I love dessert. That’s no surprise to you, I’m sure. I think I love summer desserts the best! Why? Flavor! Temperature! Fun! I love desserts with fresh fruit favors, and in the summer fruit is at its absolute best! Summer is a great time to break out all of those cold desserts. If you know me, you know I’ll eat ice cream year-round but a great cold dessert makes the dog days of summer go by a little easier. I feel as we get into the “holiday season” of fall and winter, our desserts get a little stuffy so we take advantage and let our summer desserts really have a lot of fun!
These 20 summer desserts are sure to delight any gathering, or any meal. Heck, why not have one for a meal? Dessert buffet for dinner anyone? Check out these sensational summer desserts and let me know what you try!
Fruit Summer Desserts
Grandma’s Peach Cobbler
This is my grandma’s recipe. It is so easy and delicious! The texture is more like a bread pudding than a traditional cobbler with a biscuit or pie crust. This cobbler takes no time to put together, and you can even use frozen peaches so it’s easy to keep everything on hand to make when the craving strikes!
Fresh Peach Dessert
This fresh peach dessert has everything I look for in a great summer dessert – flavor and texture! Peaches and cream is a classic combination, and the addition of nuts to the crumble adds a satisfying crunch!
Coconut Cream Pie
I am an absolute sucker for a good coconut cream pie. This one just so happens to be gluten free and has a dairy free option! If you’re a coconut lover, look no further! This pie is a perfect summer dessert for you whether you’re gluten-free or not.
Blueberry Upside Down Cake
As passionate as I feel about coconut, my husband feels the same about blueberries. He just cannot get enough. I had never thought about doing a blueberry upside down cake but oh my goodness does this just look so delicious! I can taste it right now. I’d serve a nice slice of this with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for a perfect summer dessert pairing.
Mini-No Bake Key Lime Pies
These no-bake mini key lime pies are a perfect summer dessert! You don’t have to bake it, so it’s not going to heat up the house! Whip up a simple decoration for the top and you’ve got yourself a delicious showstopper!
Pineapple Upside Down Bundt Cake
This pineapple upside down bundt cake is a fun twist on a classic. I mean, who doesn’t love a bundt cake? This is a must-try for you if you love the classic flavors of a pineapple upside down cake!
Frozen Summer Desserts
Gluten-Free Ice Cream Cake
Y’all. I’ve been gluten-free for about six years and I never thought I’d say it but after reading this recipe I realized I miss ice cream cakes! I honestly can’t tell you the last time I had one but I love ice cream! And cake! And crunch! This summer dessert has it all, and it’s gluten-free!
Peaches and Cream Popsicles
Okay, you already know about my love of peaches! Peaches and cream is just one of those iconic summer flavor combinations that I cannot get enough of. These popsicles combine fresh peaches and greek yogurt for a great, dare I say healthy, frozen summer dessert!
Banana Split Ice Cream Pie
Banana Split? Yum! Ice Cream? Yes! Pie? Oh yeah! My mouth is watering, is yours? This ice cream pie looks absolutely to die for! All of the flavors of the classic banana split put into a pie. Imma run and put the ingredients on my grocery list, k?
Drumstick Layered Dessert
Y’all, when I saw this I actually said out loud, “are you freaking serious?!” I don’t know how Melissa knows about my craving for that frozen ice cream cone but boy did she hit the nail on the head! To top it off I can easily substitute gluten-free vanilla wafers so I can enjoy this to my heart’s content. I’m starting to feel like I need to make some room in my freezer…
Summer Dessert Bars & Brownies
Margarita Lime Bars
Taco Tuesday anyone? Seriously, since quarantine we’ve been supporting our favorite local Tex-Mex place for Taco Tuesday pretty regularly. These margarita lime bars are the perfect way to top off the night! *Note: these do have tequila in them so they’re an adult dessert made as is. You can substitute lime juice for the tequila to make them kid-friendly.
Easy S’Mores Brownies
If you’re looking for a super-easy kid-friendly summer dessert, look no further! These s’mores brownies utilize the shortcut of a brownie mix. I absolutely love the ease of sprucing up a brownie mix! S’Mores brownies are a great way to have that campfire taste without the actual campfire.
Easy Cherry Crumble Bars
These cherry crumble bars are perfect for serving with ice cream or on their own. Crumbles are a throwback dessert making a comeback! I enjoy the comfort of a great crumble or crisp. These bars bring that comfort into an easy-to-make bar.
Coconut Pineapple Bars
You like pina coladas? You sang that, didn’t you? I love the pineapple-coconut combination! No matter what the weather is like, this combination transports me to a tropical island and all is right with the world for just a few bites.
Blackberry Slab Pie Bars
Summertime = berries! Our fridge is stocked with berries during the summer and this blackberry slab pie is the perfect solution for a bushel of fresh blackberries!
Summer Desserts for the Kids (or Kids at Heart)
Sugar Cookie Fruit Pizza
This summer dessert is so much fun! This was one of the first desserts Emma helped us make. She got a blast out of placing the fruit on the pizza! This is a perfect one for kids because they can help make it! I also like to think it’s kinda healthy because, fruit!
Dirt Pudding Cups
I made these for my class last year and oh my goodness they went nuts! Dirt pudding is a kids classic! This one is super easy too, because the ingredients are pre-made and the kids can pretty much just make it on their own!
Strawberry Fluff
This is a super-simple two-ingredient summer dessert! Just Jell-O and Cool Whip, the options are endless! Imagine the flavors you could whip up in a flash!
Summer Desserts for the Chocolate Lovers
Chocolate Lush Dessert
This super simple pudding dessert screams comfort for your belly on a hot summer day! Better yet, this one is gluten-free!
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Rounding out our summer desserts is of course everyone’s favorite, chocolate chip cookies! It doesn’t matter what season or time of day, it’s always a good time for a chocolate chip cookie. What makes these cookies special is a secret ingredient that makes them chewy on the inside and crisp on the edges.
It’s the middle of summer, there’s still plenty of time to enjoy each of these sensational summer desserts!
Wow these all look so great!!! Saving this!
Enjoy!!