38 Spring Dessert Recipes That Are Perfect for Entertaining
From lemon-infused cakes to berry-topped tarts, these sweet treats are perfect for any springtime party.
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Our Best and Brightest
The start of spring always makes us feel recharged, ready to host friends and family—and start baking from scratch again. Inspired by the cheerful array of in-season produce (we’re looking at you, strawberries and rhubarb!) our desserts tend to lean in a brighter, sunnier direction. Whether we’re whipping up a few special fruit desserts for a tea party or putting all our decorating skills into a showstopper for a spring dinner party, we’re always looking to make these sweet treats fresh, flavorful and full of color. If you can relate, you’ll love the recipes in this roundup—starting with this gorgeous tart. It uses a press-in crust so it’s easy for bakers of every skill level (no rolling required!). Filled with a sweet-and-tangy Meyer lemon curd, every bite is like a little burst of sunshine.
Get the Recipe: Meyer Lemon Curd Tart with Candied Lemon Peels
Ina's Lemon Yogurt Cake
Get the Recipe: Lemon Yogurt Cake
Spring Pastel Eclairs
Dress eclairs for a party with bright, colorful glazes that are tinted naturally with a variety of fruit juices.
Get the Recipe: Spring Pastel Eclairs
Carrot Cake Jelly Roll
Get the Recipe: Carrot Cake Jelly Roll
The Most-Lemony Lemon Bar of All Time
Get the Recipe: The Most-Lemony Lemon Bar of All Time
Mixed Fruit Tart
Impress your guests with this stunning fruit tart. The secret to it’s glossy shine? Valerie warms apricot preserves with a splash of water to create a glaze that she brushes over the fresh fruit.
Get the Recipe: Mixed Fruit Tart
Fresh Lemon Mousse
Get the Recipe: Fresh Lemon Mousse
Strawberry Cake
This rustic cake is the perfect addition to any spring party. It’s easy to bake — and all it needs for a decoration is a dusting of powdered sugar or a dollop of whipped cream.
Get the Recipe: Strawberry Cake
Strawberry Lemonade Bars
Get the Recipe: Strawberry Lemonade Bars
Ricotta Citrus Cheesecake
Lemon, lime and orange zest perk up this ricotta-based cheesecake. A graham cracker crust provides crunch while a dusting of confectioners' sugar adds a pretty finish. Perfect with any spring fruit you have on-hand.
Get the Recipe: Ricotta Citrus Cheesecake
Strawberry Cobbler
Get the Recipe: Strawberry Cobbler
Lemon Chiffon Cake with Strawberry Frosting
A light chiffon cake is flavored with fresh lemon zest and juice. Pureed strawberries naturally color the marshmallow cream frosting.
Get the Recipe: Lemon Chiffon Cake with Strawberry Frosting
Limoncello Ricotta Cheesecake
Host friends and family with as much elegance and ease as Ina. Her bright, lemony cheesecake bars are as sunny as a spring afternoon, making them the perfect dessert for any get-together.
Get the Recipe: Limoncello Ricotta Cheesecake
Pink Lemonade Tart
Combining homemade lemon curd with a fresh strawberry puree gives this tart its beautiful pinky-orange hue and delicious flavor.
Get the Recipe: Pink Lemonade Tart
Lemon Meringues
All you need is a little lemon extract to brighten up these sweet and airy cookies. They’re the perfect treat for any tea or garden party.
Get the Recipe: Lemon Meringues
Rhubarb Crisp
Get the Recipe: Rhubarb Crisp
Strawberry Shortcake Cake
Macerated strawberries and a sweet cream cheese frosting are layered with a simple homemade cake for this strawberry shortcake-inspired dessert. It's a fantastic dessert when you're hosting but Ree admits that this cake is so delicious that she sometimes eats it for breakfast too!
Get the Recipe: Strawberry Shortcake Cake
Pineapple Upside-Down Doughnuts
A cute twist on a classic, these doughnuts are an easy treat to make and share. Their rich and buttery caramelized pineapple tops sit nicely on light, single-serving cakes.
Get the Recipe: Pineapple Upside-Down Doughnuts
Classic Lemon Tart with Coconut-Almond Crust
Calling all lemon-lovers! You’ll adore Valerie’s elegant tart, which is bursting with bright, zingy citrus flavor.
Get the Recipe: Classic Lemon Tart with Coconut-Almond Crust
Upside-Down Citrus Cake
Fresh grapefruit and orange add beautiful pops of color (and flavor!) to Valerie’s upside-down cake.
Get the Recipe: Upside-Down Citrus Cake
Strawberry Lime Mousse
Strawberries, lime and sweetened condensed milk combine into a beautiful, silky-smooth dessert that’s ready in just 10 minutes. Don’t forget the cookies for serving!
Get the Recipe: Strawberry Lime Mousse
Chocolate Tart with Cocoa Whipped Cream
This creamy, pudding-filled chocolate tart is topped with a fluffy cocoa whipped cream, making it feel light and airy enough for any spring party.
Get the Recipe: Chocolate Tart with Cocoa Whipped Cream
Strawberry-Pretzel Trifles
Get the Recipe: Strawberry-Pretzel Trifles
Dulce de Leche Crepe Cake
Get the Recipe: Dulce de Leche Crepe Cake
Almond Tuiles
Get the Recipe: Almond Tuiles
Easy Blueberry Pie
No need to thaw your frozen blueberries when making this pie. The sweet, thick filling comes together in just a few minutes. The flaky double crust is just as quick thanks to store-bought pie dough. Be sure to let the pie cool entirely before slicing -- the filling will with thicken up to make for neater cuts.
Get the Recipe: Easy Blueberry Pie
Easy Citrus Tart
This 5-ingredient recipe is ready in less than an hour thanks to a simple homemade curd.
Get the Recipe: Easy Citrus Tart
Lemon Olive Oil Cake
Olive oil adds savory, complex notes to boxed cake mix, making for a more grown-up, yet simple spring dessert.
Get the Recipe: Lemon Olive Oil Cake
Glazed Lavender Sugar Cookies
For a beautiful dessert that screams “spring,” whip up a batch of Molly’s pastel sugar cookies. She uses just a pinch of lavender for delicate, flaky cookies that are just the right amount of sweet.
Get the Recipe: Glazed Lavender Sugar Cookies
Nonna's Lemon Ricotta Biscuits
Get the Recipe: Nonna's Lemon Ricotta Biscuits
Lavender Ice Cream Pie
Fill graham cracker crust with homemade lavendar ice cream. Purple sugar adds a pop of color and alludes to the floral flavor.
Get the Recipe: Lavender Ice Cream Pie
Jam Shortbread
Get the Recipe: Jam Shortbread
Lemon Love Cake
Use store-bought lemon cake mix as the base and a lemon pudding mix as the frosting for this super easy, lemony cake.
Get the Recipe: Lemon Love Cake
Lemon Thyme Pudding
Layer crushed graham cracker with Ree’s lemon pudding for an elegant dessert that’s sure to please.
Get the Recipe: Lemon Thyme Pudding
Lemon Cheesecake with Lemon-Rosemary Shortbread Crust
The addition of lemon curd and a shortbread crust take this cheesecake to the next level.
Get the Recipe: Lemon Cheesecake with Lemon-Rosemary Shortbread Crust
Swirly Temples
Get the Recipe: Swirly Temples
Strawberry Shortcake Bites
This dessert wraps all the flavors of a traditional strawberry shortcake into one bite-size treat. Fresh strawberries, shortbread cookie crumbles and whipped cream come together in these delectable morsels.
Get the Recipe: Strawberry Shortcake Bites
Strawberry Lemon Cheesecake Bars
Strawberries sing on top of Kardea’s crowd-pleasing cheesecake bars. The dessert needs to sit for at least four hours before serving, so feel free to prepare the night before you plan to serve.
Get the Recipe: Strawberry Lemon Cheesecake Bars
