10 Best Spring Fruits Recipes

As well as sunshine and warmer weather, spring brings an abundance of fresh fruit like strawberries, gooseberries and blackcurrants to the table. When you’ve had your fill of winter fruits (check out our 10 best winter fruits recipes), why not get cooking with spring’s produce?

The great thing about spring fruits is that they work well in both sweet and savoury dishes, from cakes and tarts to tagines and bruschetta. Here are some of our favourite recipes to celebrate a new season.

1. Rhubarb and Ginger Nut Cheesecake

Okay, so technically rhubarb is a vegetable. However, it’s often cooked as a fruit and baked into desserts, so we couldn’t resist adding this recipe for rhubarb and ginger nut cheesecake by Rosie Birkett to the list. This no-bake cheesecake is the perfect spring dessert – light and tangy with the kick from the ginger pairing deliciously with the tart rhubarb. Blood orange is added to the rhubarb as it’s being roasted in the oven, giving it an extra zesty flavour. Top with chopped pistachios and serve.

2. Savoury Apple Thyme Tart

As much as we love sweet recipes that use apples, this versatile fruit is absolutely delicious when cooked in savoury dishes. This recipe for savoury apple thyme tart by Le Petit Eats is a simple yet flavoursome dish. Caramelised onions, gruyere cheese and apples come together for the perfect springtime meal. Add some fresh thyme leaves for a woody and floral taste and serve with a green salad on the side. Wondering which apples to use? Granny Smith, braeburn, pink lady and golden delicious are the best varieties.

3. Strawberry Cake

As strawberries come into season, it’s impossible not to use them up in a dessert. A strawberry cake always goes down well, and this recipe for a strawberry cake by Recipe Tin Eats is one of the easiest and quickest cakes you will ever make, just bursting with fresh strawberries. Unlike traditional sponge cakes which use creamed butter, this cake is made with a yoghurt and oil based batter which keeps it moist. It also gives the cake the right texture to hold all the juicy strawberries. Serve with a dollop of cream and you have a tasty spring dessert.

4. Sweet Chicken Tagine with Apricots and Caramelised Walnuts

A tagine is a Berber dish which is named after the earthenware pot it is cooked in. This succulent, stew-like dish is usually made with meat, poultry or fish, as well as vegetables and fruit. This recipe for sweet chicken tagine with apricots and caramelised walnuts by Jeff Koehler is a homage to the tagines of Fez, Morocco. It’s a blend of sweet and savoury – the sweet-tart flavour of the apricots combined with the savoury chicken and herbs and spices like saffron, garlic, coriander, ginger, white pepper and cinnamon. Definitely a dish to impress.

5. Strawberry Balsamic Chutney and Goat Cheese Bruschetta

Who says strawberries only go in desserts? This recipe for strawberry balsamic chutney and goat cheese bruschetta by Rock Recipes combines sweet and savoury in this starter. The sweetness of the strawberries balances the robust flavours in the chutney and goat cheese. The strawberries are sautéd together with herbs and spices like thyme, cinnamon and black pepper which add a little aroma and kick to the chutney. Served on top of a toasted baguette with a helping of goat cheese and you have yourself an easy appetiser for your dinner guests.

6. Black Rice and Raspberry Salad

If you’re looking for an easy but delicious vegan dish, this recipe for black rice and raspberry salad by Green Evi is a winner. It’s bright, fresh, nutritious and simple to make. The salad is packed with iron-rich black rice, sweet raspberries, refreshing mint, crunchy sprouts, pine nuts and a maple-mustard dressing. Whether you enjoy it as an appetiser or a quick packed lunch, it’s a must-have recipe.

7. Brown Butter Gooseberry Tart

Gooseberries are pretty sour, making them the perfect fruit for a tart. This brown butter gooseberry tart by Top with Cinnamon makes use of these delicious spring fruits, combined with a custardy, creamy butter filling. For the pastry, try using buckwheat flour instead of wheat flour. This will give the pastry some nuttiness and a shorter texture.

8. Apricot Clafoutis

A clafoutis is a baked French dessert made from fruit (usually cherries) arranged in a buttered dish and covered with a thick batter. This recipe for apricot clafoutis by Jo Cooks uses apricots to make the most of what’s in season. While mainly enjoyed as a dessert with a dollop of ice cream, you can also enjoy it for a cheeky breakfast or brunch. The batter is very simple to make – all you need is cream, eggs, flour, sugar, rum, vanilla, lemon zest and salt. Blend together and pour over the sliced apricots in a skillet and voila.

9. Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble Bars

Strawberry and rhubarb is a classic combination. From the bright red colours, to the deep, tart flavour of the rhubarb together with the sweetness of the strawberries. While you might be more familiar with a rhubarb pie, bars are an easy to make option great for lunchboxes and picnics. We love this recipe for strawberry rhubarb crumble bars by Irvin Lim. He uses minimal sugar in the filling, instead relying on the sweet strawberry flavour to come through. Remember to add a little ground cinnamon for a warming, fragrant aroma.

10. Blackcurrant, White Chocolate and Thyme Muffins

Muffins are always a crowd-pleaser. What better way to use up spring’s abundance of blackcurrants than by sticking them in some muffins? This recipe for blackcurrant, white chocolate and thyme muffins by From The Larder is one of the most unique muffin recipes we’ve found, the perfect balance of tangy and sweet. We love the use of thyme leaves in a sweet bake, as the sweet floral notes pair so perfectly with the white chocolate. Even better, this recipe is gluten free, and uses sweet rice flour, gluten free oat flour and potato starch.