20 Summer Desserts
I especially love baking in the summer as this is the season when I get to slow down a bit and test out all kinds of recipes. However, sometimes Mother Nature has her own agenda with sending blazing hot days our way, and cranking an oven up to 350°F doesn't seem appealing even if it yields an amazing dessert for many of us avid bakers. I purposely included a few no-bake and ice cream recipes so you can enjoy your love of desserts and also have fun with putting them together.
This no fuss recipe is ideal as it takes only ten minutes preparation time and four ingredients to put together. If you're new to baking, this is a great entry level recipe as it doesn't require any mixing, just dump the ingredients into a baking pan, bake on 350°F for about an hour and voila, a tasty dessert that yields approximately six to eight servings. Best served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream (spoiler alert...there's a recipe for this further into the post).
If you're familiar with some of my other posts, you already know I'm a self proclaimed lemon head. I love all kinds of lemon desserts and I had to share one of my very own posts with you, as one bite of this semi-homemade cake will leave you clamoring for more. This recipe is perfect for novice level bakers as there is minimal measuring and mixing, plus I included a detailed pictorial and video showing you each step called for in this recipe.
3. Pineapple Upside-Down Dump Cake
Do you see a theme here? I've included yet another scrumptious semi-homemade cake recipe that will satiate your tropical sweet tooth cravings and is all about the summer vibes. This recipe is easy enough where you may choose to turn it into a fun family activity and recruit some munchkin helping hands.
Having enjoyed the traditional version of this cake my Abuelita prepared several times for the family during my childhood, I couldn't resist the urge to share this very simplified remixed version with you. The combination of banana and coconut adds a depth of flavor that is rich yet balanced.
Got fifteen minutes on your hands? Well, that's all it takes to prep this luscious cake. Plus, think of all the leftover time you'll have to sit back and enjoy a freshly baked slice (or two). Quick tip: Before you bake your cake, place half (1 cup) of the sweetened flaked coconut on a shallow baking pan and bake on 350°F for five to eight minutes until golden brown. Remove from pan and allow to cool. Once you're ready to frost your cake, toss the toasted coconut flakes with the remaining 1 cup of coconut flakes until combined and press into the top and side of the frosted cake. Following this one simple step will punch up the flavor to a whole new level of deliciousness.
6. COOL 'N EASY Strawberry Pie
The most difficult step about this recipe is waiting six hours refrigeration time for it to set...lol! Now for the good news, you'll churn this pie out fairly quickly as the recipe calls for using a store bought graham cracker pie crust and the remaining steps can be done in a snap. My favorite part about this recipe is that each slice is only 150 calories...yes, you read that right. So, go ahead and enjoy a slice (or two) without the guilt.
Summer is the ideal time to enjoy fresh blueberries & strawberries as they're in season. And what better way to enjoy them when accompanied with a pastry cream filling and pâte sucrée crust. Don't be intimidated by the fancy names as this recipe provides easy to follow instructions that most novice level bakers can master. This simple yet elegant dessert can also act as a table center piece for any summer event as it adds a flair of bold, vibrant colors.
While this post features desserts that are ideal for summertime, this particular recipe is spectacular year round if you're using regular limes as opposed to Key limes, which according to Taste of Home are grown in the U.S. from June through September and are best used within two days of purchase. I personally prefer working with recipes and ingredients that are as low stress as possible, so I recommend using regular limes. For those of you that are interested in learning more about the differences between regular limes versus Key limes check out this article here.
This version of blueberry pie adds a slight twist with the incorporation of honey, sage and lime zest as contrasted by traditional recipe versions that call for adding cinnamon or nutmeg. The tweaks result in a brighter flavor. If you don't have access to fresh blueberries, frozen will do just fine.
10. Chocolate-Mousse Tart with Fresh Berries
Gluten-free desserts have oftentimes gotten a bad wrap for having an undesirable aftertaste or just altogether off flavor. This stunning tart dispels the latter as almonds and almond flour combine together to create a pastry crust that adds a dimension of richness that complements the dark chocolate mousse and fresh raspberries beautifully both in taste and appearance.
As promised, we've arrived at the recipe for homemade ice cream. Not only is this a classic standalone summer dessert, it makes for the perfect accompaniment to a slice of pie, cake, brownie, you get where I'm going with this. This recipe walks you through the detailed steps that will yield a decadent quart of vanilla ice cream, which can be easily adapted to create other flavors by adding custom mix-ins.
12. PHILADELPHIA 3-Step Lemon Cheesecake Bars
We all know that good things are worth waiting for and these treats are beyond yummy my friends. The only downside (if this is one for you) is that it takes about three hours of chilling time in the refrigerator. I find that prepping these in the morning, lessens any disappointment with what seems like a long wait time as the dessert sets and chills, but maybe this is just my a mind trick that works for me...hehe!
13. Peach Cobbler Ice Cream Cake
If you've graduated from novice to intermediate baking level status, this is the perfect recipe to test out. I consider this to be somewhat of a semi-homemade recipe as there's no need to make from scratch ice cream and pound cake as you can use store bought for both. But who knows, perhaps you're feeling ambitious and want to make both items from scratch, which by all means, go for it. Either way, this cake is decadent in more ways that one.
14. No-Bake Blueberry Cheesecake
Here's another mouthwatering cheesecake recipe; however, this one has a prep time of under 30 minutes and it doesn't require any baking. You'll be staying cool all-around, which is a win-win for those blazing hot summer days.
15. Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Sandwich Bars
These types of treats are perfect for dessert lovers of all ages as two complementary classics, chocolate chip cookies and vanilla ice cream unite to form a taste-tactic duo. The author of this recipe notes that you'll have a soft chewy cookie that won't freeze up into a rock hard confection as this tends to be a drawback for some ice cream cookie sandwiches. And feel free to get creative by custom designing your treats with sprinkles, nuts, additional chocolate chips or all three.
You're not seeing double, well, maybe you kind of are, but no these sweet treats are different from the Peach Cobble Ice Cream Cake listed above. I had to include this recipe as this just screams summer dessert vibes. I particularly love the recipe author's suggestion of making these as ice cream cookie sandwiches. Now you have two different ice cream recipes to select from, you just gotta go for the gusto and make this duo happen.
I had to share out at least one lemon cookie recipe with you and this was a recent recipe I featured in one of my other posts as they are quite good. Similar to some of the other intermediate level recipes featured in this post, it's easy to assemble and I've made it even easier to make with the detailed pictorial and video tutorial. There's a slight chilling time required to allow the cookie dough to rest before slicing and baking. No crumbs left behind with this recipe.
18. Red, White, and Blue Cake Mix Cookies
Are you thinking the same thing I'm thinking? Store bought cake mix can yield delicious cookies?!? Make these to celebrate Memorial Day, July Fourth and Labor Day or change out the red, white and blue sprinkles for your own color sprinkle selection to fit any time of year event.
19. No Bake Salted Caramel Coconut Macaroons
This one is easy-peasy to whip up as the author of this recipe cleverly uses a short cut by using Kraft caramel candies to make the caramel sauce, which cuts prep down time and I love that it's another no bake recipe. Bring these to your next picnic for a lovely ending to a delicious outdoor meal.
There's a lot of peanut butter cookie recipes out there and this one always yields a scrumptious batch as it strikes the perfect balance between crunchy and chewy deliciousness. Serve with a tall, cold glass of milk and savor the moment.
I hope you enjoyed reading this post and feel free to drop me a comment below to let me know what you made and how it turned out. Have a sweet day! ~Xina