13 Summer Desserts to Cool Down a Hot Afternoon

Summer desserts work best when they bring fruit, chilled layers, and easy portions to the table. These 13 recipes cover strawberry shortcakes, peanut butter and jelly cookies, mochi, cheesecakes, pound cake, pies, pretzel salad, cobbler, chocolate-covered strawberries, and ice cream cake. Some are baked and better served with cold toppings, while others chill or freeze before serving. Use this list when a hot afternoon needs something sweet that still feels right for the season.

Close-up of strawberry shortcake slices topped with whipped cream and fresh strawberries. Layers of cake, cream, and strawberries are visible. — Ice Cream Cake. Photo credit: Pocket Friendly Recipes.

Muffin Pan Strawberry Shortcakes

A plate of strawberry shortcake with sliced strawberries, dollops of whipped cream, and small round shortcakes on a white plate. — Muffin Pan Strawberry Shortcakes. Photo credit: Pocket Friendly Recipes.

Ready in 30 minutes and serving 12, Muffin Pan Strawberry Shortcakes turn classic shortcake into small portions. Flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, milk, Greek yogurt, vanilla, and vegetable oil make the shortcake batter. Fresh strawberries sit with honey while the shortcakes bake, then whipped cream finishes each one. The muffin pan keeps the portions easy to serve. Bring these out for picnics, backyard lunches, or warm afternoon dessert plates.
Get the Recipe: Muffin Pan Strawberry Shortcakes

Copycat Crumbl Peanut Butter & Jelly Cookie

Close-up of spiral cookies with red jam filling on parchment paper, reminiscent of Copycat Crumbl Peanut Butter and Jelly Cookies, one partially eaten and surrounded by crumbs. — Copycat Crumbl Peanut Butter & Jelly Cookie. Photo credit: Pocket Friendly Recipes.

With a 35-minute total time and six servings, Copycat Crumbl Peanut Butter & Jelly Cookie brings a lunchbox flavor into a bakery-style cookie. Peanut butter, butter, brown sugar, sugar, eggs, vanilla, flour, baking powder, baking soda, cornstarch, and salt make the cookie base. Peanut butter frosting and strawberry preserves finish the top. Serve these after the cookies cool, or add them to a summer dessert tray with fruit.
Get the Recipe: Copycat Crumbl Peanut Butter & Jelly Cookie

Strawberry Mochi

Strawberry ice cream with a slice cut out. — Strawberry Mochi. Photo credit: Pocket Friendly Recipes.

Ready in 25 minutes and serving eight, Strawberry Mochi brings fresh strawberries into a chewy Japanese-style dessert. Mochiko sweet rice flour, water, sugar, cornstarch, and optional red food coloring make the mochi dough. Each fresh strawberry gets wrapped in the soft dough after it is cooked and dusted. The small pieces work well chilled, which helps on hot afternoons. Serve with iced tea, fruit, or other bite-sized desserts.
Get the Recipe: Strawberry Mochi

Blueberry Cheesecake

A slice of cheesecake topped with glossy blueberry sauce on a white plate, with two black spoons beside it. — Blueberry Cheesecake. Photo credit: Your Perfect Recipes.

With a 5-hour 15-minute total time and eight servings, Blueberry Cheesecake is best made ahead so it can chill before serving. Graham crumbs, butter, and sugar make the crust. Cream cheese, heavy cream, egg, powdered sugar, vanilla, and lemon juice build the cheesecake layer. Blueberries, sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, and water cook into the topping. Serve cold slices after lunch, dinner, or a summer gathering.
Get the Recipe: Blueberry Cheesecake

Strawberry Pound Cake

A sliced bundt cake with a pink interior, topped with powdered sugar, glaze, and fresh strawberries. — Strawberry Pound Cake. Photo credit: Pocket Friendly Recipes.

With a 1-hour 20-minute total time and 12 servings, Strawberry Pound Cake brings fresh strawberries into a larger cake for slicing. Strawberries, butter, sugar, eggs, flour, salt, baking soda, buttermilk, and vanilla make the batter. The cake bakes in a Bundt pan until set and ready to cool. Serve slices with whipped cream, fresh berries, iced coffee, or a small scoop of ice cream.
Get the Recipe: Strawberry Pound Cake

Blueberry Pie

With a 1-hour 25-minute total time and eight servings, Blueberry Pie keeps summer fruit at the center of the dessert table. Fresh blueberries cook with sugar and cornstarch before vanilla and salt are added. The filling goes into a pre-made pie crust, then a second crust can be cut into strips for a lattice top. Serve slices after cooling, with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream on the side.
Get the Recipe: Blueberry Pie

Strawberry Pretzel Salad

A dessert with a crumbly crust, creamy filling, a layer of red gelatin, topped with a whipped cream dollop and a strawberry slice, on a white plate with a spoon. — Strawberry Pretzel Salad. Photo credit: Pocket Friendly Recipes.

With a 4-hour 30-minute total time and six servings, Strawberry Pretzel Salad brings sweet, salty, creamy, and fruity layers into one chilled dessert. A pretzel crust bakes first with brown sugar and butter. Cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, and Cool Whip make the middle layer. Strawberry Jello and fresh strawberries finish the top. The long chill time helps the layers set before slicing. Serve it cold from the fridge.
Get the Recipe: Strawberry Pretzel Salad

Cherry Pie

With a 1-hour 25-minute total time and eight servings, Cherry Pie gives summer dessert a classic fruit pie option. Fresh sweet cherries are cooked with sugar and cornstarch until the filling thickens. Vanilla and a pinch of salt finish the filling before it goes into a pre-made crust. A second crust can be used for the top. Serve slices once the pie has cooled enough to hold together.
Get the Recipe: Cherry Pie

Strawberry Cheesecake

A slice of strawberry-topped cheesecake is being lifted above the rest of the cake, showing a graham cracker crust and creamy filling. — Strawberry Cheesecake. Photo credit: Splash of Taste.

With a 5-hour 30-minute total time and eight servings, Strawberry Cheesecake works well as a make-ahead summer dessert. Graham crackers, sugar, and melted butter make the crust. Cream cheese, vanilla, sour cream, sugar, lemon zest, and eggs build the filling. Fresh strawberries are cooked with cornstarch, sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla for the topping. Serve chilled slices with extra berries or whipped cream.
Get the Recipe: Strawberry Cheesecake

Blueberry Cobbler

Ready in 40 minutes and serving 16, Blueberry Cobbler gives the table a fruit dessert that can feed a larger group. Fresh blueberries, butter, sugar, brown sugar, flour, lemon juice, and lemon zest make the fruit layer. Flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, baking powder, salt, milk, and vanilla make the batter. Cinnamon can finish on top before baking. Serve warm or cooled with ice cream.
Get the Recipe: Blueberry Cobbler

Strawberry Pie

Close-up of a strawberry pizza featuring a thin crust topped with a layer of strawberry sauce and sliced strawberries, evoking the delightful appearance of a strawberry pie with its vibrant red color. — Strawberry Pie. Photo credit: Splash of Taste.

With a 2-hour 32-minute total time and eight servings, Strawberry Pie brings fresh sliced strawberries into a chilled pie. A refrigerated pie crust bakes first, then cornstarch, water, and sugar cook into the thickened mixture for the filling. Fresh strawberries are folded in before the pie chills. The cold set makes it a strong fit for hot afternoons. Serve with whipped cream right before slicing.
Get the Recipe: Strawberry Pie

Chocolate Covered Strawberries

Six strawberries dipped in dark chocolate and drizzled with white chocolate are arranged on a white plate. — Chocolate Covered Strawberries. Photo credit: Splash of Taste.

Ready in 35 minutes and serving six, Chocolate Covered Strawberries keep dessert simple with fresh berries and melted chocolate. The strawberries are dipped, then chilled until the coating sets. The recipe includes 10 minutes of prep, 5 minutes of cook time, and 20 minutes of chilling, so it can be made without a long baking plan. Serve them cold on a platter with cheesecake, cake slices, or fruit.
Get the Recipe: Chocolate Covered Strawberries

Ice Cream Cake

With 20 minutes of prep and a 4-hour freeze, Ice Cream Cake gives hot afternoons a freezer dessert for 16 servings. Heavy cream, powdered sugar, vanilla, graham crackers, vanilla ice cream, strawberry jam, sliced fresh strawberries, whipped cream, and extra berries make the layers. The freezer does the long work after assembly. Serve slices straight from the freezer for birthdays, cookouts, or any summer dessert table.
Get the Recipe: Ice Cream Cake