10 Easy Easter Recipes Your Family Will Love

"The preparation of good food is merely another expression of love" - Elsa Brizzi

If you're anything like me, the Easter weekend brings a mixture of excitement and mild panic. There's the promise of a four-day weekend (hurrah!), family time, chocolate galore, and the first proper bank holiday since Christmas. But there's also the pressure of creating memorable meals without spending the entire time chained to the kitchen.

As someone who commutes daily and juggles work and family life, I've learned that Easter celebrations don't need to be complicated to be special. So I've pulled together my favourite Easter recipes that deliver maximum impact with minimum fuss – perfect for busy families who'd rather be enjoying the (hopefully) nice weather than slaving over a hot stove.

Hot Cross Buns That Won't Leave You Cross

Let's start with the quintessential Easter treat – hot cross buns. Now, I'm not going to lie to you and claim homemade ones are "quick and easy" when they simply aren't. But my method cuts corners in all the right places.

I make the dough in my bread machine (absolute game-changer if you don't have one) the night before, then shape, prove and bake in the morning. The smell of spiced buns wafting through the house is worth the small effort.

For the time-pressed, here's my cheat: buy plain supermarket hot cross buns and warm them in the oven or air fryer with a brush of melted butter and a sprinkle of mixed spice. Then serve with proper salted British butter. Nobody will mind, I promise.

Leg of Lamb for Lazy Cooks

Easter Sunday lunch traditionally means roast lamb. But rather than stressing over perfect cooking times, I use my slow cooker for a foolproof result.

Take a leg of lamb (British, of course), make small incisions all over and stuff with garlic and rosemary. Rub with olive oil, season generously, and place in the slow cooker with a splash of red wine and stock. Set it on low before you head out for a morning walk or Easter egg hunt, and return to meltingly tender meat that falls off the bone.

Pair with simple roast potatoes (par-boil, shake in the pan, roast in hot oil) and whatever seasonal veg looks good. Spring greens tossed with butter take literally minutes and add that lovely seasonal touch.

Simnel Cake Without the Faff

Traditional Simnel cake is gorgeous but making one from scratch can be a proper faff. My shortcut version starts with a good quality shop-bought madeira cake (Waitrose does a nice one, or M&S).

Slice it horizontally, spread the middle with a thin layer of marzipan and apricot jam, then reassemble. Roll out more marzipan for the top, stick it on with more jam, and add the traditional 11 marzipan balls. Blowtorch the top lightly for that authentic toasted look, or pop under the grill for a minute (watch it like a hawk!).

It takes about 15 minutes versus several hours, and honestly, when you're juggling Easter activities with hungry family members, nobody cares that you didn't cream butter and sugar for 10 minutes.

Impressive Easter Chocolate Dessert

When you've got chocolate eggs coming out of your ears, turning them into a proper dessert feels like a win. My Easter rocky road trifle uses up excessive chocolate while looking deliberately impressive.

Layer broken chocolate brownies (shop-bought is fine), crushed Easter eggs, whipped cream, and chocolate custard in a glass dish. Top with more crushed eggs and mini eggs. It looks fancy, tastes amazing, and uses up those chocolate eggs that would otherwise hang around until June.

Protein-Packed Easter Breakfast

With my protein-heavy diet, I need something substantial on Easter morning that isn't just chocolate. My Easter breakfast casserole can be prepped the night before and just popped in the oven while you're opening presents or enjoying a lazy morning.

Whisk eggs with a splash of milk, add chopped ham, grated cheese, diced peppers and pour over torn bread in a baking dish. Refrigerate overnight, then bake in the morning for a hands-off breakfast that fuels the family for Easter activities.

Spring Vegetable Frittata

For a lighter Easter meal or Boxing Day Easter lunch, my spring vegetable frittata celebrates seasonal produce without heavy cooking.

Gently fry spring onions, asparagus tips and peas, pour over beaten eggs mixed with a little British cheddar, cook until almost set, then finish under the grill. Serve with a simple salad for a meal that's on the table in 20 minutes.

Easter Baking with Kids

If you've got children at home over Easter, my foolproof Easter nest cakes never fail. Melt chocolate with a little golden syrup and butter, stir in crushed shredded wheat or cornflakes, spoon into cases and add mini eggs. They're not revolutionary, but they're easy enough for kids to make largely unaided, which means you can get on with other things (or put your feet up with a cuppa).

Keeping It Simple

The joy of Easter is spending time with family, not slaving away in the kitchen. All these recipes are designed to give you more time outside enjoying spring (if the British weather allows), more time watching the kids hunt for chocolate eggs, and more time relaxing over the long weekend.

Remember, nobody's judging your cooking at Easter – they're just happy to be together sharing good food. And if all else fails, there's always chocolate eggs for dinner. I won't tell if you don't.

What are your favourite Easter recipes? Are you a traditionalist with your Easter meals, or do you prefer to keep things simple? Let me know in the comments!