The 65 Best Mother’s Day Desserts to Treat Mom to on Her Big Day

• Time Commitment: 50 minutes
• Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, kid-friendly, special occasion-worthy
• Serves: 8

Once again, the day is saved, thanks to premade dough. "The tartlets start with store-bought puff pastry, my go-to trick for treats on the fly," former PureWow senior food editor Katherine Gillen explains, "and the filling is a simple mixture of fruit, sugar and cornstarch, plus vanilla paste for flavor."

• Time Commitment: 50 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly, kid-friendly
• Serves: 12

Nothing against the O.G., but these cakey cookies were long overdue for an update. "They get their dreamy blush color from powdered freeze-dried berries instead of dye," Gillen adds. No one will miss the chocolate, I promise.

• Time Commitment: 2 hours and 20 minutes
• Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser
• Serves: 14

All you need to pull off that decadent, caramelly dulce de leche swirl is a can of sweetened condensed milk (or better yet, a can of store-bought dulce de leche, which will save you about an hour in the kitchen). "If you like your brownies on the underdone side, start checking the skillet at 30 minutes," Gillen recommends. "For a less gooey experience, bake for 40 to 45 minutes."

• Time Commitment: 1 hour and 35 minutes
• Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, crowd-pleaser, make ahead
• Serves: 36 cookies

Warning: You won't be able to stop after just one (or two). Chalk it up to the cookies' melt-in-your-mouth texture, courtesy of cornstarch in the dough. "Feel free to swap the clementine for another type of citrus—like Meyer lemon or blood orange—if you prefer," Gillen urges.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour and 5 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients, make ahead
• Serves: 24 pieces

You know how your mom always starts the day (and ends dinner) with a latte? Consider this New Mexico-inspired, cinnamon-laced treat her new BFF. "You’ll form the dough into one big log for the first bake, then slice it while it's still warm to produce the characteristic oblong shape," Gillen writes. "A final trip to the oven dries out the cookies so they're satisfyingly crunchy and dunkable."

• Time Commitment: 35 minutes
• Why I Love It: kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser, make ahead
• Serves: 12

Whether you know them as seven-layer bars, magic bars or Hello Dolly bars, one thing's for certain: This confection *never* gets old. "Graham cracker crumbs are blanketed in gooey sweetened condensed milk, which holds together ample amounts of coconut, chocolate and butterscotch chips and nuts," Gillen raves.

• Time Commitment: 5 hours and 10 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly
• Serves: 6

Dessert is only four ingredients away, and that's including store-bought vanilla ice cream. "It’s like Hawaiian shave ice meets grown-up snow cone," Gillen clarifies. Make this Mother's Day dessert on Saturday night for minimal stress on the big day.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour and 35 minutes
• Why I Love It: special occasion-worthy, crowd-pleaser, make ahead
• Serves: 10

Naked cake peaked in the 2010s, but if you ask me, they never truly go out of style. Impress Mom with this professional-looking confection, made with olive oil for, uh, health. (Not really, but it definitely makes the treat's texture extra moist and delicious.)

• Time Commitment: 3 hours
• Why I Love It: gluten free, special occasion-worthy, beginner-friendly
• Serves: 4

Calling all citrus lovers! This cross between a meringue pie and grapefruit pavlova is the dessert you never knew you needed. The sweetness of the cookie offsets the tartness of the filling. (But be warned: Now that you know it exists, you’ll want it every weekend.)

• Time Commitment: 25 minutes
• Why I Love It: <30 minutes, beginner-friendly, kid-friendly
• Serves: 4 to 6

Rushing to get Mother’s Day dinner on the table? Don’t stress about the sweets. This chocolate and raspberry mousse-ish dessert is ready in a flash. "You can make it with fresh or frozen raspberries," recipe creator Erin McDowell explains, "and if you are in a pinch and want to make this even faster, you could use store-bought preserves instead."

• Time Commitment: 1 hour and 5 minutes
• Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, special occasion-worthy, crowd-pleaser
• Serves: one 9-inch cake

The prettiest way to dress up a simple yellow cake? Use hibiscus tea bags to create bright pink frosting in honor of your mother. "Decorate it simply with frosting swoops or fancy it up with sprinkles and fresh flowers," McDowell suggests. "Either way, it'll be dressed to impress."

• Time Commitment: 15 minutes (plus freezing time)
• Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, dairy free, gluten free, one pot
• Serves: 6

Finish your alfresco Mother’s Day dinner with the easiest warm-weather dessert: granita. This recipe requires just three ingredients—blood orange juice, sugar and water—and five minutes of prep. Go the extra mile by topping it with a splash of Champagne.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour and 30 minutes
• Why I Love It: gluten free, crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly
• Serves: 16

This peanut butter and banana cake may be the ultimate Mother's Day dessert idea. It’s sweet, gooey, chocolatey and enrobed in peanut butter frosting. The fruit ensures not only a natural sweetness, but also an impeccably moist crumb.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour and 50 minutes (plus chilling time)
• Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, gluten free, special occasion-worthy
• Serves: 4

So fresh, so clean. Whisk melted white chocolate with citrus juice and egg whites for these restaurant-level pots de crème this Mother's Day. I'm betting you already have most of the required ingredients on hand.

• Time Commitment: 2 hours and 10 minutes
• Why I Love It: gluten free, make ahead, beginner-friendly
• Serves: 6

Fool is an English dessert that combines fruit and custard or whipped cream. Try this refreshing kiwi and lime version topped with juicy blackberries. Pro tip: "The lime curd can be prepared well in advance and stored in your refrigerator...The whipped cream base, however, should be prepared just before serving," recipe creator Liz Harris says.

• Time Commitment: 25 minutes
• Why I Love It: no bake, beginner-friendly, <10 ingredients, <30 minutes
• Serves: 9

Mom's face when you bring out homemade tiramisu? Priceless. (Especially if she's a habitual espresso drinker.) My favorite thing about it—besides the taste, of course—is that it's designed to be prepared ahead, so check dessert off your Sunday to-do list.

• Time Commitment: 45 minutes
• Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, kid-friendly, special occasion-worthy
• Serves: 2

If chocolate is her kryptonite, Mom will go gaga for this restaurant-caliber cake that's begging to be sliced. Finish them with a dusting of confectioners' sugar and a flourish of fresh raspberries or chocolate shavings.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, beginner-friendly
• Serves: 8

Magnolia Bakery has nothing on you. These banana cream pie parfaits take about an hour to make and will look gorgeous in Mom’s crystal dessert bowls. Think of them as a lazy baker's solution to a pie craving.

• Time Commitment: 35 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy, make ahead
• Serves: 8 to 10

Hi, spring. How I missed you. To dress up one of the season's most essential confections, carrot cake, fill it with cream cheese icing, roll it up and cut it into slices. Stud it with dried fruit or nuts if you like that sort of thing.

• Time Commitment: 5 minutes
• Why I Love It: no bake, <10 ingredients, <30 minutes, special occasion-worthy
• Serves: 1

Remind Mom of that epic trip to Italy you took way back when with this tangy dessert-cocktail hybrid, made with limoncello and lemon sorbet. The best part? It’s doused in prosecco for good measure.

• Time Commitment: 40 minutes
• Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly
• Serves: 24

Show Mom some love with simple heart-shaped thumbprint cookies, filled to the brim with her favorite flavor of jam. Word to the wise: It’s best to use a seedless jam or jelly so the cookies are easy to fill and the hearts don’t look gloppy. Stirring the jelly before filling the cookies also helps loosen its texture.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour and 15 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, vegan, dairy free, beginner-friendly
• Serves: 16

No one said Mother's Day dessert had to come after dinner. Serve this for brunch alongside coffee or tea, if you'd prefer. "It's got a lovely, deep color when you turn it out from the Bundt pan," recipe creator Gena Hamshaw says, "and it's moist enough that it really doesn't need to be glazed. I like to serve it with some fresh apple slices for crunch."

• Time Commitment: 2 hours
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, gluten free, special occasion-worthy
• Serves: 10

I'll admit that a pavlova isn't the easiest Mother's Day dessert recipe, but you'll feel so accomplished once it's done. Layer homemade meringue, mixed berry compote, lemon curd and mascarpone whipped cream just so to blow her away.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour and 10 minutes
• Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, crowd-pleaser, make ahead
• Serves: 10 to 12

Kick Mother’s Day off right with a sweet treat. This yogurt coffee cake includes classic streusel topping and cream cheese glaze, and it's begging for a spot at the brunch table. (But TBH, it'd be just as welcome after dinner alongside a fresh pot of joe.)

• Time Commitment: 5 hours and 15 minutes
• Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, <10 ingredients, kid-friendly
• Serves: 4

Searching the pantry for Mother’s Day dessert inspo? You likely already have the ingredients you need for this oh-so simple chocolate mousse. Bonus? It'll keep for up to three days, so feel free to make it in advance of the holiday.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour and 50 minutes
• Why I Love It: special occasion-worthy, crowd-pleaser, make ahead
• Serves: one 9-inch cake

Surprise Momma with this Swedish twist on Bundt cake (or rather, a Bundt cake twist on Swedish semlor, a traditional yeasted dessert). It’s cut in half and filled with cardamom-laced whipped cream, so each forkful tastes like a fluffy bite of heaven.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour and 30 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly
• Serves: 18

Is lemon her go-to? I got you. Try these bittersweet spring staples, dusted with a flurry of confectioners' sugar. Use Meyer lemons if you can find them, but don't stress over it if you can't. She'll love them no matter what.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour and 30 minutes
• Why I Love It: special occasion-worthy, beginner-friendly, make ahead
• Serves: 6

These bite-sized tarts topped with ginger peanut brittle will make a great addition to the dessert bar at your Mother’s Day celebration. Even if it’s just the immediate family, they’ll really dress up the party.

• Time Commitment: 30 minutes
• Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, kid-friendly, make ahead
• Serves: 12

Six ingredients (including store-bought salted caramel ice cream) come together to create this decadent pie. I bet Mom will be impressed. It's also no-bake; the only "cooking" you'll need to do is melting chocolate in the microwave. Sounds easy enough, no?

• Time Commitment: 35 minutes
• Why I Love It: kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly
• Serves: 4

“No, I don’t want a giant salted chocolate chunk cookie,” said no mom (or human) ever. "Making a skillet cookie is arguably even easier than making a batch of regular old chocolate chip cookies," recipe creator Holly Erickson writes. "Just mix up the [dough] and press it all into a single pan."

• Time Commitment: 1 hour and 40 minutes
• Why I Love It: no bake, crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, beginner-friendly
• Serves: 10

Fun fact: No-bake desserts are my love language. And currently, I have a *major* crush on this layered treat made with store-bought ladyfingers, raspberry jam and ricotta-cream cheese filling. Chill it overnight (or for at least one hour) before serving.

• Time Commitment: 30 minutes
• Why I Love It: kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly
• Serves: 24 cookies

Mom will love whatever you decide to make her, but what she really wants for Mother's Day is quality time. Luckily, these cuties will only take you 30 minutes to make, so you'll have plenty of time to hang. That's a win all around.

• Time Commitment: 2 hours and 40 minutes
• Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, dairy free, gluten free
• Serves: 4

What has four ingredients, comes together in a blender and tastes like sunshine? This refreshing cantaloupe sorbet, of course. It should definitely be made in advance, so all you need to do the day of is remove it from the freezer and serve.

• Time Commitment: 55 minutes
• Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy
• Serves: 8

Every mom loves a shortcut. Thanks to frozen puff pastry, you won't have to fuss with making pie dough from scratch. Just crinkle the stuff into a skillet, pile on the fresh fruit and bake—just like that, dessert is ready in less than an hour.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour
• Why I Love It: kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly
• Serves: 12

Sure, you can call it the most delicious mashup of all time. These handhelds have a secret to boot: They're filled with lightly sweetened fresh strawberries to drive the spring-inspired flavor home.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour and 35 minutes
• Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, special occasion-worthy, crowd-pleaser
• Serves: one 9-inch pie

Part pie, part work of art. You can thank freeze-dried blueberries for the meringue's gorgeous lilac hue. One crucial tip: Once you add the cornstarch to the filling, boil it for a full 30 seconds. This will both cook off any starchy flavors and ensure your pie sets up properly.

• Time Commitment: 40 minutes
• Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, kid-friendly, beginner-friendly
• Serves: 4

Cool off with these simple pies filled with uber-sweet roasted strawberry filling. "Roasting your strawberries really concentrates their flavor, and in this easy recipe, you just layer them and put ice cream on top," McDowell explains. If you don't have mini pie pans, ramekins will work just fine.

• Time Commitment: 45 minutes
• Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, dairy free, special occasion-worthy
• Serves: 9

How gorgeous are these pretty-in-pink treats topped with in-season rhubarb? They're just begging to be topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or fresh whipped cream. Did I mention they're only four ingredients away, not including crunchy turbinado sugar for finishing?

• Time Commitment: 30 minutes (plus chilling)
• Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, special occasion-worthy, make ahead
• Serves: 6

Speaking of rhubarb, she can do way more than just pies and galettes—and this three-ingredient compote proves it. "It's very easy to just dump everything and stir together," McDowell says. "The rice pudding takes barely any time, and you can whip up a simple rhubarb compote while the pudding is setting up in the fridge."

• Time Commitment: 2 hours and 15 minutes
• Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy
• Serves: 18 cookies

If your mom loves her plant babies or garden (almost) more than you, these cookies will be an easy win. You can find edible flowers, like violets, pansies, roses or lavender, online; just use egg wash to glue them to the shortbread and they’ll flatten in the oven.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour and 5 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, make ahead
• Serves: 15

Be sure to brag to mom about not using food dye in the cream filling. Raspberry jam and fresh raspberries turn it pink naturally. Warning: Take care not to over-bake the cakes, or they may dry out more than you'd like them to.

• Time Commitment: 2 hours and 15 minutes
• Why I Love It: no bake, gluten free, vegan
• Serves: 8

How can brownies this fudgy and chocolatey also be gluten-free and no-bake? I'm so glad you asked, friend. The recipe calls for a base of sweet pitted dates and almonds instead of traditional flour, which bind them in its absence. Plus, they keep the flavor sweet and the texture moist.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour
• Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly
• Serves: 10

Why not pregame your Mother's Day celebration with a trip to the local farmers market for fresh berries? This one's all about the produce, so feel free to use a store-bought pie crust. And that unexpected streusel-like topping? *Chef's kiss.*

• Time Commitment: 3 hours and 25 minutes
• Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, gluten free, special occasion-worthy
• Serves: 16 pieces

They're as stunning as they are delicious, so much so that Mom might not even believe you made these light-as-air pavlova bites yourself. Not only are they gorgeous, but they taste like everything you love about spring.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour and 30 minutes
• Why I Love It: no bake, crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly
• Serves: 15

Trust me: This no-bake gem is the next best thing to gifting her a tropical vacation for Mother's Day. You won't need the oven at all; use the freezer to stiffen the graham cracker crust, then pop the pie in the fridge to set the filling.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour and 20 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy, make ahead
• Serves: 8

"I like to serve this unglazed at breakfast, alongside granola and yogurt, or as dessert with whipped cream and berries," McDowell says. Might I recommend digging into this breakfast delight with a batch of lavender lattes? (P.S.: If you can't find Meyer lemons, you can use regular ones, but the cake will taste a bit tarter.)

• Time Commitment: 30 minutes
• Why I Love It: no bake, <10 ingredients, kid-friendly, beginner-friendly
• Serves: 12

Easy store-bought sugar cones > challenging homemade pastry shells. Thank me later. As for the filling, McDowell kept it simple and inspired by the O.G. with ricotta cheese, a touch of vanilla and fresh orange zest.

• Time Commitment: 4 hours
• Why I Love It: no cook, <10 ingredients, gluten free
• Serves: 1 quart

Repeat after me: I do not need fancy equipment to make ice cream. All that's required to pull off this simple-yet-sophisticated treat is a large casserole dish or pan instead of an ice cream maker. Just whip cream, fold in the sweetened ricotta, transfer the mixture to a baking dish and freeze. Ta-da.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour and 15 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, beginner-friendly
• Serves: 12

Remember all those times Mom slipped one of these into your lunchbox as a kid? It's about time you return the favor. Little Debbie would be proud. For the ideal chewy texture, be careful not to over-bake the cookies; when the edges are just golden, they're ready.

• Time Commitment: 2 hours and 45 minutes
• Why I Love It: special occasion-worthy, crowd-pleaser, make ahead
• Serves: 8

Presenting the most gorgeous pie you'll ever make from scratch. Good looking out, freeze-dried strawberries. If you're short on time or feel intimidated by the lattice crust, opt for a simpler double-crust pie instead. Just make sure to cut a few slits in the top to vent the filling.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour and 45 minutes
• Why I Love It: special occasion-worthy, crowd-pleaser, make ahead
• Serves: 8

Your grade-school PB&J, all grown up. The elegant swoops of pink, fruity meringue make the pie look like it was pulled straight out of a fairy tale. This may seem like a baking project, but know you can make the dough—and even bake and fill the pie—in advance.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, beginner-friendly
• Serves: 12

"Doughnuts for dessert" has a nice ring to it, no? Even picky kids won't be able to resist. "The cream cheese will make the glaze thicken as it sits," McDowell says, "so you might have to thin it out to get it to the ideal drizzling consistency, or you can spread it on for a more frosting-like texture."

• Time Commitment: 15 minutes (plus chilling)
• Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, dairy free, gluten free
• Serves: 6 to 8

Free of dairy and added sugar? Believe it. (Oh, and pass the hot fudge.) Coconut milk takes over for regular milk, delivering fragrant, tropical vibes and an undeniably impressive richness to every spoonful.

• Time Commitment: 40 minutes
• Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, one bowl, beginner-friendly
• Serves: 12 cookies

Tart-sweet, freeze-dried raspberries are the ultimate foil for nutty, malty rye flour. I'd have cold milk at the ready if I were you. (FYI, the dough freezes for up to two months well when shaped into balls and double-wrapped, in case you feel like making a second batch for yourself.)

• Time Commitment: 1 hour and 5 minutes
• Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, dairy free, crowd-pleaser
• Serves: 8

"Bright and zingy in flavor and with a lovely grainy texture from the polenta, this loaf is optimism in cake form," recipe creator Jessica Elliott Dennison writes. If an hours-long Mother's Day brunch is on the agenda, this elegant pick, peppered with loose-leaf Earl Grey tea, is a stellar starter.

• Time Commitment: 2 hours and 30 minutes
• Why I Love It: special occasion-worthy, crowd-pleaser, make ahead
• Serves: 10

Aka chocolate apricot cake with dark chocolate ganache, a homemade take on the Austrian classic from Vienna’s Hotel Sacher. While the official recipe is technically a secret, many have crafted their own delectable mashups that come deliciously close to the original.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour
• Why I Love It: kid-friendly, beginner-friendly, crowd-pleaser
• Serves: 8

If your mom's a fan of fresh berries, look no further than strawberry shortcake. I bet she'll love digging into this pile of produce, whipped cream and homemade shortcake that delivers major summer energy.

• Time Commitment: 2 hours and 10 minutes
• Why I Love It: gluten free, <10 ingredients, crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy
• Serves: 8

Because wheat shouldn't stand between Mom and dessert, especially on her special day. Here, there’s no crust or water bath—just a creamy, rich treat that everyone at the table can enjoy. Finish the cheesecake with melted chocolate, berry compote or caramel sauce.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour
• Why I Love It: vegan, crowd-pleaser, dairy free
• Serves: 12

If your mom is vegan, whip up this plant-based chocolate Bundt, drizzled with dairy-free chocolate ganache glaze for her. You can make it in advance and store it for up to six weeks in the freezer, in case you want to get as much done as possible before Sunday.

• Time Commitment: 4 hours and 30 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients, one bowl, beginner-friendly
• Serves: 10

Key lime is the queen of pies, if you ask me—the fresh, tart and sweet dessert will surely have Mom going for seconds. Even better, it’s easy enough for beginners to make (read: most of the time commitment is off-hands chilling).

• Time Commitment: 1 hour and 15 minutes
• Why I Love It: kid-friendly, beginner-friendly, crowd-pleaser
• Serves: 6

Let Mom feel like a kid again on Mother's Day with these loaded dessert nachos, or butter cookies covered with rainbow sprinkles, meringue and chocolate chips. Finish them with fresh berries and any other sweet toppings you'd like.

• Time Commitment: 2 hours and 30 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy, make ahead
• Serves: 22 cookies

Crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside, these bite-sized treats are very similar to French macarons—but a million times easier to prepare. "Because macaroons of all varieties trend sweet, this cookie is flavored with raspberry jam and pulverized freeze-dried raspberries to add some fruity acidity," recipe creator Claire Saffitz explains.

• Time Commitment: 2 hours and 15 minutes
• Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, one pot, gluten free
• Serves: 6

Mother's Day dessert doesn't need to be a big to-do—sometimes a simple butterscotch pudding checks all the boxes. If you'd like a crunchier finish (or don't feel like shaving chocolate), substitute cacao nibs for a similar effect but different texture.

• Time Commitment: 2 hours and 20 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, make ahead, special occasion-worthy
• Serves: 8

Don't let the from-scratch crust intimidate you: It's surprisingly low-fuss. As for the filling, it's as easy as whisking the ingredients together and baking until slightly jiggly. You can do it, I promise.

• Time Commitment: 2 hours
• Why I Love It: vegan, gluten free, dairy free
• Serves: 8 tarts

Here’s a Mother's Day dessert pairing I can get behind: a vegan, gluten-free fruit and herb tart, served alongside a glass of Champagne. The tartlets are finished with fresh thyme for an herby aroma and Insta-worthy appearance.