From appetizers to layer cakes, if you're still wondering what to make to celebrate this holiday, I got you covered with amazing recipes. Check them out!
This post is updated every year with the most relevant content.
I find that this is the perfect event for a great display of easy recipes, full of spring colors and bursting flavors.
Setting the table: I like to take the time to think about what color palette I want that goes with the food. Mother's day can take any color you want but I always think about light and sunshine (hopefully) since Spring is in full swing. So make sure your plates, linens, and flowers match the spirit you want for the brunch.
THE RECIPES
The great thing about baking is that most recipes are good to eat year-round. We are not as eager to bake in the scorching summer, but spring and fall are perfect occasions. And a holiday is the perfect excuse.
These are, hands-down, my favorites for a Mother's Day brunch table. You can make several of them ahead and keep refrigerated or frozen. There's a guide to Freezer Baking & Desserts that might come in very handy.
SAVORY
No brunch table can start unless there are great savory recipes, right? I have to confess that savory baking is one of my favorite things. And eating the results is a big part of why I love it, lol.
- Avocado hummus: light, creamy, and delicious, this is fantastic to eat with pita chips. Make it with or without garlic, it stays fresh for several days.
- Tomato Galette: an easy free-form tart, it has simple flavors but is very tasty.
- Sweet & spiced nuts: two recipes that are incredibly easy to make and can be more or less spicy according to your taste! Any nut can be used, are ready to eat in less than an hour, and last several days.
- Basmati Rice with Salsa Verde: gorgeous green-colored rice with seeds and almonds. The salsa verde is fabulous and can be made several days ahead.
- Crustless Quiche: the perfect option if you don't want to make a pie crust! And, the filling can be customized to what you have. All the info is in the post.
- Ricotta toast: it combines the creaminess of ricotta with juicy tomatoes and bits of crispy bacon. But first, the toasted bread is rubbed with garlic cloves to add an extra layer of yum!
- Mushroom Leek Quiche: this is a superb dish for a brunch table because it can be made ahead and people seem to love mushrooms.
- Baked Ricotta: if you never tried this recipe I encourage you to, asap! It comes together in no time and can be topped with whatever you have around.
- Eggplant hummus: ready in 45 minutes, it's a flavorful and healthy dip recipe. You can char or bake the whole eggplant which gives it a smoky, deep flavor that is just fabulous!
SCONES, MUFFINS & BREAD
- Irish Soda Bread: this is the king of no-yeast breads and is ready in an hour!
- Parmesan Chive scones: these mini biscuits are so tasty they will bring raves from everyone! They can be made ahead and frozen.
- Lemon Blackberry bread: a quick bread with amazing flavors, similar to a light pound cake that bakes to a golden brown and is covered with the most eye-catching pink icing.
- Blueberry Scones: a crowd-pleaser that can be made ahead and frozen.
- Easy Buttermilk scones: a great recipe that can be eaten with both sweet and savory fillings.
- Strawberry Scones: these are beautiful and rustic. I personally love them for Mother's Day.
- Double chocolate muffins: they will rise and crack beautifully, and have a fluffy, soft crumb with a deep sweet chocolate flavor.
- Walnut Quick Bread: a fantastic sweet loaf with a scrumptious coffee glaze.
- Blackberry muffins: full of juicy blackberries, they have a soft and tender crumb and are out of the oven in 45 minutes.
BARS & COOKIES
There are some traditional recipes below that I love to include on a holiday table. All brunches should have some type of bread and cookies, of course!
- Sesame Cookies: sweet and buttery, this is a unique recipe, and I bet they will surprise you too.
- Fudgy, One bowl Brownies: my favorite recipe! It's easy to make and who will say no to amazing homemade brownies, right?
- Lemon Shortbread cookies: one of the most popular recipes on this blog, this is a very simple lemon-flavored cookie.
- Honey Walnut squares: a layer of buttery shortbread topped with a gooey mixture of honey and walnuts, these bars are easier to make than you'd think and very delicious!
- Mexican wedding cookies: a bite and you'll be hooked forever! They have a fantastic smooth, crumbly texture and are almond flavored.
- Cocoa brownies: these are incredibly fudgy cocoa brownies. Topped with a thin layer of chocolate ganache, this recipe will bring raves among chocoholics.
- White Chocolate Nut Blondies: a recipe that is very easy to make and a crowd-pleaser. You can customize it with another type of chocolate or nuts.
- Lemon Crinkles: a crowd-pleaser, these are fantastic and easy to make.
- Hungarian shortbread: this filled shortbread is unbelievably crunchy due to the genius idea of adding an egg yolk to the dough. Almost too good to be true it can be made in advance.
CAKES & CUPCAKES
I narrowed down my favorite cake recipes for this time of year which was not easy. I hope you find them amazing like I surely do.
- Strawberry Pound Cake: a simple vanilla cake that is moist, sweet with baked strawberries inside, keeps well for several days, and can be frozen! The berries get soft and jammy and add a wonderful flavor.
- Hummingbird Cake: beautiful layers flavored with banana, pineapple, cinnamon, and walnuts combined with a sweet cream cheese frosting. A fantastic classic cake that keeps well and can be frozen.
- Lemon Almond Bundt: I'm crazy about this cake. The combination of flavors is divine and the cake is moist and unique.
- Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes: the most amazing cupcakes that taste just like a shortcake! With sweet whipped cream and a strawberry filling, these are simply outstanding.
- White Chocolate Raspberry Cake: the most popular cake on the blog, this is a showstopper that can be made with fresh or frozen berries.
- Blood Orange Mini Bundts: such beautiful cakes and so easy to make, you can also use regular oranges, but that pink glaze is everything!
- Double Chocolate Layer Cake: made-from-scratch cake meets the easiest ever 5-minute chocolate frosting in this decadent dessert.
- Ricotta Cheesecake: this is one of the most popular recipes on this blog, and with good reason, it's so easy to make and such a crowd-pleaser!
- Lemon Blueberry Layer Cake: this cake is a stunner. Lemon layers are filled and frosted with a blueberry cream cheese frosting with a hint of citrus zest.
PIES AND TARTS
Some traditional pies and some wonderful desserts that will be approved by your pickiest eaters.
- Easiest Cherry Custard Tart: I can't emphasize enough how easy and sophisticated at the same time this tart is. The dough requires no refrigeration!
- Chocolate Raspberry Tart: smooth truffle filling with juicy raspberries in a tart that is very easy to make yet looks sophisticated.
- Peach Galette: a round of sweet dough is topped with luscious almond cream, fresh peaches, and sliced almonds. The result is juicy, slightly sweet, and crunchy.
- Lemon Ricotta Pie: I consider this the best one I ever made and it never fails to make an appearance at this time of year.
- Strawberry Cream Pie: easy to make and so delicious! This is my grandmother's recipe with a twist.
- Black forest tarts: a twist on the black forest cake, these tarts have the perfect chocolate crust, a layer of raspberry jam, sweet cherries, whipped cream, and chocolate shards!
NO-BAKE TREATS
Though many think these types of recipes are suited for more wintery holidays, I love them because they're SO incredibly easy to make and such a crowd-pleaser! A little homemade chocolate treat will add so much to your table.
- Chocolate Peanut Clusters: the queen of homemade chocolate bars, utterly irresistible.
- Cookie Chocolate Bark: two types of chocolate marbled with cookies and nuts.
- Easiest Fudge ever: can't beat this microwave recipe that can have just about any add-ins you want.
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Oat Bars: wonderful flavors together in a bar that is a good project to make with kids.
DESSERTS
With the start of berries and stone fruit, this brunch table can have the easiest and best desserts, including icebox and dump cakes which I include here because they are best eaten in a bowl with a spoon.
- Lemon Icebox Dessert: very popular with blog readers, it comes together very quickly and is loved by everyone.
- Blueberry Cobbler: an old-fashioned dessert that is particularly tasty with a scoop of ice cream.
- Cherry Chocolate Dump cake: meant to be eaten in a bowl with a spoon, it's easy (made with boxed cake mix) and the flavors are fantastic!
- Strawberry dump cake: a quick, easy dessert with amazing flavors. The topping is similar to a cobbler but made with cake mix (yes, store-bought).
- Strawberry Crisp: with brown sugar and a fruit layer that makes its own syrup, this dessert couldn't be more delicious!
- Old fashioned Peach Cobbler: can't go wrong with this dessert that is both juicy and floury at the same time.
Vanilla Custard Sauce
Also known as Crème Anglaise, this is a French light custard sauce. I had to add it here because it's so perfect for Spring, and so delicious!
Use it on top of pound cakes, pies, fruit, pancakes, or waffles. It can be made ahead and flavored with different extracts (coffee, lemon, orange) besides vanilla.
Crème Anglaise or French Custard Sauce: click to find the recipe with a step-by-step video!
Our holiday is in October (I live in Buenos Aires) because that's when our spring happens. Right now it's all fall leaves and cool days.
Let me know in the comments below if you made this recipe and loved it, and if you had issues, so we can troubleshoot together. I love to hear what you think, always. Thanks for being here, it's much appreciated.
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