Easy Summer Desserts - Recipes, Tips and Menu Ideas

That's why we’ve put together a list of summer dessert recipes, ideas and tips perfect for everything from crowds to intimate meals a deux.

Here it is:

• Summer Pudding
• Strawberries & Cream French Toast
• Peach Cobbler
• Peanutbutter and Chocolate Popsicles
• Eton Mess
• Gluten-free Lemon Tart
• Ice Cream Cake

Now let’s find out more about them...

Menu Idea - Summer Pudding

The hint’s in the name with this traditional English dessert - sometimes referred to as “Summer fruit pudding” that first gained popularity in the late 19th century. It uses the best of seasonal fruits such blackcurrants, blackberries, cherries, raspberries and redcurrants (destalked and chopped) mixed with sugar and crustless bread.

Perfect because...

These jewel toned little domes look look gorgeous in the sunshine and are a neat little choice for al fresco dining - plus, they can be made up in batches to be frozen and used as needed. The juice of the fruit soaks into the bread for a taste that’s pure summer.

Top tip

For uniform, professional looking puddings, sliced bread is a must. It’s easier to chop and assemble than uneven pieces sliced by hand, though to avoid a soggy pudding cheap sliced white bread should be given a miss. The best thing to do is get a nice white bloomer professionally sliced in a well-kitted restaurant kitchen or by a baker.

Allergen alert

White bread is a main ingredient in Summer Pudding. This is usually made with wheat, a Cereal containing Gluten - one of the 14 major food allergens.

Recipe - Strawberries & Cream French Toast

It can be difficult for summer desserts to feel truly indulgent because they tend to be light by nature, but this recipe for Strawberries & Cream French Toast manages to be both decadant and perfectly seasonal.

Brought to us by London food blogger Lia Zuhri of @LiloFoodie, this recipe requires only 10 minutes of prep time, and is bursting with flavourful ingredients like cinnamon and crushed pistachios to compliment the rich cream and sweet strawberries.

Find the recipe and full recipe card - complete with nutrition information, allergen information and more - here.

Menu Idea - Peach Cobbler

Americans love cobbler and it’s easy to see why - it’s basically the deep South version of a sweet pie, though they love those too. Speaking of pie, a cobbler is basically a cooked fruit filling (although in the UK you can also get savoury cobbler) topped with pie dough and baked. The exact position and quantity of pie dough or biscuit can vary depending on geographical location, as well as the fruit used, but peaches - mixed with sugar, grated ginger and vanilla seeds - are the most famous choice for a reason.

Perfect because...

Cobblers can be pulled together relatively easily (certainly easier than pies can) and they have a rustic look that works well with outdoor summer dining but more importantly, they are a summer pudding that can still be made if bad weather yields a bad crop of fruit. Simply switch out fresh peaches (or your chosen fruit) for tinned ones.

Top tip

Add 1-2 spoonfuls of cornstarch to the fruit filling to prevent it being too runny and giving you a soggy cobbler.

Allergen alert

Cobbler of any kind generally has a Cereal containing Gluten as a base ingredient, as well as Milk (via butter) and Egg.

Recipe - Peanut Butter and Chocolate Popsicles

This one’s a winner for vegans, but you don’t need to follow a plant-based diet to enjoy these tasty treats. Brought to Erudus by vegan chocolate Manufacturer Low Raw, this recipe uses all natural ingredients like maple syrup and peanut butter alongside its own dairy-free chocolate for an easy dessert that’s free from artificial flavours and additives. The addition of bananas to the popsicles even gives them a hidden vitamin boost.

Find the recipe and full recipe card - complete with nutrition information, allergen information and more - here.

Menu Idea - Eton Mess

This English classic is synonymous with summer events - such as the annual Eton-Harrow cricket match, and the former school is thought to be the place of its origin, early in the 20th century. A gloriously messy mixture of fruit (any fruit can be used but strawberries are usually the choice), cream and meringue, it’s also a more indulgent alternative to the Wimbledon favourite of strawberries and cream.

Perfect because...

The recipe calls for fresh fruit - of which there is an abundance of delicious options in the British summer time, which can be easily mashed, mixed with sugar and fortified wine for a kick and then mixed up with broken up meringue (store bought or homemade) and cream - could there be anything simpler?

Top tip

Add a dash of ginger cordial to the mashed strawberries to give your Eton Mess a spicy twist.

Allergen alert

There are 2 of the 14 major food allergens present in Eton Mess - Milk in the cream, and Eggs in the meringue.

Recipe - Gluten Free Lemon Tart

People with allergies can find desserts and puddings a minefield because dairy and wheat are so often among the ingredients. But this refreshing Lemon Tart recipe by Freee by Doves Farm can still be enjoyed by those with Coeliac Disease or an allergy to Cereals containing Gluten. With a contrast of buttery pastry and sharp lemon that’s pure summer, this is perfect to serve by the slice.

Find the recipe and full recipe card - complete with nutrition information, allergen information and more - here.

Menu Idea - Ice Cream Cake

A favourite of children everywhere, and those with a sweet tooth, ice cream cake is a great choice for summer birthday parties and was originally made from biscuits and cream when it first appeared in the Victorian era. Now, ice cream cake is usually made from either different types of ice cream layered into a mould and turned out, ice cream layered in a mould with other ingredients such as crushed biscuits and cake and turned out, or ice cream used to fill a regular cake. Add whipped cream for a final flourish.

Perfect because...

It’s ice cream! There is no food more perfect for summer, nor an easier cake to make, particularly if just layering different flavours. It’s easy to slice and as its frozen, can stay fresher for longer.

Top tip

Soften your ice cream before starting to assemble your cake. Bringing it to a temperature of around -6 to -12, it will make it easier to spread evenly into the mould.

Allergen alert

Milk, one of the 14 major food allergens, is a major component of ice cream. Some ice cream may also contain Egg.