You feel that? Summer’s sliding in, and the quest for the best summer dessert recipes is officially on. Between sun-soaked beach days and epic BBQs, dessert is mandatory. Something sweet and refreshing to cool down with… maybe even something borderline extra?
But enough with the small talk. You’re here for the recipes, so let’s get into it.
25 Summer Dessert Recipes For a Crowd
These are the attention-seeking summer dessert recipes you’re going to make and bring to a party to woo over all the guests.
In-season produce, no-bake recipes, frozen treats, and red-white-and-blue classics (duh!). Oh, and don’t worry, I didn’t forget the ice cream.
1. Coffee Jelly Recipe
Any Saiki K. fans here? Because if so, I’ve got one word: jelly. As in coffee jelly. Dark, bold, jiggly, addictive coffee jelly.
Serve it chilled to all your coffee-loving friends and feel superior that you made something so fancy with so little effort.
RECIPE: Coffee Jelly Recipe
2. Easy Summer Berry Ricotta Parfait
You know that feeling when unrelated things hang out together and suddenly become one better thing? That’s this parfait in a nutshell.
Juicy berries, creamy whipped ricotta, crunchy granola layers, and veritable summer in a spoonful. Minimal effort, major payoff.
RECIPE: Easy Summer Berry Ricotta Parfait
3. Strawberry Cream Cheese Slab Pie
This slab pie is screaming tea party in the park. Fresh strawberries and a sweet-tart layer of cream cheese, all nestled into flaky crust bliss.
This bad boy feeds the masses, slices adorably, and disappears shockingly fast. (Strawberry cheesecake fans, get ready for your mind to be blown.)
RECIPE: Strawberry Cream Cheese Slab Pie
4. Old-Fashioned Blackberry Cobbler Recipe
This cobbler is comfort food wearing a hot-girl summer costume. Bubbling sweet-tart berries under a golden top that’s half biscuit, half cake, and everything glorious.
Serve warm with vanilla ice cream and try not to fight your friends and relatives fighting over the last bite.
RECIPE: Old-Fashioned Blackberry Cobbler Recipe
5. No-Bake Passion Fruit Mango Cheesecake Bars
These tropical cheesecake bars are a sunny vacay in a bite, minus the oven drama. Passion fruit and mango combine to form the ultimate bright, tangy duo on top of a creamy cashew base. It even has a gluten-free and refined sugar-free graham cracker-style crust.
Honestly, these bars are kind of a vegan flex.
RECIPE: No-Bake Passion Fruit Mango Cheesecake Bars
6. Key Lime Pie Popsicles
Your favorite pie, but on a stick?? These popsicles taste exactly like key lime pie with zesty and creamy goodness, and a little crunch from crushed graham crackers.
Naturally dairy-free, and honey-sweetened so they feel more virtuous. One batch makes six, but you should just double it because omg.
RECIPE: Key Lime Pie Popsicles
7. No-Bake Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Pie
Attention peanut butter lovers. This pie hits that Reese’s vibe, but like, all grown-up and sophisticated.
We’re talking smooth filling, choc cookie crust, and ganache drizzle. No oven, no gluten, full-vegan vibes, and indulgence city. BRB, grabbing another slice.
RECIPE: No-Bake Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Pie
8. Easy Strawberry Peach Shortcake with Buttermilk Biscuits
This shortcake recipe knows what’s up. Peaches and strawberries get all sugared up, loaded on buttery buttermilk biscuits, and topped with ungodly amounts of whipped cream.
These are messy in the best way possible, and they taste like a full-on summer moment.
RECIPE: Strawberry Peach Shortcake with Buttermilk Biscuits
9. Peach Cobbler Cake
This loaf cake is like a peach cobbler that decided to glow up, like a 2000s teen movie makeover montage, but with cinnamon and butter. Loaded with chopped peaches and warm cinnamon, with a golden brown crust… oooh mama!
The texture is buttery soft, and fresh outta the oven, it smells UNBELIEVABLE. Take it to a cookout, watch it disappear!
RECIPE: Peach Cobbler Cake
10. Thai Mango Sticky Rice
Presenting your new summer romance, mango sticky rice! Perfectly ripe mango rides shotgun with sweet, chewy coconut sticky rice. Don’t forget the coconut cream topper.
It’s simple and satisfying and would’ve fit right in on White Lotus, minus all the drama.
RECIPE: Thai Mango Sticky Rice
11. Easy Peach Crumb Bars With Walnuts
These bad boys come crammed with peaches and topped with a buttery crumble that’s the perfect level of crispy. Walnuts add texture and a little earthiness to balance the sweet filling.
The crust does double duty as base and topping, so it’s an easy but impressive dessert bar.
RECIPE: Easy Peach Crumb Bars With Walnuts
12. Meringue Roulade
Let’s talk about a real jaw dropper: fluffy, marshmallowy meringue rolled up with whipped cream and berries, and looking far fancier than it actually is. It’s light, fruity, and surprisingly easy to pull off if you follow the steps.
Bonus, no one’s expecting it, so you’ll totally win dessert, especially over that friend who brings the same TikTok brownies every year.
RECIPE: Meringue Roulade
13. Easy Fresh Peach Clafoutis
Clafoutis sounds bougie, but it’s basically a custardy baked pancake packed with fruit. This one’s slamming with summer peaches, which get baked into the batter until they’re jammy and sweet. Finally, the whole thing gets dusted with powdered sugar.
Serve cold or warm at brunch when you invite guests but don’t want to change your PJs.
RECIPE: Easy Fresh Peach Clafoutis
14. Raspberry Eton Mess
This Eton Mess? Pure beautiful chaos. It’s basically crushed bits of meringue, billowy whipped cream, and fresh raspberries colliding in a super low-maintenance, high-reward dessert.
It’s sweet-tart perfection on a plate, elegant without trying too hard. If Bridgerton had a summer garden party spin-off, this would be its star.
RECIPE: Raspberry Eton Mess
15. Creamy Avocado Fudgesicles
Yes, you can turn avocados into fudgesicles, and no, it’s not weird, it’s genius. They’re creamy, chocolatey, and sort of good for you??
These bad boys are dairy-free, naturally sweetened, and packed with healthy fats. Soooooo, you can eat dessert on a Tuesday and pretend you’re being virtuous while doing so.
RECIPE: Creamy Avocado Fudgesicles
16. Vegan Key Lime Pie
Boom! This key lime pie hits that perfect creamy and zesty spot. It uses silken tofu (don’t knock it till you try it) and a classic graham cracker crust to recreate the summer favorite without the dairy.
And it chills in the fridge instead of baking, which is exactly what we want when it’s 90 degrees out and no one’s turning on the oven.
RECIPE: Vegan Key Lime Pie
17. Creamy Nutella Semifreddo
Nutella fans, drop what you’re doing ’cause you need this dessert. This semifreddo is frozen mousse meets bougie ice cream cake, and it’s scary addictive.
It has layers of chocolate hazelnut flavor, with a nutty crunch base to keep it grounded. Serve it at parties. Expect applause.
RECIPE: Creamy Nutella Semifreddo
18. Pineapple Dream Dessert
This one’s pure retro comfort.
A graham cracker crust, creamy whipped filling, plus crushed pineapple magic. It’s like your grandma made it for a summer potluck and snuck you the biggest slice ‘cause she loves you that much.
You get it, right?
RECIPE: Pineapple Dream Dessert
19. Whole 30 Watermelon Pizza
This is fruit salad starring as the main character. It comes with a watermelon “crust”, coconut yogurt, fresh berries, and mint leaves on top.
It’s paleo, Whole30-approved, and perfect for when you want something light AND adorable enough for that Insta story. No oven required, no regrets.
RECIPE: Whole 30 Watermelon Pizza
20. Red, White & Blue Cookie Cake
This mega-cookie cake is made for the 4th and spells Americana. It’s thick, chewy, and topped with a patriotic swirl of frosting and festive sprinkles.
You slice it like a cake, eat it like a cookie, and suddenly, everyone and your BFF are asking you for the recipe. Fireworks not included, but highly encouraged.
RECIPE: Red, White & Blue Cookie Cake
21. Low Sugar Strawberry Pretzel Salad
This lighter, grown-up spin on strawberry pretzel salad still hits all the same childhood notes.
Dreamy whipped topping, salty pretzels, and sweet fresh berries mingle with jello. Except it uses Greek yogurt and less sugar, so you can absolutely pretend that sneaking seconds is health food.
RECIPE: Low Sugar Strawberry Pretzel Salad
22. Lemon Basil Sorbet
This sorbet is your clean girl summer in dessert form. Think lemon and basil, so fresh it tastes like it should be on a spa menu, but it’s also ridiculously easy to make.
No ice cream maker required, just freeze and blend. Refreshing, grown-up, Gwyneth will totally approve.
RECIPE: Lemon Basil Sorbet
23. Raspberry Cupcakes with Raspberry Filling
These cupcakes came to party!
They’re packing raspberry in the batter, raspberry in the frosting, and a jammy surprise middle that’s next-level amazing.
Fluffy as a cloud and delightfully fruity (but not too sweet), they’re tailor-made for team berry over team chocolate.
RECIPE: Raspberry Cupcakes with Raspberry Filling
24. Easy Lemon Tiramisu Recipe with Lemon Curd
This no-bake lemon tiramisu is peak elegance, like an Italian summer at Lake Como. Ditching the caffeine, it’s all about layers of ladyfingers soaked in lemon syrup, creamy mascarpone, and tangy lemon curd.
It’s light, zesty, and feels like the sunny Italian cousin of the classic. Honestly, if Amal Clooney served dessert, it’d be this.
RECIPE: Easy Lemon Tiramisu Recipe with Lemon Curd
25. Easy Cherry Crisp
Put on your stretchy pants! This cherry crisp is comfort food in a bowl.
Juicy cherries bake under a buttery oat topping until bubbly and golden. It’s quick to prep, easy to love, and tastes amazing with ice cream. It works with fresh or canned cherries (whatever’s on hand).
RECIPE: Easy Cherry Crisp
Up Next
That’s a wrap on our epic roundup of the best summer dessert recipes. Tbh, I make some of these not in summer too, and you have our full permission to do the same. Rules are made to be broken, right?
Also, if you can’t get enough refreshing summer desserts, check out our Frappuccino recipes here and here, and roundup of lemon dessert recipes too!
