20 most popular spring recipes

Spring is finally here, and there’s no better way to welcome the blossoming season than with our most popular spring recipes.

Instead of rich, slow-cooked meals, the warmer weather calls for quick, easy spring dinner recipes such as our Vietnamese rice paper rolls served with fresh herbs, Hellenika’s chicken souvlaki and fresh spring salads using seasonal spring vegetables. Vibrant side dishes, like Tony Tan’s roti canai, Dan Hong’s towering crisp eggplant and a crisp potato bake with barrel-aged feta, are also on high rotation during spring.

But really, it’s cakes and other baked delights that are most popular when spring has sprung, using the bounty of fresh spring produce the season brings. From our untraditional (but mighty tasty) Portuguese tarts dripping in burnt honey to Flour and Stone’s lemon dream cake to our ever-popular recipe fro Eton mess with strawberries, these spring-ready desserts and sweet treats are the perfect finale to any spring dinner party or picnic.

Here are our most popular spring recipes to make and bake in 2024.

How to make Portuguese tarts recipe with burnt honey, step-by-step guide for Portuguese tarts

How to make Portuguese tarts with burnt honey

Crisp pastry, sunshine-yellow custard and a caramelised top make Portuguese tarts a global hit.

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Date, gingerbread and yoghurt naked layer cake with burnt orange caramel

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Mango and lemon verbena trifle with verjuice jelly and salted lime meringue

Panettone and mango trifle with lemon verbena and verjuice jelly

Blue swimmer crab cocktail with avocado cream

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Marinated heirloom tomato and stracciatella

Marinated heirloom tomatoes and stracciatella

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Gluten-free passionfruit and almond cake with honey-roasted pineapple by Frida's Field

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photo of table with white tablecloth and a blue-rimmed plate underneath a brown cheesecake topped with glossy cherries

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Miso chicken and green beans with sesame

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A large plate of figs with burrata, garnished with pomegranate arils and fennel sprigs

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Ricotta-polenta cake with lemon-rosemary syrup

Enjoy a slice of this fragrant, versatile cake at any time of day. And you can make the whole thing in just over an hour.

Pumpkin ravioli with sage brown butter

A combination that’s a classic for good reason.

Dan Hong’s crisp eggplant with fish-fragrant sauce

Fish-fragrant sauce doesn’t actually have any fish in it, but its sweet, sour and spicy elements are traditionally used to cook Sichuan fish dishes and give this dish its name.

Eton mess

Whether its creation was a happy accident or divine design, this thoroughly English dessert is heaven in a bowl.

Flour and Stone’s lemon dream cake

Recipe for lemon dream cake by Nadine Ingram from Sydney bakery Flour & Stone.

Beef and potato Massaman curry

Have a few hours up your sleeve? There are worse ways to spend them than cooking a big pot of this curry.

Tony Tan’s guide to making roti canai

A well-made roti canai is a thing of beauty.

Black Star Pastry strawberry watermelon cake in slices.

Black Star Pastry’s strawberry and watermelon cake

The iconic cake from Black Star Pastry with layers of dacquoise, watermelon and rose-scented cream.

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Panettone and mango trifle with lemon verbena and verjuice jelly

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Ham hock soup

The comfort bowl you need when the temperature starts to dip.

Roasted cauliflower salad with yoghurt dressing and almonds

Roasted cauliflower adds extra depth of flavour to this hefty salad.

Ultimate mac and cheese

This is comfort food at its best.

A whole lemon tart on a black wire rack being dusted with icing sugar.

How to make a lemon tart

How to achieve that bright, tangy custard and fine, crisp base? Pastry chef Catherine Adams has the answers.

A plate of barbecued chicken thighs on a mint green background.

Hellenika’s chicken souvlaki

You’ve never had chicken souvlaki this good. This recipe, courtesy of Brisbane’s Hellenika, is sure to become your new go-to.

Gerard Yaxley’s Persian love cake

With a kiss of nutmeg.

steak-topped-with-mushrooms-and-a-side-salad

Barbecued hanger steak with cacio e pepe mushrooms

A cacio e pepe sauce makes everything better.

Crisp potato bake recipe with barrel-aged feta

Ditch roast potatoes and make this stunning crisp potato bake recipe with feta and salmon roe instead.

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Panettone and mango trifle with lemon verbena and verjuice jelly

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Native ad body.

Sponsored by %%sponsor_name%%

Marinated heirloom tomatoes and stracciatella

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Native ad body.

Sponsored by %%sponsor_name%%

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Vietnamese rice paper rolls

Flavour and freshness with every bite.

Eggplant parmigiana

There’s a little labour involved in frying the eggplant slices before layering them, but the result is worth it.

Quinoa salad with pomegranate, pumpkin and ashed goat’s cheese

One of our most popular recipes for good reason.

Check out our fast spring dinner dishes and best spring salads for more springtime recipes.

The Gourmet Traveller Team

Gourmet Traveller is Australia’s trusted authority on food, travel and luxury lifestyle, bringing the latest news and trends to life through quality journalism, enticing recipes and evocative photography. For more than 55 years, it has been inspiring and informing Australians with the best in cooking, dining, travelling and shopping. Our critics bring the expertise of years of critical eating, drinking and writing to the table. Plus, as the country’s leading title in the luxury sector, Gourmet Traveller works closely with Australia’s leaders in the travel and hospitality industries to give our readers exclusive access. The Gourmet Traveller legacy is one of trust, prestige and relevance.

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