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Summer is the ultimate time to make the most of hosting family and friends. The days are longer, the sun is shining, and firing up the grill makes for perfect party food. But there’s no better way to end a summer gathering than with a special sweet treat—especially with so much to celebrate in the summer months. Whether you’re honoring a recent grad, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Memorial Day, or having a casual backyard cookout, these summer desserts will add the perfect simple, yet special, touch to the day. From pies and cakes featuring seasonal produce to ice cream and other frozen treats to cool you off, these summer desserts are here for you to enjoy all season long.
Red, White, and Blueberry Slab Tart
This easy dessert feeds a crowd with a patriotic twist. It starts out with a simple, five-ingredient pastry dough before piling it high with in-season blueberries, blackberries, and strawberries. Don’t forget to add the cut-out star-shaped pastry pieces on top. For a bit of extra sweetness, add an optional dollop of whipped cream to each slice. This recipe makes a tart big enough to create 16 slices, making it perfect for a large party.
Berry Phyllo Cups
You can enjoy these berry phyllo cups any time, but they especially make the perfect no-cook red, white, and blue dessert to serve on Memorial Day or the Fourth of July. The phyllo shells are pre-baked, so all you need to do is add the cream cheese filling. Finally, arrange them into a square, and add blueberries and raspberries to make a cute edible American flag for your patriotic table spread.
Margarita Cupcakes
These colorful cupcakes are inspired by a cocktail but are actually booze-free, making them safe and delicious for guests of all ages to enjoy. Frozen limeade gives a simple boxed cake mix its tangy and sweet margarita flavor. Homemade green and yellow buttercream icing brings an extra fun pop of color to your table. And don’t forget to garnish the cupcakes with coarse salt to mimic the flavor of the salted rim on the real thing.
Classic Strawberry Shortcake
This timeless dessert is a long-time summer favorite, featuring biscuits layered with sweet, juicy strawberries and dollops of fluffy, homemade whipped cream. This is the perfect recipe for using up fresh, peak-season strawberries in a way that makes them truly shine. Just be sure to keep a stick of butter in your freezer throughout the summer months so that you can start working on the homemade biscuits whenever you end up with an abundance of strawberries on hand.
Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp
Tart rhubarb is the perfect flavor contrast to sweet summer strawberries in this crowd-pleasing crisp. The dessert’s crunchy oat-pecan topping also adds a fun bit of texture to each bite. Top it off with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for a truly magical peak-summer dessert. Rhubarb is only in season for a very short period of time, so be sure to make the most of it when you see it in the produce department or frozen section.
Berry Poke Cake
This easy berry poke cake is a great make-ahead dessert for any summer gathering. Kids can even get involved in the fun cake-poking process with adult supervision. Poking holes allows the cake to absorb the flavored gelatin more easily. You can also swap in any type of fruit or gelatin flavors of your choice to make the recipe endlessly customizable. Bonus: If you love homemade whipped cream but want it to last longer, use our trick of adding vanilla pudding mix to help stabilize it.
Berries and Cream Icebox Cake
This icebox cake couldn’t be simpler, and it helps keep your kitchen cool by not requiring an oven. In fact, graham crackers, homemade whipped cream, berries, and a refrigerator are all you need for this dessert. You can use any berries you like, but using blueberries, blackberries, and strawberries makes for an easy American flag decoration on top. This is another great make-ahead dessert option since it requires at least four hours in the fridge to set.
Berry Swirl No-Churn Ice Cream
Everyone knows there’s no better treat than cold ice cream on a hot, sunny day. This summer, enjoy scoops of creamy berry ice cream at home—no ice cream maker required. Puree some of your favorite fresh berries and add them to the simple ice cream base before adding the mixture to a loaf pan and sticking it in the freezer for at least eight hours. When it comes out, enjoy a scoop as is or top it with even more fresh berries.
Frozen Cheesecake on a Stick
Upgrade store-bought frozen cheesecake with this easy recipe. Insert wooden craft sticks into each cheesecake slice to instantly transform them into fun dessert pops. Then, cover them in chocolate coating and sprinkles, freeze them for 10 minutes, and you have a delicious summer dessert your party guests will love. You can even change things up by sprinkling on other favorite toppings like chocolate chips, crushed nuts, or candy-coated chocolate pieces.
No Bake Red, White, and Blue Yogurt Pie
This no-bake pie is a refreshing, better-for-you summer dessert option. Strawberry-flavored Greek yogurt and whipped topping come together as a simple filling. Store-bought pie crust helps speed up the prep time, making the pie ready for the fridge in just 20 minutes. After three to four hours setting in the fridge, top the pie with fresh berries and sprinkles for added pops of color and flavor. You’ll have a light and delicious dessert that kids and adults alike will enjoy.
Caramel Baked Stone Fruit
Enjoy the sweetness of in-season stone fruit, like peaches and plums, with this simple five-ingredient dessert. Brown sugar and vanilla extract melt and become caramelized at the bottom of a baking dish, while halved stone fruit and butter bake on top. The result is soft, rich, caramel-covered fruit perfect for serving with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on a warm summer evening.
Retro Watermelon Pie
This nostalgic 1930s-inspired dessert features a mousse-like filling made from fresh watermelon juice and marshmallow whipped cream. Its unique light and airy texture and refreshing watermelon flavor make it a standout addition to any summer cookout or party. And, unlike many other no-cook pies or icebox cakes, it only takes one hour to set in the fridge.
Dump Cherry Cobbler
Ten minutes of prep time is all you need for this super simple dump dessert. Just layer the ingredients and pop it in the oven for 40 to 45 minutes. You’ll have sweet baked cherries with a cake-like topping, perfect for slicing into squares and serving with ice cream.
Berry Banana Pudding Ice Cream Cake
This Southern-inspired no-cook dessert uses fruit preserves and whole fruit for an extra flavor-packed cake. With layers of store-bought vanilla ice cream, homemade banana pudding, and store-bought or homemade berry preserves, you will have a cooling, refreshing cake ready for your summer gathering.
