The best way to get your daily serving of fruit is definitely dessert. Whether you’re looking for pies, cakes, cookies, or even healthy desserts, we have something to satisfy every sweet tooth. Desserts are also a perfect treat during summer. In the winter, eating a hunk of cake the size of your head feels kind of nice. You need all those calories to stay warm, after all. In warmer weather, a big dessert can feel like too much – not if it is fruity and healthy.
So, here are some fruit-based options you can try during summer:
Strawberry Shortcake
This strawberry shortcake recipe: it’s got the “it” factor. It’s those tender biscuits with sweet summer berries you’d imagine relishing on a porch swing in the heat of the day or savoring on a lazy summer night. It’s something for summer birthdays, July 4, picnics, and cookouts. This one uses buttermilk for tang and richness, and the sweet berries are mixed with a little balsamic vinegar to add a zing.
Raspberry Cake (with Meringue)
First things first, we need to talk about the pillowy pink and white meringue that tops this fruity cake (though we wouldn’t go so far as to call it a fruitcake). Fresh raspberries are macerated in superfine sugar and then get blended into a smooth purée. When folded with stiff meringue, it creates a stunning marble effect that is absolutely enchanting atop a raspberry-studded yellow cake.
Apple Pie
First up in our list of fruit desserts: that old classic, apple pie! This really is the best apple pie recipe. The crust is perfectly buttery and crisp, woven into a rustic lattice. It’s brushed in a maple glaze that dries into a sparkly topping. And the interior is filled with tender apples, perfectly spiced with cinnamon and fresh ginger. It’s a true stunner!
Blueberry Cobler
This easy blueberry cobbler is totally classic and seriously tasty! The “magic” thing about this blueberry recipe is that when baking it, the blueberries sink from the top of the dough to the bottom and a crust forms neatly over the top. It’s a lovely crisp golden brown on the top and gooey on the inside. Served with melty vanilla ice cream it’s a total treat.
Banana In Chocolate
Here’s a favorite fruit dessert that’s simple, healthy, and ultra-delicious: chocolate-covered bananas! Now, this concept is not new or revolutionary: but it’s absolutely perfect for a sweet treat craving. The crunch of a crisp dark chocolate coating around an icy banana makes magic. Store this healthy treat in the freezer anytime a chocolate craving hits.
Cherry Pie with Nutella
Whether you don’t own a fork, don’t have one that’s clean, or are just too lazy (or hot) to get one out, sometimes life calls for a dessert you can eat with your hands. In those instances, you’ll want to make these hand pies with gooey chocolate-hazelnut spread and cherries (no forks needed!).
Cream Cheese Fruit Pizza
If you’ve never had a dessert pizza, you’re in for a real treat! A lot of recipes start with a sugar cookie dough that’s rolled out into a big circular crust. But it can also be made with a regular pizza dough with a sweetener added. After the crust is baked, it’s frosted with a sweetened cream cheese that’s topped with fresh fruit. A simple low-carb cream cheese fruit pizza dessert is a keto dessert the whole family will love.
Blueberry-Apple Pie
Blueberry pies are often better in theory than in execution. The filling can be so runny that even a blueberry pie made by an expert will fall apart between the pie pan and the plate. These mini pies address this problem in two ways: The apples provide a little structure while still allowing the blueberry flavor to shine through, and, if that doesn’t work, you eat them out of the pie pan anyway.
Peach Crisp
Peach crisp is not to be confused with a peach crumble and certainly not with a peach cobbler. To me, a crisp is in a category of its own. The addition of oats to the topping is what classifies a crisp and it is, hands down, the best part. The oats create a perfectly crispy (get it?) topping that’s far beyond addicting. It also gives you the motive to debate its ability to qualify as a hearty breakfast. Chopped pecans or walnuts are also perfectly acceptable here as well.
Key Takeaway
When it comes to summer dessert, nothing is better than fresh fruit. Berries, melons, peaches, and more are at their ripest. Most fruits can also be eaten straight or doused in a little honey or cream. But sometimes you want something a little more complex, that still highlights the best summer flavors—or you’re looking to use up a pint of berries before they go bad. That’s why we come bearing the best fruit dessert recipes that you simply must try out this summer.