31 Refreshing May Recipes To Cook Now That Spring Is (Finally) In Full Swing

    I'll take some crispy lemon chicken, grilled Caesar salad, and ALL of the strawberry desserts...

    Hannah Loewentheil
    by Hannah Loewentheil

    BuzzFeed Staff

    April showers brought the May flowers, and now, here we are in the peak of spring surrounded by so many delicious, in-season flavors. So, take advantage of the farmers market's freshest bounty with these recipes that are perfect for your spring cooking bucket list.

    A list of in-season May produce.
    BuzzFeed

    1. Strawberry Stuffed French Toast

    Strawberry Stuffed French Toast
    Feel Good Foodie / Via feelgoodfoodie.net

    The only way to make French toast even more delicious? Use two slices of brioche bread and stuff it with a layer of cream cheese and strawberry filling. 

    Recipe: Strawberry Stuffed French Toast

    2. Buttermilk Blueberry Breakfast Cake

    Alexandra Cooks / Via alexandracooks.com

    It's not every day you hear cake and breakfast used in the same sentence, so when you do, you take full advantage.

    Recipe: Buttermilk Blueberry Breakfast Cake

    3. Garlic Cheddar Chive Scones

    Garlic cheddar chive scones on a plate.
    Little Spice Jar / Via littlespicejar.com

    This one's for the savory breakfast people out there.

    Recipe: Garlic Cheddar Chive Scones

    4. Blueberry Muffin Granola Greek Yogurt Breakfast Bowls

    Blueberry, banana, and granola yogurt bowls.
    Half Baked Harvest / Via halfbakedharvest.com

    Start the day off right with these fruit and granola-packed yogurt bowls. 

    Recipe: Blueberry Muffin Granola Greek Yogurt Breakfast Bowls

    5. Eggs with Chive Flowers

    Fried eggs with chive flowers.
    A Couple Cooks / Via acouplecooks.com

    This five-ingredient egg dish looks fancy, but it's so incredibly simple. Make sure to serve it with English muffins, sourdough, or your favorite bread.

    Recipe: Eggs with Chive Flowers

    6. Quiche with Ramps, Mushrooms, and Brie

    Quiche With Ramps, Mushrooms, and Brie
    The Gourmet Gourmand / Via thegourmetgourmand.com

    Ramps are a type of wild onion that resemble scallions, and they add serious flavor to even the most basic of recipes. Paired with mushrooms and Brie, they take quiche to the next level.

    Recipe: Quiche with Ramps, Mushrooms, and Brie

    7. Grilled Romaine Caesar Salad with Herbed White Beans

    Grilled romaine salad with white beans.
    Minimalist Baker / Via minimalistbaker.com

    With Memorial Day weekend quickly approaching, grilling season is upon us. Here's some inspiration to toss your romaine lettuce on the barbecue for a spectacular salad upgrade.

    Recipe: Grilled Romaine Caesar Salad with Herbed White Beans

    8. Crispy Rhubarb Lemon Chicken Bake

    Skillet chicken with lemon and rhubarb.
    Cotter Crunch / Via cottercrunch.com

    You might associate rhubarb with dessert, but here — combined with lemon, balsamic, barbecue sauce, and garlic — it adds just the ideal amount of brightness to this savory chicken dish. 

    Recipe: Crispy Rhubarb Lemon Chicken Bake

    9. Maple Mustard Green Beans

    How Sweet Eats / Via howsweeteats.com

    Green beans get tossed in a maple mustard dressing and garnished with tart pomegranates and creamy goat cheese for a show-stopping side dish.

    Recipe: Maple Mustard Green Beans

    10. Thai Style Papaya Salad Rolls

    The Wanderlust Kitchen / Via thewanderlustkitchen.com

    Keep these salad rolls vegetarian or add something like shrimp, salmon, tofu, or chicken to turn them into a main dish.

    Recipe: Thai Style Papaya Salad Rolls

    11. Steak Sandwiches with Horseradish Mayo

    A sliced steak sandwich with horseradish mayo.
    Cooking With Cocktail Rings / Via cookingwithcocktailrings.com

    This recipe calls for ribeye, but you can use any cut of steak you like best. The crème de la crème is the horseradish mayo, which adds just the right kick.

    Recipe: Steak Sandwiches with Horseradish Mayo

    12. Roasted Fennel Pasta

    Linguine with roasted fennel.
    Platings and Pairings / Via platingsandpairings.com

    Imagine: pasta tossed in a light lemon sauce with roasted fennel and a dollop of rich ricotta. Yup, it's as fresh as can be.

    Recipe: Roasted Fennel Pasta

    13. Asparagus Tart with Honey Mustard Sauce

    The Original Dish / Via theoriginaldish.com

    This brunch or dinner side dish starts with store-bought puff pastry and is filled with mascarpone cheese, asparagus, and honey mustard.

    Recipe: Asparagus Tart with Honey Mustard Sauce

    14. Stone Fruit Salad

    Crowded Kitchen / Via crowdedkitchen.com

    Even lettuce-haters won't want to resist this filling salad, which is made with quinoa, stone fruit, feta, walnuts, and whatever greens you like best. Try a blend of radicchio and arugula for a bitter note that plays well with the sweet fruit.

    Recipe: Stone Fruit Salad

    15. Spring Pea Risotto with Lemon and Parmesan

    Spring pea risotto in a skillet.
    Platings and Pairings / Via platingsandpairings.com

    This creamy pea risotto is laced with mascarpone cheese, salty prosciutto, and a refreshing squeeze of lemon to top it all off. It's just as decadent (and delicious) as it sounds.

    Recipe: Spring Pea Risotto with Lemon and Parmesan

    16. Roasted Orange Chicken with Fennel

    Foolproof Living / Via foolproofliving.com

    Winner, winner, chicken dinner. This one is easy enough for a weeknight meal but sophisticated enough for hosting a crowd or a special date night recipe.

    Recipe: Roasted Orange Chicken with Fennel

    17. Air Fryer Artichoke Hearts with Garlic Aioli

    Air fryer artichoke hearts and aioli for dipping.
    Lena's Kitchen Blog / Via lenaskitchenblog.com

    These better-for-you "fried" artichoke hearts are ready to eat in just 10 minutes. If you don't feel like making the homemade aioli, grab your favorite store-bought dipping sauce. 

    Recipe: Air Fryer Artichoke Hearts with Garlic Aioli

    18. Creamy Horseradish Potato Salad

    A bowl of potato salad.
    Healthy Seasonal Recipes / Via healthyseasonalrecipes.com

    'Tis the season for picnics, barbecues, and cookouts galore, so you're going to need a solid potato salad recipe up your sleeve. This one gets an upgrade from a dollop of horseradish mixed into the mayo and Greek yogurt dressing.

    Recipe: Creamy Horseradish Potato Salad

    19. Spicy Pesto, Asparagus, and Ricotta Pasta with Crispy Prosciutto

    Asparagus pasta with prosciutto.
    Half Baked Harvest / Via halfbakedharvest.com

    Make life a little easier on yourself and grab a jar of your favorite grocery store pesto to whip up this springy pasta. 

    Recipe: Spicy Pesto, Asparagus, and Ricotta Pasta with Crispy Prosciutto

    20. Healthy Broccoli Salad

    Ambitious Kitchen / Via ambitiouskitchen.com

    This salad-meets-slaw features raw broccoli, which is tossed with blueberries, carrots, dried apricots, toasted almonds, and sunflower seeds in a zippy tahini dressing.

    Recipe: Healthy Broccoli Salad

    21. Simple Baked Miso Salmon with Peas

    Feasting at Home / Via feastingathome.com

    This sheet pan salmon recipe comes together in about 30 minutes. Serve it over rice or a bed of slaw for a complete meal.

    Recipe: Simple Baked Miso Salmon with Peas

    22. Ramp Cacio e Pepe

    A Cozy KItchen / Via acozykitchen.com

    Sometimes, the best things in life are simple, like in the case of this bucatini. All you need is olive oil, Parmesan, butter, salt, pepper, and — the star of the show — fresh ramps.

    Recipe: Ramp Cacio e Pepe

    23. Cherry Cheesecake Brownies

    The Recipe Rebel / Via thereciperebel.com

    Can't choose between desserts? Have your brownies and your cheesecake in one, complete with sweet cherries baked in throughout.

    Recipe: Cherry Cheesecake Brownies

    24. Mini Blueberry Galettes

    Jo Cooks / Via jocooks.com

    You can bake a big batch of these individual galettes and freeze them for later when your sweet tooth strikes.

    Recipe: Mini Blueberry Galettes

    25. Thai Black Sticky Rice Pudding

    Recipe Tin Eats / Via recipetineats.com

    Made with sticky rice, coconut milk, coconut flakes, palm sugar, and pandan, this creamy Thai-inspired rice pudding is irresistible. Serve it with your favorite fruit like fresh mango slices.

    Recipe: Thai Black Sticky Rice Pudding

    26. Strawberry Cream Cheese Danishes

    The Recipe Rebel / Via thereciperebel.com

    Make them for dessert, have the leftovers for breakfast. It's the best of both worlds, and there's no wrong time to eat a Danish.

    Recipe: Strawberry Cream Cheese Danishes

    27. Bourbon Cherry Crisp

    A cherry crisp in a baking dish.
    Sally's Baking Addiction / Via sallysbakingaddiction.com

    This crowd-pleasing dessert is made with sweet-meets-tart Bourbon cherry filling under a layer of buttery, crumbly oats. Do the proper thing and serve it with a scoop of ice cream.

    Recipe: Bourbon Cherry Crisp

    28. Norwegian Rhubarb and Almond Cake

    The View From Great Island / Via theviewfromgreatisland.com

    Think: crumbly coffee cake, but with an extra layer of flavor thanks to tangy rhubarb and salty almonds.

    Recipe: Norwegian Rhubarb and Almond Cake

    29. Blueberry Mojitos

    A blueberry mojito.
    Vanilla and Bean / Via vanillaandbean.com

    This recipe calls for mint simple syrup, but you can always stick with regular syrup or agave and add some extra muddled fresh mint. 

    Recipe: Blueberry Mojitos

    30. Frozen Pineapple Papaya Margaritas

    Two frozen pineapple papaya margaritas.
    The Inspired Home / Via theinspiredhome.com

    Warmer weather is ahead, and those sunny late spring days call for frozen cocktails.

    Recipe: Frozen Pineapple Papaya Margaritas

    31. Blackberry Bramble Cocktails

    Two blackberry cocktails with lemon wedge garnish.
    Feasting At Home / Via feastingathome.com

    You only need five ingredients for these seasonal cocktails: fresh blackberries, lemon juice, gin, simple syrup, and sparkling water to add a little fizz. 

    Recipe: Blackberry Bramble Cocktails

    What are you cooking this month? Tell me in the comments!