Oh hey, scorching summer weather, you’re just the thing we needed to bring on the summer desserts! In other words, I’m making a quick switch from baked goods and heavy chocolate cakes to some lighter summer dessert recipes that taste like summer is here.
While baking brownies and cookies may be just what we need to keep us cozy all fall and winter while we watched movies and snuggled under blankets, now I’m craving some lighter summer desserts and treats. You know, the kind that don’t weigh you down before late-night sunsets and warm weather strolls.
Check out these favorite, must-try tricks of mine for summer desserts that help you take care of that sweet tooth — with a lighter touch.
Just note that a lighter summer dessert doesn’t mean less sugar necessarily; these are not “lite” recipes. I’m just looking for those sweets that feel perfect after dinner on the back porch.
At top: grilled peaches with yogurt at Living Kitchen Wellness; blood orange sorbet at The Missing Lokness
Related: 7 easy icebox pie recipes you can make for summer entertaining. Or, just for whenever.
7 tricks for lighter summer desserts that still satisfy
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1. Grill fruit to make a common summer dessert a little fancier
Grilled Peaches With yogurt | Living Kitchen Wellness.
Move over, fruit salad! I’m heading to the backyard to grill up these easy grilled peaches with yogurt from Living Kitchen Wellness. Grilling caramelizes the natural sugars in the peaches for an over-the-top delicious dessert that still feels light and summery. And we’ve been long-time fans of grilled fruit recipes, should you want to experiment with some others.
You can even grill fruit indoors, on a cast-iron pan — we highly recommend this one cast iron pan for the price, but it’s perfect at any price. Especially if you don’t have a backyard in which to host that requisite Weber Grill we all love. Either way, it’s a really satisfying dessert that goes a step further than your average pot luck fruit bowl.
Related: Impressive fruit dessert recipes for your next party
2. Switch to sorbet from ice cream
Homemade Blood Orange Sorbet from|The Missing Lokness
I know summer is typically time time we celebrate ice cream season, and I would never say no to ice cream! But if you want to lighten up your classic icy summer desserts a bit, sorbet does the trick while still giving you all the refreshment. This blood orange sorbet recipe from The Missing Lokness looks amazing, and with this classic recipe, you could substitute nearly any frozen fruit you’re craving for a similar result.
Of course you could also go with one of these 10 gourmet popsicles if you’ve got kids at the table — and we’ve also got tips for making them boozy if you don’t!
Tip: If your only popsicle molds are shaped for the kids, consider investing in an affordable classic silicone popsicle mold like this one for around $15. Not that we don’t all enjoy ice pops shaped like zombies.
3. Use chocolate as a garnish, not the main event
Raspberry Sorbet Icebox Pie | Food, Folks and Fun
Chocolate can be heavy, but hey, we all love chocolate! My tip for lightening up summer desserts: Adding chocolate as an accent to your dessert — in the crust or a chocolate drizzle on top– instead of making it the main event.
Since summer is all about icebox pies for me, I had to share this Raspberry Sorbet Icebox Pie recipe at Food, Folks and Fun. It is one of my very favorites! Plus it’s so easy — I make it all the time. My personal favorite hack is to make the piecrust with any leftover Thin Mints you might have, instead of a pre-made Oreo pie crust. You will not regret it.
Related: 7 healthy ways to get your chocolate fix
4. Brighten dense baked cakes and cookies with citrus
Lemon Poppy Seed Bundt Cake | Nourished Endeavors
Even a dense cake can be made into a summer dessert when you add citrus flavors. It magically becomes bright and light, with a burst of flavor that excites your palate after a winter dominated by chocolate and spice. My personal favorite is this lemon poppy seed bundt cake, using the recipe from Nourished Endeavors. It is absolutely heaven.
To lighten it even more, skip the heavy cream-based icing, and try a glaze made with 1/2 cup lemon juice and just enough powdered sugar to make the texture drizzle-able.
5. Get that carb satisfaction from lighter crepes
Strawberry and Nutella Crepes | Apple of my Eye
If you’re still craving chocolate in carb form (we get it!) but don’t want something as dense and heavy as a brownie or a thick slice of chocolate cake then try crepes! The Strawberry and Nutella crepes from Apple of my Eye are made with thinner-than-thin pancakes, layered with Nutella and strawberries — as you might have guessed. But what makes it a particularly perfect summer dessert recipe is that you ease up on the fillings to taste. If you only need a little taste of Nutella, you’re set!
This makes your summer dessert as rich and decadent as you want, without being heavy all —the just-right dessert for summer entertaining, or even a fun after-dinner treat to make with the kids.
Note that while a non-stick pan works just fine for crepes once you get the hang of it, there’s something indulgent about investing in a dedicated crepe pan if you make crepes them a lot. This Le Creuset Nonstick Crepe Pan is a splurge, but gets raves from everyone I know. A few of us here have it on our wish lists! Though that affordable Lodge cast-iron pan will work just fine too.
7. Switch from a dense cake to an airy soufflé
Lemon Soufflés | Simply So Healthy
This is more of a new recipe to incorporate into your repertoire than a cooking trick, but it’s such a good one: If you’re going to turn your oven on this summer anyway, trade the heavy baked goods and instead try to master (or, in my case, simply attempt) a spectacular soufflé. First, be sure you have a set of 4-oz ramekins on hand — they come in handy for so many reasons if you don’t have a set yet. Then, check out the airy, light lemon soufflé recipe at Simply So Healthy and prepare to get excited! It is an excellent recipe, only takes about 20 minutes to prep, plus it happen to be low-carb and keto-friendly. How’s that for a lighter summer dessert?
