Food

14 Spring Dessert Recipes for Warmer Weather

Come spring, end your meals with these light, refreshing spring desserts

By SAVEUR Editors

February 27, 2017

During winter we love rich, hearty desserts to pad our bellies and keep us warm. But once the weather starts to warm up—and with beach season looming on the horizon—we crave lighter and brighter flavors. Our current obsession? Rhubarb desserts are all the rage. But we love any light, seasonal treat that you can pack in your picnic basket. For something visually stunning, look no further than Pinterest. Our users have spoken by choosing these most-pinned spring dessert recipes. From pineapple tea cookie recipes to sweet cheese ice cream recipes and Meyer lemon shortbreads, here are the sugary treats to indulge in this spring.

Sweet Cheese Ice Cream with Apricots, Raspberries, and Honey Granola — Sweet Cheese Ice Cream with Apricots, Raspberries, and Honey Granola. Get the recipe for Mascarpone Ice Cream with Apricots, Raspberries, and Honey Granola »Food Styling by Maggie Ruggiero

Pineapple Tea Cookies — These sandwich cookies, adapted from chef Frederico Ribeiro of New York's Te Company, are an homage to the classic Taiwanese pineapple cake. Here a super-buttery vanilla bean shortbread gets a nutty dose of hazelnut flour, and sweet pineapple-rosemary jam gets balanced by the spicy, fermented, and grassy flavor of Japanese yuzu kosho paste. Get the recipe for Pineapple Tea Cookies »Matt Taylor-Gross

Meyer Lemon Sandwich Cookies — Fragrant Meyer lemon zest goes into these shortbread cookies from pastry chef and author Emily Luchetti. She then uses the sweet–tart juice to make a silky citrus curd that sandwiches two cookies together. Get the recipe for Meyer Lemon Sandwich Cookies »Paul Sirisalee | Food Styling: Eugene Jho

Grand Marnier Strawberry Sundaes — Boozy, macerated strawberries top vanilla ice cream in this simple sundae. Get the recipe for Grand Marnier Strawberry Sundaes »Matt Taylor-Gross

Labneh Tart — Labneh, a thick strained yogurt, is the base for this vanilla-spiked tart.Andre Baranowski

Angel Food Cupcakes — These cupcakes are the perfect spring or summer treat—light and airy angel food cake is topped with a tangy lemon-mascarpone frosting and garnished with fresh berries. Get the recipe for Angel Food Cupcakes »Matt Taylor-Gross

Strawberry Rhubarb Cheesecake — Pastry chef Anna Posey of Chicago's Publican blackens rhubarb in a wood-fired oven for the cheesecake's compote topping. A standard oven will also do the trick. Get the recipe for Strawberry Rhubarb Cheesecake »Christina Holmes

Almond Cheesecake with Macerated Strawberries and Mint — Ground almonds add body and flavor to this creamy Swedish cheesecake, topped with clouds of whipped cream and ripe strawberries macerated with fresh mint.Farideh Sadeghin

Mezcal Chiffon Cake — Smoky mezcal and bright pomelo zest flavor this airy, eggy chiffon cake, the perfect quick dessert.Farideh Sadeghin

Pineapple and Pine Nut Torte — At Portland, Oregon's Måurice restaurant, pastry chef Kristen Murray layers sponge cake with buttercream and white chocolate ganache, and garnishes the torte with honeyed pineapple slices and candied pine nuts.Joseph De Leo

Rhubarb Tarte Tatin — In the style of a tarte Tatin, rhubarb is caramelized until soft before being topped with batter and baked. Get the recipe for Rhubarb Tarte Tatin »Todd Coleman

Lemon Custard Tart — Use leftover dough from the butter crust of this creamy lemon custard pastry to make decorative cookies to adorn the outside.Joseph De Leo

fermented banana chocolate pudding — The fermented, sweet tang of bananas blends with bitter chocolate for a tropical spin on the classic pudding.Matt Taylor-Gross

Strawberry Rhubarb Yogurt Pops — These refreshing frozen treats come from pastry chef Jen Yee at New York City's Lafayette. Get the recipe Strawberry Rhubarb Yogurt Pops »Christina Holmes

Strawberry Rhubarb Hand Pies — For these portable fruit pies, Georgia-based chef-restaurateur Hugh Acheson uses rice wine vinegar to make the flavors pop. Get the recipe for Strawberry Rhubarb Hand Pies »Christina Holmes

Raspberry Brûlée — This raspberry brûlée is a delightful combination of whipped cream and luscious ripe raspberries covered with a crunchy sugar topping.Nicole Franzen

Ricotta and Coffee Mousse — Elegant and easy to prepare, a classic mousse flavored with espresso and topped with a dusting of chocolate is a great way to end a romantic meal.Helen Rosner

Semolina–Coconut Cake — This North African cake is baked with dried coconut and sweetened condensed milk and then soaked in a fragrant lemony syrup with orange blossom and rose waters. Get the recipe for Semolina-Coconut Cake with Orange and Rose Waters »Matt Taylor-Gross

Lemon Layer Cake — Lemon infuses this layered masterpiece in three ways: zested into the batter, in a tart syrup that gets drizzled over the cakes, and in a thick lemon curd frosting.Todd Coleman

Wine-Poached Rhubarb and Poppy Seed Crisp — Rhubarb takes the spotlight in this bright, rose-colored crisp, sweetened with strawberries and topped with a crunchy poppy seed crumble topping, from Erin Patinkin and Agatha Kulaga of Brooklyn's Ovenly. Get the recipe for Wine-Poached Rhubarb and Poppy Seed Crisp »Matt Taylor-Gross

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