While your Easter baskets may be ready to go, and the celebratory brunch menu may be in order, there's truly nothing sweeter than offering your guests a selection of festive homemade treats. And the easier they are to snack on while chasing after the kids, the better. That’s why we’re all about Easter cookies. They come in all shapes, sizes and flavors—simultaneously summoning springtime joy, while augmenting any dessert table. These recipes, ranging from super simple (like four-ingredient sugar cookies) to impressively advanced (oh hi, macarons), will provide just the sugary fuel to find all those eggs you hid.
32 Easter Cookies That Will Fuel Your Egg Hunts This Spring
•
Published Mar 11, 2022
LIZ ANDREW/STYLING: ERIN MCDOWELL
1. Cake Batter Cookies
- Time Commitment: 35 minutes
- Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser
Let’s face it—cake batter doesn’t need to be limited to birthday celebrations. The springy hues will keep the Easter vibes alive and well at the dessert table, and the sugar will make for an incredible post-brunch pick-me-up.
GRANDBABY-CAKES
2. Key Lime Pie Cookies
- Time Commitment: 20 minutes
- Why I Love It: special occasion-worthy, crowd-pleaser, <30 minutes
Nothing says spring quite like these citrusy bite-sized gems. And the graham cracker “crust” bits that are mixed into the batter truly make this a next-level and multi-layered treat.
LIZ ANDREW/STYLING: ERIN MCDOWELL
3. Pistachio Cookies
- Time Commitment: 40 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients, special occasion-worthy
Your guests will go nuts for these homemade pistachio cookies. Emulating the taste of the popular ice cream flavor, they’re a not-too-sweet dessert for those of us looking to get full-on choco-wasted on chocolate eggs.
SIMPLY LAKITA
4. Blackberry Macarons
- Time Commitment: 45 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients, special occasion-worthy
These macarons are dressed in their Sunday best. And although the French delicacy sounds difficult to execute, they don’t take long to make, and their spring aesthetic is on point. Serve them with afternoon tea, and your Easter gathering will be totally dreamy.
CHARLOTTE BLAND/LA VITA E DOLCE
5. Little Jam Flower Cookies
- Time Commitment: 1 hour, 45 minutes
- Why I Love It: kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy
As they say, April showers bring May flowers, which is why these cookies are fit for the season. Fill them with your favorite jam, a jar of Nutella, or even some Fluff, if the Peeps didn’t fulfill your ‘mallow fix—the world is your oyster.
COOKIE NAMED DESIRE
6. Lemon Sugar Cookies
- Time Commitment: 18 minutes
- Why I Love It: <30 minutes, <10 ingredients, kid-friendly
With minimal ingredients and a low amount of required effort, this is—by far—the easiest recipe to execute on this list. The zesty flavor wakes up our taste buds, and we think it’d be great paired with mimosas at Easter brunch. Just saying.
PHOTO/STYLING: KATHERINE GILLEN
7. Berries And Cream Cookies
- Time Commitment: 40 minutes
- Why I Love It: kid-friendly, crowd pleaser, <10 ingredients
We’re hopping mad for these pink and white beauties. Using your choice of freeze-dried berries, the pink hue will be all-natural. And whether you add them to Easter baskets or serve them mid-egg hunt, they’ll undoubtedly be gone within minutes.
A CLASSIC TWIST
8. Springtime Cookies With Royal Icing
- Time Commitment: 53 minutes
- Why I Love It: kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy
Perfect for any Easter gathering, these melt-in-your-mouth cookies will blow any store-bought sugar cookie out of the water. Have your kids help decorate the cookies with icing as a fun Easter activity, and enjoy them in your garden after ransacking those Easter baskets.
A COOKIE NAMED DESIRE
9. Vanilla Bean Rose Madelines
- Time Commitment: 39 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy, <10 ingredients
The vanilla bean and rose extract flavors make for a truly dainty accompaniment to your coffee. Whether you’re about to take on a long-winded task of egg decorating, or if you’re simply gearing up for Easter crafts, it’s the ideal hint of sugar to pair with your morning cuppa.
MAKE IT DAIRY FREE
10. Vegan Strawberry Shortcake Cookies
- Time Commitment: 55 minutes
- Why I Love It: dairy-free, vegan, crowd-pleaser
Observe strawberry season appropriately with this colorful sweet dessert mashup. And trust us—the Golden Oreos are a next-level and ingenious crunchy addition to an already delicious treat.
A CLASSIC TWIST
11. Spring Decorated Cookies With Buttercream
- Time Commitment: 2 hours, 40 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, special occasion-worthy
After securing a pipette and learning the ropes of cookie decorating, you’ll be ready for The Great British Bake-Off, Easter edition. The pastel colors and bunny, butterfly and chick shapes make for a truly adorable holiday snack.
Owlbbaking
12. Moss Bunny Cookies
- Time Commitment: 45 minutes
- Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, kid-friendly, special occasion-worthy
*Chandler voice* Could these BE any more festive? Every-bunny will absolutely love these carrot and bunny cookies with the crumb toppings, which add a little texture to the top of the icing. But keep in mind: These might be difficult to decorate with kids, so we recommend serving them ahead of time and bringing them out as a post-brunch surprise.
PHOTO: LIZ ANDREW/STYLING: ERIN MCDOWELL
13. No-bake, Gluten-free Breakfast Cookies
- Time Commitment: 35 minutes
- Why I Love It: gluten free, no bake, high protein
Cookies, for brunch? They’re acceptable on Easter, of course, but even your health-conscious aunt won’t be able to turn down these protein-packed, gluten-free treats. Trust.
ROCK RECIPES
14. Carrot Cake Cookies
- Time Commitment: 32 minutes
- Why I Love It: special occasion-worthy, kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser
Just like Santa loves his chocolate chip cookies, bunnies love carrots—so why not make carrot cake cookies to satisfy the Easter bunny on his big day? Sandwiching the cream cheese frosting between two makes for a delectable dessert, and even though your young ones may not be huge proponents of vegetables, we know they’ll love these.
A CLASSIC TWIST
15. Bird’s Nest Funfetti Sugar Cookies
- Time Commitment: 31 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd pleaser, kid-friendly, special occasion-worthy
Sorry kids—it appears as if Easter bunny stole all of the eggs from the egg hunt…and plopped them onto these Funfetti cookies. These are effortlessly cute, and only take a hair over 30 minutes to execute. And if your guests aren’t allergic, adding coconut shreds makes for a seriously tasty optional addition.
COOKIE NAMED DESIRE
16. Earl Grey Shortbread And Mixed Fruit Jam
- Time Commitment: 50 minutes
- Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, special occasion-worthy, crowd pleaser
We never needed an excuse to have cookies for breakfast, but these are legitimately about to be the stars of your Easter brunch. Consider opting for some seasonal fruit for the jam (pineapple and mango come to mind) and serve with tea or coffee—a bellini would also suffice.
MAKE IT DAIRY-FREE
17. Vegan “m&m” Cookies
- Time Commitment: 50 minutes
- Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, vegan, dairy-free
Vegans can’t enjoy the Bird’s Nest Cookies above, so this is the next-best thing for those who avoid animal byproducts. You can opt for vegan candy-coated chocolates or even vegan chocolate eggs—it’s 2022, so at this point, you have many options.
A CLASSIC TWIST
18. Lemon Easter Cookies
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: <30 minutes, <10 ingredients, kid-friendly
These lemon cookies will leave no-bunny feeling sour. The festive shapes, sprinkles and icing will wow your brunch crew, and the coconut definitely gets us in the mood for that delicious spring weather.
THE GRACIOUS PANTRY
19. Almond Honey Cookies
- Time Commitment: 35 minutes
- Why I Love It: gluten-free, <10 ingredients, low sugar
These gluten-free treats are about to have all of your guests asking for more. And since they’re made with honey and no flour, those celebrating Passover will be able to enjoy them, too.
THE SUGAR FREE DIVA
20. Sugar-free Matcha Snickerdoodles
- Time Commitment: 27 minutes
- Why I Love It: gluten-free, sugar-free, <30 minutes
It’s safe to say we love these snickerdoodle spin-offs very matcha. The green aesthetic and slightly Earthy taste screams “spring,” and the kids most likely won’t go for them as much as the other options—so us adults can have them all to ourselves.
THE CREATIVE BITE
21. Easter Bunny Butt No-bake Treats
- Time Commitment: 1 hour, 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, no bake, kid-friendly
If you already have Oreos on-hand, these are a super cute (and a relatively easy) way to jazz up the classic packaged cookie. And obviously, your kids will get a total kick out of their little fluffy bunny butts.
BITZ N GIGGLES
22. Sugar Cookie Fruit Cups
- Time Commitment: about 15 minutes
- Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser
Pretend you’re eating fruit salad with these sugar cookie fruit cups. The tangy cream cheese and marshmallow crème filling are a nice complement to the fresh fruit and sugar cookie crust.
A PRETTY LIFE IN THE SUBURBS
23. Peanut Butter Oatmeal Easter Egg Cookies
- Time Commitment: not specified
- Why I Love It: kid-friendly, crowd pleaser, special occasion-worthy
Combining two of the greatest cookies of all time — and adding festive Easter candy — results in these tasty morsels. The cookie itself is soft and chewy while the pastel-colored candies add a little crunch. Setting a cookie limit for yourself is imperative, though, unless you want to eat the entire batch in one go.
A PRETTY LIFE IN THE SUBURBS
24. Easter Shortbread Cutout Cookies
- Time Commitment: 1 hour
- Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, kid-friendly, special occasion-worthy
Grab your cookie cutters and cookie stamps, and get ready to get crafty. The cookie itself is buttery and flavorful, and the sprinkles add an adorable pop of color. TBH, our sweet tooth is off the charts right now.
THE CUPCAKE PROJECT
25. Pineapple Bars
- Time Commitment: 1 hour
- Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, crowd pleaser, special occasion-worthy
Although these aren’t specific to Easter, per se, pineapples are considered to be a seasonal spring fruit in many parts of the world. Welcome the warm weather and enjoy these refreshingly creamy, easy-to-make bars—make sure you spend a little time in the sunshine while doing so.
TWO PEAS AND THEIR POD
26. Cadbury Egg Cookies
- Time Commitment: 1 hour
- Why I Love It: kid-friendly, <10 ingredients, special occasion-worthy
Is it really Easter if you don’t eat Cadbury eggs? These colorful cookies showcase the popular springtime treat, along with chocolate chips and toasted coconut—we’ll take 5, please.
LIFE BETWEEN WEEKENDS
27. Toasted Coconut Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Time Commitment: 28 minutes
- Why I Love It: <30 minutes, crowd-pleaser
These chewy, gooey oatmeal chocolate chip cookies get a glow-up, thanks to a little toasted coconut. That tropical flavor is just the twist to make these hearty treats feel light (and they’re the kind of unexpected riff that will get everyone talking).
AMBITIOUS KITCHEN
28. Healthy Carrot Cake Cookies
- Time Commitment: 19 minutes
- Why I Love It: <30 minutes, dairy free, special occasion-worthy
Yes, this is the second carrot cake cookie option on here, but if you’re baking for a dairy-free crowd we strongly suggest opting for this one. The recipe substitutes butter for coconut oil and uses almond milk in the glaze, but we promise, you wouldn’t notice the dairy was missing if we hadn’t told you.
THE CLEAN EATING COUPLE
29. Paleo Easter Nest Cookies
- Time Commitment: 47 minutes
- Why I Love It: paleo, gluten free, dairy free
What, you really thought we’d forget about jelly beans this Easter? The springtime candy staple collides with gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free and paleo cookies, bringing them up several notches.
THE YELLOW BUTTERFLY
30. Nutella And White Tea Sugar Cookies With Hibiscus Glaze
- Time Commitment: 1 hour to 1 hour and 20 minutes
- Why I Love It: special occasion-worthy, crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly
These pastel purple cookies will make for the Easter aesthetic of your dreams. And while they look absolutely amazing, flavors of Nutella and hibiscus combine to make a super sweet and uniquely tasty dessert—unlike anything we’ve ever had before.
WHAT’S GABY COOKING
31. Raw Oatmeal Raisin + Cacao Nib Cookies
- Time Commitment: not specified
- Why We Love Them: vegan, gluten-free, low-sugar
Though these aren’t inherently Easter-themed either, they’re a divine snack or addition to Easter brunch, especially for your vegan and gluten-free guests. The flax and hemp seeds bring antioxidants and protein into the mix, and the cacao nibs give them that not-too-sweet flavor, as not to overshadow the rest of Easter brunch.
THE PIG + QUILL
32. 4-ingredient Rolled Sugar Cookies
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why We Love Them: <30 minutes, <10 ingredients, egg free
With a hint of citrus and a satisfying crunch, it comes as a major surprise these only contain a handful of ingredients. And since they’re egg-free, you can lick the bowl before you pop ‘em in the oven—our favorite way of baking cookies.