30 Refreshing Summer Desserts To Keep You Cool
Produced by Sun Ngo; photography by Christie Vuong; food styling by Sage Dakota; prop styling by Rayna Schwartz.
This summer has been a scorcher, so cool down with these sweet treats. Click through a bevy of ice pops, ice cream cakes and slushies that are perfect for this time of year.
Hwachae
While it has roots in Korean cuisine that go back centuries, hwachae, which roughly translates to “flower drink,” is wildly popular right now thanks to a wave of viral TikToks. This version, which mixes milk and carbonated soda, needs to be served immediately—the milk solids will split if you let it sit too long. Get this hwachae recipe.
Mango-Lime Napoleon Cake
At its core, a Napoleon cake is an icebox cake. In this version, strips of puff pastry are enveloped in a bright mango-lime mousse and transform into a billowy bite. It makes for a stunning dessert that’s a breeze to pull together and can even be made ahead of time. Get our mango-lime Napoleon cake recipe.
Mocha Ice Cream Cake
It takes just five ingredients and 25 minutes to whip up this unforgettable, no-bake ice cream cake. Laced with espresso and topped with candy-shop chocolates, it’s the ultimate summertime treat! Get this mocha ice cream cake recipe.
Strawberry Rose Falooda
The first time I tried this electric pink noodle dessert-meets-ice cream sundae was at Bombay Bhel restaurant in Mississauga, Ont., when I was a child. What a delight: the slip of cold noodles, the crunch of black basil seeds, and whole milk and vanilla ice cream to mix it all together. While rose syrup is commonly used in falooda, you can swap it for strawberry syrup if you wish. Get this falooda recipe.
Grilled Peach Melba
Fresh summer raspberries, grilled peaches and crunchy amaretti top creamy vanilla ice cream for a fast dessert with style. Get this grilled peach melba recipe.
Maple Ice Cream Waffle Sandwich
Turn your favourite sweet breakfast treat into a syrupy summer dessert with this ice cream sandwich. Get our maple ice cream waffle sandwich recipe.
Tres Leches Coconut Cake
We gave this Latin American cake, traditionally made with three types of milk, a delicious twist with rich coconut milk. It’s the perfect dessert for hot summer evenings. Get this tres leches cake recipe.
Sharbat ’e Sekanjabin (Persian Mint Shrub)
If you’re a fan of lemonade, you’ll love this sweet-tart-minty Persian drink. (In northern India, a different variation of the flavoured simple syrup is known as shikanji and prepared with lemon and savoury spices.) The amount of vinegar you add to the syrup will determine its level of tartness; feel free to adjust to your taste. Get this Persian mint shrub recipe.
Rhubarb Snow Cones
Made with crushed ice and pink rhubarb syrup, these snow cones are a step up from your usual red and blue flavours. Get this rhubarb snow cones recipe.
Frozen Dessert Crepes
Lemon crepes filled with ice cream are simple, stunning and incredibly easy to make. Get this frozen dessert crepes recipe.
Mangonada
Even if you’re serving a batch of this Mexican slushy on your teensy patio, everything about it screams beach: it’s sweet, sour, a little spicy and extremely refreshing. Get this mangonada recipe.
Pomegranate Granita
Sweet, tart and icy, this granita is as refreshing as dessert can be. Serve it in frozen dessert dishes to delay melting. Get this pomegranate granita recipe.
Black Forest Frozen Cheesecake
A cool summer cake topped wth chantilly cream, juicy cherries, chocolate and chocolate ganache. Get this black forest frozen cheesecake recipe.
Paletas
This sweet Latin American treat can be made in many different flavours. We’ve created four: honeydew-lime, peach-ginger, pina-colada and raspberry-mango! Get these paletas recipes.
Margarita Puddings
Tequila, lime and triple sec pudding over an Oreo cookie base with a creamy coconutty topping: what's not to love!? Get our margarita puddings recipe.
Cherry Sorbet
Berry and cherry season is in full swing! This instant sorbet is all about the frozen black cherries, with a few special ingredients to give it some zip. Get this cherry sorbet recipe.
Strawberry-Watermelon Ice Pops
Savour summer with one of our boozy ice pops! They’ll make the perfect welcome “cocktail” for your next backyard barbecue. Get this strawberry-watermelon ice pops recipe.
Strawberry-Vanilla Yogurt Ice Pops
Sweetened strawberries are the perfect addition to any dessert. Freeze them with yogurt to make these cool and refreshing fruit pops. Get this strawberry-vanilla yogurt ice pops recipe.
Dulce De Leche Pudding
Sweet and simple, this caramel pudding is the perfect dessert to make for a summer gathering. Made in advance and refrigerated, the individual portions make it easy to serve up at a weekend BBQ. Get this dulce de leche pudding recipe.
Frozen S'mores Cake
We turned our favourite campfire dessert into a delectable frozen cake. Sneak a slice for yourself before you set it out — it disappears quickly! Get this frozen s’mores cake recipe.
Vietnamese Espresso Affogato
If you like Vietnamese-style coffee, then you’ll love this espresso affogato. It’s like a hot fudge sundae, but for adults. Get this Vietnamese espresso affogato recipe.
Peach-Thyme Ice Pops
If you’re over slicing them, grilling them and preserving them—how about freezing them? These ice pops get a savoury hit with fresh thyme, making them a perfect afternoon refresher. Get this peach-thyme ice pops recipe.
Margarita & Mojito Ice Pops
Remember sitting on a hot sidewalk with your besties, slurping up the icy sweetness of popsicles without a care in the world? Now bring back that feeling with these decidedly adult versions of a Mojito ice pops recipe and Margarita ice pops recipe
Cherry-Cheesecake Pops
Cheesecake popsicles!? Say no more. These sweet treats are an indulgent spin on the homemade popsicle, and are worth every extra step. Get this cherry-cheesecake pops recipe.
Strawberry-Rhubarb Granita
From pretty parfaits to a light melon appetizer, this Mediterranean frozen-fruit dessert is an icy-cool refresher for the hot weather. Get this strawberry-rhubarb granita recipe.
Chilled Watermelon Soup
Minty and refreshing, this dessert soup is incredibly easy to make (it all goes in the blender!). If desired, add chilled melon balls and fresh berries for presentation. Get this chilled watermelon soup recipe.
Three-Ingredient Ice Cream
This summer, eat ALL the ice cream. These recipes require just three key ingredients and — wait for it — no ice-cream maker. Get these three-ingredient ice cream recipes.
Raspberry-Margarita Sorbet
A fresh take on the classic cocktail, packed with tart raspberries, tequila and lime. Get our raspberry-margarita sorbet recipe.
Brownie Ice-Cream Sandwiches
Why have a regular ice cream sandwiches when you can have *brownies*?! Get our brownie ice-cream sandwiches recipe.
The very best of Chatelaine straight to your inbox.
Chatelaine celebrates, inspires, informs and empowers. We know that Canadian women contain multitudes, and we cover all of the issues—big and small—that matter to them, from climate change to caregiving, Canadian fashion and what to cook now.
