We love our moms and we don’t know about you, our moms really love dessert. And when you really think about it, dessert really is the best Mother’s Day gift of all; there’s always leftovers, no crowded restaurants to deal with, and, best of all, it’s a homemade gift that really shows the love. Whether you opt for fancy crème brûlée and French macarons or a tried-and-true classic like honey & peanut butter blondies, you can’t go wrong with any of these 40 Mother’s Day dessert recipes. You just might never have to make a last-minute brunch reservation ever again!
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. Store-bought ladyfingers can become something spectacular when you transform it into a raspberry tiramisu bursting with fresh raspberries (and just a touch of booze). We also can’t get enough of how beautiful these no-bake blackberry cheesecake bars turn out every time.
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? Check out our Mother’s Day lunch ideas, Mother’s Day cake recipes, and even our favorite mimosas to kick off the day.
Strawberry Chocolate Mousse Cake
Why choose just one dessert when you could have three? Have your cake and eat it too with this decadent chocolate and strawberry dessert. With a homemade Oreo crust, fluffy chocolate mousse, and rich chocolate ganache, this dessert was made for chocolate lovers.
YIELDS: 8 – 10 serving(s)
PREP TIME: 10 mins
TOTAL TIME: 6 hrs 30 mins
Ingredients
FOR THE CRUST
Cooking spray, for pan
24 Oreos, crushed
6 tbsp. butter, melted
Pinch kosher salt
FOR THE CHOCOLATE MOUSSE
2 tsp. gelatin
2 1/2 tbsp. cold water
2 1/4 c. semisweet chocolate chips
3 c. heavy cream, divided
1/2 c. powdered sugar
2 qt. strawberries, stems removed
FOR THE GANACHE TOPPING
2/3 c. heavy cream
2 c. semisweet chocolate chips
chocolate shavings
Directions
Make crust: Grease an 8″ springform pan with cooking spray. In a large bowl, combine crushed Oreos, melted butter and salt. Press mixture into pan and set aside.
Make chocolate mousse: In a small bowl, combine gelatin and water and let sit for 5 to 10 minutes. Meanwhile, place chocolate chips in a heatproof bowl. In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, bring 1 cup heavy cream to a simmer then remove from heat. Whisk in softened gelatin and stir until completely dissolved. Pour mixture over chocolate chips and whisk until chocolate is melted. Let mixture cool, stirring occasionally.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment or in a large bowl using a hand mixer, beat remaining 2 cups cream with powdered sugar until stiff peaks form. Stir in about 1/4 cup of whipped cream into melted chocolate mixture. Then gently fold in the remaining whipped cream until fully incorporated.
Spread a thin layer of mousse over crust. Cut in half as many strawberries as necessary to press around the inside edge of the pan, then place whole strawberries inside, stemmed side down.
Transfer remaining mousse to a piping bag and fill in all the gaps between strawberries, then spread mousse over strawberries, creating a flat top. Refrigerate until set, about 4 to 6 hours.
Make ganache: In a small saucepan over low heat, heat heavy cream. Place chocolate chips in a heatproof bowl and pour over hot heavy cream. Let sit 3 minutes, then stir until creamy and no lumps remain.
Refrigerate ganache until slightly thick, 15 minutes, and spread over mousse. Sprinkle chocolate shavings on top.
Brunch Punch
YIELDS: 25
PREP TIME: 10 mins
TOTAL TIME: 10 mins
Ingredients
ice
2 liter sprite
2 c. orange juice
2 c. pineapple juice
2 c. vodka
1 bottle prosecco
2 c. Strawberries, sliced
2 c. raspberries
1 c. Fresh mint leaves, plus more for garnish
Sanding sugars, for rims
Directions
To a large punch bowl, add ice, Sprite, orange juice, pineapple juice, vodka, Prosecco, strawberries, raspberries and mint leaves and stir to combine.
In a small dish of sanding sugar, rim glasses with fresh strawberry and coat rims with sugar. Ladle punch into glasses and garnish with more mint.
YIELDS: 8 serving(s)
PREP TIME: 10 mins
TOTAL TIME: 1 hr 30 mins
Ingredients
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 1/4 c. whole milk, room temperature
1 c. all-purpose flour
4 tsp. granulated sugar
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
3 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted, cooled, plus 1/2 tsp. cold unsalted butter
Fresh berries and powdered sugar, for serving (optional)
Directions
In a blender, blend eggs, milk, flour, granulated sugar, salt, and 3 tablespoons melted butter until smooth, about 1 minute. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to 2 days.
Preheat a 9″ nonstick skillet over medium heat. Melt 1/2 teaspoon cold butter in preheated pan. Reduce heat to medium-low. Briefly whisk batter, then pour 1/4 cup into center of pan, lifting pan off heat and slightly tilting in a circular motion to help batter spread into an even circle. Cook until top is set and bottom is golden brown, about 45 seconds. Flip and cook on second side until cooked through, about 45 seconds more.
Using a spatula, fold crêpe into quarters. Transfer to plate. Repeat with remaining batter for a total of 8 crêpes.
Serve with berries and powdered sugar, if desired.
Make Ahead: Crêpes can be made 3 days ahead. Let cool, then stack between sheets of parchment, store in an airtight container, and refrigerate, or freeze up to 1 month.