90 Easter Recipes Perfect for Any Celebration

Whether you’re hosting Easter dinner for your friends or planning brunch for your family in the morning before the egg hunt, you’re going to need a few special recipes—dishes that aren’t difficult to make but that are sure to impress. That’s where we come in. We can help you get a showstopping main on the table (think ham, lamb or even pork roast) and plan the perfect festive dessert. And, we’ve got plenty of appetizers and side dishes to help round things out. No matter what type of celebratory meal you’re planning, we’ve got you covered. Wondering where to start? Make these fresh sweet buns part of your Easter tradition. Plumped currants and lemon zest-spiked glaze dress these up for the holiday.

Easter dinner for four comes together easily in a little over an hour when you cook it on a pair of sheet trays. With tender asparagus, sweet glazed carrots, a decadent potato gratin, roasted ham, and even homemade biscuits, there's plenty to eat with little fuss.

These lemony Italian cookies are traditional treats in the southern part of the country but are also often found at Italian-American bakeries around Easter time. While they have several different Italian names you will most likely see them labeled "lemon drops” in the States. They are light, not too sweet and have a tender, buttery crumb. Dipped in a thin lemony glaze and decorated with holiday-inspired sprinkles, they are the perfect festive addition to any table.

This fresh, vibrant side dish combines a trio of peas with sautéed shallots, sweet dates, and toasted walnuts for a balance of crisp, tender, and rich textures.

This playful Easter cake transforms simple round layers into an adorable bunny shape, frosted with fluffy coconut “fur” and decorated with candy details. Designed for easy assembly using boxed or homemade cake, it’s a festive centerpiece that’s as fun to make as it is to serve

This elegant appetizer comes together easily with simple, time-saving ingredients. Frozen hash browns are pressed into mini muffin tins and baked into crispy nests filled with ham, lemony cream cheese and peas. They make the perfect pre-dinner bite.

This no-bake dessert is the perfect way to hop into spring! White melting wafers and mini marshmallows transform these cookies-and-cream bites into impressive bunnies that are sure to be a hit all season long.

Pizza rustica is traditionally served on Easter and for good reason — it is a showstopper and perfect to dish up on a special occasion. Although it takes a little bit of work to prepare, you can make it a day ahead and bring to room temperature before putting it on your holiday table.

Crushed pineapple in the batter gives this cake a dense pound cake-like texture, which is helpful when anchoring the cupcakes and decorating. The cakes and cupcakes can be made a day ahead and wrapped in plastic wrap. Don't worry if you're frosting job doesn't look perfect -- covering the cake with coconut hides every flaw.

Cheesy potatoes are perfect for any gathering. We spent days perfecting the BEST version—testing fresh vs. frozen potatoes and coming up with the perfect from-scratch sauce that doesn't rely on canned soup as its base. In the end, fresh potatoes won the competition, thanks to the creamy soft texture they provide and the way they soak up the silky smooth, rich homemade sauce. Of course, plenty of Cheddar tops it all off, as well as cornflakes for toothsome crunch.

Sometimes it’s fun to go all-out for holidays, and these Easter cinnamon rolls fit the bill. We pulled out all the stops by tinting the sweet-roll dough with festive colors, then topping the rolls with luscious cream cheese frosting and a vivid green “grass” made with shredded coconut. Adorable marshmallow bunnies and pastel-colored chocolate eggs take it over the top.

This traditional Eastern European bread makes an appearance each year at Easter. Depending on which country’s recipe you’re using, the level of sweetness can vary, it can include raisins (or not) or be drizzled with a sweet royal icing. Some are even baked in coffee cans, giving them straight sides lined with ridges. Whatever variety you’re making, the base is a rich and slightly sweet dough that is perfect for spring. This rendition of the holiday bread is inspired by the loaf we bought every Easter at our favorite bakery in Western Pennsylvania. Paska can be decorated in a variety of ways, but I kept it simple with an easy braid around the edge. You can make a more elaborate braid or cross two braids over top, if you like, just remember to use half of the dough for the base loaf and half for decoration. Leftover paska makes the most amazing French toast!

Dress ham and peas with a creamy parsley, chive and mint dressing for a pasta salad that sings of spring.

This whimsical take on the classic deviled egg is the perfect appetizer for a spring party. An orange-hued pimento cheese filling makes up the deviled egg carrot, while a zesty herb filling represents the greens on top.

If you're buying lamb to make for dinner, lean on your butcher for help. For this dish, Ina asked her butcher to "French" the lamb, which means to scrape the meat off the tips of the bones.

With a few twists and pulls, we turned sweet Easter rolls into the cutest holiday side dish.

This simple dish highlights the bounty of fresh produce available during the spring: string beans, snap peas, asparagus and more!

Serve up a tropical melding of textures and flavors with Alton's ambrosia; whip it up ahead of time so it can chill.

Get Food Network Magazine's tips on choosing the best-quality ham, then choose one of four mix-and-match glazes for a delicious, customized main dish.

These cute bunnies are so easy to put together. They make a fun party favor or Easter-basket treat when wrapped in clear cellophane bags and tied with a pastel ribbon.

Sunny's easy side is foolproof — which is key if you're hosting a big group for your holiday meal. The recipe calls for baby carrots, not the kind of baby carrots you might be thinking of, but rather very young carrots, which are pop up in grocery stores and farmers markets throughout spring.

Just when you thought there was no way Easter desserts could get any better! This fried candy treat has a warm, oozy center and a crisp, golden crust—making it guaranteed to please kids of all ages.

This is an amazing cut of meat for a special occasion. Follow Alton's lead to cook it up perfectly.

We took our best sugar cookie recipe and made these festive versions for Easter. They look like they have been dip-dyed just like a classic Easter egg. By tinting a simple royal icing with your choice of colors, you can create an array of beautifully swirled cookies.

This gorgeous spring salad might just be the star of your Easter dinner. With tart apples, aromatic fennel and dill and ribbons of shaved Pecorino cheese, this simple side dish looks as good as it tastes.

Marshmallow is a springy, sticky treat worthy of being eaten all year. But when that marshmallow is molded in the cheery shapes of pink bunnies and yellow chicks, it screams springtime and Easter baskets. These are softer marshmallow creatures than classic Peeps, but that's their charm: They give and squish, and their colored-sugar coating is crunchy in all the best ways.

Giada treats this pork loin to a garlic-rosemary-thyme paste before locking the flavors in a pancetta wrapping.

This decadent cake is an edible display for your Easter candy too. Candy eggs fill the "nest" made of entirely of chocolate-flavored cake, frosting and cereal coating. Your guests will be dying to dig in.

Don't fix what ain't broke, right? Deviled eggs are always a hit and this is our most popular recipe (ever!) for the classic appetizer.

This is a tall, moist carrot cake, light in texture and lightly spiced with cinnamon and touch of nutmeg. Heavy cream whipped into the cream cheese frosting makes it extra fluffy.

Here's a showstopping holiday centerpiece combining three different sides with a hearty main. What more do you need?

Here's an easy way to add whimsy to your Easter spread: Sandra shapes cherry-flavored cookie dough into bunny shapes and places them in their own little habitat for guests to appreciate before enjoying them as dessert.

Ina dolls up ham with a glaze that comes at you with three types of orange flavor: marmalade, juice and the zest.

These fun and easy treats will have everybody smiling. The cones can be assembled earlier in the day and frozen until party time.

Dress up a spiral-sliced ham with Melissa's simple cherry and spice glaze. Plus, get her tips for keeping your ham extra juicy.

Michael has been watching his mom make baklava since he was 4. We can't imagine that you'll have leftovers of this delightfully sticky treat, but if you do, you can freeze it (once the syrup is absorbed) for up to a month, then just thaw it at room temperature.

Package these mini cupcakes in egg cartons as a hostess gift for your Easter celebration.

Easter pie is an Italian springtime tradition, but it's easy enough to make year round. Giada's sweet version has a ricotta-orange filling with a tender phyllo dough shell.

Here's an easy and adorable way to dress up plain cake doughnuts for Easter that requires no special tools or techniques. It's best to start with non-sugared plain doughnuts so all of the bunny parts stick.

All it takes is two layers of chocolate cake, buttercream frosting and a couple handfuls of pretty colored candies for this festive Easter dessert.

Tyler studs the glaze with thin slices of fresh tangerine, creating crispy caramelized fruit and a beautiful presentation.

Leftover Easter candy transforms crispy rice treats into a colorful snack that's super fun to eat. With loads of different textures and flavors at play, every bite is a surprise.

Caponata, an Italian relish, is ideal for the holidays: You can make it ahead and keep it in the fridge for about a week.

This fun and beautiful Easter treat is deceptively easy to make. Simply fill sweet meringues with a tart homemade lemon curd (or buy the jarred kind). To get the most volume when making your meringues, make sure the beaters and bowl are super clean.

French macarons take some TLC, but these pastel cookies are worth the effort.

Moist chocolate cake is frosted with an easy, fluffy buttercream and topped with a chocolate nest for this festive Easter dessert. The nest is made from fried rice vermicelli, lightly salted and coated in chocolate for a crispy treat. 

Top this dense carrot cake with homemade cream cheese frosting — a classic crowd pleaser!

These pancakes incorporate all of the familiar flavors of carrot cake, including cream cheese frosting, into one adorable breakfast. We like them best with honey, but you may also serve them with maple syrup.

Just use white chocolate pudding mix and canned blueberries to flavor Sandra Lee’s easy cake. The real hard work will show once you’ve dressed it up.