If I’m not preparing Easter dinner and heading to someone else’s house for the day, I always ask if I can bring a dessert. It’s one less thing for the host to prepare. And, I like to choose one that can be made ahead so I have a relaxed Easter day. I think any of these make-ahead Easter desserts will be very popular.
“I made these Easter Cake Pops last weekend with my nieces,” shares Nadine Mesch (Mount Healthy, OH). “We had so much fun. They were fun to make and turned out adorable.”
Cake pops are great for kids and adults. Starting with a boxed cake mix and a can of frosting, means these are pretty easy to prepare. I love that they can be customized with any flavor combination.
I used a white cake and cream cheese frosting, but for spring flavors strawberry or lemon would be a wonderful choice. Inside is tender and moist, while the white chocolate forms a hard shell around the cake. Easter sprinkles add to the cuteness of the cake pops.
If you add a little color to the icing and sprinkles, Denise Hagar’s (Niagara Falls, NY) Italian Easter Cookies are also festive.
“These are traditionally rolled and tied into knots,” explains Denise. “But being pressed for time, I used a teaspoon and gently shaped them into an egg. They still taste great!”
Italian Easter cookies are lightly sweet sugar cookies with a fluffy cake-like texture. I love the sugar cookie flavor with the vanilla almond icing in these festive cookies.
“My family loves this Chocolate Easter Bundt Cake,” reveals Aleksandra B. (Chicago, IL). “We always make this for Easter. It’s best when served warm and with a cup of hot chocolate or coffee.”
While this is called a cake, since it has yeast it’s more of a bread-like texture. Once baked, it’s light, fluffy, and full of chocolate.
This is not overly sweet, so the flavor of the dark chocolate does shine. A perfect Easter dessert if you want a treat but not something too sweet.
Surprise your hosts with Irene Marie Monks Kazan’s (Levittown, PA) adorable Homemade Easter Eggs.
“My family loves this recipe,” says Irene Marie. “You can double it if you want more.”
Creamy and smooth, these homemade Easter candies are delicious! I’m not sure which I like more, the coconut or peanut butter version. I kept tasting both trying to decide.
The coconut version tastes like a Mounds bar and the peanut butter version is a homemade peanut butter cup. Place them in a cellophane bag and you have a lovely hostess gift.
For me, it’s not Easter without carrot cake. Amanda Hyatt (Topeka, KS) shared her Addictive Carrot Cake recipe that really is addictive.
“My mom has been making this cake since I can remember and it’s always a special treat,” Amanda reveals. “I rarely eat cake but I cannot stop eating this cake when she makes it.”
Thanks to the addition of applesauce, the cake is tender. It has just a hint of cinnamon.
I think finely grating the carrots adds not only texture, but a lot of moisture so take the time to finely grate them. The fluffy cream cheese frosting is the perfect complement to the carrot cake.
Any of these make-ahead Easter desserts will be a sweet ending to your meal. If you make any of them, make sure to leave a review and share a pic. Happy Pinching!