Sweeten Up Mom's Day With 40 Irresistible Desserts
Help mom celebrate in the most delicious way possible—with cookies, cake, brownies, or ice cream. If you haven't already spoiled her with maybe the best gift of all, homemade Mother's Day brunch, don't worry. You still have time to whip up a favorite dessert to let mom know how special she is.
Whatever her dessert of choice may be, we've got plenty of easy, impressive recipes to really sweeten up her day. If the oven is not necessarily your bestie, we've got tons of no-bake desserts ideal for any baker. A store-bought pound cake can become something spectacular when you get crafty and transform it into cheesecake-stuffed pound cake, bursting with fresh raspberries. We also can't get enough of how beautiful these no-bake blackberry cheesecake bars turn out every time.
Dessert really is one of our favorite Mother's Day gift of choice. There's always leftovers, no crowded restaurants to deal with, and, the best yet, it's homemade and really shows the love. Whether you opt for fancy crème br?lée and French macarons or more basic fudgy homemade brownies, you can't go wrong with any of these recipes.
On a time crunch? We've got plenty of last-minute Mother's Day gifts, easy desserts, and quick dinners perfect for a spontaneous celebration for mom.
Need more Mother's Day inspiration? Try our Mother's Day lunch ideas, Mother's Day cake recipes, and even our favorite mimosas to kick off the day.
There are cakes, and then there’s Chantilly cake, a towering layer cake stuffed with fresh berries and blanketed in whipped cream frosting. The impressive dessert marries the delicious simplicity of a classic yellow cake with the berries and cream combo that makes shortcakes shine. What’s even sweeter? The all-American dessert has a charming origin story that started in a grocery store bakery.
Get the Chantilly Cake recipe.
This simple lemon cream cake was a beloved favorite at Olive Garden. Why they don’t have it on the menu anymore, we’ll never know. This copycat recipe is more than just second best, though. Even if you have never had the original version, this is the one worth making. The vanilla cake is soft and fluffy with a hint of lemon and gets a thick lemon cream filling that’s just tart enough.
Get the Lemon Cream Cake recipe.
Bring New York to wherever mom is with these addictive copycat cookies made famous by Levain Bakery.
Get the Copycat Levain Bakery Cookies recipe.
We're not against boxed brownie mix. In fact, we rely on it often when we want to reimagine what a brownie can be. Think: Cookies 'N' Cream Brownies, Brownie "Lasagna", or Brownie Bottom Cheesecake. But, when the craving strikes for a classic fudgy brownie, you gotta make your own.
Get the Chocolate Brownies recipe.
The imperfections in the frosting are what makes a rustic, naked cake so beautiful. To set yourself up for success, check out our tips for how to make perfect buttercream.
Get the Naked Cake recipe.
To make these cheesecake bars, we topped a simple graham cracker crust with a creamy cheesecake layer, a sweet pink fruit layer, and then crumbled a cinnamon-spiced streusel on top. The result is a cute, springy dessert that’s remarkable enough to serve for Mother's Day (and to make all season long).
Get the Strawberry Cheesecake Bars recipe.
One of our top winter desserts, our lemon-cranberry cheesecake bars were a verified hit this holiday season. They were so well-loved, we knew we had to create a bright, fresh version worthy of the upcoming season and the warm weather to come. Instead of a cranberry filling, we used blueberries in this recipe to completment our lemony cream cheese mixture. The result is a sweet, creamy, and fruity filling layered between flaky pastry—basically, it's our ideal spring dessert.
Get the Lemon-Blueberry Cheesecake Bars recipe.
This no-bake cheesecake gets a stunning, swirly topping of blackberries that looks more like art than dessert. The cheesecake is tart and fluffy with the creamiest texture.
Get the No-Bake Blackberry Cheesecake Bars recipe.
Blondies are all about two things—brown sugar and vanilla—which pair perfectly with lighter, more delicate fruit flavors. The lemon and blueberry here help mellow out the overt sweetness of the blondies, making these bars reminiscent of blueberry muffins or lemon pound cake.
Get the Lemon-Blueberry Blondies recipe.
If you’re a vanilla cake fan and have never tried a white cake, you’re in for a treat. This white cake is tender, light, fluffy, and moist and layered with satiny-smooth vanilla frosting. With three layers of cake and swoops and swirls of frosting, this dessert makes a statement, making it perfect for birthdays, weddings, and other celebrations.
Get the White Cake recipe.
These delicate French cookies are somehow simultaneously crispy, chewy, soft, and light as air. Looking for macaroons instead? Try our coconut macaroons!
Get the Easy French Macarons.
This copycat has creamy mango and Key lime cheesecake, a layer of fluffy mango mousse, and a layer of mango glaze, all encased in a vanilla-coconut crust. Topped with TCF’s signature whipped cream tower, this dessert is great for when you want a fruity, sweet indulgence that'll really make mom feel special.
Get the Copycat Cheesecake Factory Mango Key Lime Cheesecake recipe.
Making pudding from scratch is surprisingly simple and so satisfying. With little effort—and butter...and chocolate—you'll have a rich serving of luxury right in your own home. You won't even think about store-bought pudding after these.
Get the Chocolate Pudding recipe.
This is where the fancy, high-quality Madagascar vanilla comes in handy. Cupcakes this perfect deserve our Perfect Vanilla Buttercream.
Get the Perfect Vanilla Cupcakes recipe.
Inspired by the beloved coconut cream pie, these stuffed cupcakes have all the classic components of the original dessert, sans pie crust. You won't miss it though, because in its place are our soft and fluffy vanilla cupcakes. ??
Get the Coconut Cream Cupcakes recipe.
Featuring confetti cake layered with raspberry jam and buttercream and covered in a shiny white glaze, these stunning mini cakes will delight anyone who eats one.
Get the Petit Fours recipe.
Envious of those bakery tarts in the window? This fruit tart will blow your mind with how easy it is to whip up. Be sure to press this shortbread crust to the top of your tart pan because it shrinks as it bakes.
Get the Fruit Tart recipe.
Dairy Queen’s classic ice cream cake is king in the realm of frozen desserts, but our copycat recipe is coming for the crown. Starring that signature ribbon of fudge and chocolate cookie crunchies sandwiched between vanilla and chocolate ice cream, this homemade version of this iconic treat is equally easy to make and delicious to eat.
Get the Copycat Dairy Queen Ice Cream Cake recipe.
Golden sandwich cookies (like Oreos) and freeze-dried strawberries are the secret to the irresistibly crunch topping for this spin on strawberry shortcake.
Get the Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream Cake recipe.
We love a classic tiramisu and couldn’t imagine it getting much better—until raspberries entered the picture. We use a little orange liqueur instead of rum to amplify the bright flavors.
Get the Raspberry Tiramisu recipe.
Ice cream lovers, get ready to scoop, because this crave-able ice cream isn’t going to last! Plant-based, dairy-free, vegan… no matter what you want to call it, this ice cream is as good as—if not better—than any dairy counterpart, making it a favorite scoop of the summer. Thanks to the no-churn method, this vegan ice cream recipe is easy to make without an ice cream maker. The only equipment needed is a blender to whip up the base, then the freezer does the rest.
Get the No-Churn Strawberry Shortcake Vegan Ice Cream recipe.
If you can't make it to Italy, our homemade gelato recipe will at least make you feel like you're living your best life, right at home. And if you’ve never experienced authentic gelato, then you might just surprise yourself with how much you love it (maybe even more than American ice cream, but don't worry—we won't tell ??).
Get the Gelato recipe.
Nothing says summer quite like a tart key lime pie. This mousse is every bit as refreshing, with a fluffy texture and crispy oat crumble you'll want to eat on its own. Key limes are more tart than traditional limes; they’re worth finding for this mousse.
Get the Key Lime Pie Mousse recipe.
These blondies are like a classic peanut butter & honey sandwich in dessert form. They're thick and chewy with all of the honey flavor shining through and will make you feel like a kid again. The peanuts add a great crunch to every bite, but are totally optional.
Get the Honey & Peanut Butter Blondies recipe.
Classic buttercream is great and all, but have you ever had Italian meringue? The not-too-sweet frosting pairs well with the rich chocolate cake and is great for toasting the outside.
Get the Marshmallow Cake recipe.
Pucker up—these bars are sweet and citrusy and one of our favorite make-ahead desserts. Looking for more sour/sweet treats? Check out our Margarita Bars.
Get the Easy Lemon Bars recipe.
The crust here is like a shortbread version of a classic chocolate chip cookie to make it sturdy enough to perfectly hold its shape and the caramel and chocolate layers on top. It’s a sliceable, shareable cookie and a really wonderful option for any gathering.
While eclairs can be a difficult pastry to make (especially when it comes to pate a choux of profiteroles fame), we use graham crackers for this cheater version of the classic.
Get the Eclair Cake recipe.
Pre-baking the crust gives the pie a jumpstart on caramelization. If you’re looking for a truly no-bake lemon option, check out our lemon icebox cake.
Get the Lemon Icebox Pie recipe.
Gooey, puffy, spiced sugar-filled cinnamon rolls are truly what dreams are made of, but we can’t always get it together to make them from scratch. And though they’re usually thought of as a breakfast food, they’re pretty much just cake in disguise anyway, and can be enjoyed from morning till night. This poke cake can help you skip all the finicky rolling and proofing, but still get all that delicious cinnamon roll flavor (including the cream cheese frosting!).
Get the Cinnamon Roll Poke Cake recipe.
Traditionally a pillow-shaped deep-fried dough, sopapillas are the Mexican, cinnamon-sugar topped cousins to puff pastry. Naturally, it follows that sopapilla and cheesecake are a match made in heaven: crispy, sweet dough sandwiching creamy, smooth cheesecake filling is a combination that can't be beat.
Get the Sopapilla Cheesecake Bars recipe.
By putting our own spin on the classic, decadent chocolate dessert, we turned this triple-chocolate trifle into a serious showstopper. It’s a great make-ahead, no-bake dessert for larger celebrations and dinner parties, because it's guaranteed to satisfy everyone, whether they’re chocolate skeptics or full-blown lovers. And don’t blame us if you find yourself in the fridge, spoon in hand, absentmindedly polishing off any leftovers. We’ve warned you…
Get the Triple-Chocolate Trifle recipe.
Flan (AKA the classic baked custard often served in Latin America & Spain) is always in style. Jazz up your usual caramel flan by making our Chocoflan this year; the beautiful contrasting layers of chocolate cake and flan are totally mind-blowing.
Get the Chocoflan recipe.
Carrot cake is great. But carrot cupcakes are even better. Every bite is filled with warm spice and sweet carrots and get topped with the most delicious cinnamon cream cheese frosting.
Get the Carrot Cake Cupcakes recipe.
We upped the ante with a flavorful twist on the classic: the addition of Earl Grey tea and citrus zests adds serious depth and an aromatic bitterness. And cracking that glassy sugar surface right before your first bite? Delightfully fun.
Get the Crème Br?lée recipe.
Reese's fans, we're about to introduce you to your new favorite cookie. These peanut butter chocolate chip cookies are the perfect marriage of two classic sweet and salty flavors. The soft texture of a peanut butter cookie meets the rich bite of a chocolate chip, making it the perfect balanced cookie to enjoy the classic combo. With no chill time, these cookies come together even faster—if you're looking for an easy dessert ASAP, these PB + chocolate chip cookies are the treat for you.
Get the Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe.
A sweet, chewy but tender treat from Hawaii, butter mochi is one of our favorite things to bake. This recipe offers two options for topping: shredded coconut, or with some granulated sugar and fire for a br?léed, nicely bittersweet, crunchy exterior.
Get the Butter Mochi recipe.
Bigger is better, especially when we're talking cookies. The key to baking a cookie cake is pressing the dough into a round cake pan, rather than freehand it on a baking sheet, which ensures that it'll bake evenly.
Get the Cookie Cake recipe.
We skipped the flour and butter and still managed to create the most fudgy cookie with the crispiest edges. If she loves rich flourless chocolate cake, these will be a new favorite.
Get the Flourless Fudge Cookies recipe.
The secret to this sweet stunner is sour cream, which lends a moist, tender crumb to this spin on an upside-down cake.
Get the Raspberry Peach Upside-Down Cake recipe.
Sweeten Up Mom's Day With 40 Irresistible Desserts
Help mom celebrate in the most delicious way possible—with cookies, cake, brownies, or ice cream. If you haven't already spoiled her with maybe the best gift of all, homemade Mother's Day brunch, don't worry. You still have time to whip up a favorite dessert to let mom know how special she is.
Whatever her dessert of choice may be, we've got plenty of easy, impressive recipes to really sweeten up her day. If the oven is not necessarily your bestie, we've got tons of no-bake desserts ideal for any baker. A store-bought pound cake can become something spectacular when you get crafty and transform it into cheesecake-stuffed pound cake, bursting with fresh raspberries. We also can't get enough of how beautiful these no-bake blackberry cheesecake bars turn out every time.
Dessert really is one of our favorite Mother's Day gift of choice. There's always leftovers, no crowded restaurants to deal with, and, the best yet, it's homemade and really shows the love. Whether you opt for fancy crème br?lée and French macarons or more basic fudgy homemade brownies, you can't go wrong with any of these recipes.
On a time crunch? We've got plenty of last-minute Mother's Day gifts, easy desserts, and quick dinners perfect for a spontaneous celebration for mom.
Need more Mother's Day inspiration? Try our Mother's Day lunch ideas, Mother's Day cake recipes, and even our favorite mimosas to kick off the day.
Help mom celebrate this Mother's Day in the most delicious way possible—with cookies, cake, brownies, or ice cream. Whatever her dessert of choice may be, we've got the perfect treats for mom.
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