April Food Holidays showcase a delicious mix of seasonal and festive celebrations, whether you want to indulge in sweet treats, explore fresh ingredients, or welcome the season with an old-fashioned spring picnic.
Jump to:
- April Highlights
- Featured April Food Moments
- Easter Recipes
- What's in Season in April
- April Food Holidays
Start Here: April Highlights
April brings the first real taste of spring in the kitchen. Easter celebrations inspire festive brunches and desserts, while early seasonal ingredients like asparagus, chives, and rhubarb start appearing at markets.
This month's food holidays offer plenty of fun reasons to cook-from baking homemade sourdough bread to celebrating classics like grilled cheese, blueberry pie, and pineapple upside-down cake.
Whether you're planning an Easter menu, a relaxed spring picnic, or simply looking for new recipe inspiration, April is full of delicious possibilities.
If you're looking for a place to begin, these April food celebrations are some of the most fun (and delicious) to cook your way through:
- Sourdough Bread Day (April 1) → a perfect excuse to bake a fresh loaf
- Grilled Cheese Month + Grilled Cheese Day (April 12) → melty comfort food at its best
- Easter Celebrations → brunch favorites, spring desserts, and holiday classics
- Picnic Season Begins (April 23) → simple sandwiches, dips, and outdoor-friendly foods
- Blueberry Pie Day (April 28) → the perfect early spring baking project
Featured April Food Moments
These standout food holidays are some of the most fun - and most delicious - to celebrate during the month.
National Sourdough Bread Day (April 1)
If there's ever a reason to dust off your starter and bake a loaf, this is it. Sourdough baking is equal parts science and tradition, and the results are always worth the effort.
→ Bake with sourdough:
- Easy sourdough bread
- Sourdough discard recipes
- Sourdough Starter: Care & Feeding
- How to Make Rye Sourdough Starter
National Grilled Cheese Sandwich Day (April 12)
Simple, melty, and endlessly customizable, grilled cheese is comfort food at its finest.
→ Try something different:
- Irish Apple Pie Grilled Cheese (contest winner!)
Perfect with soup, served as a snack, or dressed up as a full meal.
National Eggs Benedict Day (April 16)
A classic brunch favorite that feels fancy but is surprisingly doable at home.
→ Make:
- Smoked Salmon Eggs Benedict
Rich hollandaise, perfectly poached eggs, and savory smoked salmon make this a standout brunch dish.
National Picnic Day (April 23)
Warmer days mean it's finally time to pack a basket and head outdoors. Simple foods travel best - and somehow taste even better outside.
→ Picnic favorites:
- Easy sandwiches
- Dips and snack boards
- Portable desserts
- Picnic finger foods (no silverware needed)
National Blueberry Pie Day (April 28)
Few desserts are more classic than a good blueberry pie. Sweet, juicy berries and a flaky crust make this a spring baking favorite.
→ Bake:
Perfect served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Easter Recipes
- Layered Rainbow Jello (Vintage Ribbon Salad Recipe)
- Orange Tea Ring (Danish Wreath)
- Perfect, Party-Ready Deviled Eggs
- Easter Bread Recipes from Around the World
- Grammi's Carrot Pineapple Jello Salad (Sunshine Salad)
- Egg & Cheese Rolls
- Beach Towel Bunny Easter Basket
- Naturally-Dyed Armenian Easter Eggs
What's in Season (Pacific Northwest)
What's in Season (Pacific Northwest)
April in the Pacific Northwest brings the first real signs of spring. Early greens and herbs begin appearing alongside hardy winter crops still lingering from colder months.
You'll commonly find:
- Apples
- Asparagus → Easy Rice Pilaf with Asparagus & Cashews
- Chives
- Fennel
- Fiddleheads
- Garlic → Oven-Roasted Garlic Spears (Garlic Scapes)
- Green onions
- Mushrooms → Hungarian Mushroom Soup (Szekelyderzs)
- Onions
- Potatoes
- Rhubarb → Old-Fashioned Rhubarb Pie
- Sprouts
- Tarragon → Creamy Smoked Salmon Chowder
👉 Not in the Pacific Northwest? Seasonal availability may vary where you live - check your local growing calendar for the most accurate list.
Jump to: March Food Holidays
Month-long Celebrations
- National Food Month
- National Florida Tomato Month
- National Fresh Celery Month
- National Garlic Month → Roasted Garlic Compound Butter
- National BLT Sandwich Month
- National Soft Pretzel Month
- National Soy Foods Month
- National Grilled Cheese Month → Egg-in-a-Hole Grilled Cheese Sandwich
- Tomatillo & Asian Pear Month
- Cranberries & Gooseberries Month
Weekly Food Holidays
1st Week
- National Bake Week
- Poet in a Cupcake Day (on Friday of Take Your Poet to School Week)
3rd Week
- National Banana Day (3rd Wednesday) → Banana Lumpia (Filipino Turon)
Week following Easter
- National Egg Salad Week
Daily Food Holidays
April 1
- National Sourdough Bread Day → Sourdough Recipes & Resources
April 2
- National Peanut Butter & Jelly Day
April 3
- National Chocolate Mousse Day
April 4
- National Cordon Bleu Day → Chicken Cordon Bleu Meatballs
- International Carrot Day → Moroccan Carrot Salad
April 5
- World Caramel Day → Butterscotch & Caramel Sauce Recipes
- National Peeps Day
- National Raisin & Spice Bar Day
- National Deep Dish Pizza Day
April 6
- National Caramel Popcorn Day → Easy Soft Caramel Corn
- International Carbonara Day
- New Beer's Eve
- Fresh Tomato Day
- National Açaí Bowl Day
- National Food Faces Day
April 7
- National Coffee Cake Day → Double-Crumb Sourdough Coffee Cake
- National Beer Day
April 8
- National Empanada Day
April 9
- National Chinese Almond Cookie Day
April 10
- National Cinnamon Crescent Day
April 11
- World Cheese Fondue Day → Swiss Cheese Fondue
- National Poutine Day (Canada)
April 12
- National Licorice Day
- National Grilled Cheese Sandwich Day → Irish Apple Pie Grilled Cheese
April 13
- National Peach Cobbler Day → Classic Southern Peach Cobbler
April 14
- National Pecan Day
April 15
- National Glazed Ham Day
April 16
- National Eggs Benedict Day → Smoked Salmon Eggs Benedict
- National Baked Ham with Pineapple Day
- Day of the Mushroom
April 17
- National Cheeseball Day
- World Malbec Day
April 18
- National Animal Crackers Day
April 19
- National Rice Ball Day
April 20
- National Pineapple Upside-Down Cake Day → Pineapple Upside-Down Cake
- Lima Bean Respect Day
- National Cheddar Fries Day
April 21
- National Chocolate-Covered Cashews Day
- National Tea Day (UK)
April 22
- National Jelly Bean Day
April 23
- National Cherry Cheesecake Day
- National Picnic Day → Perfect Picnic Finger Foods
- National English Muffin Day
April 24
- National Pigs-in-a-Blanket Day
April 25
- National Zucchini Bread Day → Zucchini Banana Bread
April 26
- World Pretzel Day
April 27
- National Prime Rib Day
April 28
- National Blueberry Pie Day → Classic Fresh Blueberry Pie
April 29
- National Shrimp Scampi Day
April 30
- National Oatmeal Cookie Day → Mrs. Obinger's Oatmeal Coconut Cookies
- National Raisin Day
Top Picks for April
If you're not sure where to start, these recipes highlight some of the best flavors of early spring:
- Blueberry Pie - a classic fruit pie with a rich filling and flaky crust, perfect for celebrating Blueberry Pie Day
- Smoked Salmon Eggs Benedict - a brunch favorite with silky hollandaise and savory smoked salmon
- Irish Apple Pie Grilled Cheese - the sweet-savory grilled cheese that once won a city-wide sandwich contest
- Easy Sourdough Bread - the approachable sourdough recipe that briefly became one of the most popular "easy sourdough" recipes online during the pandemic
Explore More Food Holidays
Keep the inspiration going all year long:
Save This for Later
Planning ahead? Save this calendar so you don't miss a single delicious excuse to cook this month.
