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

and

Updated on March 17, 2024

easter egg blondies — 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.

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Birds Nest Cookies

Bird's 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.

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Carrot Cake Cupcakes

Southern Living Carrot Cake Cupcakes on a platter to serve — 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.

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Chocolate Chick Cake

Southern Living 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.

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Carrot Cake Bars

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.

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Easter Carrot Cake Trifles

carrot cake trifle easter trifle — 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.

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Easter Birds' Nest Coconut Cupcakes

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.

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Ambrosia Bark

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.

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Millionaire Pie

Southern Living Millionaire Pie in a pie plate to serve — 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.

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Sugar Cookie Bars

Southern Living Sugar Cookie Bars cut with sprinkles on top ready to serve — 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.

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Hummingbird Snack Cake With Brown Butter Frosting

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.

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Lemon-Lime Poke Cake

Lemon-Lime Poke Cake in a rectangle blue pan — 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.

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Strawberry Cheesecake Bites

Strawberry cheesecake bites on a pink tray — 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.

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Lemon Tiramisu

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.

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Mini Confetti Cake

Mini Confetti Cakes — 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.

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White Chocolate-Covered Strawberries

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.

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Cheesecake Cookies

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.

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Chocolate Lasagna

Southern Living Chocolate Lasagna sliced on a plate to serve — 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.

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Cathedral Window Cookies

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.

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Strawberries-And-Cream Sheet Cake

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.

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Cakey Strawberry Cobbler

Cakey Strawberry Cobbler in a casserole pan and bowl — 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.

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Heavenly Angel Food Cake

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.

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Honeybee Cupcakes

Southern Living Honeybee Cupcakes on a plate to serve, topped with edible flowers and a drizzle of honey — 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.

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Strawberry-Lemonade Cupcakes

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.

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Easter Rice Krispies Treats

Easter Egg Rice Krispies — 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.

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Mixed Berry Cheesecake Cupcakes

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.

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Cheerwine Cherry Cupcakes With Cherry-Swirl Frosting

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.

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Coconut Pound Cake

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.

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Quick And Tasty Banana Pudding

Coconut-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.

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Triple-Coconut Poke Snack Cake

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.

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Easter Egg Lemon Cake With Whipped Cream Topping

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.

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Brown Butter Easter Egg Blondies

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.

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Sweet Tea And Lemonade Cake

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.

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Orange Chiffon Cake

Southern Living Orange Chiffon Cake dusted with powdered sugar and garnished with orange slices — 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.

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Strawberry Swirl Cream Cheese Pound Cake

Southern Living 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.

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Angel Food Cake

Southern Living Angel Food Cake whole on a cake plate ready to serve with a bowl of sliced strawberries nearby — 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.

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Pineapple Upside-Down Dump Cake

Southern Living Pineapple Upside Down Dump Cake whole and ready to serve — 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.

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Dirt Pudding

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.

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Preacher Cookies

Southern Living Preacher Cookies on serving platters — 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.

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Classic Chess Pie

plates with slices of 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.

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Coconut Macaroons

Coconut Macaroons - Southern Living — 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.

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Lemon Sherbet Cupcakes with Buttercream Frosting

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.

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Bunny Bark

Southern Living Bunny Bark in a small serving dish — 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.

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Hummingbird Cupcakes With Candied Pineapple Wedges

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.

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