33 Fruit Dessert Recipes To Make All Summer Long

Stunning recipes made with berries, peaches, and more.

Southern Living Strawberry Ladyfinger Cake assembled 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.

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Peaches-And-Cream Icebox Pies

Southern Living Peaches and Cream Icebox Pies

Greg Dupree; Prop Stylist: Christine Keely; Food Stylist: Melissa Gray

These mini peach-topped desserts taste like a no-bake cheesecake, but the real star of the recipe is the luscious bourbon caramel on top, which is a cinch to make.

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Cakey Strawberry Cobbler

Cakey Strawberry Cobbler
Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kathleen Varner; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Pockets of jammy baked fruit fill this tender, buttery cake. The dessert smells amazing as it bakes and works just as well with blueberries or blackberries.

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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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Almond-Raspberry Croissant Bread Pudding

Southern Living Almond-Raspberry Bread Pudding baked and ready to serve

Victor Protasio; Food Stylist: Julian Hensarling; Prop Stylist: Prissy Lee Montiel

A decadent choice for brunch or dessert, this aromatic croissant bread pudding is made with raspberry preserves and dotted with fresh fruit on top.

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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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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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Eudora Welty's Raspberry Rapture

Southern Living Raspberry Rapture Pie sliced and ready to serve

Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox

Perfect for a hot day, this chilled raspberry pie has a light and airy texture, hence its name. Because the recipe calls for baked, chilled pie crusts (the yield is two pies), it is also blissfully no-bake.

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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 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 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.

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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.

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Strawberry Dump Cake

Southern Living Strawberry Dump Cake after baking ready to serve

Caitlin Bensel, Food Stylist: Torie Cox

This homey, three-ingredient dessert calls for strawberry pie filling, but you can substitute an equal amount of fresh macerated strawberries (drain off any excess liquid and save for another use), if you prefer.

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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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Creamy Peach Pie Bars

Southern Living Creamy Peach Pie Bars sliced and ready to serve

Greg Dupree, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Christina Daley

These fancy cheesecake bars are topped with sliced peaches tossed in jam, cinnamon, and a little bourbon.

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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.

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Peach Crumble

Southern Living Peach Crumble ready to serve with ice cream on top

Molly Bolton

Similar to a crisp, this peach crumble has a streusel-like topping made with cinnamon and brown sugar that's a heavenly pairing with peaches.

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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.

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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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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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Strawberry Ladyfinger Cake

Southern Living Strawberry Ladyfinger Cake assembled and ready to serve

Greg Dupree; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Stylist: Christina Daley 

Similar to a tiramisu, this creamy, no-bake dessert is made with ladyfingers dipped in the liquid from macerated strawberries and lemony mascarpone-whipped cream. It's truly celebration-worthy!

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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.

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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.

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