31 Fruit Dessert Recipes To Make All Summer Long

By

Mary Shannon Wells

Updated on May 16, 2024

Southern Living Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream Cake sliced and ready to serve — Photo:
Greg Dupree; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Stylist: Christina Daley

It's finally summer, which means the farmers' market is packed with gorgeous fresh fruit. We like to take advantage of in-season produce, so during the summer, we include fresh fruit wherever we can. We have to admit, though, these fruit dessert recipes might be our favorite way to taste the season's offerings. Dress up a luncheon with beautiful cupcakes, chill by the pool with no-bake icebox pies, or gift a fruity pound cake to a neighbor this summer. Stock up on fresh fruit at the farmers' market this week.

01 of 31

Gingered Peach Galette

Gingered Peach Galette on white parchment paper with a slice out — Stacy K. Allen; Props: Julia Bayless; Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer

Craving a peach pie but don't want all the hassle? We'd like to introduce the peach galette. This recipe features sliced peaches dunked in a brown sugary, gingery mixture and baked in a pie crust for a simple yet stunning dessert.

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Blueberry Crumb Cake

Southern Living Blueberry Crumb Cake sliced on plates to serve — Victor Protasio, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle

A crumb cake is always a welcome delight any time of day, and this recipe features juicy blueberries to add a sweet burst of flavor. The moist lemon cake is topped with a nicely spiced crumble for a beautifully balanced bite.

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Strawberry Upside-Down Cake

Southern Living Strawberry Upside Down Cake sliced on a plate to serve — Hannah Hufham, Food Stylist: Costen King, Prop Stylist: Tucker Vines

Pineapple isn't the only fruit you can put into an upside-down cake. This strawberry cake adds a fun twist to the classic that is both beautiful and simple to make. The strawberries caramelize on sit on top of a moist lemon cake for an ultra-summery flavor.

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Key Lime Cheesecake Bars

Southern Living Key Lime Cheesecake Bars cut and ready to serve — Morgan Hunt Glaze; Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Stylist: Christine Keely

These key lime cheesecake bars are a new, shareable way to enjoy an old favorite. The zesty cheesecake filling is placed on top of a white chocolate-graham cracker crust to make for a fruity, creamy, and rich dessert that is sure to impress your guests.

05 of 31

Cherry Nut Pie

Southern Living Cherry Nut Pie whole and ready to serve — Caitlin Bensel, Food Stylist: Torie Cox

Take advantage of cherries in their peak season with this unique Arkansas treat. Cherry nut pie comes from Roy Fisher's Steak House in Little Rock and is a soft lemony cream cheese filling studded with chunks of dark cherries and pecans, all loaded into a graham cracker crust.

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Blueberry Bread Pudding

Blueberry Bread Pudding — Jennifer Causey; Food Styling: Loren Wood; Prop Styling: Christine Keely

Switch it up from your typical blueberry cobbler with this blueberry bread pudding. This recipe is crispy, custardy, sweet, and decadent, and it allows for peak-season blueberries to truly shine.

07 of 31

Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream Cake

Southern Living Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream Cake sliced and ready to serve — Greg Dupree; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Stylist: Christina Daley

Ice cream cakes are the epitome of a summer treat, and this strawberry shortcake version is a perfect indulgence this season. Colorful, sweet, and refreshing, this recipe is takes 25 minutes of active time and will be a total hit when it's out of the freezer.

08 of 31

Peach-Bourbon Upside-Down Bundt Cake

Peach-Bourbon Upside-Down Bundt Cake — Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Lindsey Lower; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Sweet summer peaches, butter, and bourbon cook down in the bottom of a Bundt pan for the most decadent Southern cake.

09 of 31

Berry Sonker with Dip

Berry Sonker with Dip — Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Styling: Mary Clayton Carl Jones

This dessert recipe hails from Surry County, North Carolina, in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. You'll want to make "dip" to accompany every cobbler you bake this summer.

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Easy Peach Cobbler

Easy Peach Cobbler — Iain Bagwell; Prop Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine; Food Styling: Torie Cox

This six-ingredient recipe only requires 10 minutes of hands-on time, so you can throw it together anytime you have a craving.

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Blueberry-Lemon Crunch Bars

Blueberry-Lemon Crunch Bars — Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Styling: Mary Clayton Carl Jones

These crunch bars are full of fruity, buttery, crumbly goodness. Be warned: You will need a fork to conquer this berry treat.

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Easy Peach Pie

peach pie on a table with a bowl of peach pie with an ice cream sccop — Ann Taylor Pittman/Southern Living

Gussy up store-bought pie crust to make peach pie the easiest fruit dessert you make all summer. Crunchy, glistening turbinado sugar turns the pie into a work of art that just happens to taste heavenly.

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Red, White, and Blue Cheesecake Bars

Red, White, and Blue Cheesecake Bars — Linda Pugliese; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox

If you have a family gathering coming up, make a few batches of these cheesecake bars up to two days in advance for no-stress prep. Pre-cut bars make serving incredibly easy.

14 of 31

Peach Bread Pudding with Bourbon Caramel

Peach Bread Pudding with Bourbon Caramel — Iain Bagwell; Prop Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Bread pudding gets a summery makeover with fresh peaches and a caramel sauce that's to die for. Remember that this recipe requires a lot of chill time for the bread to soak up a cinnamon-y liquid.

15 of 31

Peach Fried Pies

Peach Fried Pies — Iain Bagwell; Prop Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine; Food Styling: Torie Cox

An easily portable recipe that's great for passing out at kids' parties, these hand pies come together easily with the help of canned biscuits.

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Hummingbird Cupcakes with Candied Pineapple Wedges

Hummingbird Cupcakes - Southern Living — Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Although the classic Hummingbird Cake is our most popular recipe of all time, layer cakes aren't necessarily a snap to make. For easy serving and fun presentation, try this cupcake version instead.

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Blueberry-Cornmeal Cake

Blueberry-Cornmeal Cake — Alison Miksch; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox

This Southern cake is filled with fresh blueberries, so stock up on your weekend trip to the farmers' market. Perfect for a summer cookout or casual gathering, this simple recipe will be a go-to.

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Strawberry-Banana Pudding Icebox Cake

Strawberry-Banana Pudding Icebox Cake — Iain Bagwell; Prop Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine; Food Styling: Hadas Smirnoff

One of our most popular recipes, this icebox cake truly is the best of both worlds. With sweet summer strawberries and comforting banana pudding combined, we couldn't ask for more in a dessert.

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Strawberry Dream Cake

Strawberries-and-Cream Sheet Cake — Strawberry Ice-Cream Sandwiches

There's nothing like a layer cake simply dressed in white frosting with a smattering of strawberries acting as the only decoration. It's perfectly festive for summer's patriotic celebrations and the average Sunday afternoon in June.

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Strawberry Cheesecake Salad

Strawberry Cheesecake Salad — Photographer: Jennifer Causey Food Stylist: Melissa Gray Prop Stylist: Heather Chadduck Hillegas

All you need is 15 minutes for this no-frills cheesecake-inspired confection. Top each serving with a few sliced strawberries and crushed graham crackers.

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Peach Custard Pie

Peach Custard Pie — Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Let this stunning pie act as the centerpiece on your summer supper table. A creamy custard filling and perfectly ripened but firm peaches create the ideal pair.

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Strawberry Vanilla Cake

Southern Living Strawberry Vanilla Cake sliced on a cake plate to serve — Victor Protasio, Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer, Prop Stylist: Lydia Pursell

This strawberry cake will convince you to skip the boxed mix, once and for all. And don't even think about swapping the homemade Vanilla Buttercream for a tub of the pre-made stuff.

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Blueberry-Lemon Cake

Blueberry-Lemon Cake on a white marble plate — Antonis Achilleos; Prop Stylist: Audrey Davis; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall

This layer cake would be the star of any summer gathering. We think blueberry and lemon are a match made in heaven, and the buttermilk in the cake layers add another level of zing that really makes this cake shine.

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Lemon Lush

Two slices of Lemon Lush dessert on plates with forks with a glass of lemonade and a napkin. — Victor Protasio; Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn, Prop Stylist: Lydia Pursell

Beat the summer swelter with this nostalgic icebox treat. It's layered with a cookie crust, cream cheese filling, lemon pudding, and whipped cream—and you'll never have to turn on the oven.

25 of 31

Strawberry Patch Cake

Strawberry Patch Cake Southern Living — Victor Protasio; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Stylist: Mary Clayton Carl Jones

Dazzle guests with a party-worthy piece of cake that tastes as sweet as it looks thanks to a combination of fresh and freeze-dried strawberries.

26 of 31

Hummingbird Sheet Cake

Southern Living Hummingbird Sheet Cake — Victor Protasio; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Stylist: Mary Clayton Carl Jones

Meet your summer potluck superhero: It's all the pineapple, banana, and pecan flavors we love in a classic hummingbird cake—but without the added hassle of baking, stacking, and icing individual layers.

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Strawberry-and-Basil Pavlova

Southern Living Strawberry-and-Basil Pavlova — Victor Protasio; Food Stylist: Melissa Gray; Prop Stylist: Christine Keely

This impressive-looking meringue dessert is a light-as-air finish to any warm-weather meal—and it's much easier to make than your guests may suspect.

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Strawberries-and-Cream Sheet Cake

Strawberries-and-Cream Sheet Cake — Photo: Hector Sanchez

Our grandmothers swore by putting in a little strawberry gelatin to boost the flavor of strawberry cakes, and we think grandma is always right. This sheet cake is so simple, you'll immediately add it to your recipe box.

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Peach Delight

A slice of peach delight on a plate — Alison Miksch; Food Stylist: Melissa Gray; Prop Stylist: Christina Brockman

The peach preserves double down on the peachy flavor of this cool and creamy dessert. The buttery, salted graham cracker layer is perfect with the tangy cream cheese and sweet, jammy peach. Summer dessert perfection!

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Strawberry Pretzel Icebox Pie

strawberry-pretzel icebox pie — Jennifer Davick

Strawberries and pretzels are a match made in heaven, and this twist on the classic Strawberry Pretzel Salad is as pretty as it is delicious.

31 of 31

Easy Blackberry Cobbler

easy blackberry cobbler in a white baking dish — Hannah Zimmerman

This three-step recipe could not be more simple. Blackberries could even be switched for blueberries, or you could use a combination of both! We think you'll love the crumbly topping with any berry you choose!

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