Whether you celebrate Easter or not, spring is the perfect opportunity to bake something special to share with the people you love. If you’ll be at home during Easter, these recipes are perfect to try out with your family. And for those of us stuck in State College, get together with some friends this weekend to indulge in a delectable dessert.
Easter Candy Bark
Similar to peppermint bark consumed around the holidays, this chocolatey dessert features a pop of pastel color, perfect for the spring season.
What You’ll Need
- 4 cups milk chocolate morsels
- 2 cups white chocolate morsels
- ½ cup Cadbury Mini Eggs
- ½ cup Easter M&Ms
- ½ cup sprinkles
- ½ cup chocolate melts
Photo from thesweetestoccasion.com
What You’ll Do
- Line baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Melt each chocolate over separate double boilers (or in a microwave for 15-20 second intervals, stirring the chocolate in between.) Mix until smooth and fully melted.
- Carefully pour chocolate onto the center of baking sheet. Use a rubber spatula to smooth it out until around 1/3 inch thick. Pour white chocolate on top of milk chocolate in a zig zag pattern. Use a thin skewer (or whatever you own) to swirl the two chocolates together.
- Sprinkle each Easter candy/sprinkle over the chocolate before it hardens.
- Put the baking sheet in the freezer, let it chill for one hour or overnight.
- Using back of spoon, smash bark into pieces and ENJOY!
No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Nest Cookies
No time to bake? These are the perfect cookies to make, and they’ll look straight out of a Pinterest board.
Photo from twopeaseandtheirpod.com
What You’ll Need
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup milk
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 1/2 cups quick-oats or old-fashioned oats
- 1 cup chopped pretzels
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups chocolateEaster egg candies
You can also make these gluten-free by using gluten-free oats and pretzels!
What You’ll Do
- In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium-high heat.
- Stir together milk, sugar, and cocoa to combine while bringing to a boil.
- Boil for 1-2 minutes while occasionally stirring. Remove pan from heat.
- Add peanut butter and vanilla, stir until smooth. Mix in oats, chopped pretzels and salt.
- Spoonful mixture drop onto wax paper, and form into bird nest shapes. Press down center with thumb so a space will be made for candies.
- Let nests completely cool. Place egg candies in center and serve!
Vegan Lemon Poppy Seed Loaf
Photo from itdoesnttastelikechicken.com
What better way to start your Easter morning than with a lemon bread? BONUS: It’s Vegan!
What You’ll Need
- 2 cups whole wheat flour
- 3/4 cup white sugar
- 3 tablespoons poppy seeds
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/4 cups non-dairy milk (such as soy or almond)
- 1/2 cup light oil (such as canola or vegetable)
- 1/3 cup lemon juice (2-3 lemons)
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Lemon Icing
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
What You’ll Do
- Lightly spray a loaf pan, preheat oven to 375F.
- Whisk together all dry ingredients in a large bowl.
- Mix wet ingredients together in medium bowl, pour wet ingredients into dry and slowly whisk together. Don’t over mix (lumps are fine).
- Pour batter into pan. Bake for 45-55 minutes, rotating once midway through. Let cool completely once done.
- Mix together lemon icing ingredients, drizzle icing over loaf, let icing sit before slicing.
Bunny Butt Cake
Photo from julieblanner.com
Yes, you read that name right. If you’re feeling crafty, try out this adorable bunny cake that tastes as sweet as it looks!
What You’ll Need
- 1 cake mix mixed as instructed on box
- 4 cups icing (2 tubs)
- cotton candy(substitute large marshmallow)
- pink icing
What You’ll Do
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
- Prepare cake mix as instructed. Pour batter into two greased, unlined muffin tins. Pour the remainder in an oven-safe, greased mixing bowl.
- Bake cake for 50 minutes, cupcakes for 17 minutes. Shave off the top of the ‘butt’ cake until almost flat.
- Place the cake on platter as if bowl was upside down.
- Cut sides off cupcakes to create bunny feet.
- Ice cake and underneath “bunny feet” to adhere to cake.
- Use an icing tube to add small pads to bunny feet.
- Add cotton candy (or an iced marshmallow) to make the bunny tail. So cute!
Carrot Oatmeal Cookies
Photo from yummyhealthyeasy.com
Instead of the traditional carrot cake, try this deliciously moist cookie filled with oats, cinnamon, and carrots.
What You’ll Need
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup white whole wheat flour
- 1 baking soda
- 1/4 salt
- 1/2 baking powder
- 1/2 ground cloves
- 2 ground cinnamon
- 1 cup quick oats not instant
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup coconut oil or 2 sticks butter, softened
- 2 large eggs
- 2 vanilla extract
- 2 cups grated carrot 3-4 carrots
- 1/2 cup flaked coconut
- 3/4 cup chopped walnuts
- powdered sugar
- milk
What You’ll Do
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Combine flours, baking soda, salt, baking powder, cloves, cinnamon, and oats together in medium bowl, set aside.
- Beat together sugars and coconut oil in large bowl with mixer. Add eggs and vanilla, beating on medium speed until light and fluffy.
- Add flour mixture and blend at low speed until combined, don’t overmix.
- Drop tablespoons onto ungreased sheet, bake for 13-15 minutes.
- For some extra sweetness, blend small amount of powdered sugar with small amount of milk in a bowl until it’s a consistency you like. Drizzle over cookies.
