break out the chocolate bunnies, take a look at these simple and beautiful recipes. These last-minute Easter desserts come together with a minimum of time and fuss and will end your meal on a sweet note—no raiding the kids' Easter baskets necessary. Our list of Easter cakes, candies, and cookies have quick prep times, leaving plenty of time for you to worry about those finishing touches. These easy, last-minute Easter desserts won't just save the day—they'll steal the show. 01 of 43 Birds Nest Cookies Joy Howard You only need 15 minutes to whip up a batch of these festive, seasonal treats. Even better, little bunnies can pitch in with this no-bake recipe. Those who don't prefer chocolate can try our butterscotch version. Get The Recipe 02 of 43 Carrot Cake Cupcakes Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey, Prop Stylist: Shell Royster We promise these carrot cake cupcakes will delight your Easter table. Plus, this recipe is super simple to follow and only takes 25 minutes of hands on time, before the oven does the rest of the work. Swap out the walnuts for pecans, if you prefer. Get The Recipe 03 of 43 Chocolate Chick Cake Victor Protasio; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Stylist: Mary Clayton Carl Jones The entire family will love the intense chocolate flavor of this sheet cake, which is enhanced with espresso powder. Decorate it with chocolate chicks or any Easter candies you have on hand. Get The Recipe 04 of 43 Carrot Cake Bars Photography: Caitlin Bensel, Food Styling: Karen Rankin Carrot cake is an Easter tradition in many families, but you don't always have time to assemble all those layers. This easy version travels well and is ready in about two hours. Get The Recipe 05 of 43 Easter Carrot Cake Trifles Photographer: Greg DuPree, Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn This kid-friendly dessert starts with a carrot cake mix and adds a big dose of fun. Don't have time to make up individual servings? You can also prepare it in a trifle dish. Get The Recipe 06 of 43 Easter Birds' Nest Coconut Cupcakes Cedric Angeles; Prop Styling: Claire Spollen; Food Styling: Torie Cox An upgrade from boxed cake mix, these cupcakes are as eye-catching as they are delicious. The coconut cream cheese frosting, however, is what really steals the show. Get The Recipe 07 of 43 Ambrosia Bark Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Torie Cox Whether you believe ambrosia is a salad or the ultimate dessert, we can all agree that this easy Ambrosia Bark is sure to be a hit. We used dried fruits so that this bark can last for up to one week in the fridge. Get The Recipe 08 of 43 Millionaire Pie Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox Pineapple bits and chewy, sweet coconut are suspended in this creamy confection that comes together in 10 minutes. Gelatin sets the pie so that it firms up in about an hour. Get The Recipe 09 of 43 Sugar Cookie Bars Caitlin Bensel, Food Stylist: Torie Cox Whip up a batch of soft and chewy sugar cookies in bar form, then decorate with frosting and sprinkles in the colors of your choice. Best of all, you may already have the ingredients for these bar cookies in your pantry. Get The Recipe 10 of 43 Hummingbird Snack Cake With Brown Butter Frosting Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke Want the drama of a cake without having to frost all those layers? This Hummingbird Snack Cake is one of our easiest versions of the Southern classic. Get The Recipe 11 of 43 Lemon-Lime Poke Cake Photographer: Greg DuPree, Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer Prop Stylist: Audrey Davis This recipe dresses up a white cake mix with a citrus-spiked filling and whipped topping. Ready in under two hours, the cake can chill in the fridge while you enjoy your Easter lunch. Get The Recipe 12 of 43 Strawberry Cheesecake Bites Photographer: Greg DuPree, Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn These little bites taste a whole lot like cheesecake, but they come together in a lot less time. Get everyone involved by letting your kids crush up graham crackers for the topping. Get The Recipe 13 of 43 Lemon Tiramisu Photographer Victor Protasio, Food Stylist Ruth Blackburn, Prop Stylist Heather Chadduck Using an instant pudding mix, mascarpone, and cream cheese, this light and lemony dessert can be assembled in around 15 minutes. Let it set in the refrigerator for about two hours and serve after your Easter meal. Get The Recipe 14 of 43 Mini Confetti Cake Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Torie Cox; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke This fancy-looking dessert is a piece of cake. Simply use boxed cake mix according to package directions, cut out the cakes, and whip up some whipped cream. Get The Recipe 15 of 43 White Chocolate-Covered Strawberries Micah A. Leal Keep it simple at this year's Easter celebration with fresh berries dipped in chocolate. You can never go wrong with this winning combination. Get The Recipe 16 of 43 Cheesecake Cookies Caitlin Bensel No time to bake a cheesecake? Make these easy-to-transport cheesecake cookies dusted with powdered sugars and topped with bright red cherries. Get The Recipe 17 of 43 Chocolate Lasagna Courtney West Keep the chocolate coming at Easter with our no-bake Chocolate Lasagna. This icebox favorite is always a hit, and you can cut the chill time to one hour by using the freezer. Get The Recipe 18 of 43 Cathedral Window Cookies Zoe Denenberg, Styling: Rachel Mulcahy No baking is required to throw together these pretty Cathedral Window Cookies. Be sure to use colored marshmallows to achieve that stained glass effect. Get The Recipe 19 of 43 Strawberries-And-Cream Sheet Cake Photo: Hector Sanchez Make the most of sweet spring strawberries with this slice-and-serve sheet cake. The cake is made with chopped berries (and strawberry-flavored gelatin, for that bold pink hue) and the creamy frosting is also full of sweet berries. Get The Recipe 20 of 43 Cakey Strawberry Cobbler Photographer: Jen Causey, Prop Stylist: Christine Keely, Food Stylist: Ana Kelly This cobbler requires 10 minutes of hands-on time and is ready to go in 90 minutes. Grab a tub of ice cream on the way to your Easter gathering. Get The Recipe 21 of 43 Heavenly Angel Food Cake Beth Dreiling Hontzas; Styling: Lisa Powell Bailey This pretty cake can be sliced into petit fours or served as a sheet cake to keep things simple. Prepare the Lemon-Cream Cheese Frosting while the cake cools, and decorate with pink gumdrops or other Easter candies. Get The Recipe 22 of 43 Honeybee Cupcakes Antonis Achilleos; Prop Stylist: Christina Daley; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall These honeyed cupcakes are a joyous way to celebrate spring. Top with buttercream frosting and decorate with edible flowers or a drizzle of honey. Get The Recipe 23 of 43 Strawberry-Lemonade Cupcakes Photographer: Jennifer Causey Food Stylist: Melissa Gray Prop Stylist: Heather Chadduck Hillegas Turn a box of white cake mix into a sweet strawberry masterpiece. A basic buttercream also gets upgraded with strawberry jam. Get The Recipe 24 of 43 Easter Rice Krispies Treats Micah A. Leal Commission the kids to help toss together these festive Rice Krispies Treats. To make these treats perfectly egg shaped use those plastic eggs you just have lying about. Get The Recipe 25 of 43 Mixed Berry Cheesecake Cupcakes Photographer: Alison Miksch Food Stylist: Erin Merhar Prop Stylist: Prissy Lee These mini cheesecakes take under half an hour to prepare and bake in just 10 minutes. Let them cool and then top with whipped cream and fresh berries. Get The Recipe 26 of 43 Cheerwine Cherry Cupcakes With Cherry-Swirl Frosting Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Kathleen Varner When you combine the bubbly soda with a packaged cake mix, the result is a pale pink crumb that tastes of almond extract and mild cherry. This recipe doubles up the Cheerwine flavor with a Cherry-Swirl Frosting and maraschino cherries. Get The Recipe 27 of 43 Coconut Pound Cake Antonis Achilleos Your crowd will love this Southern-style pound cake featuring coconut, pecans, and bourbon. With such a sweet and satisfying crumb, no icing or glaze is required. Get The Recipe 28 of 43 Quick And Tasty Banana Pudding Hector Manuel Sanchez This super easy banana pudding calls for just four ingredients: a banana, thawed whipping topping, prepared vanilla pudding, and vanilla wafers. And you can stick it in the fridge or serve immediately. Get The Recipe 29 of 43 Triple-Coconut Poke Snack Cake Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke Our Triple-Coconut Poke Snack Cake uses coconut milk, sweetened condensed coconut milk, and coconut chips—no artificial extract needed. The short prep time and lack of layers make it an easy last-minute choice for Easter. Get The Recipe 30 of 43 Easter Egg Lemon Cake With Whipped Cream Topping Victor Protasio; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Stylist: Mary Clayton Carl Jones Freshly-squeezed lemon juice and grated zest infuse this sheet cake with citrus. Pair it with a light and lofty vanilla whipped cream and decorate with an assortment of colored sprinkles. Get The Recipe 31 of 43 Brown Butter Easter Egg Blondies Joy Howard Browning the butter in these blondies adds a hint of nutty goodness. Press the chocolate eggs into the blondies right when they come out of the oven so they'll stick. Get The Recipe 32 of 43 Sweet Tea And Lemonade Cake Hector Sanchez Two refreshing warm-weather drinks come together in a sweet cake covered in tangy Lemonade Frosting. For an adults-only gathering, you can add a splash of bourbon or vodka to the frosting. Get The Recipe 33 of 43 Orange Chiffon Cake Antonis Achilleos; Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Stylist: Christine Keely Light, fluffy, and full of air, this citrus cake climbs high in a tube pan, resulting in a thick, tall sponge. Our chiffon cake bakes in 45 minutes and needs no further decoration beyond a dusting of powdered sugar. Get The Recipe 34 of 43 Strawberry Swirl Cream Cheese Pound Cake Fred Hardy II; Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf; Prop Stylist: Julia Bayliss This moist pound cake gets its beautiful swirl by layering batter with strawberry glaze. We used pre-made Marzetti Glaze for speed and convenience. Get The Recipe 35 of 43 Angel Food Cake Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox This heavenly sponge cake can be made with the basic recipe or enhanced with lemon extract or cocoa. Serve it with fresh fruit and whipped cream or try our pineapple glaze. Get The Recipe 36 of 43 Pineapple Upside-Down Dump Cake Stacy K. Allen; Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Stylist: Christine Keely This cheery cake requires just five ingredients and 15 minutes of active prep time. Flip it onto a platter and serve the sweet and gooey cake warm. Get The Recipe 37 of 43 Dirt Pudding Fred Hardy II; Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn; Prop Stylist: Christine Keely If you've been charged with bringing dessert for the kids, this whimsical instant pudding and Oreo confection is sure to delight them. Make the "carrots" by dipping strawberries in orange candy melts. Get The Recipe 38 of 43 Preacher Cookies Fred Hardy II, Food Stylist: Kelsey Moylan, Prop Stylist: Caleb Clarke Upgrade your standard no-bakes for Easter. Our chocolate-peanut butter Preacher Cookies get more crispness from rice cereal and extra richness from condensed milk. Get The Recipe 39 of 43 Classic Chess Pie Photographer: Jen Causey, Prop Stylist: Christina Daley, Food Stylist: Ana Kelly Our version of this old-fashioned pie uses premade piecrust, so pulling one together for last-minute celebrations is a breeze. Make the classic recipe or stir in a cup of toasted coconut. Get The Recipe 40 of 43 Coconut Macaroons Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Margaret Dickey, Prop Stylist: Hannah Greenwood Soft and chewy coconut macaroons involve six easy-to-find ingredients and only 10 minutes of active preparation time. The trick to perfectly formed cookies is beating the egg whites until they are stiff and folding them in carefully. Get The Recipe 41 of 43 Lemon Sherbet Cupcakes with Buttercream Frosting Hector Manuel Sanchez Cupcakes are a fast and easy dessert for birthdays and other family celebrations. They work just as well for an Easter meal, especially when topped with lemony buttercream in pretty pastel shades. Get The Recipe 42 of 43 Bunny Bark Jessica Furniss This Easter bunny chocolate bark is the cutest thing you'll ever eat and incredibly easy to make. Melt white chocolate, swirl in pink candy melts, and sprinkle on Easter candies of your choosing. Get The Recipe 43 of 43 Hummingbird Cupcakes With Candied Pineapple Wedges Photo: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox No time to execute a full Hummingbird Layer Cake before Easter dinner? Opt for these cute cupcakes topped with pineapple wedges instead. Get The Recipe Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit