12 Dessert Recipes Everyone Should Bake This Summer

By Jenna Sims
June 11, 2020
Jen Causey

Bake your way through summertime with these seasonal dessert recipes. Choose a recipe to bake each week and you’ll be on your way to mastering a few new baking skills by the time Labor Day comes around. These recipes are jam-packed with fresh summer flavors like strawberry, Key lime, pineapple, and more. From Bundt cakes to homemade pie crust to cobblers, once you’ve made your way through this summer baking bucket list, you’ll be able to take on any baking project that comes your way. 

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Cakey Strawberry Cobbler

Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kathleen Varner; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Recipe: Cakey Strawberry Cobbler

If you've mastered homemade peach cobbler, it's time to meet your next challenge: strawberry cobbler. Except it won't be a challenge at all because it's a cinch to pull together. 

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Key Lime Pound Cake

Jen Causey

Recipe: Key Lime Pound Cake

Upgrade your pound cake for the summer with the addition of Key limes. One bite will instantly transport you to the Florida Keys.

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Cream Cheese-Banana-Nut Bread

Photo: Beth Dreiling Hontzas

Recipe: Cream Cheese-Banana-Nut Bread

If you've never made your banana bread with a block of cream cheese, now is the time. One of our editors says it's a must-have to achieve the creamy, dreamy texture that you're looking for. 

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Chocolate Cobbler

Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Chocolate Cobbler

Chocolate lovers, this decadent dessert is for you. After adding the batter into the buttered baking dish and pouring in the boiling water resist the urge to stir. 

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Red, White, and Blue Poke Cake

Jennifer Causey

Recipe: Red, White, and Blue Poke Cake

Poke cakes are known for being infused with extra flavor because of their creamy filling and this recipe takes it to another level. It has two flavored fillings as well as a mascarpone frosting.

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Old-Fashioned Apple Pie

Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Missie Neville Crawford; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Recipe: Old-Fashioned Apple Pie

If you've never made an apple pie from scratch, you should start with this old-fashioned recipe. The homemade crust and filling create a classic pie just like Grandma used to make. 

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Buttery Pineapple Crumble Bars

Antonis Achilleos

Recipe: Buttery Pineapple Crumble Bars

This summery take on lemon bars makes the most of fresh pineapple. You'll need to break out your stand mixer for this recipe because using a hand mixer may result in flour covering every surface of your kitchen. 

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Bisquick Topped Blueberry Cobbler

Photo: Kelsey Hansen; Prop Styling: Sarah Elizabeth Cleveland; Food Styling: Robin Bashinsky

Recipe: Bisquick Topped Blueberry Cobbler

Summer wouldn't be complete without at least one blueberry dessert. Use your favorite cast-iron skillet for this easy take on cobbler that is best served warm with vanilla ice cream on top. 

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Homemade Strawberry Shortcake

Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Lydia Pursell; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer

Recipe: Homemade Strawberry Shortcake

It's amazing what a homemade biscuit and dollop of whipped cream can do. Add in strawberries and you have a blue-ribbon-worthy dessert.

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Peach-Bourbon Upside-Down Bundt Cake

Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Lindsey Lower; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Peach-Bourbon Upside-Down Bundt Cake

Placing fresh summer peaches in the bottom of your Bundt pan will yield an impressive finish when you remove it from the pan. 

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Red Velvet Ice-Cream Cake

Photo: Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Recipe: Red Velvet Ice-Cream Cake

This ice-cream cake is summer's version of holiday favorite red velvet. It's a true labor of love that's the perfect dessert to cool everyone down on a hot summer day. 

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Pineapple-Coconut Cake

Micah A. Leal

Recipe: Pineapple-Coconut Cake

Think of this decadent layer cake as a Pina colada for your cake stand. The pineapple filling and cream cheese frosting ensure that every bite is soft and moist. 

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