This article is part of Upstream, The Daily Wire’s new home for culture and lifestyle. Real human insight and human stories — from our featured writers to you.
***
Based on a quick survey of apparently everyone else, I’m only one who takes a pass on Easter’s greatest icon: Peeps. But while microwaving Strawberry Pop-Tarts Peeps until they explode might satisfy a visceral need, these crowd-pleasing recipes will have you crushing Sunday brunch with nary a marshmallow or jelly bean in sight.
Whether you’re Team Sweet or Savory, a few show-stopping dishes can make this weekend so spring-y you’ll feel like Cinderella singing to songbirds in kerchiefs. And since these recipes couldn’t be easier to prep, you can focus on the important things, like building your mimosa bar, crafting a hot cocoa station, or figuring out exactly what is stuck under all that Easter grass.
Enjoying a seasonal bump from Fred Astaire and Judy Garland’s film “Easter Parade” in the 1940s, brunch got going in the ’30s thanks to Hollywood stars who needed sustenance, but also, y’know, wanted to sleep in. Lavish all-you-can-eat spreads of the ’80s gave way to the mainstay McMuffin, and we’ve been hooked on breakfast for lunch ever since. That goes double for Easter Sunday. Forget all the hidden Easter eggs you’ll never find; these recipes are so good, you’ll want to resurrect them on repeat!
Cheddar and sausage sheet pan biscuits
@brightmomentco #ad Today I’m sharing my favorite Easter brunch appetizers with you all! 🍊🍯🌿 These Sheet Pan Cheddar Sausage Biscuits and Salami Charcuterie Bites are so easy to make thanks to @jimmydean and Galileo Salame I picked up the Jimmy Dean® Premium Pork Regular Sausage Roll and Galileo® Salame Deli Thin Sliced Italian Dry Salame at @walmart and was able to whip together these recipes that will leave you plenty of time to enjoy with your family on Easter. The Jimmy Dean® Sausage has a premium fresh taste with their blend of signature seasonings that makes it the perfect ingredient for a simple holiday recipe! Check out the recipes below and make sure to stop by Walmart to pick the ingredients up for yourself! Sheet Pan Cheddar Sausage Biscuits Ingredients: • 1 lb. Jimmy Dean® Pork Sausage Roll (Regular) • 1 tbsp. Olive Oil • 3 cups All Purpose Flour • 5 tbsp. Baking Powder • 1 ½ tsp. Kosher Salt • ½ tsp. Baking Soda • ½ cup Butter, frozen and grated • 2 cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese • 1 ¾ cup Buttermilk • 2 tbsp. Fresh Chives, chopped Find INSTRUCTIONS & Charcuterie Bites recipe at abrightmoment.com! #Walmart #AvailableAtWalmart #JimmyDeanAtWalmart #JimmyDean #Brunch #EasterBrunch #HolidayMeals #galileo ♬ original sound – Lauren 🧚🏻♀️
If you’re an SEC breakfast sandwich fan (that’s sausage, egg, and cheddar!), you can whip up enough for a crowd with these cheddar and sausage sheet pan biscuits. Load up on the protein with a few easy steps. Brown the sausage, then add it to a bowl with flour, butter, shredded cheddar, buttermilk, and chives. Press the mixture into a lined pan, bake until set, cut into squares, and enjoy!
Easter candy chocolate bark
@kristinnicolemiller_ Easter bark🐰🐣Give to coworkers, neighbors, teachers or friends💛This treat was seriously so good & fun to make! Save & share with someone you want to make this with – and follow along for more ideas! • DIRECTIONS: 1. Lay out melting chocolate on parchment paper on your cookie sheet. Bake in the oven at your lowest setting for 5-8 minutes. 2. Take a toothpick or skewer and mix the melting chocolate wafers together while still warm so that it begins to swirl. Top with sprinkles, candies & other toppings. 3. Freeze for 1-2 hours and gently break apart. Best if stored in refrigerator! • • #eastergift #easygift #eastertreats #easyrecipe easydessert #easterdessert ♬ Good Times Ahead – Peaceful Reveries
I’ve been obsessed with melting chocolate and sticking things to it ever since I discovered peppermint bark for Christmas. For this Easter chocolate candy bark, simply spread pastel melting chocolate onto a lined cookie tray, bake on low until soft, and swirl with a knife. While the chocolate is still warm, top with your cutest Easter candies, then freeze. Once it’s set, break it into servings with your hands, and treat yo’self (and your guests).
Brie asparagus prosciutto pastry bundles
@delish Guaranteed to make the fam go crazy this Easter #easyrecipe #easter #brie ♬ original sound – delish
If you think brunch shall not exist without a flaky croissant, these easy brie asparagus prosciutto pastry bundles bring French elegance with frozen puff pastry. Honey butter, prosciutto, asparagus, and a generous hunk of brie get folded into egg-brushed pastry, seasoned with salt and pepper, and baked until golden brown. Finished with extra honey butter, they taste as pretty as they look. And you can make them a day ahead, too!
Mossy bunny cupcakes
@nowherenearmartha Moss cupcakes for Easter made with crushed biscuits (Digestives or Graham Crackers), green food colouring and mini Lindt chocolate eggs. The easiest Easter dessert idea if you’re hosting, bringing a plate or simply cannot face another elaborate bake with two children climbing your legs. They look impressive, take minutes and feel like you tried. Save this for your Easter baking list before the chocolate aisle is wiped clean. #easteregg #easterbunny #easter #easterfood #easterbaking ♬ Art of Now (Nature Sounds) – Dennis Korn
Make the “moss” out of Easter brunch with adorable mossy bunny cupcakes, giving English garden energy via the grocery store bakery section. Crumble digestive biscuits or graham crackers in a zip-top bag with a little green food coloring, and dip a frosted chocolate cupcake into the mixture for instant grassy “moss.” Then, insert a toothpick into a mini Lindt chocolate bunny or chick, stick it on your cupcake, and enjoy the serenity of spending exactly five minutes on a stunning dessert.
Ham and cheese bunnies
@inspiredlifeandhome Make the cutest Easter appetizer that is so easy and customizable. All you need is some puff pastry, ham, cheese and aioli. You can switch up the meat and cheese to your favorites. They are a crowd pleaser and so simple to make. Perfect for your Easter brunch. #easterfood #easterappetizer #easterbrunch #puffpastry #bunnypuffpastry ♬ Opalite (Acoustic Cover) – Audrey Stclair
Welcome to the puffed pastry bunny life where Amazon Prime-ing a bunny-shaped cookie cutter is totally worth it. After you cut bunny shapes out of store-bought puffed pastry, layers of deli ham, sliced cheese, and garlic aioli get baked for 10 minutes until golden brown. Egg wash adds shine, and crimping the edges with a fork keeps the warm goodies inside. Sorry, not sorry, Easter, I’ll be making ham and cheese bunnies all year. (Try these ham, cheese, and spinach puffs if your cookie cutter got delivered to your neighbor.)
Mini pretzel Easter chicks
@sashacakeschicago Pretzel Easter Chicks 🥨🐥 Today was a whirlwind, but we still fitted in some treat making with my youngest 👯♀️ Who’s gearing up for Easter?🐣 You will need: Mini Pretzels by @snyders_hanover White Chocolate (I used @stoverandcompany Eleven O’One Collection) Yellow Oil-Based Food Coloring Gel Orange M&M’s Black Nonpareil Sprinkles How to: 1. Melt your white chocolate in the microwave on 30-second intervals, stirring in between each; tint it with yellow oil-based food coloring gel. *Alternatively, you can use melted yellow candy melts or meltables. 2. Place the mini pretzels onto parchment paper set over baking sheet (for easier transporting to freezer after). Using a piping bag or teaspoon, fill the pretzels with yellow chocolate or candy melts. Immediately add half of orange M&M and black nonpareil while the chocolate is still wet. Freeze for 5 minutes. Enjoy!💛 . . . . #easterchick #babyduck #pretzels #chocolate #chocolatetreats #eastertreats #holidaydesserts #easterideas #easterfood #eastertable #easterbaking #springbaking #springideas #holidayfood #holidayseason #baking #bake #easybakes #easyrecipes #eastercookies #spring #dessert ♬ original sound – C E P
Dressing up the dessert buffet, sunny yellow melted white chocolate and orange M&Ms turn mini pretzels into bite-sized pretzel Easter chicks. Just melt white chocolate in the microwave, stir in a little yellow food coloring, and spoon over the holes of each pretzel on a lined baking sheet. While the chocolate is still wet, add half an orange M&M as the beak, and a single chocolate nonpareil or sprinkle for the eye. Just freeze for five minutes to set. They’re so cute, they’ll practically wink at you.
Salami rose and mozzarella skewers
@spoonfulofsi So cute for Easter brunch🌹All you need👇 1 package salami Mini mozzarella balls Fresh basil Wooden skewers #salamirose #easyrecipe #appetizeridea #easterbrunch #easterfood #salamirosetutorial ♬ Roses (feat. ROZES) (Sped Up Version) – The Chainsmokers
Daffodils, lilac, and tulips get all the credit, but we’ve obviously been sleeping on salami roses for spring. Craft the sweetest salami and cheese skewers using mini mozzarella balls, fresh basil leaves, and a beginner-friendly origami fold that turns two slices of salami into a beautiful blossom. Slide everything onto a skewer, and your easy-to-hold app is ready to sit front row at Fashion Week.
Crescent roll stuffed “carrots”
@ajlapandzic Replying to @victoria nielsen #easter #recipe #appetizer #spring #baking ♬ original sound – Peaceful Melody World
Prepare to elevate a can of Pillsbury crescent dough with these stuffed pastry carrots. Using just five ingredients, and aluminum foil to hold the shape, golden brown pastry cones pack an herby mixture of cream cheese, chives, parsley, and garlic powder. A sprig of fresh parsley stuck into the filling sells the carrot vibe so well that Peter Rabbit will be going back for seconds.
Easter bunny (puppy) chow
@oliviaduffy__ Easter Puppy Chow 💛💗 this is one of my favorite treats to make every spring. Perfect for sharing with guests & fun to customize by adding your favorite Easter candy. – 6 cups rice Chex – 12 oz. bag white chocolate chips – 1/2 cup strawberry cake mix – 1/2 cup powdered sugar – 1 cup frosted animal cookies – 1/2 cup spring M&Ms – 1/2 cup Cadbury mini eggs Melt white chocolate and pour over Chex. Add dry cake mix & powdered sugar. Add in any mix-ins you love & enjoy!! #easterrecipes #springrecipes #puppychow #easterweekend ♬ Bluest Flame – Selena Gomez & benny blanco
Live your best life with Chex cereal, a box of cake mix, and your favorite Easter candy. For this rosy pink Easter bunny chow that reminds us of the puppy stuff, grab the biggest bowl you can find, add Chex, melted white chocolate, powdered sugar, and strawberry cake mix, and toss to combine. Fold in frosted circus animal cookies, pastel M&Ms, and Cadbury mini eggs, and you’ll be serving family-sized fun by the handful.
Edible flower-studded cheese roll
@alouette.cheesealouette Soft Spreadable Cheese, dressed for Easter in full bloom. 🌸✨ Instructions: Start with your favorite alouette Soft Spreadable Cheese and give it a quick mix to blend those chef-inspired toppings all the way through. Spoon it onto a parchment-lined board, then use plastic wrap to gently shape it. Into the fridge for 5 minutes to set. Top with edible flowers (no placement pressure here!). Finish with a light drizzle of honey for a dewy touch and serve! #alouetteCheese #EasterEntertaining #EasterBrunch #EasterAppetizer #SpringEntertaining #FoodStyling♬ original sound – alouette Cheese
Looking much more complicated than it is, this edible flower-studded cheese roll serves springtime charcuterie in a few simple steps. Using a spreadable seasoned cheese like Boursin shallot and chive, shape the cheese into a log with plastic wrap. After letting it set in the fridge for a few minutes, press colorful edible flowers onto the cheese (get edible pansies on DoorDash), drizzle the whole thing with honey, and plate with fresh veggies and crackers.
Mini baked potatoes
@spoonfulofsi Mini Baked Potatoes 😋 #minibakedpotatoes #easyrecipes #easterfood #appetizers #recipes ♬ As It Was – Harry Styles
Mini baked potatoes offer loaded spud taste without the commitment of a potato bar. Providing the perfect bite every time, the tiniest salt-and-pepper roasties get stuffed with sour cream and chives and topped with crispy bacon. I’m not hiding Easter eggs this year; I’m hiding mini baked potatoes — and finding every single one before anyone else.
Fluffy Easter bunny cheese ball
@macy.blackwell Bunny Cheeseball!🐇 So easy and cute for your Easter appetizer!🥕 Cory ate half of this bunny yesterday it was so good. 😂 Ingredients: 2 bricks cream cheese 2 cups shredded mozzarella (divided) 1 package ranch (original or spicy) 1/2 package bacon bits 3 tablespoons sour cream (A brick of hard, white cheese to cut out ears) Directions: 1. Add ingredients together in a large bowl and quickly blend until combined. 2. Use 3/4 of the cheese to make the body, 1/4 for the head. (Save a tiny bit for the tail) 3. Mold onto a board into the correct shapes. 4. Cut the ears from cheese and insert them into the head. 5. Finely chop shredded mozzarella, and cover the whole bunny for white fur. 6. Add whore peppercorns for eyes. 7. Serve with crackers! (I added some fresh parsley and carrots so the bunny had something to munch on too. ☺️) #cheeseball #easterrecipes #easyrecipes #appetizer #eastersunday ♬ original sound – COINS
You can’t go wrong with a centerpiece made of cream cheese, shredded mozzarella, and ranch. Yes, you’ll need a little finesse to nail the actual bunny shape, but this fluffy Easter bunny cheese ball couldn’t be more on theme. Just mix cream cheese, shredded mozzarella, powdered ranch seasoning, sour cream, and bacon in a bowl. Then, shape the cheese mixture into a bunny head and body, sprinkle on mozzarella as the fur, and cut out two ears using hard white cheddar cheese. Cloves for eyes and a nest of greens add convincing flair. Prefer a carrot-shaped show-stopper cheese ball? Make one covered in crushed Doritos.
Egg hunt smoothie
@happywaybtsGet into the Easter spirit with this Berry Egg-stra Pink Smoothie! 🐰🥤🍓 INGREDIENTS ✨ 1 scoop Happy Way I Love You Berry Much Protein Powder 1 banana, frozen Ice Handful strawberries, frozen Handful raspberries, frozen Dash of cinnamon 1 date, pitted 1 tbsp peanut butter ½ cup milk of choice Optional: sprinkles and chocolate eggs METHOD 👩🍳 Blend all ingredients until fully combined and pour into a glass. The trick with this smoothie is to make it EGG-STRA thick so you can hide the easter eggs (for the little ones in your life!). Decorate with sprinkles and enjoy!♬ Mother – Meghan Trainor
We can’t have brunch without something to sip! This kid-friendly egg hunt smoothie lends protein-focused nutrition to balance out the candy haul. Just blend vanilla protein powder with frozen bananas, frozen red berries, a date, cinnamon, nut butter, milk, and ice, and pour into a glass. The thicker the better if you can’t resist “hiding” two Cadbury mini eggs in the mix, along with a wide straw to help hunt them down. Festive candy sprinkle rim optional.
Cottontail martini
@itscocktailhour Right on theme and delicious 😋 the perfect Easter cocktail! 🐰 COTTONTAIL MARTINI 🐰 – 1oz coconut rum – 1.5oz vanilla vodka – 1oz almond milk – 1oz pineapple juice – 3/4oz cream of coconut In a cocktail shaker, combine coconut rum, vanilla vodka, almond milk, pineapple juice and cream of coconut. Add ice and shake well. Rim a martini or coupe glass with honey and coconut shavings. Strain and garnish with a marshmallow. 21+ to enjoy 🍸 #easter #eastercocktails #easterdrinks #cocktails ♬ オリジナル楽曲 – shoko5133
For the adults in the room, this cottontail martini pours a tropical vacation into a coupe glass. Shake up coconut rum, vanilla vodka, almond milk, pineapple juice, and cream of coconut with ice, and strain into a shredded coconut-rimmed glass. Garnish with a minimalist marshmallow, or go maximalist with luster dust for pink bunny ears.
Empty tomb Easter cake
@macy.blackwell Empty Tomb Easter Cake!🪨🍰✝️ Similar to the individual donut treats I made last year, but thought this would be a much easier option for a crowd! 1. Bake a chocolate cake and let cool. (I used a box mix.) 2. Add chocolate frosting. 3. Bake a yellow Bundt cake, let cool, cut in half. 4. Place onto the chocolate cake. 5. Add a snickerdoodle cookie for the stone. 6. I decorated with Easter sprinkles and used green frosting for plants/grass. 7. I made a cross out of popsicle sticks and inserted it into the bundt cake! #easterrecipes #easterdessert #easyrecipes ♬ the bakery – Ophelia Wilde
If you were worried the brunch conversation might dry up, this empty tomb Easter cake will break the ice when it comes to Jesus’ onetime gravesite. A chocolate-frosted boxed cake mix serves as the foundation for this masterpiece, while a yellow Bundt cake and a snickerdoodle cookie simulate the tomb. Be your own landscaper with green edible glitter, sprinkles, and frosting to create a grass effect along the path. Maybe the popsicle stick cross inserted into the Bundt is too on the nose, or maybe it isn’t enough. Taking inspiration from someone who commented “glaze the Lord” on this cake, may you and your brunch be blessed by the Easter spirit.
