To me, Easter is a special time of year. I always feel the transition of seasons strongly in April. Summer is transitioning into shorter, cooler autumn days. Mangoes and peaches are out, but apples and pears are now in season. This new season coziness just makes me want to get in the kitchen and bake. I have a crazy urge to make yeasted doughs this time every single year – buns, rolls, loaves and scrolls!

I also love Easter as a time for family to get together over good food. When I lived at home, we would always have a decadent brunch – pancakes, cinnamon rolls or french toast. I always brought a dessert to share at our big Easter Sunday lunch – usually heavy on the chocolate. So I thought I would scroll back through my archives and share some of my favourite Easter recipes all in the one place!

No Knead Hot Cross Buns

This No Knead Hot Cross Bun recipe is one of my new favourite Easter recipes. Exactly as the name suggests, this is a recipe that requires no stand mixer, hand mixer, special equipment or any kneading at all! These Hot Cross Buns are fluffy, golden and generously spiced and studded with lots of sultanas, just like you would get at a bakery!

Flourless Orange and Almond Cake (Gluten Free)

This lovely Flourless Orange cake would be lovely to finish off your Easter lunch. Whole oranges are cooked, deseeded and then pureed whole. Then the rest of the cake ingredients are added to the same food processor, so it’s ridiculously easy to make. Cakes rarely get simpler than this, so it’s perfect for newbie bakers. Oh, and it uses almond meal instead of flour so it’s completely gluten free!

Mini Chocolate Malt Marbled Bundt Cakes

Chocolate and Malt are two of my favourite flavours. When I’m feeling daring, I test the limits of my lactose intolerance with a Choc Malt Milkshake. I’ve used those delicious flavours marbled together in these lovely mini bundt cakes, drizzled with homemade chocolate sauce and topped with yet more crushed up Maltesers.

Hot Cross Bun Pull Apart Bread with Cream Cheese Glaze

This recipe is like a Hot Cross Bun and a Cinnamon Roll had a baby! The filling tastes exactly like a hot cross bun with brown sugar, spices like cinnamon, nutmeg and mixed spice, fresh orange zest and plump sultanas. But my favourite thing is the delicious spiced Cream Cheese Glaze drizzled over the top. This recipe is perfect for Easter brunch!

Hot Cross Doughnuts

I made a batch of my usual go-to doughnut recipe, and then filled them with a spiced custard and brandy-soaked currants before finally dipping the tops in dark chocolate and piping the signature cross in white chocolate. Delicious and fun!

Raspberry & Ricotta Baked French Toast

Baked French Toast is awesome, because you can prep everything the night before and make bake it while your morning coffee brews. I used a fruit challah loaf in this recipe, but brioche would be perfect too, or even hot cross buns would be a really fun Easter twist!

Mini Chai Poached Pear Cakes with Chai Creme Anglaise

As soon as Autumn hits, my intake of tea increases exponentially. I love using all kinds of tea in desserts, and this one features chai tea in every single element. I think these lovely mini cakes would be perfect for Easter lunch if you want a non-chocolate option!

Chocolate Espresso Mousse with Peanut & Pretzel Bark

This Chocolate Peanut & Pretzel Bark would make a lovely last minute homemade Easter gift for your friends. Or do as I’ve done and use it as a garnish for some rich Chocolate Espresso Mousse pots.

Sticky Date Rolls with Salted Caramel Sauce

If there is one thing I am certain of in this life, it is that I make a damn good Cinnamon Roll! This version includes delicious tea-steeped dates in the spiced filling and a salted caramel sauce. I love serving these for brunch during the whole Easter long weekend!

Double Chocolate Brownie Skillet

Double Chocolate = perfect Easter Recipes! I might only ever bake brownies in skillets from now on. I love how the edges get crispy while the middle remains gooey and molten. Under-baking slightly is encouraged with brownies like this, especially when you can just pile ice cream and fudge sauce on top and dig straight in with a spoon.

Apple & Cinnamon Hot Cross Buns

I am not one of those people who buys Hot Cross Buns in January. I like to enjoy them for a week or two, and then not think about them again until next year. I’ve tried making them from scratch a couple of times, and this was definitely my best attempt. It has lots of dried fruit, spices and stewed apple in the mix. Sooo good.

Carrot Cake Ricotta Pancake

This Easter Bunny approved Carrot Cake Pancake would make the perfect Easter Brunch. These single large pancakes are so light and fluffy, and can be topped with all your favourite fruits.

Choc Malt Speckled Ice Cream Bombe

This No Churn Ice Cream Bombe goes on the list of last minute Easter recipes and is a total crowd pleaser. My boyfriend still asks me to make this ice cream all the time – it’s his favourite of my many, many ice cream experiments! It would also make an epic milkshake flavour.

Italian Ricotta Cake

This cake has become one of our family’s favourites and we make it for many special occasions throughout the year – Easter, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Christmas and birthdays. Everyone loves it, so I just had to include it in this roundup!

Chocolate and Pear Tart with Cardamom Creme Anglaise

While we’re on the subject of crowd-pleasing Easter recipes, this chocolate tart has new season pears and a fudgy chocolate almond filling inside a chocolate tart. The subtle cardamom spiced creme anglaise is a perfect accompaniment. This is such an elegant dessert that would be the perfect sweet ending to Easter lunch.

Chai Spiced Rolls with Cinnamon Glaze

I mentioned before that this time of year makes me want to get my hands into a bowl of dough, kneading, rolling and baking it. To me it’s kind of like a meditation and really helps me de-stress. Prepare for maximum coziness when you make these. The chai spiced filling is a really nice alternative to the normal cinnamon rolls.

Chocolate Whisky Pudding with Passionfruit Ice Cream

I am in love with the combination of Chocolate and Passionfruit, and I am here to spread the word. This grown-up take on a baked chocolate pudding, has a hit of whisky and a homemade passionfruit ice cream. I am definitely making it again this Winter!

Brownie Cookies with Maple Bourbon Buttercream

When a cookie and a brownie really love each other and make a baby, this is the result. These rich and chewy chocolate cookies sandwiched with a sweet filling is one of my favourite Easter recipes. You can also adapt the filling – anything that goes with chocolate would work beautifully here.

If you do make any of these Easter recipes, I would love to see! Please tag me on Instagram @spicyicecream or #spicyicecreamphoto.