65+ best Easter baking recipes
Easter means spending time with friends and family and enjoying the beginning of spring. It's eating copious amounts of hot cross buns (lathered with butter of course), Sunday lunch with a delicious leg of lamb, and let's not forget the Easter dessert centrepiece for a memorable finish.
Here are a few of our all-time favourite Easter sweet treat recipes for 2024.
Traditionally enjoyed on Good Friday due to the religious connotations depicted by the piped on cross. Make sure your yeast is within date and that your milk is only just warm (rather than hot), otherwise you will kill the yeast and your buns won't rise. This will result in a dense and chewy hot cross bun, and no one wants that!
It's important to knead the dough for at least 10min. This helps develop the gluten, which in turn creates a smooth and elastic dough, resulting in a better finished bun texture. To check whether the gluten in your kneaded dough has developed sufficiently, pull the dough taut, lightly press the surface with your finger, and it should bounce back.
If you enjoy the taste of hot cross buns but want to try something a little different this year, give our chocolate hot cross buns a go.
Traditionally enjoyed on Mothering Sunday, Simnel cake soon became a way to celebrate the end of lent due to its luxurious qualities; being crammed full of dried fruit and topped with decadent marzipan. A lighter fruit cake than Christmas cake, a Simnel cake is now the epitome of Easter since it's topped with 11 marzipan balls said to represent the 11 disciples of Jesus (minus Judus). For an easier and just as flavoursome option why not try our Simnel traybake?
Easter eggs are a symbol of new life and Spring and so have become the perfect way to celebrate Easter with. Rather than buying your Easter eggs this year, why not try making your own. This will require you to temper your own chocolate (meaning to make your chocolate have a glossy sheen) which can seem like a daunting task. However, if you follow our foolproof guide to tempering, you'll achieve perfect eggs every time.
Looking for a twist on traditional Easter treats? Easter undoubtedly means indulging in plenty of chocolate. From rocky road to Malteser cakes and indulgent treats that celebrate the much loved Creme Egg, there's something to satisfy every sweet craving.
Prefer more savoury recipes? We've got our best ever Easter lamb roast recipes for a fail safe lunch.
Check out our GHI Easter Taste test winners if you don't feel like making your Easter eggs
or hot cross buns this year!
Mini Egg Blondies
How could anyone resist these squares of Easter joy?! Fudgy, decadent and utterly delicious. Kids will love helping with these.
Recipe: Mini Egg Blondies
Mini Earl Grey Loaf Cakes
These pretty little cakes are delicately fragranced with earl grey tea and make a beautiful afternoon treat.
Recipe: Mini Earl Grey Loaf Cakes
Simnel Spiced Daisy Biscuits
These subtly spiced biscuits are sure to become a new favourite.
Recipe: Simnel Spiced Daisy Biscuits
Double Chocolate Shortbreads
These chocolatey shortbread biscuits are sandwiched with a rich white chocolate ganache, though you could always use a shop-bought chocolate hazelnut spread if you’re short on time.
Recipe: Double Chocolate Shortbreads
Chocolate Hot Cross Buns
If you love chocolate and orange then you'll love these spiced chocolate hot cross buns that are smothered with a spiced orange butter too.
Recipe: Chocolate Hot Cross Buns
Rhubarb & Rose Cupcakes
These rhubarb and rose cupcakes make the most of the short (but sweet) rhubarb season and make a lovely addition to your Easter lunch too.
Recipe: Rhubarb & rose cupcakes
Orange Blossom Baklava Cheesecake
Delicate floral notes and warm sweet spices perfume this silky cheesecake and crunchy topping.
Recipe: Orange Blossom Baklava Cheesecake
Simnel Cupcakes
We’ve turned the traditional Easter cake into cute and colourful cupcakes.
Recipe: Simnel Cupcakes
Apricot and Cardamom Hot Cross Buns
Nothing beats a homemade hot cross bun! These are scented with cardamom and studded with dried apricots for a new twist. Divine served warm, split and slathered with salted butter.
Recipe: Apricot and Cardamom Hot Cross Buns
Easter Egg Tiffin
A guaranteed hit with little ones, tiffins are good way of using up leftover dried fruit, nuts and biscuits so try experimenting with different combinations.
Recipe: Easter Egg Tiffin
Double Decker Rocky Road
Kids and adults will love this fun twist on classic rocky road. Swap the biscuit balls and Mini Eggs for any Easter treats you have left over.
Recipe: Double Decker Rocky Road
Crème Egg Traybake
Crème Egg Traybake: Celebrate Easter in all its glory with this colourful traybake. If you’re not a fan of Crème Eggs then top with your favourite chocolate instead.
Recipe: Crème Egg Traybake
Fried Egg and Bacon Biscuits
Who wouldn’t want breakfast at teatime?! Amuse your guests with these sweet egg and bacon biscuits.
Recipe: Fried Egg and Bacon Biscuits
Mini Egg Cheesecake Squares
Mini Egg Cheesecake Squares: These layered cheesecake squares are the perfect Easter teatime treat. If making for children you may like to swap the orange zest for 1tsp vanilla extract.
Recipe: Mini Egg Cheesecake Squares
Baileys Chocolate Loaf Cake
With a boozy Baileys twist and a delicious rich chocolate flavour, this fabulous bake with novelty bunny decoration is a celebration of all things Easter.
Recipe: Baileys Chocolate Loaf Cake
Hot Cross Bun Loaf
Tear-and share this rich hot cross bun loaf for an indulgent Easter breakfast.
Recipe: Hot Cross Bun Loaf
Coconut Rum Cupcakes
Coconut, rum and lime are a recipe for success. If you’re making these for children, omit the Malibu and simmer the syrup for less time.
Recipe: Coconut Rum Cupcakes
Easy Chocolate Easter Bark
This chocolatey, tasty treat is SO easy to make
Recipe: Easy Chocolate Easter Bark
Cherry bakewell cookie cups
Oh how we love cherry bakewell tarts, and we've stuffed these cookie cups with the flavours for the perfect treat.
Recipe: Cherry bakewell cookie cups
Easter rainbow cake
This stunning Easter cake is made with Simnel-inspired flavours. The icing is easier than it looks.
Recipe: Easter rainbow cake
Bacon and creme egg chocolate brownies
Brunch brownies?! The saltiness of the bacon and the sugary sweet Creme Egg makes for the perfect chocolate brownie combination.
Recipe: Bacon and creme egg chocolate brownies
Easy Simnel traybake
If you're not in the mood to create a full simnel cake, this easy traybake is ideal.
Recipe: Simnel traybake
Carrot cake cupcakes
You need to try our gorgeous carrot cake cupcakes, topped with cream cheese frosting and Malteser bunnies - delicious!
Recipe: Carrot cake cupcakes
Battenberg bundt cake
We love this take on a traditional Battenberg, complete with marzipan icing.
Recipe: Battenberg bundt cake
Hot cross bun blondies
Blondies are a great thing to bake, and these Easter versions are packed with the fabulous spied and dried fruits of the humble hot cross bun.
Recipe: Hot cross bun blondies
Vegan carrot cake
You wouldn’t know this carrot cake recipe is vegan, it’s so light and moist.
Recipe: Vegan carrot cake
Giant chocolate cornflake nest
A delicious alternative to an Easter cake, this cornflake nest is a chocoholic's dream!
Recipe: Giant chocolate cornflake nest
The easiest chocolate cake in the world
Perfect for birthdays, this foolproof chocolate cake is indulgent and impressive.
Recipe: The easiest chocolate cake in the world
The ultimate no-bake chocolate cake
You'll be shocked at how delicious this 10-minute no-bake cake is!
Recipe: The ultimate no-bake chocolate cake
Vegan lemon drizzle cake
This amazingly soft and delectable vegan cake is dairy free and egg free, but you’d never know.
Recipe: Vegan lemon drizzle cake
Cheats chocolate cake
This delicious chocolate cake is simple to make, using only four ingredients.
Recipe: Cheat's chocolate cake
Chocolate cornflake and mini egg cookies
We love Easter cookies and these biscuits are a twist on classic cornflake cakes. Adding the breakfast cereal gives a nice crunch to these cookies, and they're super fun to make with the kids.
Recipe: Chocolate cornflake and mini egg cookies
Rhubarb meringue pie
The biscuits in the pastry add subtle gingery warmth and help keep the pie case crisp.
Recipe: Rhubarb meringue pie
White chocolate, raspberry and passionfruit trifle
This failsafe pudding is sure to please both adults and children.
Recipe: White chocolate, raspberry and passionfruit trifle
Lemon drizzle cheesecake
This zesty lemon cheesecake recipe has a lemon drizzle cake base, combining two of our favourite desserts.
Recipe: Lemon drizzle cheesecake
Creme Egg Chocolate Fondants
Over a million people have watched these melt-in-the-middle pudding be made. And you don’t have to be nervous about getting the timings spot on, as the Creme Eggs give them their gooey interior.
Recipe: Creme Egg chocolate fondants
Malteser piñata cake
This Easter showstopper takes time to assemble, but is well worth the effort. You can use as many of the Malteser bunnys around outside of the cake as you like, or leave them off all together.
Recipe: Malteser bunny cake
Carrot cake cheesecake
Why have cake or cheesecake when you can have both? This combination is heavenly and surprisingly light.
Recipe: Carrot cake cheesecake
The ultimate chocolate cake
This impressive looking chocolate cake is very easy to make.
Recipe: The ultimate chocolate cake
Home-made Easter Egg
This year why not try and make your very own Easter egg!
Recipe: Home-made Easter Egg
Mix and match chocolate lollipops
Pick your chocolate, flavouring and topping and let your imagination run wild.
Recipe: Mix and match chocolate lollipops
Ice cream eggs
These ice cream-filled eggs are a quirky end to an Easter feast, and guaranteed to raise a laugh! Make some shortbread soldiers to go with it.
Recipe: Ice cream eggs
White chocolate popcorn
Next time, try adding Smarties, popping candy or chocolate chips.
Recipe: White chocolate popcorn
Iced Easter biscuits
Condensed milk gives these biscuits extra crunch and helps them hold their shape.
Recipe: Iced Easter biscuits
Lemon and almond meringue roulade
If you don’t want to make lemon curd, use 150g (5oz) bought curd.
Recipe: Lemon and almond meringue roulade
White chocolate and hazelnut egg truffles
A delicious Easter treat that all the family will love.
Recipe: White chocolate and hazelnut egg truffles and Salty chocolate egg truffles
Spiced carrot and walnut pudding
Serve this deliciously moist bake topped with mascarpone icing - the perfect finale for a dinner party.
Recipe: Spiced carrot and walnut pudding
Simnel cake
The light and fruity cake was originally a Mothering Sunday tradition, but over the years has become synonymous with Easter baking.
Recipe: Simnel cake
Chocolate bark
If you aren’t fond of marzipan, you can make this bark without it – just let the white chocolate set before spreading over the dark chocolate layer.
Recipe: Chocolate bark
Hot cross pudding
This Easter pudding couldn’t be simpler to make or more delicious to eat.
Recipe: Hot cross pudding
White chocolate and pistachio profiteroles
These white chocolate and pistachio profiteroles are oozing with sweet goodness in the middle and are encased in soft pasty. A drizzle of melted white chocolate tops them off perfectly.
Recipe: White chocolate and pistachio profiteroles
Easter basket cake
Cakes don't always have to look like cakes - how about a basket? This gorgeous cake design is well worth the effort.
Recipe: Easter basket cake
Meringue nests
These sweet, little meringue nests are lemon and lavender flavour. Topped with a couple of Easter eggs, they look fantastic in the centre of any table.
Recipe: Lemon and lavender meringue nests
Creme egg cheesecake
This all-out Easter pud makes no apologies for being decadent!
Recipe: Creme egg cheesecake
Hot cross bun layer cake
This centrepiece pudding is full of spice and ideal to prepare ahead.
Recipe: Hot cross bun layer cake
Chocolate Babka
Rippled with thick, rich dark chocolate, this Eastern European sweet bread is delicious served for brunch.
Recipe: Chocolate Babka
Rhubarb and custard profiteroles
Use a star nozzle to pipe filling into the buns to prevent the rhubarb clogging the nozzle.
Recipe: Rhubarb and custard profiteroles
Salted caramel chocolate tart
A chocolate lover’s dream, this one is sure to impress!
Recipe: Chocolate salted caramel tart
Hidden bunny Nutella loaf cake
Slice into this decadent chocolate cake with Nutella icing to find a little surprise inside…
Recipe: Hidden bunny loaf cake
Coconut and lime shortbread biscuits
Decorating Easter biscuits is a great way to spend the holidays with the kids or just to brush up on your own skills. Simply stock up on piping bags and get messy!
Recipe: Coconut and lime short bread
Earl grey celebration cake
We’ve given the classic lemon and poppy seed cake a subtle, Earl Grey twist. Covered with decadent lemon curd buttercream, it’s the perfect teatime celebration cake. If you’re not a fan of Earl Grey, simply leave the tea out.
Recipe: Earl grey celebration cake
Easter rocky road
Kids will love this fun twist on the classic teatime treat set on a crispy, chewy base.
Recipe: Easter rocky road
Simnel cookies
These American-style cookies are inspired by simnel cake, with almonds, raisins and spice. We’ve added white chocolate for extra indulgence.
Recipe: Simnel and white chocolate cookies
Marmalade Treacle Tart
Served with chai custard, warming chai and zesty marmalade updates this traditional family fave.
Recipe: Marmalade treacle tart
Carrot cake Swiss roll
Our carrot cake recipe gets a new twist - making a light and zesty Swiss roll.
Recipe: Carrot cake Swiss roll
Chocolate Bundt
This impressive showstopper of a cake is the perfect centrepiece for an Easter dinner table. A light and fluffy sponge is covered in a rich chocolate ganache and decorated with our chocolate coffee truffles. A luxurious bundt to kick off any Easter celebration!
Recipe: Chocolate Bundt
Classic Easter Biscuits
Just keep it simple this Easter with our currant and lemon biscuits!
Recipe: Classic Easter Biscuits
Carrot cake traybake
This fail-safe carrot cake is delightfully soft and fluffy and perfect when you have lots of guests to feed.
Recipe: Carrot cake traybake
Simnel Loaf Cake
Simnel Loaf Cake: With a central layer of hazelnut marzipan, this is one elevated classic!
Recipe: Simnel Loaf Cake
Marmalade and Chocolate Hot Cross Buns
Sticky-sweet buns with a hidden gooey centre. You can of course leave out the ganache chocolate balls if you fancy a chocolate-free version.
Recipe: Marmalade and Chocolate Hot Cross Buns
Chocolate no-bake Easter wreath
A delicious chocolate rocky road in a pretty wreath shape.
Recipe: Chocolate no-bake Easter wreath
Egg and spoon biscuit bunting
These sweet biscuits look so pretty iced and hung up like bunting.
Recipe: Egg and spoon biscuit bunting
Mini simnel cakes
These dainty little spiced fruit cakes are enriched with home-made almond paste. Wrap them up to make pretty gifts for Mothering Sunday.
Recipe: Mini simnel cakes
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