Soul Food Easter Dinner Menu Ideas
This post may contain affiliate partner links. View our privacy statement HERE.
If you’re taking on Easter dinner this year and feeling the pressure to prepare a Southern spread with soul food flavors, don’t worry. I’ve got you covered with dozens of easy, soulful Southern Easter menu ideas. These suggestions will help you create something special with less stress and plenty of heart.

Traditional Southern Easter food ideas
Black folks know how to eat on the holidays (and every other time of the year too!) From honey-baked ham and crown roast to roasted carrots and mashed potatoes, you can’t go wrong with these Southern soul food Easter favorites.
If that doesn’t sound appetizing, some folks indulge in prime rib, scalloped potatoes, or fried fish—and we can’t forget carrot cake for dessert!
And, what is Easter without deviled eggs? These are just a handful of the Southern Easter menu favorites that answer the ever-popular question: What do Southern people eat for Easter?
Soul food Easter menu mains
The star of every Easter dinner is the main dish! An African American family meal might include Easter recipes like Black folks pineapple glazed ham, butter-rich Southern green beans, roasted asparagus, Brussels sprouts, deviled eggs, deep South dish sweet potato pie, and baked macaroni and cheese. And, of course, Southern Easter dinner favorite – carrot cake.
Start here and meal plan with these mouth-watering Easter soul food menu ideas! Your guests will exclaim, “Everything looks so yummy! When do we eat?”



Soul food Easter breakfast and brunch recipes
The Easter celebration doesn’t always have to start at noon! Hosting an Easter breakfast or brunch can be a great way to expand your menu options while enjoying time with friends or family who may have other celebrations to attend in the afternoon! Your guests will love traditional Black folks Southern fried chicken and waffles or shrimp and grits!
Easter bread recipes
Do you know the true meaning of Easter colors?
At Easter, the color white symbolizes purity, grace, and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Jesus is why many Black people celebrate Easter, so the festivities often include food palettes featuring white and pastel hues, as seen in Easter bread and sometimes Easter cake.
In addition to the food, Black folks are known for their elaborate and colorful attire on Easter Sunday for church services, which includes vibrant dresses and stylish pastel suits. Just as our fashion choices are bold and expressive, we also like to think beyond traditional dinner rolls when it comes to Easter bread options.

Soul food Easter dinner sides
What are the best Easter side dishes?
When preparing Easter dinner, we spend a lot of time thinking about the main dish. But, let’s be honest, it’s the soulful, flavor-packed sides that really steal the show!
Sides like collard greens and macaroni and cheese have everyone coming back for seconds (and thirds), carrying the legacy of Southern soul food traditions in every bite.

Southern Easter menu appetizers
What are the best type of easter eggs?
Deviled eggs, of course!
They are a Southern staple and a popular dish at any gathering in the Black community. Additionally, there are many other Easter recipe appetizers that can help kick off your Easter meal.

Easter desserts
Easter desserts without carrot cake?
That question deserves a puzzled expression and a “Whatchu talking bout, Willis?” response!
So, let’s begin with my great-grandma’s soul food carrot cake recipe, which includes secret ingredients that ensure a moist homemade cake paired with rich cream cheese frosting. If you’re not a fan of carrot cake, coconut cake is also a beloved Easter treat!
Be sure to explore all the other delicious Easter dessert recipes available here. What better way to celebrate Easter than with a fun and easy dessert?
With so many soul food Easter recipes, which ones will you add to your menu?

Equipment
- Stand mixer or hand mixer
- KitchenAid stand mixer slicer/shredder attachment (optional)
- Flour sifter
- 9-10″ Bundt cake pan
- Baker’s cooling rack
- Instant Pot Omni Plus oven (optional)
Ingredients
Ingredients for Black folks soul food carrot cake
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 ½ cups sugar granulated
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 3 eggs yolks
- 3 egg whites
- 2 ½ teaspoons water hot
- 1 cup carrots grated
- 1 cup black walnuts finely chopped
- ½ cup black walnuts finely chopped to garnish
Ingredients for Black folks soul food carrot cake cream cheese frosting
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened or whipped cream cheese
- ¼ cup butter softened
- 2 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Instructions for Black folks soul food carrot cake
- Grease and flour a 9-10″ Bundt cake pan and set it aside.
- Mix the vanilla extract, sugar, vegetable oil, egg yolks, and hot water in a medium-sized bowl.
- Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon into a separate mixing bowl.
- Gradually pour the sifted dry ingredients into the bowl with the wet ingredient mixture and electric mix to combine.
- Add the grated carrots and stir in by hand.
- Then add the chopped walnuts and also stir in by hand. The mixture will then become slightly stiff.
- Beat the egg whites with an electric mixer until they form stiff peaks. (When you lift up your beater, you want a nice peak that holds its shape and stands straight up.)
- Gently fold the egg whites into the batter until the whites disappear. The mixture will then significantly loosen.
- Pour the batter into the greased and floured cake pan.
- With a close eye on the carrot cake while it’s in the oven, bake at 350 degrees F for 30-35 minutes in the conventional oven or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. If using the Instant Pot Omni Plus oven, bake at 325 degrees F for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Remove the carrot cake from the oven and set the cake pan on a baking rack to cool for at least 10 minutes.
- Then carefully turn the cake out of the pan and onto a baker’s cooling rack.
- Allow the carrot cake to cool to room temperature for at least 2 hours before optional frosting.
- This Southern Black folks’ homemade carrot cake recipe is usually served with homemade cream cheese frosting garnished with finely chopped walnuts. (Frosting instructions below.)
Instructions for the homemade carrot cake cream cheese frosting
- Add the butter and cream cheese to a large mixing bowl.
- Using an electric mixer, beat the mixture on medium speed for 2 minutes or until stiff.
- Turn the mixer down to low and gradually add the powdered sugar and vanilla extract.
- Once the ingredients are combined, turn the mixer up to medium and beat for another 2 minutes.
- Spread the cream cheese frosting onto the cooled carrot cake.
- Optionally, garnish with chopped walnuts, crushed walnuts, or carrot cake crumbs.
- Slice, serve, and enjoy!
Video
Notes
- This recipe has my great-grandma’s secret carrot cake ingredient, the addition of beaten stiff egg whites to moisten the cake batter.
- Refrigerating a cake with cream cheese frosting for a few hours will give it a firm texture, making slicing easy upon serving.
- Freeze carrot cake by the slice and wrap individual pieces in parchment paper or plastic wrap. And then in foil before freezing for manageable portions that you can thaw and enjoy quickly!
Nutrition
Like this post? Pin the below image to your Pinterest “Soul Food Recipes” board!
