Our favorite Easter recipes guarantee two things: (1) Everyone’s going to want to come to your house again next year. And (2) The Easter Bunny? He’ll be back later for dinner.
We’ve put everything here in one place—including classic Easter brunches, monumental Easter desserts piled under mounds of whipped cream and meringue, the quintessential Easter appetizer (deviled eggs, duh), and all the glazed ham, roast lamb, and other main course recipes you need—so that you can pull it off with ease. These Easter recipes will set you up to celebrate the arrival of spring in style, with lots of fresh herbs and seasonal fruit—not to mention the prettiest Easter eggs on the block. So what are you waiting for? Hop to it.
53 Easter Brunch Ideas That’ll Have You Hopping Out of Bed
You could go simple with your Easter Sunday brunch: Spoon ricotta into a bowl and top with roasted vegetables and fried eggs (or skip the veg and do a smattering of berries and a drizzle of your best honey). Maybe you’d like to whip together a make-ahead breakfast casserole. But if you want to go all out, may we suggest a Gourmet classic like Buttermilk French Toast, Hot Cross Buns—or the glossy honey buns pictured above (here’s how to make ’em)? You could also consider this the moment to really dial in your favorite brunch food. Perhaps a batch of crispy-but-tender waffles or a coffee cake that takes its name literally?
A Few Great Easter Breads
Biscuits and orange rolls are a must. Parker House rolls? Only if you want the best leftover-ham sandwiches on the planet. And then there are cinnamon rolls, and morning glory muffins, and....well, these three beauties worth opening your eyes for:
Four Ways to Deviled Egg
You could make a meal out this quintessential Easter appetizer, but it’s 2024 and eggs are too expensive for that. Instead pick one variation that most appeals to your senses and forge ahead. Your options: The classic, the tunafied, or the super-easy approach. Any of the three will be devoured with gusto. Allow us to make one more suggestion: Treat yourself to a dedicated deviled egg tray to give these golden bites their due.
A Few More Easter Appetizers
Or, skip the eggs entirely for one of these Epi favorites.
67 Fresh and Lively Easter Dinner Ideas
The truth: You hardly have to know anything about how to cook a ham before picking one up from the nearest grocer. Often, the process is as simple as warm, glaze with the attached sauce packet, serve. But your Easter ham could really shine this year. First, pick a quality ham, then enliven it with a robust homemade glaze. Think mustard and brown sugar ham, rosemary and bourbon ham, or pomegranate-orange ham.
Or, don’t think of baked ham recipes at all. Look to a rich, gamey leg of lamb to star on your Easter table, or pick an elegant platter of baked salmon instead. Of course, the main dish of your spring holiday feast doesn’t have to be meaty; we have plenty of impressive vegetarian Easter recipes that will wow your guests.
More Easter Dinner Recipes
For a smaller celebration, you may want to grab a couple racks of lamb , stir up a wild mushroom risotto, or roast a tangy pork tenderloin. We salute any of these, or any of the favorites below.
53 Easter Side Dishes for a Spring Celebration
If ever there was a time for roasted carrots, Easter dinner is it. But if you want more than this simple, straightforward side, we recommend honey-glazed carrots with parsnips, shawarma-spiced carrots, or pot-roasted carrots with anchovies and sumac. We’ve got recipes for delicious Easter sides beyond carrots, too, like lemony Greek potatoes, an updated wedge salad with feta and oregano, those sumptuous-looking green beans above, and all the spring vegetables (leeks, asparagus, radishes) you need. Scroll through the collection or go straight to a few of our favorites below.
Our Favorite Easter Menus
Our classic Easter dinner menus make planning even easier. Below you’ll find the herb-packed Ukrainian feast that cookbook author Olia Hercules curated for us a few years back. There's also a menu that compiles years of our top-rated recipes (with roasted asparagus, “bubble-top” brioche rolls, and a puckering-but-sweet lemon curd tart), a breezy lunch buffet that ends with a key lime pie–inspired sheet cake, and a feast centered around a quiche enriched with crème fraîche (or sour cream) that you can load up with as many toppings as you like.
A Few Springtime Drinks
A light, effervescent drink will get you in the mood for spring, which means you should feel empowered to scroll through any of our bubbly cocktail recipes to land on one to serve at your holiday meal. Interested in something a little stronger? Learn to make a gin & tonic that’s right for you. Then there’s the perennial fizzy favorite, the Aperol Spritz. If you’re going spirit-free, go for Natasha David’s Life of the Party punch, which hits many of the same notes, but gets a fruity backbone from pomegranate juice. Want a few more options? Here you go:
61 Easter Desserts, Each One Better Than a Chocolate Egg
Yes, we do have a go-to carrot cake recipe. But that doesn’t mean we’d pass up the chance to make many variations of our favorite Easter desserts. How about a layer cake studded with golden beets and jarred sour cherries? (FYI, it’s also covered in a cream cheese frosting that’s been dubbed magic.) We also have a single-layer carrot cake scented with cardamom that gets a fudgy-textured bright orange glaze made with carrot juice.
Of course, Easter dessert recipes don’t stop at carrot cake. Click through below for marshmallow-topped cupcakes, springtime riffs on cheesecake, and the most ethereal coconut cream pie you’ll ever bake.
More Easter Baking Ideas
How to Make Easter Eggs
Look at you: You’ve got your menu all planned out and now you want to have some fun. Get your egg-decorating game on with whatever method suits your mood. First, learn how to properly hard-boil an egg. Then go for the classic pastel food-coloring dye job. Or choose jewel-toned pickled eggs that are both beautiful and delicious. Or get out some coffee filters to make marbly tie-dyed Easter eggs. And don't miss our graphic coloring-book inspired version—it's sure to be the hit of your annual egg hunt. Watch Epi contributor Diana Yen make that last one here. Now, how about some Easter candy?
