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.

Lemons and blueberries have always shared a great friendship in the baking world, providing an exciting balance of sweet and tangy that offers a taste of sunshine. Moist citrusy sponge cradles bursting blueberries that lend tempting taste and contrasting color you'll be eager to slice into.

Frozen blueberries make it simple to keep the ingredients for this cake on hand, as well as lemon juice and zest, both of which can be stored in the freezer for future use.

Recipe: Lemony Blueberry Cake

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

Who doesn't love a touch of salty crunch thrown into a fruit dessert to make things complex? With crushed pretzels forming the crust, there's no need to create a fancy pastry or even thaw out a pre-made dough. The result is a nutty warmth that balances the sweet tang of strawberries and gelatin.

Though the pretzels are ready-to-eat, mixing them with butter and sugar requires 10 minutes of oven time to bring them together.

Recipe: Easy Strawberry Pretzel Salad

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

The brightness of cool strawberries in a sugary glaze makes this festive pie a vibrant centerpiece for your springtime table. Piles of pink and red slices suspended in syrup give the appearance of an edible jigsaw puzzle just waiting for someone to remove the first piece and enjoy. 

Complete the pretty picture with a generous dollop of fresh whipped cream, either at the center of the whole pie or on each slice.

Recipe: Easy Strawberry Pie

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

When all the ingredients are premade like they are in this frozen treat, all that's left to do is assemble and serve. Layers of whipped cream, Oreos, and ripe strawberries fill a loaf pan to become an icebox cake that redefines easy desserts. Once frozen, a warm knife will produce perfect slices to plate up.

If you favor chocolate wafer cookies or graham crackers instead of Oreos, you can easily make substitutions without compromising flavor

Recipe: Chocolate Strawberry Icebox 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

Why save a pineapple upside-down cake for summer when you can add it to your springtime dessert plans and give the return of warm weather a tropical tribute? There's a bit of process involved to make sure the pineapples are pitch-perfect when you turn it over, but the result is worth the effort. Your guests will be as dazzled to see it as they are to give it a taste.

To take this fruit dessert in a more adult direction, top it with brandied cherries.

Recipe: Easy Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

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

One of the lesser-used members of the fruit family, passionfruit takes the lead in this dense poundcake, topped with a luscious orange-flavored frosting that adds sweetness and texture to every slice. It's a delightful tea cake to serve with homemade ginger tea on a cool spring morning when the sap is rising and the birds are singing their serenade.

Reserve a few passionfruit halves to top your cake with a touch of spring style.

Recipe: Passionfruit Cake

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

Spread the joy of chocolate and hazelnuts into new territory by spooning or piping Nutella into fresh strawberries with their tops removed. The result is a natural version of a truffle, with a tender fruit shell providing a juicy blast of flavor you can't get at the candy shop. Chocolate-dipped tips rolled in toasted hazelnuts bring a decadent crunch to this spring dessert party.

Presentation is half the battle with this recipe, so be sure to choose brightly colored and evenly shaped strawberries.

Recipe: Nutella Stuffed Strawberries

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

These winsome cupcakes take on the personality of an ice cream sundae, complete with maraschino cherries and chocolate sprinkles. Juice from the cherry jar imbues the buttercream crowns with flavor and delicate color, the perfect confection for a child's party or an evening grill-out with your family or neighbors.

Be sure to buy cherries with their stems included to give each cake an extra shot of vintage charm.

Recipe: Chocolate Cherry Cupcakes

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

Don't be frightened by the idea of making this pineapple soufflé. Unlike the more sophisticated French dish, this version is closer to a fruit-filled bread pudding than the classic air-infused bake. The result is rich and juicy, offering a sweet and tangy taste of warm-weather happiness you can slice into squares and eat on the patio.

In less than an hour, you can have enough cake to serve eight hungry guests — or more, if you opt for smaller slices.

Recipe: Easy Pineapple Soufflé

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

It's no humble crumble, this blend of pears, blackberries, and pastry. Instead, it's an artful reinvention of a homestyle fruit dessert that earns its place among the springtime spread. The array of tastes and textures in the pan will keep your tastebuds entertained while you watch nature awaken from its slumber.

Canned pears and frozen blackberries make it convenient to shop and store your ingredients until you're ready for baking time.

Recipe: Easy Pear And Blackberry Crumble

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

Rich and soothing like all the best comfort foods, Black Forest cheesecake lets you enjoy this European bakery gem reimagined as a creamy cheesecake base that pulls the flavors together. With a fudgy ganache layer, tufts of whipped cream, and whole cherries resting proudly on top, this cake is destined to be the crowning achievement on any occasion.

The sweetest surprise of this indulgent triumph is that it's entirely bake-free and just needs to be set in the refrigerator until you're ready to serve it.

Recipe: Black Forest Cheesecake

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

Blueberry buckle is a retro dessert that never goes out of style, not even when flashier desserts come along to shake up the sweets table. Cake-like batter surrounding blue spheres of springtime magic transforms a wholesome ingredient list into an all-time favorite that's sure to earn new fans while delighting the die-hards in the crowd.

Instead of adding whipped cream, top this treat with a dollop of crème fraiche and a drizzle of real maple syrup for a tastefully sophisticated touch.

Recipe: Old Fashioned Blueberry Buckle

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

Digging into a bowlful of this affable cobbler is like taking a trip back in time. Though best enjoyed on a porch swing in a farmhouse next to a lake, it's also perfect for dinners where manners are set aside for engaging conversation and laugh-filled reminiscing with family. Who knew a fruit dessert could hold so much magic?

Bring this retro dish to the present with a generous spoon of fresh vanilla pudding poured over the top of each serving.

Recipe: Best Raspberry Cobbler

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

If you have 15 minutes and a few easy-to-shop-for ingredients, you can create a cherry upside-down cake that will thrill your most discerning dessert diners. The process uses microwave cookery to keep your kitchen cooler and your cooking time to a minimum. A stack of cherries on a whipped cream nest will make it look like you worked on it for hours. 

Dress up the rustic appeal of this sweet creation by serving it on a crystal cake tray.

Recipe: 15-Minute Cherry Upside-Down Cake

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

Rich and flavorful without being complicated to assemble, this lemon mousse may be one of the quickest kitchen takes for a decadent fruit dessert to charm your friends and family. With a three-item ingredient list and five-minute prep time that eliminates the need for an oven, you'll have a festive fruit dessert that's lighter than a cloud in no time.

Twisted lemon slices and a sprinkle of zest make for a chic garnish, so be sure to have extra lemons on hand.

Recipe: Easy Lemon Mousse

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

Is it the rough-hewn, crumbly biscuit in this traditional strawberry shortcake that makes the experience of eating one so special? Or is it the tangy-sweet strawberry slices and airy whipped cream sandwiched in the middle that does the trick? No need to wonder which it is ... just take a bite and be glad for fruit desserts that combine the two and turn spring evenings into moments to remember.

Simplify the work and use pre-made whipped cream to fill the centers.

Recipe: Traditional Strawberry Shortcake

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

Get out your slow cooker and introduce your dessert lovers to a unique take on traditional banana pudding, this time in cake form. The boxed cake mix batter incorporates banana cream pudding mix, while the whipped topping uses vanilla pudding mix to add a double-blast of rich, complementary flavors.

A drop of whipped cream, a banana slice, and a Nilla Wafer cookie makes an adorable garnish on every slice.

Recipe: Slow Cooker Banana Pudding Cake

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

If lemonade from the fridge isn't cool enough to brighten up your spring, how about homemade lemon Italian ice instead? The recipe is almost as easy: a simple syrup made of lemon juice and sugar set up in the freezer and scraped at 30-minute intervals to ensure a snow-like texture.

To jazz up your ice for the spring cocktail fans in your circle, add a splash of vodka or limoncello to each dish when serving.

Recipe: Homemade Lemon Italian Ice

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

The deep color and rich flavor of blackberries join the springtime fruit parade in this easy-to-prepare pie. Choose a lacy pre-made crust that captures the elegance of an old-time diner bakery case, and your guests will never suspect this bake uses frozen blackberries instead of fresh — a handy option that provides all the flavor you need even if the produce case is lacking.

Though there's a quick five-minute prep time, the 45-minute bake time and cooling time make this easy dessert an hour-long task, so plan accordingly.

Recipe: Easy Blackberry Pie

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

Strawberries and rhubarb play together so nicely in this recipe, you'd think they were grown in the same patch. Matching berry sweetness against stalky tartness, the combination is a masterwork of taste and texture. And of course, the handmade crust that holds it all together is pastry perfection.

The one-hour cooking time gives the rhubarb plenty of time to become tender and delicious, so don't skimp and take it out early, no matter how good it smells.

Recipe: Sweet And Tangy Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

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

Saltine crackers crushed into a pastry crust give Atlantic Beach Lemon Pie a layer of salty sass. The denseness of the lemon custard makes this jewel a rich indulgence, thanks to sweetened condensed milk, egg yolks, and butter. Start with a small slice and go back for more if your heart and stomach tell you to. 

A rough texture to the crushed saltines makes this pie extra-earthy while letting you get away with less finesse in the kitchen.

Recipe: Atlantic Beach Lemon 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

Pop open your freezer instead of your oven to create this strawberry icebox cake. Using three simple ingredients — whipped topping, graham crackers, and strawberries — you can craft an impressive treat that gives your diners a taste of celebration at the end of any event.

Though it works best in an 8x8 pan, you can expand the recipe to accommodate a larger pan if you have more guests to serve.

Recipe: 3-Ingredient Strawberry Icebox 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

Capture the frivolous springtime fun of a classic banana split in cake form, a dessert your ice cream fans are sure to appreciate. All the essentials are in the pan, from the luscious bananas to the fluffy whipped cream to the maraschino cherries. The only thing missing is a soda shop booth to enjoy it in.

Consider this fun and easy dessert for a weekend dinner where kids of all ages are welcome to partake. 

  Recipe: No-Bake Banana Split Cake Recipe

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

There's no arguing that fruit is a sweet addition to this dessert-style pizza. With a simple cookie crust and a cream cheese topping strewn with a harvest of berries, it's the most magnificent canvas for showing off your decorating skills without needing a piping bag.

Though the recipe uses assorted berries, you can top this pizza with slices of just about any fruit you can think of. Go wild — it's springtime, after all.

Recipe: Fruit Pizza

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

If you have a school function or a neighborhood meeting to attend, these raspberry bars will give the group something delightful to nosh on while getting acquainted. Using raspberry preserves ensures a layer of chewy goodness that makes a perfectly sweet center for the crumble-like crust and topping that surrounds it. It's more trustworthy and less work than making your own from fresh berries — a time-saver you can count on.

Slice your bars into squares and stack them on a nice plate to serve them in cozy springtime style.

Recipe: Raspberry Bars

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

Anyone who remembers their grandmother's vintage lemon bars is in for a treat with this easy-to-recreate recipe. And anyone who hasn't had the pleasure will enjoy discovering the gooey-chewy-tart-and-tangy excitement of an all-time classic fruit dessert.

If you have new neighbors moving in nearby, these bars make a fantastic gift for welcoming them to the community.

Recipe: Easy Lemon Bar

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

One of the most straightforward fruit desserts ever is the lemon cake. This recipe uses a Bundt pan to produce a thick sponge that holds moisture and flavor while producing an elegant flower-like shape.

If you don't have a Bundt pan to use, a round or rectangular pan will work just as well. Should you find you have leftover batter, simply pour it into a second pan and make more cake.

Recipe: Lemon Cake

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

Something about this delicate and lovely pavlova reminds us of teatime in England. Maybe it's the lighter-than-air meringue baked crisp, or the gem-like berries resting in a creamy nest at the center. Whatever occasion you invite this recipe to, expect it to be the gracious star of the table, beckoning your guests close for a better look — and a proper slice when serving time rolls around.

Having a hand or stand mixer in your kitchen will make it easier to whip a perfect meringue.

Recipe: Pavlova