Summer might be the sweetest time of year: classes are out, the weather is warm, and of course, tasty treats abound. While ice cream remains the favorite choice of many, summer’s abundance of fresh fruit and warm temperatures have yielded some great desserts that don’t involve ice cream.
Although I’m no pastry chef, I haven’t gone a day without sweets since I can remember, so I consider myself a dessert connoisseur (some might say addict, but I’m looking at the bright side). Here are some of my favorite summer desserts you might not try as often, plus how you can make (or buy) them yourself!
1. Key Lime Pie
Key Lime Pie consists of either a graham cracker or shortbread crust filled with silky yet rich lime custard and topped with either merengue or whipped cream. If you live near the Sunshine State or plan to vacation there this summer, skip the ice cream one night and opt for the pie – it’s a staple on most resort restaurant dessert menus.
I’m partial to the key lime pie at Verandah on Omni Amelia Island Plantation Resort if you’d like to plan your entire trip around it (I wouldn’t blame you). If it seems unreasonable to drive across country for a dessert, then you can make key lime pie yourself.
There are many recipes online, but it’s similar to making a cheesecake except you substitute the cream cheese for sweetened condensed milk as well as the zest and juice of key limes (which are essentially smaller, sweeter limes). Ice cream is great, but I’m dreaming of key lime pie.
2. Peach Cobbler
Peaches are a classic summer fruit, especially since peach season typically falls between May and September. Though many desserts with peach and any sort of crust dub themselves cobblers, a traditional cobbler (according to this Food Network recipe) results from pouring fruit on top of a mixture of flour, milk, sugar and melted butter and letting the batter rise to mostly cover the fruit after baking.
I like to bake this with fresh peaches as opposed to ordering it at a restaurant. I used Paula Deen's recipe last time I felt like cobbler, but all recipes are similar as long as the fruit is added after the batter. I also won’t tell on you if you add a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top…
3. Grapefruit Cake
Not to be outdone by the South, this West Coast favorite is the perfect tangy indulgence on a warm summer day. It's essentially a yellow cake flavored with grapefruit juice and zest and then layered and topped with grapefruit-infused cream cheese frosting.
The grapefruit cake finds its origins in Old Hollywood. It rose to fame at the Brown Derby, a Hollywood hotspot of a bygone era whose locations all shuttered between the 1970s and 1990s. I have tried many times to make this cake with a host of different recipes, but each attempt failed because it either lacked sufficient grapefruit flavor or the extra grapefruit juice needed altered the cake’s chemistry.
But there’s hope: Disney World has a replica restaurant of the Brown Derby in their Hollywood Studios theme park and the food is actually quite delicious! So next time you travel to Disney for your summer vacation, splurge for the grapefruit cake instead of a frozen Mickey Mouse pop.
4. Strawberry Shortcake
Another fresh summer fruit worthy of its own dessert, strawberries steal the show in strawberry shortcake. While you could order this at some restaurants or bakeries, it’s actually by far the easiest dessert thus far on this list. You simply bake a shortcake, which is similar to an easy biscuit, and top it with strawberries tossed in sugar and of course a dollop of whipped cream.
If you’re looking for something even quicker, most grocery stores sell individual sponge cakes or angel food cakes that can take the place of the shortcake. This simple dessert is also an easy and festive addition to any patriotic BBQ because of the bright red strawberries!
5. Icebox Cake
Don’t worry – I could never forget the chocolate! Icebox cakes come in many varieties, but an icebox cake is essentially layers of cookies covered with layers of whipped cream and chilled overnight so it sets together and can be served like a cake.
It’s even easier than the shortcake! My favorite recipe is Ina Garten's mocha chocolate icebox cake, which includes chocolate chip cookies and Kahlua-infused whipped cream. It’s like a hot weather version of milk and cookies!
6. Frozen Custard
I know this one is basically ice cream, but custard does not get enough attention compared to its cousins ice cream, gelato, and frozen yogurt. Since custard is made with eggs, it has less fat and sugar than traditional ice cream. The eggs also allow it to stay cooler for longer, which means less dripping on your shirt and more enjoying!
While it’s still not exactly healthy, its thicker consistency makes it a decadent summer treat. Custard can be made at home, but many chain and local custard shops do a great job so you don’t have to try yourself!
Kohr Bros serves soft-serve custard across the East Coast and Mid-West chain Andy's blends custard with different sauces and toppings to create desserts that would make Ben & Jerry green with frozen dessert envy.
So next time you’re craving a sweet, try one of these classic summer desserts instead of a melting mess!
