77 Scrumptious Mother's Day Desserts To Make For Mom This Year

Moms are simply the best. They gave us life. They hug us in good times and bad. They kissed our boo-boos when we were little. They fed us round the clock and, when we grew older, just couldn't refrain from sending us home with leftovers. They were Santa, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, our biggest fan and our rock. Moms are there to support us when the times are tough, celebrate the highs, and cheer us along life's way. So when Mother's Day rolls around, what could we possibly purchase to explain just how much we love Mom? Instead of buying something at the store, what about giving Mom a home-made treat with a stunning, delicious dessert from scratch that she will love? 

We've compiled a list of recipes that will stun Mom in the form of an edible gift for Mother's Day. On a day dedicated solely to her, your mother will surely love the time spent with you, proudly enjoying your creation. Be sure to thank her for all the things she's done for you in between the compliments you'll likely receive. Just as a mother's love knows no bounds and is simply amazing, so are these desserts that she'll very much appreciate.

Dusted with powdered sugar and topped with whipped cream and fresh berries, angel food cake reigns supreme. It's light, fluffy, and simply heaven-sent. This recipe does require a few extra steps, such as working the sugar into a super fine consistency with a food processor that results in what's called caster sugar. It also calls for blood orange extract, but you could also use orange, lemon, or lime extract. Just don't use fresh juice — the extra kick from the fruit extract supplies just the right flavor balance. This dessert may take a bit of time and effort, but Mom will love it!

Recipe: Angel Food Cake

With its buttery graham cracker crust, this scrumptious five-ingredient cheesecake rivals anything you'd pick up at the store. Why not save yourself some money and make a cheesecake from scratch for mom? Some people tend to shy away from whipping up cheesecake for fear it won't turn out quite right, but this easy-peasy recipe calls for just five ingredients and doesn't take long at all. 

If you want to take it up a notch, you can crush Oreo cookies or Nilla Wafers for the crust and decorate with whipped cream, chocolate sauce, or cherry pie filling. Whichever topping you choose, it will taste amazing!

Recipe: 5-Ingredient Cheesecake

Adorned with almond slivers and garnished with fresh fruit and edible flowers, this cake is perfect for an occasion like Mother's Day. Your mom will be truly impressed that you were able to pull this together.

The moist cake is thoroughly infused with almond flavor and topped with a light crumb, giving it some texture. This recipe also calls for you to make the homemade almond whipped cream yourself. As gorgeous as this cake is, it's truly surprising that it takes a mere 20 minutes to prep and 28 minutes to cook. You'll have this beauty ready for Mother's Day in no time at all.

Recipe: Almond Cake

This enticing bundt cake, with its flavored icing drizzled all down the sides, will truly convince Mom to declare you her favorite child. This cake doesn't feature any artificial fruit flavor — fresh and ripe strawberries are used in the cake mix and even in the fresh glaze. It may be simple to make, but the taste is so complex and fantastic that there may not be any left after serving it up for Mother's Day. The berries can even be a bit on the overripened side for this recipe, which allows you to make good use of those large strawberry bins of spring.

Recipe: Strawberry Cake

Panna cotta is a decadent and smooth Italian dessert with vanilla overtones that's fantastic with fresh fruit. It's also the perfect light dessert to serve on Mother's Day. Although this recipe is a cinch to whip up, it must set for at least four hours in the fridge, so you can prepare it the day before Mother's Day and take it out for a brunch or lunchtime surprise when the occasion arises. When the dessert is ready to rest, it's time to choose what type of toppings Mom would love on her panna cotta, whether it's fresh fruit, chocolate sauce, or caramel bits.

Recipe: Classic Panna Cotta

Chocolate lovers rejoice — we have a fantastic brownie recipe available for you this Mother's Day. In fact, these treats will be snatched up and devoured in less time than it takes you to make them — just make sure Mom gets at least one square! 

This brownie recipe calls for chocolate chunks, and could be modified to include peanut butter, coconut flakes, nuts, or butterscotch chips — whatever Mom prefers. Instead of using traditional cocoa powder, you'll be using melted chocolate chips for extra richness. For even more deliciousness, dust them with powdered sugar, top with some vanilla or chocolate ice cream, or slather them in chocolate frosting. Mom will love it all!

Recipe: Brownies

Every forkful of these strawberry shortcakes is a sheer delight and will drive you — and Mom — to seek out another square. Better yet, they don't take much effort to make. 

This particular recipe relies on the decadence of a rich homemade buttermilk biscuit instead of a sponge cake, and it works. Be sure to pick beautiful red and succulent strawberries that you'll coat with sugar and allow to macerate, which is a fancy way of saying let them soften in their own sugary syrup. It's truly a fantastic and unique dessert that's just as sweet as Mom.

Recipe: Strawberry Shortcakes

If you're looking for a polished dessert for Mother's Day that's actually easy to whip up, check out this no-bake banana pudding. Brimming with bananas and vanilla wafers in a whipped cream base, Mom will fall in love with this tantalizing dessert that's as delicious as it is gorgeous. 

This recipe calls for store-bought banana instant pudding, bananas, cream cheese, Cool Whip, and vanilla wafers. It takes just 10 minutes to prep and 30 minutes to cook, leaving you lots of time to hang out with Mom on her special day. Assembling this dessert is half the fun: You can use any container, but mason jars make for a beautiful presentation that Mom will love.

Recipe: No-Bake Banana Pudding

There's nothing quite like cheesecake, but it does take a bit of time to prepare — this recipe for crescent roll cheesecake, however, reduces your prep time drastically. 

Your shopping list is pretty short, too: canned crescent rolls, cream cheese, sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and powdered sugar. That's it! Even the kiddos can help. Just press the crescent roll dough into a greased baking pan before turning your attention to the cream cheese filling. Spread that across the dough, place another layer of rolls across the top, and bake. Then, sprinkle cinnamon and powdered sugar across the top and dig in — Mom will be so impressed!

Recipe: Crescent Roll Cheesecake

This dessert has layers of sweetness, just like all the best moms, and since just about everyone loves strawberries and whipped topping then you really can't go wrong. The only other ingredient you need is some graham crackers, making this treat sublimely simple to put together. If you're planning a day out and want to return to a fresh dessert then this recipe is perfect. You can make it hours ahead or even the night before. If strawberries aren't mom's fave, you can easily swap in other types of fruit instead, like blackberries, peaches, or bananas. 

Recipe: 3-Ingredient Strawberry Icebox Cake

The essence of a loving, warm mother, in culinary terms, has to be a warm and comforting chocolate chip cookie. For Mother's Day, a lovely way to reflect that same nurturing love is by making a batch of cookies. All mothers deserve to be able to enjoy the simple pleasure of a homebaked sweet and crumbly bite. Cut chocolate up instead of using chips so that you get different-sized bits. This recipe calls for light brown sugar, but darker is fine if you like a toffee taste.

Recipe: The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies

There's a simplicity in unconditional love that doesn't need ostentation. Every part of this apple pie speaks (or should we say sings?) to that symphony of uncomplicated, traditional home cooking. The pie crust and buttery crumble work so well with the mellow sweetness of the fruity filling. Granny Smith apples are wonderfully tart for this recipe, but you can use another variety instead. Serve with a generous spoonful of whipped cream or ice cream. As it melts into the pie, every bite will taste better and better. 

Recipe: Simple Dutch Apple Pie

These little fruit tarts feel fun, chic, and celebratory. They're perfect for garden parties where the sun is shining and everybody's smiling, and they're bound to make any mom happy. Plus, the beautiful colors of the different fruit express the vibrancy of what being a mother is all about. This recipe adds vanilla instant pudding to phyllo pastry cups, but you can use lemon to give the custardy flavor a lift. Strawberries, blueberries, kiwis, and raspberries are adorable on top — just don't overcrowd each tart.

Recipe: Mini Fruit Tarts

While some fans can eat Nutella straight out of the jar, using this hazelnut-chocolate spread to make cupcakes is a little more glamorous. The cocoa sponge with Nutella frosting tastes even better than it looks and there's a sweet surprise in the center: They're also filled with Nutella. These are a total treat that tells any mom that she's loved. Make sure the cakes have cooled down before you fill and frost them. For a final flourish, add chocolate sprinkles and some chocolate and hazelnut candy pieces. 

Recipe: Best Nutella Cupcakes

The creamy vanilla taste of these puddings appeals to moms who don't enjoy a super-sweet dessert. There's nothing complex about the ingredients, but do be mindful when making these. When you're heating up the sweet milky liquid, do it gently and stir continuously so it doesn't burn or get chunky. When it coats the back of a spoon, it's ready to add to your egg mixture. Vanilla is tasty on its own, but feel free to top this pudding off with berries, which also add a delicious pop of color. 

Recipe: Easy Vanilla Pudding

Each smooth spoonful of this velvety pudding is a real treat for moms who love chocolate. It's easy to make, and you can set it in advance so there's time for everyone to enjoy their mom's special day. The key to making this is to whisk the ingredients off the heat first and add the milk cold, which helps achieve a smooth finish. Leave out the chocolate nibs if you want a lighter result. Serve with some fresh berries or with dollops of whipped cream and a few chocolate chips.

Recipe: Super-Rich Chocolate Pudding

This is a salted caramel dessert — need we say more? Yogurt doesn't just make this cake light and fluffy, it also gives it a subtle tang that works well with the sauce. Moms deserve it all, and that includes the sweet and salty taste of this sauce. Let the sugar melt on medium heat and give it time, otherwise, it'll burn. If the sauce seizes, heat it up to loosen it again. Serve the Bundt-shaped cake whole with half the sauce, drizzling the rest over individual slices. 

Recipe: Salted Caramel Cake

Part of cherishing any mom on Mother's Day is remembering times gone by. A great way to do that is with an old-fashioned dessert that's having a moment again. This recipe combines maraschino cherries, mandarin oranges, pineapple, and shredded coconut. Just as moms are unique, make this dish feel individual by adding whatever with your own combination of fruit. Picking mom's favorite fruit is the cherry on top — you can even add a cherry on top if she likes them too. Sour cream balances the sweetness, and the pecans and marshmallows are a nice surprise. 

Recipe: Ambrosia

There's something so satisfying about that first crack of the spoon on a crème brûlée before it sinks into the vanilla silkiness beneath. This dessert has the wow factor for any special occasion. It's impressive to make for Mom too, and if you've got one of those little kitchen blowtorches then you can add some theatrics in as you torch the top to caramelize it. This recipe is super-easy though as you only need ice cream, eggs, and sugar. 

Recipe: 3-Ingredient Crème Brûlée

When you can't decide whether to make cake or a custardy dessert, make clafoutis. What's also appealing about this recipe is that it takes advantage of cherry season, whether you need that perfect Mother's Day after-dinner treat or something sweet for afternoon tea. It's best to pit the cherries for ease of eating, although some chefs like to keep them intact. This is about as difficult as the prep work gets, as you're essentially coating the fruit in a batter and baking it. Serve warm with a sprinkling of powdered sugar on top to add some sparkle. 

Recipe: Clafoutis

If you're intrigued by the idea of cooking with champagne but don't want to waste a bit of the bubbly, you might prefer making these cupcakes which are flavored with red wine. The wine adds a little depth to the light chocolate flavor of the cake itself, but the taste is even more pronounced in the cream cheese frosting with its attractive mauve hue. While the cupcakes would, of course, make the perfect accompaniment to a glass of merlot or pinot noir, they go equally well with an after-dinner cup of coffee if Mom will be driving home.

Recipe: Red Wine Cupcakes

Linzer torte is a delicious pastry that comes from Austria, and the Austrians, in fact, consider it to be the world's first true cake recipe. This may or may not be true, depending on how you define the word "cake," as the torte more closely resembles a giant jam-topped cookie topped with a pie-like lattice. In fact, in our shortcut recipe, we're actually using packaged sugar cookie mix as the base. While this torte still requires a certain amount of effort due to the lattice, it's still quite a bit simpler than starting from scratch.

Recipe: Easy Linzer Torte

We promised you vegan and gluten-free recipes! These mini apple crumbles are made without any dairy products since coconut oil takes the place of butter and there's no need for eggs, milk, or cream. The topping, too, is entirely gluten-free as it's made with oat flour, rolled oats, and chopped nuts. Those who don't mind doing dairy can top their individually-sized apple crumbles with whipped cream, but whipped coconut milk makes for a perfect plant-based alternative for any vegans at the table.

Recipe: Mini Apple Crumbles

Yes, we're aware that the Kentucky Derby takes place a week or so before Mother's Day, but Derby pie is such a treat that we just had to feature it here. This dessert is basically a chocolate chip cookie in pie form, so it combines two of our favorites in one. Our derby pie recipe resembles the original one in that it's made with walnuts instead of the pecans many later recipes call for. It does, however, include bourbon, but you can leave the booze out if you don't have it on hand since it, like pecans, is a latter-day addition to this storied pie.

Recipe: Easy Derby Pie

Looking for something a little bit different this Mother's Day? Try dessert nachos. They start with a base of chips, as all nachos do, but these are sweet chips made from pita bread and flavored with cinnamon sugar. (Flour tortillas will work, too.) For nacho toppings, pile on whipped cream, ice cream, chocolate chips, marshmallows, sliced berries or bananas, chopped nuts, or whatever other sundae-type ingredients you like, then drizzle the whole thing with a delicious dessert sauce like raspberry or fudge.

Recipe: Sweet Dessert Nachos

While the Eton Mess has long been a British favorite, it doesn't seem to have caught on in the U.S., which may be due to the name. "Mess" doesn't sound too appetizing, after all, nor is elite private school Eton a household name here. The dish itself, however, is both perfectly simple and simply perfect, especially for springtime. Sweetened whipped cream, sliced strawberries, and crushed meringue cookies get layered to make a lovely, luscious parfait. This recipe even ups the ante with the addition of homemade strawberry syrup. While not a traditional Eton Mess ingredient, it nevertheless brings some extra bright color and sweetness to the dish.

Recipe: Homemade Eton Mess

Want to make something truly impressive for mom? Try a classic French tarte tatin, aka an apple tart. It's actually as easy as pie — which is to say, not super simple, but not particularly difficult, either. In fact, it may be just a little bit easier than some pies as you only need to make a bottom crust (and you can even use refrigerated pie crust; we won't tell). You'll have to take time to arrange the sliced apples in a pretty pattern, though, as they'll be on full display in this elegant pastry.

Recipe: Classic French Apple Tart

Oops, did Mother's Day just kind of sneak up on you, leaving you unprepared? What you need is a quick and easy dessert recipe like these Nutella brownies. Simply mix the chocolate-hazelnut spread with eggs and flour, bake the brownie batter for half an hour, then enjoy your delicious homemade dessert. To take the brownies up a notch, you could also top them with ice cream. Warm some extra Nutella in the microwave and thin it out with a little milk, and you'll have the perfect topping for a super-simple Nutella brownie sundae.

Recipe: 3-Ingredient Nutella Brownies

Lemon cake on its own is perfectly lovely, but what really takes it over the top is the addition of fresh or frozen blueberries. This summery cake is loaded with rustic charm, but if you feel it needs a bit of dressing up, a lemony glaze would be the perfect addition. Just squeeze a bit more lemon juice, then stir it into some powdered sugar — about 1 tablespoon of juice to each ½ cup of sugar ought to do the trick. You could then sprinkle some lemon zest over the top to add both flavor and visual appeal.

Recipe: Lemony Blueberry Cake

Let's play a little word association game, shall we? We say "mousse," you say "Bullwinkle." Whoops, did we forget to spell it out? Once we're clear that this is the dessert version we're talking about, you're probably going to think of a delicious chocolate treat. While mousse au chocolat is a classic, it's not the only mousse in the housse. Why not try this light and luscious lemon version instead? Just mix lemon curd with whipped cream, then add lemon zest for a little more zing. Top with whipped cream and fresh raspberries and you'll have a gorgeous Mother's Day dessert.

Recipe: Easy Lemon Mousse

Okay, we admit that this recipe is actually name-dropping a different holiday, but chocolate-covered strawberries are a popular Mother's Day gift, as well. In fact, they're probably even better for the latter holiday, since in many parts of the country fresh local strawberries will be in season by mid-May. While homemade chocolate-covered berries on their own are a delightful dessert, here we're taking things up a notch by using them to garnish fudgy brownies topped off with strawberry-flavored buttercream frosting.

Recipe: Chocolate-Covered Strawberry Valentine's Day Brownies

Moms who are into clean eating might not want to dig into gooey, sugary layer cakes or scarf down high-calorie slices of pie a la mode. While this does tend to narrow down available dessert options, we have a suggestion: a simple mango pudding. The fresh fruit makes this pudding pretty nutritious and the coconut milk base keeps it vegan, as well. Top the pudding with whipped coconut cream and some brightly-colored berries and you'll have a dessert that manages to be both festive and healthy at the same time.

Recipe: Best Mango Pudding

If you're unfamiliar with pavlova, then we'd guess you do not come from a land down under. Both Australia and New Zealand claim this dessert as their own, but that's a fight we'd just as soon stay out of. Instead, we'll just enjoy this delicious large meringue cookie filled with whipped cream, fruit, and/or jelly. (Yes, Wisconsinites, it's pretty much a super-sized schaum torte.) If you're planning to make pavlova for Mother's Day, there's one thing you need to know: The meringue itself can be baked in advance, but don't try filling or topping it until right before you serve it, as it might get soggy.

Recipe: Pavlova

Bundt cakes, no matter how simple, always look festive on account of their shape. While some home cooks may hesitate to use bundt pans for fear that the cakes won't come out intact, a lot of grease and flour (or, better yet, a cooking spray that combines both) will help avoid any damage. Even if disaster strikes, this cake's coconut cream cheese frosting can hide a multitude of sins. You can use it to glue a broken cake back together, then spackle over the cracks and sprinkle on extra coconut if things look lumpy.

Recipe: White Chocolate Coconut Bundt Cake

Most risotto dishes are savory, it's true, but there's no reason not to take this basic formula and make it sweeter. If it helps, you can think of this chocolate orange risotto as a sophisticated kind of rice pudding, since that's exactly what it is. If you top it off with whipped cream and grated orange peel, it looks quite elegant, and makes for a celebration-worthy dessert. As a bonus, this risotto is gluten-free (since it's made with rice) and can be vegan if you opt for plant-based milk and whipped coconut cream instead of the dairy kind.

Recipe: Chocolate Orange Risotto

If your mom's a donut fan (and who isn't?), we suggest surprising her on her special day with a great big homemade donut. It may take time to shape, bake, and decorate this super-sized pastry, but none of the steps are particularly challenging. It does call for a couple of specialized ingredients, but they're all just fancy types of food coloring and aren't really necessary unless you're trying to duplicate the exact shade of mauve shown in the photo. Instead, you can use whatever food coloring you have on hand, or just leave it white and cover it with colored sprinkles.

Recipe: Giant Donut

This strawberry pie, while undoubtedly eye-catching, is actually one of the simplest kinds of pie you can make. Our recipe starts with a pre-made pie crust which is baked on its own (if you substitute a pre-baked or crumb crust, you can even skip this step), then filled with strawberries that have been simmered in sugary syrup. Thanks to a little bit of cornstarch, the strawberry mixture thickens up into a perfect pie filling after a few hours in the refrigerator.

Recipe: Easy Strawberry Pie

Mille feuilles are another show-stopper of a dessert. This multi-layered French pastry would undoubtedly be very time-consuming to make and tricky to pull off if you started from scratch, but using frozen puff pastry allows you to outsource the most difficult part. You still need to cut and assemble the dough and layer it with homemade vanilla custard, though, so you won't be taking too many shortcuts. Our step-by-step instructions break it down for you and walk you through the entire process, right down to putting that fancy swirly pattern in the chocolate and vanilla icing.

Recipe: Shortcut Mille Feuilles