55 Fruit Dessert Recipes That Celebrate Spring

Few dishes herald the return of warm springtime weather better than fruit-centered desserts. Who doesn't love gathering a harvest of fresh spring fruit bursting with color and sweetness to incorporate into a decadent cake or a crisp and syrupy crumble? The renewal of abundance means home cooks have the world at their fingertips when choosing incredible fruit-based desserts to share with friends and family or enjoy on their own.

What do you do with all the phenomenal fruit options in the grocery store or growing in your backyard? You'll need a supreme selection of easy-to-make fruit dessert recipes that help you celebrate longer days and more time spent appreciating nature. We've gathered up our favorite sweet treats that put fresh fruit front and center ... and between each layer and piled up on top too. From tender sponges decorated with vibrant strawberries and homemade cream to bars and buckles that ensure down-home flavor keeps its place on the dessert table, each creation is bursting with flavor that proclaims a sweet new season has begun.

These miniature pastries topped with fruit are like bite-sized pies, similar to a thumbprint cookie. Using both blueberry and cherry canned pie filling lets you create a colorful platter that shimmers with syrupy gloss. You can store them in the freezer for up to a month, which gives you plenty of lead time to make a batch for your springtime celebrations.

There's yeast in the dough, which means it will need time to prove before you roll and bake it.

Recipe: Sweet Kolaches

Skip the oven and go straight for the fridge when you finish putting together this no-bake cheesecake topped with juicy strawberries. It's the perfect dish to make in advance of a backyard party or neighborhood gathering, simpler and more foolproof than a traditional cheesecake. Stack a few whole strawberries on top for garnish and you're all set.

Once assembled, your cheesecake needs a quick 30 minutes to chill before serving.

Recipe: Make-Ahead No-Bake Strawberry Cheesecake

There may be no easier fruit dessert recipe to toss together (literally) than this cherry-infused take on a classic dump cake. Neatness doesn't count in the assembly; simply melt butter and pour it on top of a layer of sliced fresh cherries, cherry compote, and a boxed yellow cake mix. Then stash it in the oven for 45 minutes and this dessert is a done deal.

Looking for a luxurious topping? How about chocolate ice cream made from scratch?

Recipe: Easy Cherry Dump Cake

The rustic loveliness of this vintage blueberry cobbler is sure to get your spring off to a tasty start. Don't worry if your blueberries aren't the ripest in the patch; you'll be adding sugar to the mix to sweeten them up. The warm essence of cardamom adds complex notes that take this dessert in a more gourmet direction.

Putting this pan bake together takes only 15 minutes, though you'll need an hour of baking time before it's ready. Pair it with easy-to-make no-churn ice cream.

Recipe: Blueberry Cobbler

Imagine these tasteful lemon tarts lining a two-tiered pastry tray at your next brunch or family birthday. You can almost feel your mouth pucker at the tart citrus zing suspended in a creamy, curd-like filling. With pre-made pie crust doing pastry duty, you'll have no trouble turning out a batch in time for the big occasion.

Split your 40-minute prep time into two separate tasks, with 18 to 20 minutes for baking the shells and another 20 for preparing the filling.

Recipe: Lemon Tart

The elegant dance between chocolate and raspberry gets its due come dessert time, thanks to these eye-catching cupcakes. Raspberry frosting makes a sweet triple-play by providing creaminess, tanginess, and a blast of pastel color that looks like a perfect rosette to welcome the new season.

Raspberry jam added to buttercream is the trick to infusing these cakes with as much flavor as possible.

Recipe: Best Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes

A quick dash to the grocery store for five ingredients gets you ready to make strawberry shortcake, complete with classic biscuit-style pastry. When you're finished, you'll have vintage biscuit-like shortcakes filled with strawberries and cream, a perfect small sweet bite to enjoy in the sunshine.

Cause a stir with a pitcher of strawberry lemonade to wash down these tasty bakes. Anyone lucky enough to indulge in the combination will thank you.

Recipe: 5-Ingredient Strawberry Shortcake

Add a touch of artistry to your brunch table or dinner spread with these dazzling yogurt-dipped strawberries. Not only do the flavors combine to create a classic blend, but the colors compose a striking red-black-and-white palette that can't help but draw attention.

Leaving the tops on your strawberries gives you something to hold onto while you dip them, and a finger-friendly handle for your guests to grab them from the platter.

Recipe: Yogurt-Dipped Strawberries

There's no excuse to prevent you from crafting this 3-ingredient cake brimming with the classic blend of cherry and chocolate. All you need is a boxed chocolate cake mix, a can of cherry pie filling, and a couple of eggs to make a simple yet satisfying closer to the first BBQ of the season.

Need even more cherry cheer on this gooey goodie? A second can of pie filling will let you make a drizzle that won't quit.

Recipe: 3-Ingredient Chocolate Cherry Cake

Desserts don't come any cooler than popsicles, and with the island infusion of pineapple and coconut at the end of the stick, you'll have piña colada pops that bring the tropics to you. It's like a frozen tiki drink you can share with the kids. If that doesn't get your springtime heart beating, have another — sometimes it takes a little jumpstart.

Using canned pineapple tidbits will minimize your cutting work, while the full-fat canned coconut milk will add creaminess.

Recipe: Pina Colada Popsicles

Roll-out sugar cookie dough forms the crust for a cream cheese and strawberry-topped dessert pizza that rivals any pastry shop fruit tart you can find. Once the crust is baked, it's a quick and simple process to spread the cream cheese like frosting and cover it with slices of succulent strawberries.

This dessert is a kid-friendly composition that will nicely anchor the dessert table at a family dinner or Easter lunch.

Recipe: Easy Strawberry Dessert Pizza

The gooey goodness of pineapple preserves brings a moist texture to a boxed white cake mix for a fruit dessert your family will devour. Handcrafted buttercream frosting with shredded coconut pressed into the surface will add a dash of homemade style that makes the whole dessert look bakery-approved. Add a few pineapple rings to the top for delicious edible decor.

This two-layer cake is assembled torte-style, allowing the pineapple filling to rest between the layers.

Recipe: Best Pineapple Coconut Cake

There's something chic about hosting a wine party or happy hour with a batch of mini fruit tarts on the menu. Each tart is a bite-size version of the full-sized tarts you've seen in bakery windows. With these, there's no sloppy slicing or gloopy scooping to get the crust, custard, and fruit on the plate at the same time.

The secret to achieving such delicate miniaturized pastry shells? Premade phyllo cups, formed to the opening-flower shape tie in beautifully with this spring-hued fruit treat.

Recipe: Mini Fruit Tart

Amaretto isn't just a warm winter flavor; it also adds complexity to spring desserts like this blueberry amaretto cake. Real almond liqueur fits perfectly in a batter combining self-rising flour and blitzed almonds generously decorated with more than two cups of blueberries, plus more for garnish.

Additional amaretto and cream cheese frosting take this incredible bake to the heights of gourmet goodness.

Recipe: Blueberry Amaretto Cake

Banoffee pie is a perfect fluffy combination of caramel and bananas and a treasured English confection that will always impress your guests. Don't let the fluffy center fool you, there's a layer of gooey toffee-like sauce waiting for you just before your fork hits the crust. Incredible!

Brush your bananas with a little lemon juice to keep them from turning brown on top of your pie.

Recipe: Best Banoffee Pie

Banoffee pie gets a spin-off cupcake with these muffin-sized bakes that capture the same gooey glory as the full-sized original. Banana cupcakes wearing a sizeable swirl of caramel frosting decorated with streaks of caramel sauce are determined to find a spot at your springtime buffet. It sounds like they won't have much trouble fitting in. 

A single batch takes nearly an hour to prep and bake and produces 12 cupcakes. Plan your work accordingly if you have a bigger crowd to serve.

Recipe: Best Banoffee Cupcakes

Fill your punch bowl with something other than ginger ale and sherbet by making a punch bowl cake loaded with ruby-red strawberries and clouds of whipped cream. Using pre-made sponge cakes and no-bake vanilla pudding mix lets you fly through the work at top speed so you can get to the assembling stage for a knock-out of a centerpiece dish that delivers a real visual "punch."

A drop of whipped cream makes a keen topper, but be sure to add a spoonful to each serving so the full flavor profile comes through.

Recipe: Easy Strawberry Punch Bowl Cake

There's no alcohol in this creamy treat, despite what the name might suggest; the lushness comes from the incredible texture and tangy lemon essence. Instead, there's a vanilla wafer crust holding a layer of silky lemon pudding made from boxed mixes, lying under a blanket of Cool Whip — in other words, three layers of easy and delicious dessert.

You'll only need 10 minutes to put this pan-style treat together, making it the perfect option for a last-minute springtime party.

Recipe: Easy Lemon Lush

Piles of whipped topping layered with glazed blueberries resting in a flaky pastry crust ... is your mouth watering yet? Scooping into a serving of this light and lovely dish is like dragging your spoon through a cloud and coming out with blueberries and cream — what could be more irresistible than that?

There's no baking required to get you to the end of this delightful spring sweet. Just assemble everything and pop it into the fridge to chill.

Recipe: Luscious Layered Blueberry Delight

Real apricots and an intricate lacework top crust give this springtime fruit dessert a special rural personality. There are only eight ingredients on the list, but the pastry work may take a little extra time. Be patient as you practice your weaving and you'll have a supreme pie to show off.

Bake this pie in your prettiest pan to make the shift from baking to serving a snap.

Recipe: Fresh Apricot Pie

Bright blackberries embedded in a fluffy vanilla sponge are just the type of light springtime dessert that puts fruit out in front. It's a sumptuous slice disguised as an old-fashioned cake, which makes it the right choice for any occasion on your spring calendar.

With five minutes of prep and 30 minutes of baking time, you can have this cake in and out of the oven and ready to serve just as guests are ready for something sweet.

Recipe: Old Fashioned Blackberry Cake

The ever-popular banana cream pie is a must-have at family dinners where warm weather calls for al fresco dining. This version uses premade graham cracker crust, boxed banana pudding mix, and Cool Whip for a simple, no-bake sweet that looks as great as it tastes.

It's a quick assembly for this banana-topped beauty, but give it two hours in the fridge to make sure it sets completely.

Recipe: Easy Banana Cream Pie

Similar to an angel food cake, this lemon chiffon cake is an airy bake that captures full flavor in a light sponge that goes splendidly with coffee or tea. The silky glaze that runs from the top brightens the flavors into a springtime symphony you'll be happy to perform at a dinner party or cocktail hour.

There's more than an hour's worth of work to be done between prep and baking, so clear your schedule for this one. 

Recipe: Airy Lemon Chiffon Cake

The simple elegance of Bananas Foster makes this fruit-forward dessert a recipe to treasure. The addition of spiced rum and banana liqueur makes for a powerful and complex flavor, as well as letting you perform a bit of captivating kitchen science when it comes time to flambé your bananas. The result is a caramel sauce that enrobes tender banana slices in utter decadence.

For safety's sake, keep a fire extinguisher nearby to make sure you can control the flames.

Recipe: Bananas Foster

The tangy rhubarb in this old-fashioned pie doesn't pull its punches. The secret to its sweet-and-tart temptation is two cups of sliced strawberries; they help even out the strength of the rhubarb while adding a second texture to make things more interesting with every bite.

The oat crumble topping on this pie is a nostalgic alternative to a traditional pastry crust and adds even more texture to this dessert delight. 

Recipe: Simple Rhubarb Pie

When a fruit dessert encourages you to leave the oven off like this no-bake banana pudding does, you know you've found a winner. Storebought whipped topping and boxed pudding mix hasten the work, while condensed milk and cream cheese make sure things stay rich and indulgent. Now that's springtime dessert teamwork at its finest!

Instead of serving your pudding in a single bowl, assemble miniature canning jars with layers of cookies and pudding inside for a country-style touch.

Recipe: No-Bake Banana Pudding

Banana bread may rule the fall and winter months, but there's nothing better than this banana cake to ring in the spring. It's an ideal bake for midday moments when the new season hungries sneak up on you, though there's nothing wrong with sharing it with your friends and family too. 

Your bananas will need to be very ripe to make this cake as flavorful as possible. If they're a little green, try the oven hack to get them sweetened up.

Recipe: Banana Cake