23 Summer Dessert Recipes With Cakes, Pies, and Frozen Scoops

Hot afternoons have a way of making dessert feel like the main event. You can pick a creamy cheesecake slice, a fruit pie, or a frozen scoop depending on how much chill or richness you want. Serve one after dinner, set it out with coffee, or bring out a cold scoop on the next sunny day.

Lemon Cheesecake

Fresh lemon juice and zest give Lemon Cheesecake a bright filling over a buttery graham cracker crust. Three packages of cream cheese and five eggs make 12 servings in 5 hours 45 minutes, including four hours of chilling. Bake the crust for 10 minutes, then cook the filled springform pan at 325°F for 65 to 75 minutes. Cool the cake gradually, refrigerate until firm, and add vanilla whipped cream before slicing.
Get the Recipe: Lemon Cheesecake

Banana Pudding

Layers of vanilla wafers, sliced fruit, and whipped cream make Banana Pudding a no-bake dessert with a soft, creamy center. Four bananas and a five-ounce pudding mix make 12 servings in 25 minutes. Whisk the cold milk, sweetened condensed milk, pudding mix, and vanilla before folding in the whipped cream. Build the dessert in a clear bowl, chill it until serving, and reserve a few wafers and banana slices for the top.
Get the Recipe: Banana Pudding

Raspberry Lemon Cheesecake Bars

Raspberry swirls give Raspberry Lemon Cheesecake Bars color and tart fruit flavor over a lemon-scented sugar cookie crust. Two packages of cream cheese make 12 bars in 3 hours 10 minutes, including two hours of chilling. Bake the crust for 15 minutes, add the lemon cheesecake filling and strained raspberry mixture, then bake for another 30 to 35 minutes. Refrigerate until completely cold before cutting the pan into neat portions.
Get the Recipe: Raspberry Lemon Cheesecake Bars

Biscoff Ice Cream

Cookie butter makes Biscoff Ice Cream rich with heavy cream, sugar, vanilla, and crumbled spiced cookies. Three cups of cream make six servings in 4 hours 30 minutes. Whisk half the spread into the cream mixture, churn it for about 25 minutes, then add the remaining spread and cookie pieces. Transfer the soft ice cream to a freezer-safe container and freeze it for four hours before scooping.
Get the Recipe: Biscoff Ice Cream

Chocolate Covered Strawberries

Glossy dark chocolate coats Chocolate Covered Strawberries before a white chocolate drizzle adds contrast across the tops. One pound of berries makes six servings in 35 minutes. Chill and dry the fruit thoroughly, dip each berry three-quarters of the way into chocolate melted with coconut oil, then refrigerate for 15 to 20 minutes. Add the drizzle after the first coating sets and store the finished berries in a single layer.
Get the Recipe: Chocolate Covered Strawberries

Key Lime Bars

Graham cracker crumbs support Key Lime Bars with a smooth filling of egg yolks, condensed milk, lime juice, zest, sour cream, and salt. An eight-inch pan makes 16 servings in 2 hours 40 minutes. Bake the crust at 350°F for 10 minutes, lower the heat, and cook the filling for 20 minutes until the edges set. Cool the pan completely, chill the bars, and add whipped cream before cutting them into squares.
Get the Recipe: Key Lime Bars

Blueberry Cheesecake

Homemade berry topping gives Blueberry Cheesecake a glossy finish over a lemon-scented cream cheese filling and graham crumb base. Two cups of blueberries make eight servings in 5 hours 15 minutes, including four hours of chilling. Simmer the fruit with sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, and water while the seven-inch cheesecake bakes at 375°F for about 50 minutes. Cool the cake, add the chilled topping, and refrigerate until fully set.
Get the Recipe: Blueberry Cheesecake

Strawberry Bread

Chopped berries run through Strawberry Bread with cinnamon, lemon zest, vanilla, and a simple powdered sugar glaze. Two cups of strawberries make eight slices in 1 hour 10 minutes. Stir the wet and dry mixtures separately, fold the fruit into the batter, and bake the loaf at 350°F for one hour. Let it cool completely before adding the milk glaze so the topping stays on the surface instead of soaking in.
Get the Recipe: Strawberry Bread

Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

Peppermint extract gives Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream its cool flavor while finely chopped semisweet chocolate adds small pieces throughout. Two cups of heavy cream make four servings in 3 hours 25 minutes. Dissolve the sugar in the chilled cream, add optional green coloring, then churn for about 25 minutes and add the chocolate near the end. Freeze the soft mixture for two to three hours and garnish each scoop with fresh mint.
Get the Recipe: Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

Blueberry Pie

Juicy fruit fills Blueberry Pie beneath a golden lattice made with two prepared nine-inch crusts. Five cups of blueberries make eight servings in 1 hour 25 minutes. Cook the berries gently with sugar and cornstarch until the filling begins to thicken, then add vanilla and salt before assembling the pie. Bake it at 350°F for about one hour and let the filling settle before serving slices with vanilla ice cream.
Get the Recipe: Blueberry Pie

Chocolate Ice Cream

Cocoa powder gives Chocolate Ice Cream deep flavor without eggs or a cooked custard base. Two cups of heavy cream make four servings in 4 hours 25 minutes. Whisk sifted cocoa, sugar, salt, cream, and vanilla until smooth, then churn the mixture for 15 to 20 minutes. Freeze it for at least four hours until firm and finish each bowl with dark chocolate chunks, curls, or shavings.
Get the Recipe: Chocolate Ice Cream

Strawberry Cookies

Freeze-dried fruit gives Strawberry Cookies concentrated berry flavor without adding excess moisture to the dough. Three tablespoons each of strawberry powder and strawberry pieces make 24 cookies in 32 minutes. Cream the butter and sugar, add the egg and vanilla, then combine the mixture with flour, baking powder, salt, and fruit. Bake the portions at 350°F for about 12 minutes and cool them before moving them into a storage container.
Get the Recipe: Strawberry Cookies

Rhubarb Muffins

Tart fruit keeps Rhubarb Muffins balanced beneath a cinnamon-sugar topping with optional chopped walnuts. One and a half cups of rhubarb make 16 servings in 35 minutes. Stir the buttermilk batter by hand, fold in the diced stalks and nuts, then fill the muffin cups almost to the top. Sprinkle on the buttery cinnamon mixture, bake at 350°F for about 25 minutes, and cool the muffins for 10 minutes before removing them.
Get the Recipe: Rhubarb Muffins

Strawberry Fudge

Two-ingredient Strawberry Fudge combines strawberry frosting with pink candy melts for a no-bake pan of small squares. A 16-ounce can of frosting makes 16 servings in 4 hours 8 minutes, including four hours of chilling. Melt the candy in short microwave intervals, warm the frosting separately, and stir the two mixtures until smooth. Spread the fudge into a parchment-lined eight-inch pan, refrigerate until firm, and cut it into one-inch pieces.
Get the Recipe: Strawberry Fudge

Lemon Tiramisu

Lemon syrup replaces coffee in Lemon Tiramisu with citrus-soaked ladyfingers and a mascarpone whipped cream layer. Sixteen to 20 cookies make six servings in 6 hours 25 minutes. Simmer the lemon juice, water, sugar, and optional limoncello, then layer the dipped cookies with cream flavored with vanilla and zest. Refrigerate the assembled dish for six hours so the layers set before adding candied lemon or extra zest.
Get the Recipe: Lemon Tiramisu

Mango Ice Cream

Mango purée gives Mango Ice Cream a smooth fruit base with heavy cream, sugar, lemon juice, vanilla, and salt. One and a half cups of diced mango make six servings in 4 hours 40 minutes. Blend the fruit with lemon and part of the sugar, whisk the remaining ingredients, then churn the combined mixture for about 25 minutes. Freeze the ice cream for four hours before serving it in bowls, cones, or alongside fresh mango.
Get the Recipe: Mango Ice Cream

No Bake Strawberry Cheesecake

Strawberry purée colors No Bake Strawberry Cheesecake from edge to edge above a chilled graham cracker crust. One pound of berries makes 10 servings in 6 hours 30 minutes. Beat the cream cheese with sugar, vanilla, heavy cream, and fruit, then spread the filling into a nine-inch springform pan. Refrigerate it for at least four to six hours and add fresh berries or extra sauce after the cheesecake is firm.
Get the Recipe: No Bake Strawberry Cheesecake

Peach Cobbler

Peach slices bubble beneath Peach Cobbler with a buttery, cake-like topping seasoned with cinnamon. Eight peaches make six servings in one hour. Toss the fruit with sugar and spice, whisk the eggs, milk, butter, flour, baking powder, and salt, then spoon the batter over the peaches with small gaps between portions. Bake at 400°F for 35 to 45 minutes and serve the warm cobbler with cold vanilla ice cream.
Get the Recipe: Peach Cobbler

Tangy Lemon Pie

Condensed milk gives Tangy Lemon Pie a silky filling with egg yolks, fresh lemon juice, zest, and vanilla. Four lemons make eight servings in 2 hours 45 minutes. Bake the graham cracker crust for 10 minutes, add the blended filling, and return the pie to the oven for another 20 minutes. Chill it for several hours, then cover the surface with vanilla whipped cream and a final scattering of lemon zest.
Get the Recipe: Tangy Lemon Pie

Strawberry Crunch Cake

Gelatin colors Strawberry Crunch Cake while crushed vanilla cookies and freeze-dried berries form the crumb topping. One boxed cake mix makes 12 servings in one hour. Bake the batter in a 9-by-13-inch dish at 350°F for 28 to 30 minutes, then cool it completely. Spread cream cheese frosting over the cake, press on the buttery strawberry crumbs, and refrigerate it until the topping is firm enough to slice cleanly.
Get the Recipe: Strawberry Crunch Cake

Watermelon Sorbet

Watermelon keeps Watermelon Sorbet light with only sugar, lemon juice, and optional fresh mint joining the fruit. Four cups of cubes make six servings in four hours. Blend everything until smooth, pour the mixture into a shallow dish, and freeze it for one hour before scraping the edges with a fork. Repeat the scraping once each hour for three more hours, then spoon the fluffy crystals into chilled bowls.
Get the Recipe: Watermelon Sorbet

Sweet Cherry Cheesecake

Cherry sauce crowns Sweet Cherry Cheesecake with a cooked fruit topping over a sour cream filling and graham cracker crust. Thirty-two ounces of cream cheese make 12 servings in 6 hours 25 minutes. Bake the crust for 10 minutes, cook the cheesecake in a water bath at 325°F for 75 minutes, then cool it slowly. Refrigerate the cake for at least four hours and add the cooled cherry mixture just before serving.
Get the Recipe: Sweet Cherry Cheesecake

Ice Cream Cake

Frozen layers make Ice Cream Cake easy to assemble with graham crackers, vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, strawberry jam, and sliced berries. Two to three pints of ice cream make 16 servings in 4 hours 20 minutes. Build two layers in a parchment-lined nine-inch square pan, swirl in the jam, and scatter strawberries between the cream. Freeze the cake for at least four hours and let it stand for five minutes before slicing.
Get the Recipe: Ice Cream Cake