We Are Celebrating Berry Season With These Yummy Raspberry Desserts

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Nothing says spring like berry-centric desserts. Spring is the perfect time to eat all the fresh fruit you possibly can. And what better way to eat fruit than by putting it in a dessert? 

Today, we’re bringing you our favorite raspberry desserts that are a beautiful blend of sweet and tart, sure to make you long for spring weather and kick the winter blues away!

Jammy Shortbread Bars

Thank you Pure Wow for the recipe!

Ingredients

Shortbread:

• 2 sticks salted butter (room temperature)

• ½ cup light brown sugar

• 1 + ½ tsp vanilla extract

• 2 + ½ cups all-purpose flour 

• ¼ tsp fine sea salt 

Finishing:

• 1 + ½ cups seedless raspberry jam

• 2 large egg whites

• ¼ tsp cream of tartar 

• ¾ cup sugar

• 2 sticks unsalted butter (room temperature)

• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

• Freeze-dried raspberries

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×13-inch pan with nonstick spray, then line with parchment paper leaving about 2-inches of excess paper on the sides. 

2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and brown sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the vanilla and mix to combine.

3. Add the flour and salt and mix at low speed to combine. Scrape the side of the bowl and mix once more. Transfer the dough into the prepared pan and use damp hands to press it into an even layer. Bake the shortbread crust until golden brown at the edges and set across the surface, for 20-24 minutes. Cool completely.

4. Spoon the jam onto the center of the shortbread and then spread it into a very thin, even layer, leaving the outer ¼ inch of the shortbread uncovered. Transfer to the freezer while you make the frosting.

5. Fill a medium saucepan with 2 inches of water and bring it to a simmer over medium-low heat. Set a medium bowl over the pot, add the egg whites, cream of tartar, and sugar, and whisk to combine. Heat, whisking constantly until the mixture reaches 160°F on a thermometer.

6. Remove the bowl from the heat and transfer it to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whip attachment. Whip the mixture on medium-high speed until it reaches stiff peaks and the bowl is no longer warm to the touch, about 4 minutes.

7. Add the softened butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, and whip until well combined, about 4 minutes total. Add the vanilla and mix to combine.

8. Remove the shortbread from the freezer and dollop the frosting evenly over the surface, then use a small spatula to spread it into an even, swoopy layer. Sprinkle with freeze-dried raspberries (if using), then transfer to the refrigerator for 10 minutes (this makes the bars easier to slice).

9. Use the excess parchment to lift the bars out of the pan, then slice into 16 large bars or 32 minibars.

White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake Bars

Thank you Sally’s Baking Addiction for the recipe!

Ingredients

Raspberry Sauce: 

• 2 tsp water

• 1 tsp cornstarch

• 1 + ½ cups raspberries

•  2 Tbsp sugar

Crust:

• 20 Oreos 

• 5 Tbsp unsalted butter (melted)

Filling: 

• 6 oz. white chocolate (finely chopped)

• 2 8-oz. blocks cream cheese (room temperature)

• ⅓ cup sugar

• 1 Tbsp all-purpose flour 

• 1 tsp lemon juice

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• ⅛ tsp salt

• 2 large eggs

Directions

1. Mix 1 teaspoon of cornstarch and 1 teaspoon of water in a small bowl. Set aside. Combine the raspberries, granulated sugar, and 1 teaspoon of water together in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir the mixture as it begins to cook, breaking up some raspberries as you stir. Once it simmers, add the cornstarch mixture. Continue to stir and allow it to simmer for 3 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and press the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer. Allow the sauce to cool before using it. 

2. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line the bottom and sides of a 9-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the sides to lift the finished bars out. 

3. In a food processor or blender, pulse the whole Oreos into a fine crumb. Stir the cookie crumbs and melted butter together in a medium-sized bowl. Press the mixture tightly into the bottom of the lined baking pan. Pre-bake for 8 minutes, remove from the oven and set aside. Leave the oven on.

4. Melt the chopped white chocolate in a double boiler or the microwave. If you’re using the microwave, place the white chocolate in a medium heat-proof bowl. Melt in 20-second increments in the microwave, stirring after each increment until completely melted and smooth. Let the warm chocolate cool as you work on the other cheesecake filling ingredients. You can place it in the refrigerator, but just don’t let it solidify!

5. Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and granulated sugar together on medium-high speed in a large bowl until the mixture is smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the flour, lemon juice, vanilla extract, and salt, then beat until fully combined. At medium speed, add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition until just blended. A few small lumps can remain. Pour in the cooled but still liquid white chocolate. Beat on low speed just until combined.

6. Pour half of the cheesecake filling onto the crust. Drizzle half of the raspberry sauce all over the top. Spread the remaining cheesecake filling on top. Drizzle the remaining raspberry sauce on top, then gently swirl everything together.

7. Bake for 32-36 minutes or until the cheesecake appears set on top and the edges are lightly browned. The bars will be puffy but will sink slightly as they cool. Place the pan on a wire rack. Cool for 45 minutes at room temperature, then chill in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours and up to 1 day before slicing. If you plan to chill the bars for longer, loosely cover with aluminum foil after 3 hours of chilling.

8. To slice, lift the bars out of the pan as a whole using the parchment overhang on the sides. Cut into squares with a sharp knife. For extra neat squares, wipe the knife clean between each cut.

Dark Chocolate Ravioli with Ricotta Filling & Raspberry Sauce

Thank you The Original Dish for the recipe!

Ingredients

Ricotta Filling: 

• 8 oz. whole milk ricotta cheese

• 3 Tbsp powdered sugar

• ½ tsp vanilla extract

• 1 egg (beaten)

Dark Chocolate Ravioli

• 6.4-oz. all-purpose flour

• 1.6-oz. cocoa powder

• ¼ tsp salt

• 2 eggs (beaten)

• 3 Tbsp water

Raspberry Sauce: 

• 6 oz. raspberry 

• 1 + ½ oz. sugar

• ¼ cup water

• Pinch of salt 

Garnish: 

• Melted dark chocolate

• Toasted chopped pistachios

• Powdered sugar

Directions

1. Whisk the ricotta, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract together. Drizzle the beaten egg over it and refrigerate it until it’s ready to use. 

2. Sift the flour, cocoa powder, and salt into a large mixing bowl. Slowly stir in the beaten eggs and water. Once the dough starts to form, use your hands to continue to form it, adding more water as needed. When you have a dough ball, transfer it to a flour-dusted surface. Knead the dough for about 5 minutes. Shape the dough into an even ball and wrap it in plastic wrap. Let the dough rest at room temperature for an hour.

3. Cut the dough ball into 4 pieces. Working with one at a time, use a pasta machine or pasta roller attachment to roll out the dough. Start on the thickest setting, then pass the dough through the machine a few times. From there, pass the dough one time through each setting, working downwards. Stop rolling when the dough has formed a very thin sheet, about 1/16th of an inch. 

4. Form the ravioli. Place the sheet of dough in front of you horizontally on a floured surface. Spoon a little mound of ricotta filling in the left corner of the bottom half of the sheet, leaving enough space around it. Continue down the sheet of ravioli, leaving about 1 inch of space between each spoonful. Brush around the ricotta with water. Use a ravioli cutter to slice between each filling. One by one, fold the top half of the dough sheet over, working gently so the filling stays in the middle. Press around the edges to seal, trying to release any air pockets within the middle. Trim the three sides of the ravioli into an even rectangle. Repeat this process with all of the dough, lining up the ravioli onto a floured sheet tray. Cook the ravioli in a pot of salted, boiling water. Once they float to the top, remove them with a slotted spoon.

5. While the ravioli dough rests, combine the raspberries, sugar, water, and salt in a saucepan. Heat over medium-high heat until the sugar dissolves and the raspberries begin to burst, stirring occasionally. Lower the heat to a simmer and cook until the liquid has reduced slightly. Blend the sauce, pass it through a strainer, and keep warm until ready to serve. Fold in a few fresh raspberries at the very end.

6. Serve the ravioli on a plate with a spoonful of raspberry sauce, a generous drizzle of melted dark chocolate, a sprinkle of pistachios, and a light dusting of powdered sugar.

Nutella Raspberry Rugelach

Thank you Bakeria for the recipe!

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour 

• 3 Tbsp white sugar

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• ¼ tsp salt

• 1 cup unsalted butter (slightly softened and cut into small pieces)

• 1 package cream cheese 

• ½ cup Nutella 

• ½ cup raspberry jam

• Milk (to brush on top of cookies) 

• Granulated sugar (for sprinkling)

Directions

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the flour, sugar, vanilla extract, and salt. Add in the butter and cream cheese and mix at low speed. The dough will get crumbly and then start to come together. Mix until the dough is just combined. Alternatively, this can be done in a bowl with a pastry cutter. 

2. Shape the mixture into a large rectangle. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours. 

3. Preheat the oven to 350°F. 

4. Cut the dough into 4 equally-sized pieces. On a floured surface, roll out one piece of dough at a time into a 12×4-inch rectangle. Spread the dough with 2 tablespoons of Nutella, then top with 2 tablespoons of raspberry jam.

5. Working from the long end, gently roll the dough into a 12-inch long log, making sure the seam is at the bottom. Place the dough in the freezer for 15 minutes to re-chill the dough. 

6. Remove the dough from the freezer. Brush the dough log with milk and sprinkle with 1-2 tablespoons of granulated sugar. Cut each log into 12 equal pieces, about 1 inch each. Place upright on a lined baking sheet. 

7. Bake for 22 minutes or until lightly golden. Cool on wire racks.

Raspberry Lemon Poppy Seed Snacking Cake

Thank you The Candied Appetite for the recipe!

Ingredients

Cake: 

• 2 + ¾ cups cake flour 

• 2 tsp baking powder

• ½ tsp baking soda

• ½ tsp salt

• 3 Tbsp poppy seeds

• 1 + ½ stick unsalted butter (softened)

• 1 + ¾ cup granulated sugar

• 2 tsp fresh lemon zest

• ¼ cup vegetable oil 

• 4 large eggs

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 2 Tbsp lemon juice

• 1 + ⅓ cup buttermilk

• ½ cup seedless raspberry jam

Raspberry Buttercream:

• ¼ cup frozen raspberries (thawed)

• 1 + ½ sticks unsalted butter (softened) 

• 4 cups powdered sugar

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• ½ tsp salt

• 1 Tbsp poppy seeds

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9×13-inch cake pan. 

2. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and poppy seeds together. 

3. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together the butter, sugar, and lemon zest on high until the mixture is light and fluffy, for about 3 minutes. Stir in the vegetable oil and the eggs, one at a time. Stir in the vanilla extract. 

4. Use a measuring cup to stir together the lemon juice and buttermilk. Add the dry ingredients and the buttermilk, alternating between the two, starting and ending with the dry ingredients, and mixing until just combined after each addition. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and spread it out evenly. Bake for 35-40 minutes, then remove from the oven and cool completely. 

5. Make the buttercream. Blend the thawed raspberries until they’re smooth, then strain out the seeds using a fine-mesh strainer. Set aside. Cream together the butter and 3 cups of powdered sugar until the mixture is fluffy. Stir in the vanilla and salt. Add the strained raspberry puree and blend until well incorporated. Add the remaining cup of powdered sugar and beat on high for 3 minutes. 

6. Invert the cooled cake onto a large cutting board. Using a serrated knife, cut the cake in half, so you end up with two thin layers. Place one layer on a baking sheet. Spread the cake with raspberry jam and then place the second layer of cake on top. Frost the top of the cake with buttercream and sprinkle it with poppy seeds. Cut the cake into thin pieces and enjoy.

New York Cheesecake Doughnuts

Thank you The Candied Appetite for the recipe!

Ingredients

Crust: 

• 1 + ½ cups graham cracker crumbs 

• ¼ cup granulated sugar

• ½ tsp salt

• ⅓ cup melted unsalted butter (cooled)

Filling: 

• 2 8-oz. packages cream cheese (softened)

• ⅔ cup granulated sugar

• 2 large eggs (room temperature)

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Topping: 

• ¼ cup graham cracker crumbs

• 1 cup canned cherry pie filling

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a donut pan with cooking spray and set aside. 

2. In a medium bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, salt, and butter until the mixture is evenly combined. Divide among the donut cavities of your prepared pan and press it into a single layer and up the sides. 

3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the cream cheese and sugar on low until it’s light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla until just combined. Transfer the batter into a disposable pastry bag fitted with a large circle tip. Pipe out the filling into the doughnut pan on top of a crust. 

4. Bake until the filling has puffed up and set, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let it cool completely to room temperature. Then place it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to chill. Sprinkle the top of the doughnuts with graham cracker crumbs and top with cherry pie filling.

We’re so excited about these raspberry desserts – how about you? Comment your favorite recipe below!

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