Easter Bunny Bread

Easter Bunny Bread is the most adorably delicious part of your Easter celebration and is surprisingly easy to make! You can make it with frozen bread dough or with most any homemade bread dough.

Bunny Bread is a longstanding tradition in our family and my kids look forward to it even more than their Easter baskets! My sesame semolina bread dough makes a lovely Easter Bunny Bread. Visit our Bread Recipes page for more fantastic homemade breads!

Bring some charming whimsy to your Easter feast with this irresistible fresh bread bunny. Kids of all ages will love it!

Around here, this is a strictly Easter dish, but I can see this going over a treat at a bunny-loving child’s birthday party or a get together for friends. You don’t have to be a bunny-bread withholder like I am. Feel free to bust out Bugs whenever the muse strikes.

Don’t let the idea of shaping bread scare you away. This does not require an art degree or sculpting skills; it’s quite simple!

While I start with approximately two pounds of homemade bread dough (I recommend this recipe!) you can your favorite standard bread dough or even thawed frozen bread dough. It’s just a matter of breaking it down into steps, and I’ve done that for you. To see just how easy it is, watch this video.

Bunny Shaped Bread

As impressive as this bunny bread looks, it is really quite easy to pull together. I’ve broken down the steps to make the process understandable and simple.

Let’s go over our ingredient and equipment lists so you know what to gather! Once you have everything together it’s just a matter of following the steps one by one.

Ingredients

1. Frozen Bread Dough or Homemade Bread Dough
2. Egg or Egg Replacement
3. Raisins, Dried Cranberries, Dried Currants, or Dried Cherries
4. Sliced Almonds
5. Optional but tasty for serving: Dip plus lettuce, carrots, cucumbers, radishes, broccoli, bell peppers, or any raw vegetables.

You can use homemade bread dough like this, or use purchased frozen bread dough that you’ve thawed according to package instructions. Either will be delicious. My preference is for this semolina dough.

As for the dip, I love this Dill Pickle Dip the best, but we’ve used everything from purchased French onion dip to Hot Corn Dip or Roasted Garlic Artichoke Goat Cheese Fondue and everything in between. Use whatever makes you smile!

I find red or green leaf lettuce or butter lettuce to be the best options for lining the bunny bread’s tummy before adding the ramekin. Those three lettuces have a fresh, green, leafy look. A crunchier lettuce -like iceberg and romaine- will not be quite as nicely ruffled and will be prone to breaking.

When it comes to vegetables, add whatever makes you hop with joy. Carrots are a natural choice, but we like to add a large variety; a little something for everyone like cucumbers, broccoli florets, bell peppers, cauliflower, radishes, snow or sugar pea pods, and more.

Equipment

1. Bench Knife
2. Ramekin or Small Bowl for Dip
3. Small Sharp Knife
4. Half Sheet Pan
5. Parchment Paper
6. Silicone Pastry or Basting Brush

When it comes time to assemble the Easter Bunny Bread, use a small ramekin for the dip. Invert it on top of your bunny bread and slice around it. You don’t need to slice deeply, just enough to let you know the outline of the bowl.

Use your hands to scoop out the circle that you sliced and the bread underneath it to make room for the lettuce and bowl. Feel free to eat the bread you pulled out ~or~ cube it and serve it alongside the Easter Bunny Bread.

Look how easy it is to make Easter Bunny Bread!

Do you love this Bunny Bread? Check out these other wonderful treats for Easter!

Ham and Cheese Croissants

Old Fashioned Ham Balls

Hot Ham and Cheese Rolls

Easy Carrot Cake Recipe

Whole Cherry Clafoutis

Bunny Bread

To Shape the Bunny Bread

Cut your ball of dough into two pieces that are approximately 1 pound each. Set one piece aside.

Cut about 1/4 off of the remaining hunk of dough. Roll the piece into a ball and then flatten slightly on a parchment or silpat lined cookie sheet to form the bunny’s head.

Roll the other 3/4 of the dough piece into a ball and flatten into a large oval that is about 6-inches across. This will be the bunny’s body. Place the body directly below (and in contact with) the head on the cookie sheet.

Cut the second dough ball into four equally sized pieces and roll into balls. Roll two of the pieces into long, snaky ropes (about 15 or so inches long) and then fold the ropes in half.

Place on either side of the head as ears and tuck the ends slightly under the head.

Take a third dough ball, split into two equally sized pieces and roll into balls. Position one ball on either side of the base of the bunny’s body like back paws.

Use a bench knife or butter knife to cut two slits at the outside edges of the back paws to form bunny toes. What? They have toes.

Divide the last remaining portion of bread into 3 equally sized pieces. Roll two of the pieces into balls and place against either side of the upper third of the bunny’s body to serve as front paws.

Take the remaining dough and cut off 1/4 of the dough. Roll the tiny piece into a ball and position on the bunny’s head to serve as the nose.

Cut the final piece of dough into two equal pieces. Roll those pieces into balls and position under the nose for the bunny’s cheeks.

Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise until puffy and almost doubled in bulk (about an hour in a warm room.)

To Bake the Bunny Bread

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Remove plastic wrap, brush lightly with beaten egg and push the two pieces of dried fruit into the bunny’s head for it’s eyes.
• Bake for about 30 minutes, or until the bunny is golden brown and lovely.
• Let rest on the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.

To Serve the Bunny Bread

• Transfer the cooled bunny bread to a serving platter or return to the sheet pan on which you baked it.
• Cut a hole equal to the size of the bowl you will use for your dip from the belly of the bunny.
• Nestle the bowl of dip into the space you made in the bunny bread.
• Arrange vegetable sticks and crudités around the bunny and serve!

Notes

You can, alternatively, line the hole in the bunny’s belly with lettuce leaves and put the dip directly into it. We prefer to put the bowl of dip in to better salvage any leftover dip after we devour the bread. This would also be preferable if you think you may have leftover bread.

Originally posted April 22, 2011, Text, photos, and tutorial video updated March 2017, 2018, and 2020 and April 2023.

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