Desserts this spring: easy and fruit-forward

Desserts This Spring: Easy and Fruit-Forward

The sun is still shining after 4pm, the birds are chirping, and my seasonal allergies are flaring. Spring has arrived in New York, and I couldn't be happier. Other than the Great Pollening of 2021, there isn't much I don't like about spring. This year, in particular, as we start to see some light of hope after a year of lockdown, feels especially like a rebirth.

Spring invites you outside after months of being cooped up, and also offers some of the best produce, which is why when it comes to spring desserts, I'm leaning into all the fruit and any recipe that contains the word "easy," so that I can get out of the kitchen and into nature (but with something sweet in tow, like a slice of tart key lime pie, which is perfect for picnicking). There's something about spring that just makes me want to eat fruit.

Here is some of my favorite warm weather, dessert-ready produce:

Rhubarb: Rhubarb compote is incredibly easy to whip up, and can be dolloped on store bought cakes, cheesecake, ice cream, and yogurt. (And don't fuss with the canning step if you don't care to, it can easily last in the fridge for two weeks, or freezer for longer.) If you're feeling slightly more ambitious and a bit nostalgic, this rhubarb and champagne jello is festive and still low on the effort scale.

Berries: While blueberries and strawberries are technically available all year round, it really isn't until late spring that they really start to taste like anything good. Popping handfuls of jewel toned berries into some boxed cake mix is about all I have the effort for these days, and thankfully this recipe makes it seem glamorous. Let that lovely bundt pan of yours and a dusting of powdered sugar do all the heavy lifting. This ice-box classic whipped cream and no-bake graham crust pie is a blank canvas that allows you to add whatever combo of berries happens to look best at your grocery store or farmers market. And if the fresh berries in your neck of the woods are still looking less than ideal, get your hands on some freeze-dried strawberries to make these no-ice-cream-maker-required strawberry cheesecake ice cream sandwiches.

Mango and Coconut: The warmer weather already has me dreaming of actual hot weather days spent beachside. So while I'm still in day-dreaming mode, I'll absolutely be whipping up a few desserts that nod to the tropics. Gorgeous ripe mango can hold its own for dessert, especially if it's sprinkled with a bit of lime and spicy Tajin; or folded into pre-made puff pastry for a crispy, buttery, sweet hand pie. And to scratch that coconut itch, this easy coconut lemon sheet cake (again, it had me at "easy") is the answer.

- Kristin Stangl
Food Editor, The Spruce Eats