Best Summer Dessert Recipes

Satisfy your warm-weather cravings with fruit-filled desserts, no-bake treats and frozen summer sweets.

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Frozen Yogurt Coconut Pops

Made with coconut-infused yogurt and a blend of in-season fruits like peaches and strawberries, these striped treats are topped with coconut flakes for a final tropical touch and unique texture.

Get the Recipe: Frozen Yogurt Coconut Pops

Double Chocolate Pudding Pie

The combination of a crunchy, buttery graham cracker crust with velvety-smooth cocoa and bittersweet chocolate pudding is so satisfying that you won't even notice the filling is made with 1% milk.

Get the Recipe: Double Chocolate Pudding Pie

Rice Pudding

Lighten up rice pudding for summer with vanilla soy milk, but add some extra creaminess at the end with spoonfuls of sweetened condensed milk.

Get the Recipe: Rice Pudding

Peach-Blackberry Pie

Summer's most-iconic stone fruit gets paired with plump, juicy blackberries in Bobby Flay's subtly spiced, mile-high pie. Inside you'll find an abundance of sweet, juicy fruit.

Get the Recipe: Peach-Blackberry Pie

Milk Chocolate Banana Pudding

Layer bananas, wafers and milk chocolate pastry cream for a richer take on the classic pudding dish. Top the beautifully layered dish with curled chocolate shavings for an elegant finish.

Get the Recipe: Milk Chocolate Banana Pudding

Grilled Strawberry Shortcake with Lemon Cream

Speedy shortcake that doesn't sacrifice flavor? Kelsey makes it possible with thick-cut store-bought pound cake darkened on the grill, glazed strawberries and a tart lemony cream for sandwiching in between.

Get the Recipe: Grilled Strawberry Shortcake with Lemon Cream

Mango-Strawberry Crumble

Sometimes sweet flavors are best balanced by tangy ones in summer fruit desserts, and sometimes sweet is meant to be doubled, as is the case with this vibrant strawberry and mango crumble. The fruits' contrasting colors and textures make for a dish that tastes as cheerfully indulgent as it appears.

Get the Recipe: Mango-Strawberry Crumble

Berry Trifle

Assemble this elegant dessert in less than one hour. Best part? No oven required!

Get the Recipe: Berry Trifle

Blueberry Pie

Alex Guarnaschelli uses a combination of butter and shortening in her crust to achieve maximum flakiness, and a mixture of fresh berries and jam provide a bounty of blueberry flavor.

Get the Recipe: Blueberry Pie

Perfect No-Cook Cheesecake

Chill out with a no-bake cheesecake crowned with citrus zest.

Get the Recipe: Perfect No-Cook Cheesecake

Stone Fruit Pouches

For a gourmet campfire dessert, pour a brandy-and lime-infused mixture of apricots and plums over a bed of crushed gingersnaps, then cook in aluminum pouches over hot coals for 10 minutes. It’s a fun and fruity dessert that’s ready in a (ginger) snap.

Get the Recipe: Stone Fruit Pouches

Tri-Berry Trifle

Tiffani Thiessen blends whipped cream, creme fraiche and pudding mix, then layers the decadent mixture with fresh fruit and cubed cake.

Get the Recipe: Tri-Berry Trifle

Strawberry Margarita Ice Pops

There's no margarita mix employed in the creation of these ice pops, just freshly squeezed lime juice, the necessary liquors and pureed strawberries.

Get the Recipe: Strawberry Margarita Ice Pops

Lemon Meringue Pie

Alton Brown's lemon pie recipe perfectly straddles the sweet-sour scale, making this a must-try take on the classic pie. For perfectly bronzed meringue, take the pie out of the oven a few minutes early and use a blowtorch.

Strawberry Galette

The strawberry filling in this lovely ruby-red rustic tart isn't overly sweet and is studded with lightly toasted ground almonds for an unexpected (but certainly welcome) crunch.

Get the Recipe: Strawberry Galette

Grilled Banana Bread Ice Cream Sandwiches

Make over everyone's favorite baked good for summer by grilling buttermilk-based banana bread and then filling the halves with the ice cream flavor of your choice. This banana bread recipe is particularly flavorful since the bananas have first been roasted to enhance their natural sweetness.

Get the Recipe: Grilled Banana Bread Ice Cream Sandwiches

Mint Chip Ice Cream

A teaspoon of potent peppermint oil is all it takes to infuse this rich and creamy ice cream with refreshing mint flavor (oh, and a handful of mint-chocolate candies never hurts).

Get the Recipe: Mint Chip Ice Cream

Peach Almond Crumble

The almond and peach combo in this dessert is a real winner, but you could easily substitute apples (or any fruit of your choice) in this flour-free crumble recipe — just make sure to adjust the baking time accordingly.

Get the Recipe: Peach Almond Crumble

Frozen Peanut Butter Pie Pops

Hedy's ingenious peanut butter pie pops layer the creamy pie base with a graham cracker-pretzel crust crumble and chocolate toffee pieces on Popsicle sticks.

Get the Recipe: Frozen Peanut Butter Pie Pops

Sugar Cookie Crust Fruit Pizza

Layer sliced seasonal fruits in concentric circles atop a giant sugar cookie for a sweet take on a pizza pie.

Get the Recipe: Sugar Cookie Crust Fruit Pizza

Chuck's Berry Crumble

Lightly sweetened berries pair perfectly with Chuck's unique crumble topping. Cornflakes and granola provide crunch, while brown sugar brings sweet caramel notes.

Get the Recipe: Chuck's Berry Crumble

Chocolate Ice Cream

Alton has definitely got the scoop on this cold classic: A blend of heavy cream and half-and-half gives his recipe dense creaminess, while the cocoa-to-sugar ratio provides rich chocolatey flavor.

Get the Recipe: Chocolate Ice Cream

Louie and Pete's Peach Crisp

For an extra punch of peach flavor in your buttery oat crisp, toss the fruit in a splash of peach schnapps.

Get the Recipe: Louie and Pete's Peach Crisp

Peach and Raspberry Shortcake

Forget strawberries. Homemade peach-raspberry jam is a game-changing addition to this summery cream-filled shortcake.

Get the Recipe: Peach and Raspberry Shortcake

Grilled Pineapple with Nutella

Grilled pineapple is great, but it reaches celebratory heights when drizzled with a satiny Nutella-cream sauce. Double the decadence with spoonfuls of vanilla-laced mascarpone and a scattering of toasted hazelnuts.

Get the Recipe: Grilled Pineapple with Nutella

Cast-Iron Blueberry Cobbler

Cooking your cobbler in a cast-iron pot gives this dessert crispy, caramelized edges and a chewy, gooey berry-filled center.

Get the Recipe: Cast-Iron Blueberry Cobbler

Chocolate Peanut Butter and Banana Icebox Cake

Kelsey updates the no-bake icebox cake with a classic trio of flavors: chocolate, peanut butter and banana. This decadent layered cake will remind you that sometimes one slice just isn't enough.

Get the Recipe: Chocolate Peanut Butter and Banana Icebox Cake

Grilled French Toast with Strawberries and Rosemary

Grilling strawberries in foil packets softens, rather than chars, the sweet fruit. When cooked with balsamic, orange zest and rosemary, they take on savory flavors — though they're still sweet enough to transform grilled challah slices into a french toast dessert.

Get the Recipe: Grilled French Toast with Strawberries and Rosemary

S'mores Pudding Pie

Transform a campfire classic treat into pie form by topping a graham cracker crust with chocolate pudding pie filling. Gooey toasted marshmallows add just the right finishing touch.

Get the Recipe: S'mores Pudding Pie

Sangria Ice Pops

Turn the classic drink into cooling ice pops composed of red wine, three fruit juices and chopped fresh fruits. Freeze the mixture until it's solid for a take on red wine that suits the sultry summer months.

Get the Recipe: Sangria Ice Pops

"Old Fashioned"-Inspired Cherry Pie

Nadia's cherry pie is inspired by a retro cocktail called an Old Fashioned that’s made with tart red cherries, raw sugar, bourbon and a touch of orange bitters.

Get the Recipe: Cherry Pie Inspired By an "Old Fashioned" Cocktail (Sour Cherries Stewed With Raw Sugar, Bourbon and Orange Bitters)

Giant Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Sandwiches

This giant chocolate chip-filled sandwich does double cooling duty thanks to its fresh minty flavor and thick ice cream interior.

Get the Recipe: Giant Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Sandwiches

Peaches with Balsamic Cherries

Rich in vitamin A and full of antioxidants, this simple and slightly savory dessert is so light and healthy, it doubles as an anytime summer snack.

Get the Recipe: Peaches with Balsamic Cherries

Streusel Topped Baked Peaches with Sorghum Glaze

Bobby Flay tops his crumbly streusel and peaches with a sweet sorghum syrup, which has the color and consistency of maple syrup, but in addition to sweetness, has a unique fruity flavor.

Get the Recipe: Streusel Topped Baked Peaches with Sorghum Glaze

Key Lime Pie Ice Cream Sandwiches

Everyone's favorite tart summer pie, turned ice cream and sandwiched between chocolate graham cracker cookies.

Get the Recipe: Key Lime Pie Ice Cream Sandwiches

Blueberry-Lemon Tart

Tyler Florence makes a traditional lemon curd tart, Italian style, then sprinkles on some summer flavor with a scoop of fresh blueberries.

Get the Recipe: Blueberry-Lemon Tart

Shortcakes with Grilled Peaches and Berries

In this outside-the-box shortcake, fluffy biscuit halves sandwich a peach and ricotta cream filling. Truffled honey adds a sweet and savory element to this dessert that you'll be craving all summer long. Garnish with huckleberries, blueberries or raspberries.

Get the Recipe: Shortcakes with Grilled Peaches, Sweet Ricotta Cream, Truffled Honey and Huckleberries

Fresh Peaches and Cream Rustic Pie

Is there anything better than fresh peaches? Perhaps, if you count this easy open-faced tart. The rustic style means you can spend less time crimping the perfect crust and more time eating peach pie, topped with vanilla ice cream, of course.

Get the Recipe: Fresh Peaches and Cream Rustic Pie

Blueberry Tart

Fresh blueberries are the star of this summery tart, with a crisp crust and sour cream-cream cheese filling playing perfect backup.

Get the Recipe: Fresh Blueberry Tart

No-Bake Strawberry Cheesecake

Fresh, sweet berries and creamy cheesecake are layered on top of a rich graham-cracker crust — no baking required!

Get the Recipe: No-Bake Strawberry Cheesecake

Stone Fruit Salsa with Cinnamon Chips

Chips 'n' dip becomes a dessert when cinnamon-dusted tortilla chips are topped with a unique, sweet stone fruit salsa. (Don't forget the fresh basil, which adds a burst of herby flavor.) For a different take, try using strawberries and mangoes, or any other favorite fruit combination.

Get the Recipe: Stone Fruit Salsa with Cinnamon Chips

Berry Pie Pops (Pie on a Stick)

These mini, portable pies are as much fun as they are delicious, and they make the perfect picnic basket addition. Sub in whatever fruit fillings you'd like!

Get the Recipe: Berry Pie Pops (Pie on a Stick)

Apple, Lychee and Raspberry Crumble

Sweet lychee is a welcome addition to Ching's raspberry crumble recipe. Whip out your wok to prepare the hot strawberry topping. If you don't have one, no worries: A sauté pan on the grill would work just as well.

Get the Recipe: Apple, Lychee and Raspberry Crumble

Banana Cream Pie with Salted Caramel

Kelsey adds a gourmet twist to this cookout classic with a swirl of salted caramel. It adds richness and helps cut the sweet.

Get the Recipe: Banana Caramel Cream Pie

Yogurt Ice Pops with Berries

These creamy, refreshing ice pops start with a Greek yogurt base and are sweetened with honey, simple syrup and plump, juicy blackberries.

Get the Recipe: Paletas de Yogurt con Moras (Yogurt Ice Pops with Berries)

Almond Meringue Cake with Peaches

This showstopping cake is actually flourless; rich buttercream and fresh peaches are layered between fluffy almond meringues. Toasted almonds add texture and crunch.

Get the Recipe: Almond Meringue Cake with Peaches

Grilled Banana S'Mores

With just five simple ingredients, Aida's grilled s'mores with brown sugar, bananas and peanut butter are perfect for an easy summer cookout.

Get the Recipe: Grilled Banana S'Mores

Raspberry Trifle

Nadia G. kicks up her trifle with layers of decadent custard, pound cake, raspberries and booze (sherry, to be exact). The only person who will know if you use store-bought pound cake is you.

Get the Recipe: Raspberry Trifle

Tropical Fruit Salad with Ginger Syrup

Drizzle a mixture of mango, kiwi, pineapple and papaya with a ginger-and-lime-infused simple syrup for a zesty, spicy take on summer fruit salad.

Get the Recipe: Tropical Fruit Salad with Ginger Syrup

Cherry Pie-in-a-Jar

Fresh tart cherries are fleeting, so savor as many as you can while they're here. Our favorite way? Kelsey's adorable personal-sized pies in a jar. They also make great gifts, if they ever make it out of your kitchen.

Get the Recipe: Cherry Pie-in-a-Jar

Serious Vanilla Ice Cream

Don't let its stark white color fool you: Hints of peach preserve help add subtle flavor to Alton's vanilla ice cream.

Get the Recipe: Serious Vanilla Ice Cream

S'mores in a Jar

For a less-messy take on the campfire treat, top homemade chocolate pudding with crushed graham crackers and torched mini marshmallows.

Get the Recipe: S'mores in a Jar

Strawberry Shortcake

Celebrate strawberry season with a classic dessert starring these red gems. Kelsey keeps hers simple, with a buttermilk biscuit base and vanilla whipped cream.

Get the Recipe: Strawberry Shortcake

Lemon Icebox Bars

In less than 30 minutes, prepare these creamy, tangy no-bake lemon bars. Leave them in the freezer to set and, voila! A refreshing dessert is at the ready. What's even better? Each of these bars contains only 155 calories and 5 grams of fat.

Get the Recipe: Lemon Icebox Bars

Sugar-Roasted Stone Fruit

Stone fruit — peaches, plums, nectarines and apricots — are midsummer's sweetheart. Concentrate the fruits' sweet flavor with a jaunt into a hot oven, then serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

Get the Recipe: Roasted Stone Fruit

4th of July Berry Tart

This tart recipe, perfect for the Fourth of July but delicious all season long, lets fresh berries shine, perched atop velvety white chocolate pastry cream and a rich almond and egg yolk crust.

Get the Recipe: 4th of July Berry Tart

Watermelon, Ginger and Lime Granita

Sweet watermelon, zesty lime and tangy ginger blend together in this beautiful icy pink dessert. Give the refreshing treat authentic Italian flair by topping it with fleur de sel.

Get the Recipe: Watermelon, Ginger and Lime Granita

Chuck's Chocolate-Banana Ice Cream Sandwich

Upgrade this classic ice cream truck treat with Chuck's from-scratch recipe — homemade banana-mascarpone ice cream encased in chocolate cookie halves.

Get the Recipe: Gorilla Ice Cream Sandwiches

Kelsey's Any-Fruit Cobbler

Swap your favorite summer fruits into Kelsey's flexible cobbler recipe.

Get the Recipe: Cobbler

Maple Plum Compote with Walnuts and Vanilla Yogurt

Juicy plums are cooked in a sugary maple syrup sauce and topped with crunchy, nutty toasted walnuts. Tart vanilla yogurt forms a bed for the fruit-nut mixture and balances out all the sweetness.

Get the Recipe: Maple Plum Compote with Walnuts and Vanilla Yogurt

Red and White Sangria Pops

Freeze seasonal fruits in Popsicle molds filled with a red or white sangria mixture for boozy, party-ready Popsicles.

Get the Recipe: Red and White Sangria Pops

Dark Chocolate and Caramelized Banana Pie

Even non-vegans will appreciate this pie's rich dark chocolate filling and caramelized banana crust. Prefer your pies with dairy? Substitute cream cheese for tofu and regular milk for soy.

Get the Recipe: Dark Chocolate and Caramelized Banana Pie

Ricotta Orange Pound Cake with Strawberries

Sweet, refreshing strawberries and dense pound cake are scented with orange zest and amaretto.

Get the Recipe: Ricotta Orange Pound Cake with Strawberries

Matt's Cherry Galette

Sweet summer cherries steeped in amaretto liqueur are nestled into flaky French pastry dough in this open-faced, rustic galette.

Get the Recipe: Matt's Cherry Galette

Peach Cobbler

In her take on this classic Southern dessert, Nealey Dozier opts for pure honey over sugar and uses barely sweetened whipping cream biscuits to contrast the sunny fruit's natural sweetness. Serve warm with a dollop of vanilla ice cream on the side.

Get the Recipe: Peach Cobbler

Salted Caramel Icebox Cake

Alternating caramel and chocolate stripes make this revamped retro treat both tasty and pretty to behold. Make your own wafers to add a personal culinary touch.

Get the Recipe: Icebox Cake

Raspberry Tart

The addition of framboise to this tart's creamy filling gives it an extra dose of raspberry flavor. Topped with bright ripe berries, it's almost too beautiful to eat.

Get the Recipe: Raspberry Tart

Dessert Sushi Rolls

A coconut milk mixture sweetens sushi rice and allows a bevy of dessert ingredients –– dried and fresh fruits, herbs and seeds –– to cling to the rice inside the chewy fruit-leather "seaweed."

Get the Recipe: Dessert Sushi

Loveless Banana Pudding

Fresh vanilla bean adds aromatic depth in this take on banana pudding from Nashville's famed Loveless Café. It's as easy as it is delicious.

Get the Recipe: Loveless Banana Pudding

Ice Cream Terrine with Sauteed Peaches

Don't let this dish's impressive presentation intimidate you: All you need is time for the layers of ice cream to freeze into a perfect mold.

Get the Recipe: Ice Cream Terrine with Sauteed Peaches

Pineapple Upside Down Cake

Whole pineapple rounds, bright maraschino cherries and pecan halves decorate the top of this classic bottom-up cake, which is cooked in a cast-iron skillet in true old-school fashion.

Get the Recipe: Pineapple Upside Down Cake

Grilled Peaches with Honey, Yogurt and Mint

Sweet, juicy grilled peaches are nicely complemented by tangy Greek yogurt, a drizzle of honey and fresh mint leaves.

Get the Recipe: Grilled Peaches with Honey, Yogurt and Mint

Chocolate-Peanut Butter Fudge Sundae

It's easy to see why Nigella considers this the best sundae ever: She tops caramel, chocolate and vanilla ice cream with a simple peanut butter-laced fudge sauce. Need we say more?

Get the Recipe: Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge Sundae

Pavlova

This pavlova — light, fluffy meringue filled with tart lemon curd and topped with both berries and bittersweet chocolate — is an elegant, party-ready dessert.

Get the Recipe: Pavlova

Lime Pie Ice Pops

Paletas — cream or water-based ice pops made in a number of creative flavors — are prevalent throughout Mexico. This creamy ice pop contains lime juice and zest (with beautiful green specks to prove it) and crushed graham crackers for both sweetness and crunch.

Get the Recipe: Paletas de Pay de Limon (Lime Pie Ice Pops)

Grilled Pineapple with Rum Sauce

Keep the grill going after dinner and throw on some pineapple slices — with a little vanilla ice cream and rum sauce, it's a quintessential summer dish.

Get the Recipe: Grilled Pineapple with Vanilla Ice Cream And Rum Sauce

Bee Hive Cake

This beehive-shaped cake pays tribute to honeybees and their sweet offerings. Under the flying marzipan bees, you’ll find a moist banana cake with a walnut and honey buttercream frosting.

Angel Food Cake with Berries and Creme Fraiche

Macerated in wine, honey and orange juice, berries take on savory, tangy flavor — perfect for pairing with pepper-laced mascarpone atop pound cake.

Get the Recipe: Angel Food Cake with Macerated Berries and Mascarpone

Vanilla and Raspberry Bombe Glacee

Dress up vanilla ice cream by filling it with raspberry custard and freezing it in a sliceable shape.

Get the Recipe: Vanilla and Raspberry Bombe Glacee

Cucumber, Meyer Lemon and Lavender Granita

The fresh, clean flavors of lemons, cucumbers and lavender combine seamlessly with the help of just a blender in this simple and refreshing granita.

Get the Recipe: Cucumber, Meyer Lemon and Lavender Granita

Fruit Salad Macedonia

When you have berries this prime, a little adornment is all they need. Just a little sugar helps the fruit release its juices, and citrus juice adds a bit of brightness.

Get the Recipe: Fruit Salad: Macedonia