7 Delicious & Light Summer Desserts

DIY summer dessert recipes

Most summer treats — ice cream, hot dogs, popsicles — are loaded with refined sugars, salt, and preservatives. But, when the heat is on, what you really want is something cool, light, and satisfying. Here are seven delicious, easy-to-make, healthier summer treats that leverage fresh, in-season produce.

1. Strawberry sorbet

Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

1 cup sugar
1 cup water
2 tablespoons lemon juice
3 cups fresh strawberries
2 tablespoons orange juice

Directions

Syrup

Heat the sugar and water over medium heat in a saucepan until they simmer, making sure the sugar is dissolved
Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice
Transfer to a bowl, cover, and chill

Sorbet

Pour the strawberries and orange juice into a blender
Cover and process or blend until smooth.
Press purée through a fine-mesh sieve
Stir purée into chilled syrup
Spread strawberry mixture in a two-quart square baking dish
Cover and freeze about 4 hours or until firm
Break up mixture with a fork and place in blender, half at a time.
Cover and process or blend for 30 to 60 seconds or until smooth and lightened in color
Spoon sorbet back into the dish
Cover and freeze for 6 to 8 hours more or until firm
To serve, let stand at room temperature for 5 minutes before scooping

2. Chocolate swirl cheesecake

Time: 45 minutes + 6 hours to chill

Ingredients

1/2 cup crushed graham crackers
2 tablespoons melted butter
1 package of unflavored gelatin
1 cup fat-free milk
16 ounces softened reduced-fat cream cheese
8 ounces softened fat-free cream cheese
8 ounces fat-free sour cream
1/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
4 melted and cooled dark chocolate
Fresh blackberries

Directions

Crust

In a medium bowl, stir together crushed graham crackers and melted butter until crumbs are moistened
Press mixture evenly onto the bottom of an 8-inch springform pan
Cover and chill as you prepare the filling.

Filling

In a small saucepan, sprinkle gelatin over milk, and let stand for 5 minutes
Heat and stir until gelatin is dissolved
Remove from heat
Let cool for 15 minutes
In a large bowl, beat cream cheese with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth
Beat in sour cream, sugar, and vanilla until well mixed
Gradually beat in gelatin mixture
Divide the mixture in half
Gradually stir melted chocolate into half of the mixture
Spoon half of the chocolate mixture over chilled crust in pan and spread evenly
Carefully spoon half of the white mixture in small mounds over chocolate mixture
Swirl the chocolate and white mixtures with a metal spatula
Top with the remaining chocolate mixture, spreading evenly
Spoon the remaining white mixture in small mounds over the chocolate mixture and swirl again
Cover and chill for about 6 hours or until set
Serve with fresh blackberries

3. Raspberry fudge greek frozen yogurt

Time: 15 minutes + 4 hours to chill

Ingredients

3 cups Greek yogurt
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 teaspoons vanilla
Pinch of salt
1/4 cup raspberry jam
1/4 cup chocolate-flavored syrup
Fresh red raspberries

Directions

Combine the yogurt, sugar, lemon juice, vanilla, and salt in a medium bowl
Whisk until smooth
Freeze the yogurt mixture in a 1 1/2- to 2-quart ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s directions
Swirl in 1/4 cup raspberry preserves and 1/4 cup chocolate-flavored syrup
Transfer to an airtight container and freeze for 2 to 4 hours before serving
Let stand at room temperature for 5 to 15 minutes before serving
Serve topped with fresh red raspberries

4. Coffee shake

Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups low-fat vanilla frozen yogurt
1/2 cup cold-brewed coffee
2 tablespoons chocolate syrup
1/2 cup ice cubes
Grated dark chocolate

Directions

Combine frozen yogurt, coffee, and chocolate syrup in a blender
Add ice cubes
Cover and blend until smooth
Top each serving with grated chocolate.

5. Almond panna cotta

Time: 30 minutes + 4 hours to chill

Ingredients

3 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin
1 cup fat-free milk
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/3 cup pomegranate juice
2 tablespoons cherries

Directions

Panna cotta

Place four 6-ounce custard cups in a shallow baking pan and set aside
In a small saucepan, stir together 3 tablespoons of sugar and gelatin, and then stir in milk
Heat until gelatin is dissolved, stirring frequently
Remove from heat
Whisk in yogurt and 1/4 teaspoon of the almond extract until smooth
Pour mixture into custard cups
Cover and chill for 4 to 24 hours or until set

Sauce

Stir together 1 tablespoon sugar and cornstarch in a saucepan
Stir in pomegranate juice
Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly
Remove from heat
Stir in the cherries and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon almond extract, and allow to cool

To serve

Immerse bottom halves of custard cups in hot water for 10 seconds
Loosen panna cotta from the sides of cups with a small sharp knife
Invert a serving plate over each cup
Turn plate and cup over together
Remove cups
Serve panna cotta with sauce.

6. Mango coconut ice pops

Time: 15 minutes + 4 hours to freeze

Ingredients

2 ripe mangoes
1 cup canned coconut milk
2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
A pinch of salt

Directions

Peel and slice the mangoes, discarding the pits
Place the mango slices in a blender with coconut milk, honey or maple syrup, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt
Blend until smooth
Add the shredded coconut to the blender and pulse a few times to mix it in
Pour the mixture into ice pop molds
Insert sticks and freeze for at least 4 hours or until solid
To serve, run the molds under warm water for a few seconds to loosen the ice pops
Enjoy the refreshing Mango Coconut Ice Pops!