10 Easter Desserts Better Than Chocolate Bunnies
While Easter is quite important to many Christians all around the world, it also holds quite a bit of meaning for secular folks who grew up celebrating the holiday. Easter is typically seen as the unofficial start of spring, which means that most people have their minds on rebirth and renewal. Even if you're not particularly religiously observant, you may observe the holiday by getting your children Easter baskets, complete with all the trimmings. You may also prepare a lavish Sunday meal for your friends and loved ones to herald the start of the season.
In this case, don't let your guests languish on chocolate candy alone when it comes to dessert. There are so many wonderful dessert recipes that can perfectly punctuate Easter feasts featuring ham, green bean casserole, and other savory delights. These recipes, brought to you by Daily Meal, are not only bona fide crowd-pleasers — they're also quite easy to create, which means you can spend less time in the kitchen and more time with those you're close to during the holiday.
1. 2-Layer Chocolate Cake Recipe
You'd be hard-pressed to find an Easter dinner guest who doesn't crave a slice of decadent chocolate cake after a holiday feast. Along with standard ingredients like flour, eggs, and butter, this recipe also calls for buttermilk to ensure the cake remains moist well after it's served.
Because a cake this delicious requires its own special icing, this one includes a recipe for homemade chocolate frosting — one that achieves the perfect texture and creaminess.
Recipe: 2-Layer Chocolate Cake Recipe
2. Simple Brioche Bread Pudding Recipe
Bread pudding doesn't only offer an old-timey kind of charm — it also provides a great method for making use of any day-old bread you have at home. Even better, this brioche bread pudding recipe is both fast and efficient: You can whip it up in a hurry while still impressing your guests.
While brioche bread is preferred, you can substitute another type of bread for brioche if the latter is not available for you to use. As for the flavor of this tasty bread pudding, a smattering of cinnamon, vanilla, and cloves will imbue the recipe with a deep, rich flavor.
3. Bourbon Pecan Brownies Recipe
It may be a little surprising, but bourbon and chocolate mesh combine well together when it comes to flavor. These pecan brownies are no exception, and your dinner guests will fall in love with the rich flavoring as well as the fudgy texture.
Use the toothpick trick when cooking to determine the doneness of your brownies. Look for a moist but intact texture (meaning there shouldn't be too much chocolate goo clinging to the toothpick). If you want to get extra-decadent, drizzle some caramel syrup over the brownies after baking.
Recipe: Bourbon Pecan Brownies Recipe
4. Carrot Cake And Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe
What bunny-centric holiday would be complete without food beloved by rabbits? That being said, don't let the fact that carrots, which are generally thought of as a healthy ingredient, fool you. Carrot cake offers ample sweetness for any dessert fan, thanks in part to fluffy cream cheese frosting infused with just the right amount of powdered sugar.
To prevent the frosting from becoming runny, allow carrot cakes to cool for at least four hours before you apply your icing. This two-tiered cake could be a meal all on its own, so be sure to leave room for it after dinner.
5. Cardamom Peach Cobbler Recipe
Peach cobbler is amazing from a flavor perspective, and it isn't all that complicated to prepare. Simply create the peach mixture, mix the dough, and place said dough on top of the peaches before baking. Cook until golden brown, then let cool for about 15 minutes.
For this particular riff on the dessert, the star ingredient is undoubtedly cardamom, which is a spice that comes from the same family as ginger. Cardamom and similar spices complement the sweetness and acidity of peaches by infusing them with the perfect sense of warmth.
Recipe: Cardamom Peach Cobbler Recipe
6. No-Cook Banana Pudding Recipe
When it comes to last minute-preparations, this banana pudding recipe is quick, easy, and delicious. Using boxed vanilla pudding saves tons of time, while ingredients like whipped cream, milk, and vanilla wafers can be mixed together in mere minutes.
This recipe also has an additional ingredient in the form of a crushed-up graham cracker pie crust, which adds a bit of spice to the pudding itself, alongside a crunchy texture. Allow the recipe to chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes before serving.
Recipe: No-Cook Banana Pudding Recipe
7. Sheet Pan Vanilla Cake Recipe
One of the great things about this moist and delicious vanilla sheet cake is that all the ingredients can be mixed in a single bowl for added convenience. Once all the ingredients are added, whisk the mixture within an inch of its life (or until smooth), then pour it into a 12x19 sheet pan. (Don't forget to line the pan with parchment paper to prevent the cake from sticking!)
This recipe is topped off by homemade vanilla frosting for the ultimate dessert experience.
Recipe: Sheet Pan Vanilla Cake Recipe
8. Classic Key Lime Pie Recipe
A perfect selection for spring, key lime pie is known for being a light and delightful dessert. It's also accordingly great to serve after an indulgent Easter feast. Fresh limes add the perfect amount of tang to the recipe, while condensed milk ensures delicious sweetness and an unbelievably smooth texture.
After cooking, you'll be able to tell the pie is finished when the mixture jiggles but does not appear wet. Let it cool in the refrigerator for about an hour post-bake, and the piece will be ready to go straight to your holiday table.
Recipe: Classic Key Lime Pie Recipe
9. Boozy (Just Slightly) Cherry Cheesecake Recipe
This gorgeous cherry cheesecake features a winning combination of flavors for a truly unforgettable dessert experience. In addition to decadent ingredients like mascarpone and cherries, this recipe also calls for amaretto. A type of almond liqueur, amaretto offsets the flavor of the cherries beautifully, and adds some much-needed depth to the sweeter-than-sweet cheesecake.
When choosing cherries, look for darker, sweeter varieties, as other cherries might be a touch too tart.
10. Arroz Con Leche (Mexican Rice Pudding) Recipe
Dairy lovers can rejoice over this tasty dessert. A play on tres leches cake, this rice pudding features three kinds of milk: sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, and whole milk. Raisins also feature in the recipe, but you're free to use other types of dried fruit or leave them out if you choose.
In addition to being amazing when served warm, rice pudding is also quite delicious when chilled. As a result, you can keep leftovers in the refrigerator to enjoy on subsequent days following your Easter feast.