There's always room for dessert, whether it's barbecue weather or not. Luckily, we have plenty of recipes for quick and hands-off sweet treats, as well as puds you can prepare the day before, so you can spend less time in the kitchen and more time in the sunshine. From refreshing fruit pavlovas and pies to cooling ice creams and cheesecakes, there’s something for everyone.
This gorgeous lime green pud is summer in dessert form. Made with coconut cream, vanilla, mango purée and lime, it’s creamy, refreshing and not too sweet. It also only takes 20 minutes to put together, then it goes into the fridge to chill.
Nothing beats homemade ice cream packed with real strawberry pieces. This recipe blends buttermilk and sour cream, so it's not too heavy and is perfect after a big main meal. You can make it in an ice cream machine or churn it manually by taking it out of the freezer and stirring every two hours. You’ll never buy supermarket ice cream again.
This Turkish-inspired treat features full-fat Greek yogurt and cream cheese to balance sweetness with a subtle tang. To prevent it cracking when it comes out the oven, turn off the heat and allow it to cool slowly with the door ajar. Pour deep red, sour cherry compote on top to serve. Top tip: use frozen cherries, so the hard work of pitting is done for you.
Key lime pie lovers will love this version with a tropical twist. Passion fruit pulp is mixed into the filling along with lime juice and zest, condensed milk, and egg yolks for richness. You can enjoy it as it is, or top with whipped cream and more fresh passion fruit to make it even more impressive.
A real Southern classic, this peach cobbler features ripe peaches and a touch of warming cinnamon, all sealed inside a sugary cobbler crust. It would also work brilliantly with large plums when peaches aren’t in season. Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
This American favourite is the epitome of summer. What’s not to love about buttery, light-as-air shortcakes (very similar to scones) filled with fresh strawberries and whipped cream? They're best eaten warm from the oven. If you need to prep ahead, the unbaked shortcakes can be kept for up to two hours in the fridge before popping in the oven, or you can reheat baked shortcakes before serving.
Who can say no to a slice of sweet, syrup-soaked lemon drizzle cake? When it comes out of the oven, poke the cake with holes so the lemon and sugar mixture can absorb evenly into the centre. After 15 minutes, spoon the rest on top. When it sets, it forms a nice crunchy topping.
Get the recipe for lemon drizzle cake here
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You can’t get more decadent than sweet, still-hot caramelised pineapple with good-quality ice cream, toasted nuts and salted caramel sauce (make your own or use your favourite shop-bought version). Marinate the fruit in maple syrup and cinnamon to really accentuate its sweet flavour. You can make this in a griddle pan but during grilling season, stick them on the barbecue.
Get the recipe for griddled pineapple with salted caramel here
This stunning peach dessert featuring amaretto (a sweet Italian liqueur) and golden puff pastry is a ray of sunshine. It’s also incredibly quick and easy to make, ready in under 30 minutes. Want to save even more time? Make two and pop the second in the freezer, so it’s ready to go in an instant another day.
The secret to making healthy ice cream in five minutes? Frozen bananas. The fruit is whizzed with cocoa powder and chocolate almond milk for instant ice cream. Mix and match your favourite toppings, but be speedy. This refreshing dessert melts quickly – although it's so delicious, it won't be hanging around for long.
For a show-stopping, dairy-free dessert that can be prepped ahead of time and assembled at the last minute, have a go at tropical fruit pavlova. The meringue is made with aquafaba (chickpea water) instead of egg whites for a crunchy and light vegan base. Silky coconut cream mixed with vanilla paste and maple syrup makes for a nice alternative to whipped cream.
Make the most of seasonal berries in this easy free-form tart. The pastry is so simple and straightforward to make, and you can prep it the day before if you want to get ahead. Leave the dough wrapped in the fridge and allow 30 minutes to get it back to room temperature before baking. Mix and match the berries, too – our recipe calls for blueberries and blackcurrants, but you could swap in raspberries and blackberries.
This bright, mango dessert is a brilliant twist on cheesecake. The velvety-smooth filling is made with a flavour-packed combination of frozen mango, coconut cream, cashews, cocoa butter, dates, maple syrup, vanilla and turmeric. Meanwhile, the crunchy base is blitzed chin chin (a deep-fried West African snack) – we suggest making a double batch of this for nibbling on while the cheesecake sets.
This sharp, palate-cleansing sorbet can be made in under five minutes with three ingredients. Whizz frozen pineapple in the blender with lime juice and zest. You don’t even need to chop pineapple; just use tinned chunks. Sprinkle with coconut flakes and lime zest to serve.
If you love lemon meringue pie, you’ll adore this grapefruit version. The custard, featuring ruby grapefruit and lime, is a gorgeous gold colour and an explosion of citrus flavours. Although it's best served immediately, it will keep in the fridge for a few days. Just add the meringue at the last minute.
This stunning cake shouts summer – and is perfect when you have a glut of berries. Moist and not too sweet, the cornbread is made with polenta and ground almonds, and sweetened with honey. The juicy baked blueberries burst wonderfully when you bite into them.
A summery take on classic chocolate brownies, these golden-hued blondies are made with white chocolate, peanut butter and banana. Be careful not to overcook them; you want the centre squidgy and the crust chewy. Once cooled, cut into squares and drizzle with glacé icing for a pretty finish.
Get the recipe for white chocolate, peanut butter and banana blondies here
A sticky, spiced blueberry pie with whole berries is sure to steal the spotlight. You can take a shortcut by using a ready-made pie crust or ready-to-roll pastry. The most important part is to use fresh berries (rather than frozen) and real butter for the filling.
When plums come into season, this vanilla plum cake is the perfect dessert to show them off. There's quite a long bake time – 50-60 minutes – to achieve a nice golden brown crust and caramelised fruit. If you're not planning to eat the whole cake right away, put a portion in the freezer. Dust with icing sugar to serve.
Ginger nut biscuits give this cheesecake's base a spicy twist. The baked filling is a decadent combination of cream cheese and sour cream. Spotted with juicy blueberries, it’s simple – but looks wonderful.
You can’t go wrong with a rustic-looking salted caramel apple pie. This sweet and fruity pud, crowned with golden puff pastry and demerara sugar, is a proper crowd-pleaser. The best part? There's only 10 minutes of hands-on time, and the oven does the rest of the work. Serve with cream or vanilla ice cream.
Classic British desserts consisting of fresh cream and fruit, fools date back to Elizabethan times, and they're just perfect in summer. This one features bright green, sharp gooseberries and crispy, caramelised oats. Fresh gooseberries are available for a short time every year, but they can be substituted with just about any fruit you can think of.
A simple but stunning tart with a cloud-like lemon cream filling, this decadent dessert is wonderfully rish, so a small slice goes a long way. The filling can also be used in a pavlova, as a cake filling or served in small bowls as lemon pudding.
One for chocolate lovers, this rich dessert starts with a buttery chocolate biscuit base and incorporates melted chocolate and cocoa powder in the filling. Dotted with sweet cherry halves, it's reminiscent of Black Forest cake. If you want even more cherry flavour, add a teaspoon of kirsch.
Nothing says summer like raspberry ripple and, in this recipe, the popular ice cream flavour is reimagined as a cheesecake. A ginger nut biscuit base perfectly complements the refreshing white chocolate and cream cheese filling and the sweet, tangy raspberry purée.
Get the recipe for raspberry ripple white chocolate cheesecake here
Not only does this cake look incredible, the way the fruit softens and caramelises, allowing the cake to absorb its sweet juices, is perfection. The recipe can be adapted to use any ripe fruit such as plums, nectarines, peaches or apricots.
Get the recipe for pineapple and ginger upside-down cake here
A towering lemon meringue pie is the perfect finale to a summer feast. Make a beautiful, buttery pastry with ground almonds for extra flavour and texture. If you don't have a blow torch, pop the dessert under the grill for a minute so it gets some colour; really, though, Italian meringue doesn't need to be cooked.
This cocktail-inspired cake has a super light sponge, which is just what you want on warmer days. The texture is achieved by incorporating lots of air into the mixture (there's no raising agent) so use an electric hand-held whisk to take on the hard work. Once baked, the sponge is brushed with a lime, mint and rum-infused sugar syrup, and sandwiched and topped with zesty buttercream.
A breeze to make, this watermelon granita features watermelon pulp, pomegranate, lime zest and juice, and mint. Make a fancy adult version by spiking it with a drizzle of Prosecco, rosé wine or your favourite spirit.
The pièce de résistance of any celebration should be this pink, pillowy raspberry meringue ice cream cake featuring homemade meringue, raspberry sorbet, vanilla ice cream and whipped cream. Looking for a sneaky shortcut? Buy the meringue discs from the store. Assembled with love and decorated with fresh raspberries, who’s going to know?
Get the recipe for raspberry and meringue ice cream cake here