The Best Recipes You Need to Try out This Easter

This Sunday is Easter Sunday and, while the holiday has it’s roots in the Christian religion, today the day is observed by both people who follow the religion and people who do not. If you observe this holiday in a religious sense, the day is usually filled with church services and an early dinner with your loved ones. If you aren’t religious, Easter is still a nice day to celebrate being together with your family, go Easter egg hunting, and watch all the little kids hopped up on sugar from their baskets running around the yard.

I personally love Easter not only for the above reasons, but also because it marks the end of many months of cold and dark weather where I live. Lots of bright and sunny colors are linked with the holiday (pink! yellow! neon green! light blue!) and my taste buds start gearing up for warmer weather as well, so the recipes I make for this day follow that trend. Below I’ll be sharing some of my favorite recipes to make for Easter (and that warmer weather!)…

Image Credit: Brown Eyed Baker

Hot Cross Buns {via brown eyed baker}
The bread traditionally served on this day, these are perfect to have with your morning coffee…and continue to munch on throughout the day. You can make them with or without raisins, but I prefer them with. And don’t skip the icing on top!

Fried Onion Dip {via amy thielen}
If you make one thing from this list – please let it be this. The flavor in this thing is so intense and so addicting. I first saw Amy Thielan make it on her show Heartland Table (which is amazing and if you like food TV you should check on) in the fall and I made it for Thanksgiving last year – it was a fight for this thing to even make it on the appetizers table because I almost ate it all immediately. If you’ve never clarified butter before, don’t panic, it’s very simple if you follow her instructions. This recipe was the first time I ever did it and had no problems.

Image Credit: food network

Pommes Anna {via food network kitchens}
Or Potatoes Anna if you are un-fancy like myself. This is the perfect potato dish. It has all the elements that make a great potato – soft center, crispy edges, butter, and it’s well seasoned.  The recipe might seem overwhelming at first read but it is easy, just a little involved. It also is an incredibly gorgeous-ly presented dish. If you don’t like washing, peeling and slicing potatoes you might “ergh” at this one but it is WORTH IT.  Prepare to fight everyone for the crispy top.

Glazed Easter Ham {via the pioneer woman}
Ham is the traditional meat served for Easter dinner. Truthfully, I am not the biggest fan of it, so Easter marks the one time all year that I eat it. This recipe is one I haven’t tried yet but Ree always knows what she is doing, and this one has a special ingredient that caught my attention. I’m not making the ham this year but if I was this is the one I would try.

Carrot Cake {via smitten kitchen}
Since children (and grown ups, if you’re me) normally receive an extreme amount of chocolate in their Easter baskets, I almost never make a chocolate based dessert for Easter. Instead carrot makes a routine appearance on the table. I’m not sure why this particular cake is linked with Easter so much, because at it’s core a carrot cake is a spice cake, which would make it more appropriate for Fall than Spring, but I think it might be due to the link between carrots and bunnies. Either way, this is a standard at my house. This recipe is actually for cupcakes but I normally bake it in a 9×13 pan frost it with the maple cream cheese frosting (a revelation), than cut it into squares for easy serving.

Image Credit: me!

Lemon Cupcakes with Blueberry Buttercream {via baking with basil}
April marks the beginning of warmer weather, which in my food-obsessed brain means it’s time for BRIGHT! FLAVORS! It also means blueberries are pretty close to being in season again, and I can’t resist putting them together with lemon for these cupcakes. I made them for the first time two years ago, again last year, and will be making them a 3rd time this year – that should tell you something. These babies are packed with flavor and my favorite part is that the pink hue in the frosting is made entirely by the blueberries – all natural, gorgeous color.

Have any Easter favorites of your own? Share them with us!