PSA: Easter is not just for chocolate bunnies and deviled eggs. Lucky for us, the holiday falls right in the middle of spring, which means we’ve got tons of sweet, delicious produce to work with.
In order to find the perfect Easter dessert recipe, we challenged three food editors to develop three insanely delicious treats worthy of your Easter table. The one requirement? They must include Country Crock® Plant Butter with Olive Oil—a dairy-free, plant-based butter that tastes like dairy butter.
These three recipes showcase all that spring’s got to offer: Fragrant lavender, sweet carrots, and juicy strawberries all have their time to shine. From adorable cupcakes to classy madeleines, you really can’t go wrong.
From Laura at Delish, strawberry shortcake cupcakes with a surprise center and a dairy-free buttercream.
From Kate at Good Housekeeping, lavender madeleines with an addicting glaze.
From Trish at Women’s Health, carrot cake cupcakes topped with a better-for-you fluffy frosting.
Read on to learn more about how these spring desserts came together—and vote for your favorite below!
Vote Here For Your Favorite Spring Dessert Here
Delish: Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes
by Laura Rege
If there's one thing I've learned while working at Delish, it's that there's always more than one way to make your favorite dish—especially when it comes to desserts. When I started dreaming up the perfect ode to Strawberry Shortcake, I knew exactly how to honor this classic—a cupcake with a surprise!
First, I decided I wanted the shortcake to be lighter than a biscuit, but still substantial enough to hold the berry inside. My mother always made us strawberry shortcake with angel food cake, so something with a nod to that seemed like the perfect comfort food. I created the white cupcake using Country Crock® Plant Butter with Olive Oil and coconut milk, rather than dairy. The coconut milk gives the cupcake a touch of delicious coconut-y flavor that goes so well with the berries.
Scooping out the center of the cupcake forms the perfect pocket for a ripe strawberry, creating the surprise center. Then, the Country Crock® Plant Butter whips into a light and airy buttercream that covers the berry to top off the irresistible combo.
Good Housekeeping: Lavender Madeleines
by Kate Merker
They might look fancy, but these super simple madeleines are the perfect spring dessert. Infused with lavender, their lightly floral flavor adds elegant flair, making them the ultimate sweet to serve for Mother's Day and on Easter.
My main goal was to make a Madeleine as buttery as the traditional French cake-y cookie while skipping out on all the dairy. Enter: Country Crock® Plant Butter with Olive Oil. The most important part of this dessert is its texture, and ordinary oil (or another butter sub) would cause the Madeleines to become dense and greasy. Instead, my cookie kept its integral crunchy and crumbly exterior, with a pillowy-soft middle.
While a plain Madeleine is simply divine, I chose to infuse the Country Crock® Plant Butter with lavender. I topped the treats with a simple glaze made with confectioner's sugar and almond (you can also use oat!) milk to keep with our dairy-free theme. Their subtle sweetness means that you can enjoy them any time of day—not just for dessert. Best of all, they look impressive without requiring a pastry degree.
Women's Health: Carrot Cake Cupcakes
by Trish Clasen
I'd argue the best crop of the spring is the almighty carrot for its sweet earthiness and major versatility. I roast the veggies, snack on them raw, and, yes, grate them for cake that becomes the starring sweet at each and every holiday celebration—Easter, Mother’s Day, Earth Day, because why not?
My first goal was to make a slightly sweet carrot cake that lets this root veg shine. While carrot cake can sometimes be cloying or ultra-dense, I went on a mission to develop a recipe that is the antithesis of what a bad carrot cake can be. My method was simple. Incorporating melted Country Crock® Plant Butter with Olive Oil into this classic batter instead of your average canola oil adds richness without any greasiness, making it the perfect addition to lighten up this spring staple.
To complement my lightly spiced mini cakes (and because no carrot cake is complete without frosting), I was hyped to whip the Country Crock® Plant Butter into a lusciously smooth and silky icing with the addition of some powdered sugar and a splash of almond milk. It makes for a great sub to turn notoriously not-vegan buttercream into a creamy and decadent plant-based frosting.
The final combination of tender carrot cake cupcakes topped with a fluffy frosting is springtime perfection. Each bite made me excited for the season to come. I promise you’ll want to be making these any excuse you can get.
