Food Recipe Collections & Favorites Desserts 11 Summer Desserts Starring the Season's Best Produce Grab some juicy berries or stone fruit and make one of these easy, delicious summer desserts. By Jenna Helwig Jenna Helwig Jenna is the food director at Real Simple and the author of Bare Minimum Dinners, a cookbook featuring more than 100 low-lift, high-reward recipes. Previously, Jenna was the food director at Health and Parents. She is also the founder and operator of Rosaberry, a boutique personal chef services company, and the author of four other cookbooks, including the bestselling Baby-Led Feeding. Real Simple's Editorial Guidelines Updated on June 04, 2024 Close Photo: Kelsey Hansen Cobblers, crisps, crumbles, and buckles are classic summer desserts. And while they may be slightly different in their own little ways, all of these desserts generally follow the same playbook, says Abra Berens, a chef in Three Oaks, Michigan, and the author of Pulp: A Practical Guide to Cooking with Fruit. “Fruit gets tossed with sugar, goes into a baking dish or pot, and gets covered with something that bakes up crunchy on top and soft underneath. They’re all so simple, but much more than the sum of their parts.” They’re even better when you use summer’s peak-season bounty, says Jocelyn Delk Adams, the baking expert behind the brand Grandbaby Cakes and author of Everyday Grand: Soulful Recipes for Celebrating Life’s Big and Small Moments. “Fresh fruit—instead of frozen—will elevate the overall flavor in a way that’s unbeatable.” Try one of these recipes to taste the difference for yourself. 20 Summer Fruits—and How to Cook With Them 01 of 11 Mixed Berry Biscuit Cobbler Kelsey Hansen Use a mix of blueberries, blackberries, or raspberries–or any of them on their own–for this gem of a dessert. The biscuit topping only requires five ingredients! Get the Recipe 02 of 11 Pluot Crumble Heami Lee Pluots are a cross between plums and apricots, and they're widely available at farmer's markets and some grocery stores in the summer months. But if you can't find them, feel free to use regular plums or apricots, or a combo. Get the Recipe 03 of 11 Peach Cobbler Trifle Greg DuPree You don't need to turn on the oven for this stunner of a dessert. Just slice some peaches, whip some cream, and layer them with store-bought pound cake. Then let the trifle chill for a few hours in the fridge. It's the perfect sweet ending to a summer cookout. Get the Recipe How to Store Peaches So They Don't Bruise 04 of 11 Strawberry Buckle With Pecan Streusel J Muckle A buckle is basically a coffee cake with fruit mixed into or strewn on top of the batter before baking. It gets its name thanks to the cake's uneven, or buckled, appearance. Serve this fruity goodie for breakfast, brunch, or dessert. Get the Recipe 05 of 11 Sheet Pan Apple Crisp Caitlin Bensel In many parts of the country, fresh apples start appearing at the farmer's market in late August. Snap them up for this crowd-pleasing dessert. Since it's made on a sheet pan, the ratio of crumbly topping to juicy fruit is higher than usual. That's a win in our book. Get the Recipe 06 of 11 Berry-Oat Crumble Antonis Achilleos Unlike many crisps and crumbles, this one starts with steel-cut, not rolled, oats. You'll blitz them in the food processor and then mix them with brown sugar, walnuts, eggs, and allspice for a unique and delicious topping that complements the jammy blueberries perfectly. Get the Recipe 07 of 11 Peach and Blueberry Buckle Jens Mortensen It doesn't get much better than tender cake studded with sweet peaches and blueberries. But sliced almonds and powdered sugar on top make this baked treat even more scrumptious. It's okay to use frozen blueberries if you don't have any fresh ones on hand, but be sure to stick with ripe, fresh peaches for maximum flavor. Get the Recipe 08 of 11 Hot Honey Peach Upside Down Cake GREG DUPREE; FOOD STYLING BY EMILY NABORS HALL, PROP STYLING BY CLAIRE SPOLLEN Peaches are the star in this fluffy upside down cake that's a twist on the traditional pineapple version. Hot honey caramelizes the peaches while the cake bakes, developing a sweet and spicy flavor to pair perfectly with the nutmeg-spiced vanilla cake. Top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and you've got summer on a plate. GET THE RECIPE 09 of 11 Fig and Almond Custard Tart Danny Kim Figgy pudding might be synonymous with Christmas, but did you know that figs are actually a summer/autumn fruit? This delicious, creamy fig and almond custard tart is the perfect addition to any summer menu. A sweet apricot glaze after baking adds a touch of sweetness to this summertime treat. GET THE RECIPE 10 of 11 Cherry-Vanilla Bundt Cake Antonis Achilleos Cherries are practically synonymous with summer, although this dreamy cake can be made year-round because it's made with cherry pie filling. The wow factor is undeniable, with a sweet red center that cascades down the side of each piece when sliced. Top with a dusting of powdered sugar just before serving and you have the perfect summertime dessert! GET THE RECIPE 11 of 11 Blueberry Sweet Corn Shortcake Greg DuPree; Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Stylist: Claire Spollen Blueberries are one of the stars of summer, and the blueberry compote in this unique dessert is definitely a demonstration of that! The compote tops a play on vanilla cake, made with sweet corn and cornmeal to give it its shortbread texture. Instead of individual servings like strawberry shortcakes, this recipe makes one big sheet cake, so you'll have plenty to go around! GET THE RECIPE Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit