18 Easter Cookies That Are Perfect for Your Holiday Brunch or Baskets

easter chick and egg cookies
Photo: Chelsea Cavanaugh

There are bunnies, chicks, and eggs galore in our collection of Easter cookies—and you'll find pastel colors and easy cookies that kids can help make or decorate here, too. As the holiday coincides with the arrival of spring, some of our Easter cookie recipes play on classic spring flavors like lemon and carrot cake. Add them to your Easter baskets or serve them as a sweet ending to your holiday brunch or dinner.

01 of 18

French Meringue Cookies

french meringues
Mike Krautter

Inspired by the gorgeous displays of meringues in the patisserie windows of Paris in the spring, Martha developed the recipe for these elegant crisp-chewy treats. They're naturally gluten-free and colored in soft shades that mirror their flavors: chocolate, raspberry, and orange.

02 of 18

Martha's Easter Sugar Cookies

colorful frosted spring themed and easter egg sugar cookies
Marcus Nilsson

For Easter, Martha makes cookies shaped like eggs, chicks, and bunnies, all frosted with royal icing using her favorite streamlined decorating technique.

03 of 18

Watercolor Easter Bunny Cookies

rabbit cookies pastel painted
Bryan Gardner

As fun to make as they are delicious, these rabbit and carrot-shaped sugar cookies are frosted with royal icing and painted with a bright mixture of luster dust and water. Make it a family activity—like dyeing Easter eggs—by letting your kids help decorate.

04 of 18

Lemon Bars with Brown-Butter Shortbread Crust

lemon bars with brown butter shortbread crust

Lemon bars are a classic that delights year round, but we think they're especially well suited to Easter. This sublime version contrasts the tart yet creamy lemon topping with a brown-butter shortbread crust.

05 of 18

Easter Chick Cookies

easter chick and egg cookies
Chelsea Cavanaugh

Lemon shortbread cookies become adorable chicks and eggs with the help of sanding sugar, sprinkles, mini chocolate chips, and candy.

06 of 18

Embellished Wreath Cookies

embellished wreath cookies
Mike Krautter

Take classic sugar cookies to special-occasion status with a simple glaze and stunning combination of candied flowers, crystallized ginger, and chopped pistachios.

07 of 18

Flower Sugar Cookie

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Burca Avsar

Use pink food coloring and kitchen shears to give sugar cookies blush-hued "petals" and finish with round candies for the centers.

08 of 18

Bunny Cookies

bunny shaped cookies
Aaron Dyer

Impress guests of all ages with these bite-size rabbit-shaped cookies. No special tools needed—just kitchen shears and a toothpick for a quick snip and poke.

09 of 18

Carrot-Cake Thumbprint Cookies

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Marcus Nilsson

The flavors of classic carrot cake are combined into a convenient handheld package. Use cream cheese or go with goat cheese for a touch of sophistication in the thumbprint center.

10 of 18

Pastel Butter Cookies

pastel butter cookies
Anson Smart

These gorgeously-hued treats are almond shortbread cookies finished with tinted powdered sugar. It's made by blending equal parts fruit with confectioners sugar in a food processor.

11 of 18

Lemon Madeleines

lemon madeleines
Victor Schraeger

These tangy delights have a citrus aroma that will pleasantly fill your kitchen. Serve them as a light dessert with fresh fruit or on their own at teatime.

12 of 18

Painted Egg Cookies

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Gentl and Hyers

Egg-shaped sugar cookies get a vibrant coat of color when they're brushed with a highly pigmented yolk wash.

13 of 18

Little Lamb Cookies

pink and white lamb cookies
Tara Donne

Mary had a little lamb whose icing was as white as snow (or pink, if you prefer) and glittery, too, thanks to a sprinkling of sanding sugar.

14 of 18

Sugar Cookie Bunnies

mla103657_0308_bunny.jpg
Mikkel Vang

Bring the Easter Bunny to the table with these rabbit-shaped sweets. Everyone will love the classic cookie, and you'll love the simple recipe.

15 of 18

Lemon-Ginger Cookies with Mint

lemon-ginger-cookies-med107484.jpg
Marcus Nilsson

Crystallized ginger gives a sweet heat to these lemon sugar cookies while fresh mint imparts a cool zing.

16 of 18

Spring Flower Sugar Cookies

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Johnny Miller

Spring plants don't grow any sweeter than these flower-and-mushroom-shaped sugar cookies that are baked atop wooden skewers. Plant them in an Easter basket or in a tabletop bed of wheatgrass.

17 of 18

Lemon Icebox Cookies

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Tart lemon cookies make an easy and satisfying treat, and they're easy to fit into your Easter preparations. You can make the dough and store it in the freezer up to a month ahead of time.

18 of 18

Bird's Nest Cookies

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Rich ganache is piped over thin chocolate cookies and sprinkled with coconut to mimic the appearance of bird's nests. Top with two or three miniature chocolate eggs to complete the illusion.

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