16 Simple Desserts to Celebrate This Summer

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Summer is the perfect time to indulge in sweet treats that are as simple to make as they are delicious. Whether you’re hosting a backyard barbecue, planning a picnic, or just looking to satisfy your sweet tooth, these 16 simple desserts will add a touch of sweetness to your summer celebrations. From fruity delights like a strawberry pretzel pie to no-bake favorites like homemade mint chocolate chip ice cream, these recipes will help you enjoy the best of summer flavors all season long.

Easy Strawberry Pretzel Pie

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Strawberry Pretzel Pie with fresh berries and rose petals.
Image Credit: Jenny DeRemer for Not Entirely Average

Embrace your dessert-loving side with a Strawberry Pretzel Pie! Simple and sweet finishes are always ideal when assembling spring and summer desserts. On those busy days when I’m working until it’s time to make dinner, I appreciate something straightforward. A strawberry pretzel treat is always the perfect choice for those moments!

GET THE RECIPE: Strawberry Pretzel Pie

Air Fryer Donuts

Three stacked donuts with icing dripping down.
Image Credit: Erika Piper for The Veggie Yaya

These air fryer yeast donuts require just 5 basic ingredients and only 5 minutes to bake! They come out tender on the inside with a slightly crispy outside. Pair them with an easy 3-ingredient glaze!

GET THE RECIPE: Vegan Air Fryer Donuts

Banoffee Pie

Banoffee Pie with fresh bananas.
Image Credit: Erren Hart for Erren’s Kitchen

This Banoffee Pie recipe creates an impressive British dessert that combines caramel, bananas, whipped cream, and a buttery biscuit base. Each forkful is a delightful blend of sweetness and rich flavors!

GET THE RECIPE: Banoffee Pie

Vanilla Blueberry Cake

A sliced blueberry cake.
Image Credit: Jacqueline Piper for PiperCooks

This moist vanilla blueberry cake is perfect for dessert or an afternoon snack with an iced coffee. It’s a one-bowl recipe that uses frozen fruit and takes only 10 minutes to prepare the better. No stand mixer needed.

GET THE RECIPE: Vanilla Blueberry Cake

Mighty Irish Guinness Beer Cake

Chocolate beer cake with whipped cream on the end of a fork.
Image Credit: Jenny DeRemer for Not Entirely Average

This festive Guinness Beer Cake Recipe offers a subtle sweetness with cocoa and a deep malt flavor from the Stout, topped off with a luxurious Baileys whipped cream. Chocolate is welcome any time, and especially in spring and summer desserts!

GET THE RECIPE: Guinness Chocolate Cake

Orange Creamsicle Bars

An orange cheesecake bar with an orange slice on top.
Image Credit: Jacqueline Piper for PiperCooks

Make these easy, creamy cheesecake bars with a no-bake filling and just 7 ingredients. The only baking involved is for the graham cracker crust. With freshly squeezed Cara Cara orange juice, whipping cream, and cream cheese, they taste just like an orange creamsicle.

GET THE RECIPE: Orange Creamsicle Bars

Easy Strawberry Galette

A pastry with strawberries.
Image Credit: Erren Hart for Erren’s Kitchen

This simple Strawberry Galette recipe is an easy and adaptable dessert option. It combines fresh strawberries and puff pastry with a splash of orange for a scrumptious finish, making it a popular choice for any occasion.

GET THE RECIPE: Strawberry Galette

Chocolate Pudding Pie

A slice of chocolate pie with whipped cream.
Image Credit: Erren Hart for Erren’s Kitchen

This superb Chocolate Pudding Pie features layers of fluffy whipped cream and a rich, homemade chocolate pudding nestled in a pie crust, all topped off with elegant chocolate curls. It’s the ultimate treat for anyone who adores chocolate!

GET THE RECIPE: Chocolate Pudding Pie

Cara Cara Orange Cake

A round cake with white icing garnished with orange slices.
Image Credit: Jacqueline Piper for PiperCooks

This perfectly simple orange cake uses cream cheese and fresh Cara Cara oranges, and it’s so easy to whip together. It’s perfect for a quick dessert for summer evenings!

GET THE RECIPE: Cara Cara Orange Cake

Warm Lemon Pudding Cakes

Lemon pudding cakes in ramekins.
Image Credit: Jenny DeRemer for Not Entirely Average

Fans of lemon will be thrilled as they scoop eagerly into a fluffy citrus-infused sponge, uncovering a smooth pudding custard with each Warm Lemon Pudding Cakes spoonful. These desserts perfectly balance the light, refreshing tang of lemon with the creamy richness of custard, making every bite a sweet and puckery treat.

GET THE RECIPE: Lemon Pudding Cake

Fresh Strawberry Cupcakes with Whipped Cream Frosting

Three frosted strawberry cupcakes.
Image Credit: Erren Hart for Erren’s Kitchen

These incredibly moist Strawberry Cupcakes with Whipped Cream Frosting are a favorite in the world of cupcakes. They’re light, airy, and packed with the fresh taste of strawberries. You’ll find that homemade versions far surpass anything premade from a box!

GET THE RECIPE: Strawberry Cupcakes

Strawberry Basil Popsicles

4 swirled pink and white popsicles on a counter with basils leaves.
Image Credit: Jacqueline Piper for PiperCooks

These 3 ingredient strawberry basil popsicles with yogurt are perfect for summer. Made with sweet fresh strawberries, fragrant basil, and tangy Greek yogurt, these fruit pops are the ideal treat for hot days.

GET THE RECIPE: Strawberry Basil Popsicles

Tangerine Drizzle Cake

A citrus pound cake with glaze.
Image Credit: Erren Hart for Erren’s Kitchen

This Tangerine Drizzle Cake recipe is both easy to make and wonderfully delicious. The cake itself is exceptionally moist and packed with flavor, while the glaze adds just the right touch of sweetness to complete the experience.

GET THE RECIPE: Tangerine Drizzle Cake

Sweet Lavender Cupcakes with Sugared Flowers and A Honeyed Cream Cheese Frosting

Cupcakes on a round platter.
Image Credit: Jenny DeRemer for Not Entirely Average

Cupcake batter, subtly infused with the delightful, sweet-floral scent of lavender, is baked to perfection and can be topped with either a lavender glaze or a creamy frosting sweetened with honey. Of course, you just HAVE to sample both versions in this Lavender Cupcakes recipe!

GET THE RECIPE: Lavender Cupcakes

Easy Chocolate Dessert

A chocolate dessert with a chocolate star on top.
Image Credit: Erren Hart for Erren’s Kitchen

This irresistible Easy Chocolate Dessert features a base made from Oreo cookies, topped with a luscious layer of chocolate ganache, and finished with a generous swirl of whipped cream. Perfect for a luxurious July 4th celebration, it combines crunchy, creamy, and chocolatey elements in every bite.

GET THE RECIPE: Easy Chocolate Dessert

Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

Green ice with chocolate chips in it in a bowl with a spoon.
Image Credit: Jacqueline Piper for PiperCooks

Enjoy this creamy and minty 2 ingredient no churn ice cream. With just a few ingredients plus the base recipe, you can easily make your own mint chip ice cream without an ice cream maker!

GET THE RECIPE: Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

About Jenny deRemer

I am a Charleston, South Carolina-based culinary novice, an ardent authority on all things travel, a designer by trade, and the creator of Not Entirely Average. I have a weakness for farmers' markets, delight in adventures way off the beaten path, enjoy documenting my many moods through photography, and have been known to conquer the occasional yard sale with gusto!

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