40 Dessert Recipes Everyone Should Bake This Summer

Recipe: Peach-Ricotta Cheesecake with Pecan Crust

This cheesecake relies on Georgia staples (juicy peaches and pecans) to bring it to life.

Recipe: Berry Chantilly Cake

Raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries are mixed with cream cheese and mascarpone cheese for the dreamiest of fillings. 

Recipe: Florida Orange Grove Pie

The crust on this citrus pie is made from baked meringue instead of traditional pastry crust.

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. 

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.

Recipe: Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream Bars

These handheld bars taste just like the iconic ice cream truck treat from your childhood.

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. 

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.

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. 

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. 

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.

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. 

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. 

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. 

Recipe: Peach Melba Ice-Cream Pie

This pie is made easier thanks to the use of store-bought ice cream. Be sure to leave yourself enough time to let the layers freeze before serving.

Recipe: Strawberry Cream Pie

Bright and juicy strawberries pair perfectly with the chocolate cookie-crumb crust in this berry and cream pie.

Recipe: Banana Pudding Poke Cake

If you’re a fan of banana pudding, this sweet summer recipe will be a hit. This recipe relies on oil rather than butter so the cake stays nice and moist even after sitting in the refrigerator.

Recipe: Nehi Orange Poke Cake

This bright cake is filled with a tangy citrus curd made with Nehi orange-flavored soda.

Recipe: Key Lime Sheet Cake

There are few things we love more during the hot days of summer than a Key lime treat. This sheet cake is easy as can be to assemble and feeds a crowd.

Recipe: Brown Sugar Layer Cake with Peach Buttercream

Take advantage of in-season peaches and make this delicious cake.

Recipe: Cherry-Nectarine Pandowdy

This berry dessert is full of fruity flavor and has just the right amount of crunch thanks to the double crust placed on top.

Recipe: Grand Marnier Cakes

Orange liqueur glaze makes the flavor of these mini pound cakes shine bright.

Recipe: Easy Peach Cobbler

Fruit cobblers might just be one of our summer favorites, especially when we throw in ripe peaches.

Recipe: Ginger-Plum Slump

This stovetop dessert is the perfect solution to a hot summer day when you don’t want to turn your oven on.

Recipe: Blueberry-Cornmeal Cake

If you’re looking for a way to use all the berries you picked at the farm, this cornmeal cake is the answer you’ve been waiting for.

Recipe: Strawberry-Apricot Hand Pies

Combining apricots with strawberries brings out tangy-sweet flavor that is met with flaky crunch from the crust.

Recipe: Blackberry, Browned Butter, and Almond Tart

This tart recipe has a twist — there’s no crust. It tastes more like a dense butter cake.

Recipe: Yellow Squash Bundt Cake

Who says veggies can’t be made into dessert? Use yellow squash in this lemony batter to help bring out the yellow hue and offer moisture and texture.

Recipe: Coca Cola Chocolate Cake

A coca-cola on a hot summer day is a Southern must. We mixed some in with chocolate cake to create the ultimate summer treat.

Recipe: Hummingbird Cupcakes with Candied Pineapple Wedges

Consider these handheld hummingbird cake treats for your next summer get together. The candied pineapple wedges on top make these cupcakes that much sweeter.

Recipe: Lemon Raspberry Cake

One of our favorite flavor combinations, raspberries and lemon balance each other out in sweetness and tartness to create a delightful treat.

Recipe: Dreamy Lemon Cheesecake

The lemon curd that tops this silky smooth cheesecake adds the perfect amount of fresh summer flavor.

Recipe: Pink Lemonade Cake

This refreshing and simple sheet cake is made easy thanks to the use of pre-sweetened pink lemonade drink mix that’s added to the batter and frosting.

Recipe: Margarita Cake

Add a few tablespoons of lime-flavored gelatin to the dry ingredients in this recipe to add a pop of color and zesty flavor.

Recipe: Fresh Strawberry Cupcakes

Fluffy cream cheese frosting made with freeze-dried strawberries adds a richness to these airy cupcakes.

Recipe: Mixed Citrus Bars

These treats are a spin on classic lemon bars and are perfect for a citrus-filled summer.

Recipe: Sweet Tea-and-Lemonade Cake

Inspired by one of summer’s classic drinks, this cake is garnished with lemon slices for extra-sweet flair.

Recipe: Mint Chocolate Chip Ice-Cream Cake

Layers of refreshing mint chocolate chip ice cream sit between decadent devil’s food chocolate cake and are topped with chocolate ganache.

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. 

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.