47 Easter Recipes For Brunch, Dinner, and Dessert
Whether you’re planning an opulent brunch or just want to know how to make hot cross buns, you’ll find what you’re looking for in this collection of our best Easter recipes. We have timeless holiday classics—looking at you, pineapple-glazed ham—as well as fresh seasonal dishes that highlight spring produce like asparagus, radishes, and rhubarb.
You’ll find a little bit of everything among our favorite Easter recipes, including recipes for brunch, dinner (heavy on the ham, lamb roasts, and showstopping vegetarian mains), a couple of drinks, and plenty of desserts. Want to dial into a specific category? Venture over to our collections dedicated to Easter sides, Easter dinner ideas, and Easter desserts. Want to find all our favorite recipes in one place? You’re already here.
Photo by Chelsie Craig, styling by Judy Mancini1/47Eggs Benedict for a Crowd
Eggs poached in advance. A hollandaise that stays luscious for hours. A tray of perfectly toasted, buttery muffins. Yep—this make-ahead, crowd-friendly Easter recipe for brunch, then sit back and rake in the compliments.
Photo by Chelsie Craig, Food Styling by Kate Buckens2/47French Toast Casserole
No need to stand by the stove to flip slices of French toast—this crowd-friendly casserole is completely hands-off. Make it the night before, and hosting an early-morning Easter brunch will be a breeze.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne, Prop Styling by Marina Bevilacqua3/47Extra-Fluffy Cinnamon Rolls With Cream Cheese Frosting
Sure, a lot of recipes promise soft and pillowy cinnamon rolls, swirled with the perfect amount of sugar and spice—but we really mean it. Save yourself some stress on Easter morning by making the dough a day in advance and stashing it in the fridge overnight. In the morning, roll it out, fill it up, and let the second rise happen in a warm spot, like a sunny window.
Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Luciana Lamboy, Prop Styling by Sean Dooley4/47Caramelized Onion and Spinach Quiche
Every Easter brunch needs a good quiche. This one, which is packed with deeply browned onions and nutty Gruyère cheese, makes an excellent vegetarian main—but if you want to add a handful of chopped ham, we wouldn’t be mad about it.
Photograph by Emma Fishman, food styling by Susan Ottaviano, prop styling by Sophie Strangio5/47Blistered Asparagus Frittata
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Judy Kim, Prop Styling by Stephanie De Luca6/47Giant Cardamom Bun
For this take on Swedish kardemummabulle, you’ll make one giant bun that’s braided like a babka for a gorgeous, shareable brunch centerpiece.
Photograph by Doaa Elkady, Food Styling by Pearl Jones, Prop Styling by Gözde Eker8/47Grapefruit Crudo
This is no ordinary fruit salad. With pretty pink grapefruit, buttery avocado, and tingly purple radishes, it boasts more pastel than an Easter basket.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne, Prop Styling by Carla Gonzalez-Hart10/47Spice-Crusted Ham With Brown Sugar Glaze
A smoky, fragrant spice rub brings new depth to this classic glazed Easter ham recipe. Baste it with a brown sugar and orange sauce to achieve a glistening shellac.
Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Susie Theodorou, prop styling by Heather Greene11/47Sumac-Rubbed Lamb With Minty Artichokes
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Thu Buser12/47No-Fail Roast Chicken With Lemon and Garlic
When in doubt, make roast chicken. With shatteringly crisp skin and juicy meat, it makes a fantastic (and crowd-pleasing) option for your Easter dinner table. Large crowd? Roast two chickens.
Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Kalen Kaminski13/47Pineapple-Glazed Ham
This is not your grandmother’s pineapple-glazed ham (no offense, Grandma). The signature sweet flavor from the pineapple is balanced with spicy hot sauce and tangy apple cider vinegar.
14/47Roast Rack of Lamb With Strawberry Pan Sauce
Strawberries and lamb may seem an odd couple, but hear us out: The berries roast in the skillet right alongside the rack, bringing brightness and acidity that pairs incredibly well with the grassy meat.
Photo by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Pearl Jones, Prop Styling by Anne Eastman15/47Burnt Orange and Coriander Roast Pork
Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Luciana Lamboy, Prop Styling by Gerri Williams16/47Carrot Wellington
This is a knockout vegetarian entrée to serve for Easter dinner. Roast two pounds of large carrots, then tuck them into buttery sheets of puff pastry with two varieties of cheese.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Mieko Takahashi, Prop Styling by Alex Massillon17/47Herb-Roasted Lamb Chops
Photo by Michael Graydon + Nikole Herriott, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Amy Wilson18/47Cold Roast Salmon With Smashed Green Bean Salad
If roast salmon is your favorite weeknight dinner, consider this large-format version for Easter. The recipe yields fish that stays moist and tender, even when served chilled. (Want something with more of a kick? Try Hot Honey–Glazed Salmon instead.)
Marcus Nilsson19/47Lamb Shoulder With Citrus-Fennel Salad
To enhance the lamb’s natural earthiness, score the skin and rub generously with a mixture of olive oil, garlic, lemon zest, rosemary, and red pepper flakes. More holiday-worthy lamb recipes, right this way.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Spencer Richards, Prop Styling by Dayna Seman20/47BA’s Best Mashed Potatoes
Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich21/47Blistered Asparagus With Peanut-Coconut Sprinkle
Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Taneka Morris, Prop Styling by Tim Ferro22/47Crispy Smashed Potatoes With Parmesan and Herbs
Every Easter celebration needs a potato side. Crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside, these smashed potatoes will pair with just about any main.
Photograph by Emma Fishman, food styling by Pearl Jones, prop styling by Summer Moore23/47Charred Asparagus and Dates With Goat Cheese
With asparagus, watermelon radishes, and caramelized dates, this salad is a textural masterpiece. Best of all, it takes less than 15 minutes to toss together.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Thu Buser, Prop Styling by Christina Allen25/47Classic Potatoes au Gratin
This classic side never goes out of style. Use a mandoline slicer to achieve paper-thin potato slices, then layer them with herb-infused cream. Top it all off with grated Gruyère and Parmesan for a crispy, cheesy crust.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Thu Buser, Prop Styling by Stephanie De Luca27/47Vegan Deviled “Eggs”
At first glance, you could easily mistake this plant-based riff on deviled eggs for their hen-laid counterparts. But this recipe is 100% vegan and gluten-free.
Photograph by Paola + Murray, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Marina Bevilacqua29/47Asparagus With Parmesan Fonduta
Would you believe that this luxurious asparagus dish calls for just four ingredients? Egg yolks, Parmesan, extra-virgin olive oil, and—you guessed it—asparagus.
Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton, Prop Styling by Gerri Williams30/47Quinoa-Bean Salad With Lots of Dill
Grain salads aren’t just a staple of your desk lunch. Add peppery arugula, a ton of fresh dill, and a creamy, tangy dressing to make this one a staple at your Easter gathering.
Photo by Jonathon Kambouris; Food styling by Simon Andrews; Prop styling by Kaitlyn Du Ross32/47Parker House Rolls
You need these rolls if you plan to make leftover ham sandwiches tomorrow. Which, obviously.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Ines Anguiano34/47Cornbread Cheddar Biscuits
Can’t choose between cornbread and buttermilk biscuits? Now you don’t have to. Gently rolling and stacking the dough blocks on top of each other creates those lofty layers, so be patient with the process.
Photo by Alex Lau36/47BA’s Best Carrot Cake
Is carrot cake the most essential Easter recipe? Debatable. What’s not debatable? How good our best carrot cake recipe is—or go lo-fi with an easy carrot sheet cake that’s made partially in a blender.
Photograph by Yudi Ela Echevarria, food styling by Micah Morton, prop styling by Sean Dooley, Special thanks to Frank's House37/47Coconut and Cardamom Cake
For a smaller Easter celebration, this single-layer riff on coconut cake incorporates a little cardamom into the batter for a floral, sweet flavor.
Photo by Ted + Chelsea Cavanaugh, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Kalen Kaminski38/47Lemon Meringue Pie
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling ing by Pearl Jones40/47A Giant Panna Cotta
Want a gluten-free dessert that doesn’t feel like a compromise? Make this large-format panna cotta, which is an ideal blank canvas for any number of toppings.
Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Shilpa Uskokovic, Prop Styling by Christina Allen41/47Pistachio Bundt Cake
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Thu Buser, Prop Styling by Stephanie De Luca42/47Any-Berry Lemon Ricotta Cake
Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne, Prop Styling by Stephanie De Luca43/47Chocolate Mousse for a Party
Photo by Alex Lau44/47Rhubarb Custard Cake
You’d be remiss to not serve rhubarb on Easter, and this cover-worthy dessert is an excellent place to highlight those sweet-tart stalks.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Thu Buser, Prop Styling by Stephanie De Luca45/47Salty Grapefruit Refresher
While bitterness can be hard to find in mixed drinks absent of spirits or liqueurs, this mocktail recipe achieves balance from grapefruit juice and salty preserved lemon purée (made from whole preserved lemons—rind, flesh, and all).
