Every year I look forward to making easy Easter desserts for kids with my family — and honestly, the process is half the fun. There is something about pastel colors, chocolate eggs, and cookie decorating that just brings out the best in everyone. Whether you have a house full of little ones or you are baking solo and want to surprise the kids at your table, this roundup has something for every skill level. From no-bake treats to simple decorated cookies, I have pulled together 12 ideas that are big on charm and short on stress. Let’s get the Easter baking started.
Why Kids Love These Easter Treats
Kids are drawn to anything that looks playful, colorful, and a little bit magical — and Easter desserts check every single one of those boxes. Here is why these treats are always such a hit with the little ones:
- Pastel colors and springtime shapes feel festive and exciting.
- Many of the recipes below can be made together as a family activity.
- Decorating with sprinkles, candy, and frosting gives kids creative freedom.
- Short prep times mean kids stay engaged from start to finish.
- Most recipes call for simple pantry staples — no fancy equipment needed.
The Recipes: 12 Easy Easter Desserts for Kids
1. Easter Cakesicles
These adorable chocolate-dipped cake pops on a stick are shaped like eggs and decorated with pastel candy melts, sprinkles, and edible glitter. Kids love holding them, and they are just as fun to make as they are to eat. You can customize the colors to match any Easter theme, from classic pastels to bright and bold. Check out my full step-by-step guide on how to make Easter cakesicles — they come out bakery-perfect every time.
2. Easter Candy Charcuterie Board
Not exactly a single dessert — but hands down one of the most exciting things you can set on a table for Easter. Load up a board with chocolate eggs, gummy bunnies, marshmallow chicks, and pastel M&Ms for a build-your-own treat experience kids will go wild for. It takes almost no cooking at all, which makes it perfect for busy holiday mornings. Get all my styling tips in my Easter candy charcuterie board post.
3. Easter Nest Cupcakes
Fluffy vanilla cupcakes topped with a swirl of green-tinted buttercream and a little nest made from chow mein noodles or coconut flakes, then filled with mini candy eggs. Kids can help pipe the frosting and arrange their own eggs on top, which makes each cupcake uniquely theirs. These are soft, sweet, and almost too adorable to eat — almost. The mini candy eggs on top add a satisfying crunch to every bite.
4. Chocolate-Dipped Strawberry Chicks
Fresh strawberries dipped in yellow candy melts and decorated with candy eyes and an orange candy beak — these are some of the cutest Easter treats I have ever made, and they come together in under 30 minutes. Kids can handle the decorating with just a little guidance, and the results are always adorable. Serve them on a platter lined with shredded coconut for a grass-like presentation that gets oohs and aahs every time.
5. Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies
These bright red cookies with a powdered sugar crinkle finish are stunning on any Easter dessert table. They are chewy in the center with slightly crisp edges, and the rich cocoa flavor makes them a crowd favorite with both kids and adults. Tint them pastel pink or lavender for a more Easter-themed look, or keep the classic red for a bold pop of color. Get the full recipe for my red velvet crinkle cookies right here.
6. Easter Egg Rice Krispie Treats
Classic Rice Krispie treats shaped into eggs and dipped in pastel chocolate — it really does not get simpler than this. You can use silicone egg molds for a perfect shape, or simply cut the treats freehand with a cookie cutter. Drizzle contrasting colors of candy melts on top to create that painted Easter egg look. These are no-bake, kid-friendly, and can be made in large batches for classroom parties or egg hunts.
7. Bunny Sugar Cookies with Royal Icing
Cut-out sugar cookies shaped like bunny ears, whole bunnies, or Easter eggs, then decorated with smooth royal icing in pastel pink, lavender, and yellow. This is the ultimate hands-on Easter activity for kids — set up a decorating station with different colors and sprinkles and let them go to town. The cookies themselves are soft and buttery, and the royal icing dries to a beautiful matte finish that makes them look almost professional.
8. Easter Dirt Cups
Creamy chocolate pudding layered in clear cups with crushed Oreos on top to look like dirt, then decorated with gummy worms poking out and a few candy Easter eggs tucked in. Kids absolutely love the silly presentation, and you can assemble these the night before for a stress-free Easter dessert. Use pastel-colored cups or tie a ribbon around each one for a little extra springtime flair.
9. Maraschino Cherry Cookies
These soft, buttery cookies studded with bright red maraschino cherries are a total standout on any Easter spread. The cherry adds a pop of sweet, fruity flavor that kids go crazy for, and the pretty pink color makes them look festive without any extra decorating effort. They are wonderfully simple to mix up and bake in one batch. I share the whole recipe in my maraschino cherry cookies post.
10. Easter Bark
White chocolate bark decorated with pastel M&Ms, sprinkles, and crushed pretzels for a sweet-and-salty bite that disappears fast at any Easter gathering. Melt the chocolate, spread it on a lined baking sheet, top with goodies, and let it set — that is literally the whole recipe. Kids can help with the topping station, and it looks absolutely beautiful when you break it into pieces and pile it on a platter.
11. Peeps S’mores Bars
A graham cracker crust layered with melted chocolate and topped with Peeps marshmallow chicks, then broiled just until the Peeps are golden and gooey. These bars combine two beloved Easter traditions — s’mores and Peeps — into one ridiculously easy dessert that kids absolutely flip for. Cut them into squares and serve slightly warm for the most irresistible pull-apart texture. One batch is never enough.
12. Jello Easter Eggs
Layered jello poured into egg-shaped molds in pastel colors creates the most beautiful translucent Easter eggs you have ever seen — and kids are obsessed with them. Use lemon, strawberry, lime, and berry jello for a rainbow of springtime colors. They need a few hours to set, so make them the day before, then pop them out and arrange on a tray for a show-stopping no-bake Easter dessert that requires almost zero skill.
Tips for Making Easter Desserts with Kids
Baking with kids is one of my favorite Easter traditions, but a little planning goes a long way. Here are the tips that have worked best in my kitchen:
- Set up a dedicated decorating station. Put out small bowls of sprinkles, candy, and frosting before you start so kids can jump right into the fun part without any wait time.
- Prep the messy steps in advance. Melt the chocolate, mix the dough, and make the frosting ahead of time so when the kids arrive, it is pure decorating fun from start to finish.
- Cover the table. A plastic tablecloth or parchment paper under the work area makes cleanup so much easier — I cannot stress this one enough.
- Keep portions small. Give kids smaller amounts of ingredients to work with so nothing gets wasted if they get a little carried away with the sprinkles.
- Embrace the imperfection. A lopsided bunny cookie decorated with too many sprinkles is the most perfect Easter treat there is. Let kids own the process and the results will be priceless.
- Taste-test as you go. Kids stay more engaged when they get to sample along the way — a little frosting on a spoon goes a long way toward keeping the mood fun and light.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the easiest Easter desserts to make with young kids?
No-bake options like Easter bark, Rice Krispie treat eggs, and dirt cups are the easiest for young children since there is no hot oven involved. Kids as young as three can help pour, stir, and decorate — making those recipes a great starting point for any age group.
Can I make Easter desserts ahead of time?
Yes! Most of the treats in this list can be made one to two days in advance. Cookies, bark, and Rice Krispie treats store well in an airtight container at room temperature. Jello eggs and dirt cups are actually better when made the day before so they have time to set or chill properly.
What Easter desserts work best for a classroom party?
Individual portions are ideal for classrooms — think dirt cups in small cups, Rice Krispie treat eggs wrapped in cellophane, or pre-decorated sugar cookies in individual treat bags. They are easy to serve, require no utensils, and can be made in large batches well ahead of the party day.
What can I use instead of candy eggs for decorating?
Pastel M&Ms, Jordan almonds, jelly beans, or even small gumdrops all work wonderfully as candy egg substitutes in most of these recipes. You can also use colored sprinkles, edible pearl beads, or small chocolate chips if candy eggs are not available at your local store.
How do I get clean pastel colors when dyeing frosting or chocolate?
Start with a white base — white buttercream or white candy melts — and add gel food coloring one tiny drop at a time, mixing thoroughly between each addition. Gel coloring is far more concentrated than liquid, so a little goes a long way. For candy melts, use oil-based food coloring only, as water-based coloring can cause the chocolate to seize up.