101 of Our Best Easter Recipes & Delicious Menu Ideas

Parade

March 25, 2024 at 10:37 PM·20 min read

Fiery Bacon Deviled Eggs

Easter Sunday is March 31, 2024, so it's time to start planning for some of the holiday's best traditions—Easter brunch and Easter dinner ideas. To help you create the perfect Easter menu, we've compiled our best Easter recipes for ham, deviled eggs, green beans, carrot cake, fun bunny cakes and dozens of main courses, side dishes and colorful springtime desserts.

Related: 100 Best Side Dishes for Easter Ham

Start planning your menu now so you have less stress, more time to change dishes if needed, and buying supplies over the next few weeks instead of all at once can help you stay on budget too.

So, whether you need easy Easter brunch inspiration or dinner recipes, you'll find something for everyone in your family with these 101 delicious Easter recipes.

Related: The 40 Best Easter Cookie Recipes

Best Easter Recipes

Maple-Bourbon Glazed Ham

Nothing beats a delicious ham on your Easter dinner menu. Here's a tip for buying a great Easter ham: Hams are generally sold in halves—the shank end and the butt end. We recommend buying the shank end because it’s much easier to carve than the butt end, which includes the hip joint. Enjoy!

Get the recipe: Maple-Bourbon Glazed Ham

Easter Candy Bark

Melted chocolate bars provide the base for this easy Easter candy bark that contains mini chocolate malted eggs and pastel sprinkles. After a few minutes in the freezer, the bark is ready to chop into bite-sized pieces.

Get the recipe: Easter Candy Bark

Baked Ham With Glazed Apricots & Prunes

<p>Steven Mark Needham</p> — Steven Mark Needham

Get ready to take your Easter ham to the next level. Constant basting is the trick to a glistening baked ham. Do slice the meat thinly. This fruit-studded centerpiece of a main course is among the most popular recipes from the original Silver Palate Cookbook. Once you make it, you'll see why.

Get the recipe: Baked Ham With Glazed Apricots & Prunes

Fiery Bacon Deviled Eggs

These deviled eggs from Iron Chef and Food Network celebrity chef Alex Guarnaschelli are a winning combo of sweet and heat, with cayenne pepper and caramelized bacon.

Get the recipe: Fiery Bacon Deviled Eggs

Easter Cake

<p>Mark Boughton Photography</p> — Mark Boughton Photography

Shhhh....No one needs to know how easy this cute Easter cake is. Putting a show-stopping spring dessert on the table takes little effort with help from a box cake mix.

Get the recipe: Easter Cake

Spring Snap Pea Toss

Springtime celebrations deserve a brightly ?avored salad, packed with fresh veggies and herbs.

Get the recipe: Spring Snap Pea Toss

Herbed Deviled Eggs

What is Easter without deviled eggs? Jenny Park of spoonforkbacon.com likes to "give them a modern spin by brightening them up with fresh herbs and spices. They're also fun for the holidays because they look so fancy." Thanks to a little bit of hot sauce and dijon mustard, these go-to appetizers have a little extra kick.

Get the recipe: Herbed Deviled Eggs

Related: 32 Easy Easter Appetizers

Easter Bunny Cake

Easter and bunnies basically go hand in hand and this might just be the cutest cottontail (cake) ever! With a tie made of jelly beans and a coconut and vanilla frosted face, we're pretty sure both your adult and little Easter guests will be coming back for more than one slice.

Get the recipe: Easter Bunny Cake

No-Bake Lemon Cream Pie

A cool, lemony dessert that would look so pretty on your Easter table.

Get the recipe: No-Bake Lemon Cream Pie

Parmesan Potato Stacks

Classic au gratin potatoes get a crispy makeover with a little help from a muffin tin. Get more tips and recipes for your easiest Easter ever.

Get the recipe: Potato Stacks

Related: 67 Best Red Potato Recipes

How To Glaze Easter Ham

Try one of these easy glazes for a flavorful ham your guests won't soon forget. Tip: Brush the ham with a thin coating of glaze before placing in the oven. Apply the rest 30 minutes before the end of the cook time. The sugars in a glaze may burn, so keep checking the ham.

Get the recipe: How To Glaze Easter Ham

Maple-Pistachio Carrots

A crunchy maple syrup topping makes these easy carrots a standout during Easter dinner. Also try this sweet ‘n’ nutty topping on green beans or cauliflower.

Get the recipe: Maple-Pistachio Carrots

Blue Cheese & Walnut Roasted Green Beans

Are you ready for the best green bean recipe ever? Well, of course, you are. This recipe will completely change the way you eat (and want to eat) green beans.

Get the recipe: Blue Cheese & Walnut Roasted Green Beans

Instant Pot Lamb

Leg of lamb is an Easter and Passover classic and preparing it in an Instant Pot or other pressure cooker yields fast succulent results.

Get the recipe: Instant Pot Lamb

Spring Vegetable Strata

Celebrate Easter with a make-ahead family brunch.

Get the recipe: Spring Vegetable Strata

Creamy Jalape?o Deviled Eggs

A super creamy filling with Dijon mustard and mayonnaise, and a spicy finish with pickled jalape?os.

Get the recipe: Creamy Jalape?o Deviled Eggs

Orange Raisin Sauce

<p>Krista Marshall</p> — Krista Marshall

The perfect condiment for ham, this can be made ahead of time and reheated.

Get the recipe: Orange Raisin Sauce

Shaved Rainbow Carrot Salad

Give the Easter table mainstay a modern twist by shaving colorful carrots into thin ribbons dressed in a Dijon sauce.

Get the recipe: Shaved Rainbow Carrot Salad

Best Carrot Cake

A moist cake laced with finely shredded carrots, topped with velvety smooth cream cheese, whipped into frosted perfection..

Get the recipe: Best Carrot Cake

Carrot Carrot Cakes

Here's a fun Easter dinner idea that your kids will love for dessert. It’s easy to turn a boxed mix (or bakery sheet cake) into a special dessert, with these simple steps.

Get the recipe: Carrot Carrot Cakes

Easy Key Lime Pie

Key lime pie is so easy to make and puts a tropical twist on a holiday menu.

Get the recipe: Easy Key Lime Pie

Kool-Aid Dyed Easter Eggs

Kool-Aid gives Easter eggs the most vibrant, colorful eggs. The kids will love this new tradition.

Get the recipe: Kool-Aid Dyed Easter Eggs

Italian Easter Bread

Try this braid with colored Easter eggs on top. This pretty loaf looks like it was made by a bakery, but it is easy to pull off at home.

Get the recipe: Italian Easter Bread

Rainbow Fruit Fluff

Every Easter table needs at least one fluff salad, or maybe a few.

Get the recipe: Rainbow Fruit Fluff

Ham, Cheese and Onion Quiche

Just about any fillings will do in this quiche, so feel free to use whatever you have in the fridge. Making it a day in advance allows the quiche to set and the flavors to intensify.

Get the recipe: Ham, Cheese and Onion Quiche

Cake Batter Blondies

Cake mix gets a rich, chewy makeover in colorful bars perfect for Easter (or any spring celebration).

Get the recipe: Cake Batter Blondies

Post-Easter Breakfast Tacos

These egg, sausage, and veggie breakfast tacos are easy to whip up whether you're cooking for just you or for an army of post-holiday houseguests.

Get the recipe: Post-Easter Breakfast Tacos

Baa Baa Black Sheep

<p>Karen Tack and Alan Richardson</p> — Karen Tack and Alan Richardson

Have you any wool? No sir, no sir, just pound cake with mini marshmallows and a Milano cookie head. The black sheep’s color comes from a tasty dusting of cocoa powder.

Get the recipe: Baa Baa Black Sheep

Delicious Easter Egg-clairs

Creamy chocolate glaze melts in your mouth as you bite into a slightly sweet pastry dough. A luscious vanilla cream filling brings it all together. Who wants plastic Easter eggs when they could have these adorable Easter Egg éclairs?

Get the recipe: Easter Egg-clairs

Strawberry-Banana Sheet Pan Pancakes

Breakfast for a crowd is fast and no-sweat with these easy-?x pancakes that can be served right from the sheet pan. Fruit and fat-free yogurt add sweetness with no added sugar.

Get the recipe: Strawberry-Banana Sheet Pan Pancakes

Related: 80 Best Strawberry Recipes

Chocolate and Banana Mini Cups

This low-sugar treat is sweet enough to keep kids (and adults!) from raiding Easter baskets.

Get the recipe: Chocolate and Banana Mini Cups

Lemon-Almond Strata with Fresh Raspberries

Take the stress out of serving something special next Sunday—or at any brunch—with this sweet, rich strata. Similar to a bread pudding, it easily comes together the night before. The Lemon Raspberry Sauce adds a springy punch of citrus, and it’s simple: Dump everything into a pot and boil.

Get the recipe: Lemon-Almond Strata with Fresh Raspberries

Hop to It Bunny Cake

Celebrate Easter with this sweet bunny cake.

Get the recipe: Hop to It Bunny Cake

Bunny Rabbit Easter Tart Recipe

Spring is here. Easter or Resurrection Sunday is around the corner. In honor of this breathtaking time of year, we are going to make a sweet, spring bunny rabbit tart.

Get the recipe: Bunny Rabbit Tart

Easy Vegetable Pie

<p>Meal Makeover Moms</p> — Meal Makeover Moms

To add a healthy twist to Easter, we have some tricks up our sleeve and a few lightened-up recipes, including this Sunday brunch veggie-filled pie.

Get the recipe: Easy Vegetable Pie

Pickled Onion Deviled Eggs

Los Angeles chef Timothy Hollingsworth, first winner of the Netflix global cooking competition show The Final Table, makes quick-pickled onions to add zing to his parsley and thyme-seasoned deviled eggs.

Get the recipe: Pickled Onion Deviled Eggs

Hash Brown Nests

With only a few basic ingredients like frozen hash brown style potatoes, eggs, and basic seasonings and herbs, you can make these adorable Hash Brown Nests with Scrambled Eggs for the perfect centerpiece for an Easter brunch that will delight everyone! The best part is, these are naturally gluten-free, so nearly everyone can enjoy them!

Get the recipe: Hash Brown Nests

Shrimp Salad Sub Sandwiches

Here is a simple sandwich supper perfect for a busy night, a meat-free Lent meal, or Easter brunch.

Get the recipe: Shrimp Salad Sub Sandwiches

Bunny Peeps On A Race Car

A cute, fun and yummy project for the littlemones.

Get the recipe: Peeps On A Race Car

Best Potato Gratin

This creamy potato casserole from the 'Silver Palate Cookbook' is as classic as they come. It is fit for an Easter feast.

Get the recipe: Best Potato Gratin

Asparagus Salad with Creamy Dijon Mustard Sauce and Chopped Hard-Boiled Eggs

This springy salad of bright green asparagus spears and chopped hard-boiled eggs in a creamy Dijon sauce is perfect for Easter dinner.

Get the recipe: Asparagus Salad with Creamy Dijon Mustard Sauce and Chopped Hard-Boiled Eggs

Lamb & White Beans

It is best to cook this dish the day before it’s served so the flavors develop. When you're ready to serve, just remove it from the fridge and heat it through.

Get the recipe: Lamb & White Beans

Spring Peas with Eggs and Ham

<p>Travis Rathbone</p> — Travis Rathbone

This baked casserole makes the perfect brunch. It pairs peas, garlic, and basil with peppers, eggs, and serrano ham.

Get the recipe: Spring Peas with Eggs and Ham

Easter Peeps Pretzel Rods

Use any kind of Peeps you like; however, the little chicks worked well for this recipe. They do come in all different colors. The same goes for the sprinkles.

Get the recipe: Easter Peeps Pretzel Rods

Carrot Pudding Cups

Candy-coated strawberries perch in chocolate pudding for this snack that looks like carrots ready to be pulled from the garden.

Get the recipe: Carrot Pudding Cups

Roasted Asparagus

Roasting brings out the best of asparagus, coming out tasting almost nutty.

Get the recipe: Roasted Asparagus

Crown Roast of Lamb

Made from two racks of lamb that are tied together, a crown roast is perfect for a holiday feast. With this dish, timing is everything!

Get the recipe: Crown Roast of Lamb

Carrot Cake with Fresh Orange Cream Cheese Frosting

This is one scrumptious cake, ideal for Easter. Fresh orange juice and zest in the creamy frosting are the perfect partners for a spicy carrot cake. There’s even a little orange juice in the cake batter.

Get the recipe: Carrot Cake with Fresh Orange Cream Cheese Frosting

Crustless Bacon and Greens Quiche

This superfood-fueled main dish is a perfect savory complement to the sweeter breakfast fare. No need to fuss with a crust (plus you’ll save on carbs). Subbing turkey bacon for pork means less fat and fewer calories without sacri?cing ?avor.

Get the recipe: Crustless Bacon and Greens Quiche

Cherry-Almond Orange Glazed Scones

Easter brunch is a time-honored tradition held by many people. It’s one of those occasions that call for a departure from the ordinary. Scones fit that mold perfectly.

Get the recipe: Cherry-Almond Orange Glazed Scones

Related: 45 Best Cherry Dessert Recipes

Chipotle Deviled Eggs

Chipotle chiles and fresh cilantro give the filling in these deviled eggs a flavorful kick—once you sample one, you may find yourself boiling another dozen eggs just so you can make them again.

Get the recipe: Chipotle Deviled Eggs

Chocolate Honey-Nut Pie

<p>Jessica Merchant</p> — Jessica Merchant

With coffee, honey and chocolate, this pie makes a decadent dessert for Easter dinner or any of your spring gatherings.

Get the recipe: Chocolate Honey-Nut Pie

Carrot Cake Sandwich Cookies

These fun sweets have all the flavors of carrot cake, in sandwich cookie form!

Get the recipe: Carrot Cake Sandwich Cookies

Asparagus & Snap Pea Salad

Lemon, dill and chopped egg bring a fresh twist to the season’s top veggies.

Get the recipe: Asparagus & Snap Pea Salad

Maple-Peach Glazed Ham Steak

Let the glaze sit at room temperature to allow flavors to meld while the ham bakes for the first 20 minutes.

Get the recipe: Maple-Peach Glazed Ham Steak

Lidia Bastianich's Tomato, Pepper, Bread & Ricotta Frittata

The beauty of a frittata is that it’s a chameleon. The ingredients can change with the seasons. Just toss in whatever’s fresh at that time. It's ideal for an Easter Sunday brunch.

Get the recipe: Lidia Bastianich's Tomato, Pepper, Bread & Ricotta Frittata

Easy Hollandaise Sauce

Hollandaise sauce is one of the five mother sauces in French cuisine. It is an emulsion of egg yolks, melted butter and lemon juice, that is perfect on top of eggs Benedict.

Get the recipe: Easy Hollandaise Sauce

Fudge Pie

If you're looking for a new dessert to add to your Easter menu, and you have some chocoholics at your dinner table, here is your answer!

Get the recipe: Fudge Pie

Springtime Asparagus Soup

Parsnip and tarragon sweeten the soup, making it the highlight of the season.

Get the recipe: Springtime Asparagus Soup

A Naturally Sweetened Lemony Hazelnut & Blueberry Cake

A naturally sweetened showstopper cake.

Get the recipe: Lemony Hazelnut Blueberry Cake

Related: 50 Best Blueberry Recipes

Bunny Bark

This salty-sweet no-bake treat can be made with white or milk chocolate. Better yet, make a batch of each!

Get the recipe: Bunny Bark

Creamy Minted Sweet Pea Soup

For a truly smooth texture, puree the soup, then strain it to remove any pea skins.

Get the recipe: Creamy Minted Sweet Pea Soup

Red Potato Salad

Potato salad is a great springtime dish, especially for those serving ham on their Easter tables. For many, it is even a tradition.

Get the recipe: Red Potato Salad

Easter Hugs Pretzel Snaps

This quick and easy recipe is fun for the kids to help out with, especially when they're bored at home or you need to keep them busy while preparing the rest of your Easter menu.

Get the recipe: Easter Hugs Pretzel Snaps

Easter Egg Hunt Cake!

Easter is almost here. Check out this super-easy cake recipe that starts with a cake mix. Create your own using your favorite toppings.

Get the recipe: Easter Egg Hunt Cake

Easter Candy Blondies

<p>Kat Jeter and Melinda Caldwell</p> — Kat Jeter and Melinda Caldwell

Use up leftover candy in this colorful treat. If using Peeps marshmallows, add them in the last ?ve minutes of baking so they don’t burn.

Get the recipe: Easter Candy Blondies

Best Baked Pastel Donuts

Colorful, sweet and perfect for Easter breakfast or brunch.

Get the recipe: Best Baked Pastel Donuts

Herb-Crusted Rack of Lamb

Chef Curtis Stone shares a simple recipe to tackle a traditional Easter meal.

Get the recipe: Herb-Crusted Rack of Lamb

Sparkling Honey Limeade

This pretty punch mixes citrus and sweet ?avors for a spring-fresh sip that’ll taste as good as it looks.

Get the recipe: Sparkling Honey Limeade

Maple-Orange Baked Ham

The freshness of spring demands a spectacular centerpiece, and few main courses surpass our ham, glazed with a blend of the season’s first maple syrup and orange juice. Slice the meat thinly and serve with a spring salad and baked pineapple slices.

Get the recipe: Maple-Orange Baked Ham

Lemon Tart with Chocolate Cookie Crust and Marmalade Cream

This luscious lemon tart has a surprise chocolate crunch.

Get the recipe: Lemon Tart with Chocolate Cookie Crust and Marmalade Cream

Copycat KFC Coleslaw

Everyone's favorite coleslaw recipe is now made at home easily thanks to the pre-bagged coleslaw mix.

Get the recipe: Copycat KFC Coleslaw

Smoked Trout Deviled Eggs

James Beard Award-winning chef and executive chef of Spoon & Table in Minneapolis, Gavin Kaysen adds elegance to deviled eggs with smoked trout and trout roe. Buy smoked trout at your local deli.

Get the recipe: Smoked Trout Deviled Eggs

Sheila's Apple Pie

There's nothing like America's favorite, and this recipe gives you the classic to keep forever. I prefer cornstarch to flour for thickening the filling because it doesn't cloud up the juice. Lemon juice heightens the flavor of the apples.

Get the recipe: Apple Pie

Vanilla Cupcakes

A basic vanilla treat that's perfect for decorating during Easter.

Get the recipe: Vanilla Cupcakes

Lemony New Potatoes

Lemon is such a great springtime flavor and it really brightens up some classic red potatoes.

Get the recipe: Lemony New Potatoes

Pineapple Cornbread Shortcake Trifle

Give this impressive, change-of-pace dessert a place at your Easter table and settle in for the compliments.

Get the recipe: Pineapple Cornbread Shortcake Trifle

Coconut Truffles

The kids will love this three-ingredient sweet treat because they look just like bunny tails!

Get the recipe: Coconut Truffles

Raspberry Zinger Poke Cake

Add some razzle-dazzle to a white cake mix for a tasty treat that’s special enough for Easter.

Get the recipe: Raspberry Zinger Poke Cake

Cinnamon Roll Pull-Apart Bread

Melted Peeps lend a colorful twist to this sweet brunch treat. TIP: Let each icing mixture cool for about 3 min to thicken for easier drizzling.

Get the recipe: Cinnamon Roll Pull-Apart Bread

Pimento Cheese Deviled Eggs

Restauranteur and Top Chef judge Hugh Acheson gives deviled eggs a Southern makeover with a simple pimento cheese filling.

Get the recipe: Pimento Deviled Eggs

Classic Egg Salad

Everyone usually has leftover hard-boiled eggs post-Easter. This classic sandwich is the perfect way to use them.

Get the recipe: Classic Egg Salad

Ooey-Gooey Peeps Chocolate Chip Cookies

These cookies come out of the oven perfectly oozing from the Peep stuffed inside. What better way to celebrate Easter than with a fun and easy dessert?

Get the recipe: Ooey-Gooey Peeps Chocolate Chip Cookies

Heavenly HALO Olive Oil Cake with Brown Butter-Citrus Glaze

This olive oil cake recipe is a well-balanced blend of subtle, yet distinct, flavors: Honey, Almond, Lemon and Orange. I call it my Heavenly HALO Olive Oil Cake. This recipe is so simple to make that you don’t have to bring out the stand mixer; everything combines easily by hand in just a few mixing bowls. That's heavenly for the cook!

Get the recipe: Heavenly HALO Olive Oil Cake

Lemon Chiffon Cupcakes

No cupcake is more decadent than lemon chiffon topped with Italian buttercream.

Get the recipe: Lemon Chiffon Cupcakes

Peeps Pops

Turn your favorite marshmallow creatures into adorable spring treats.

Get the recipe: Peeps Pops

Pretzel Goat Cheesecake Bites

Pretzel Goat Cheesecake Bites are a sweet and salty treat that's perfect for Easter brunch or any spring occasion. They can be made a day in advance and kept covered in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Get the recipe: Pretzel-Goat Cheesecake Bites