3 Easy & Delicious Summer Desserts (to take to your Memorial Day Cookout)

For many Americans, this weekend marks the unofficial beginning of Summer; the sun’s come out to play, everything feels just that little bit more relaxed, and summer vacations are just around the corner. 

So, whether you plan to spend the weekend hitting the beach, the bars, or the hay (we all know how essential it is to catch up on those much-needed zzz’s when you get the chance!), we’ve got three delicious, summery dessert recipes for you. 

These sweet treats are incredibly tasty, super easy to make, and perfect to bring along to your next-door neighbor’s cookout. Get ready for all those “compliments to the chef” while you nonchalantly tell them it was nothing.

Our Three Top Summer Dessert Recipes

1. Frozen Yogurt and Triple Berry Popsicles

On a sweltering hot day, we all need something to cool down with. Great for all the family, these 4-ingredient Frozen Yogurt and Triple Berry Popsicles will help you do just this. Bonus: they’re higher in protein and lower in sugar then your traditional cream-based popsicles!

Ingredients (makes 6 popsicles)

2 cups Plain Greek Yogurt

1 teaspoon Vanilla Essence

2 tablespoons Honey (plus extra for drizzling)

2 Cups frozen mixed berries – blueberries, raspberries and strawberries

 

Recipe:

1. Mix your Greek yogurt, vanilla essence, and honey in a bowl until fully combined.
2. Taste your mixture. If you want a little more sweetness, feel free to add some more honey
3. Add in your triple mixed berries, and combine. Feel free to be a little heavy-handed with this, allowing some of the berries break up and create a pretty, swirled tie-dye effect
4. Spoon or pour your mixture evenly into popsicle molds
5. Freeze for at least 2 hours.
6. Remove and enjoy!

TIP 1: When it’s time to bring these babies out and enjoy, run your popsicle molds under warm water for easy removal!

TIP 2: Don’t own popsicle molds? No time to run to the store and grab some? Make this recipe into bark instead! 

Line a sheet pan with some parchment paper. Mix your greek yogurt, vanilla essence and honey together in a bowl until fully combined. Spread your mixture out flat onto your paper-lined sheet pan. Dot your berries around the tray, pressing into the yogurt mixture. Drizzle some extra honey on top, if desired. Then, pop your tray in the freezer for at least 2 hours to firm up, chop into bark, and enjoy.

2. Star Spangled 8-Layer Trifle

Trifle is a classic and beloved summer dessert, for a reason - it’s relatively simple to put together, it’s not too heavy, and the combination of cool whipped cream and fresh, tangy berries on a hot day is a winner. Not to mention, these 8 layers make it a real showstopper! Here’s how to make it:

Ingredients (serves 8-10 people)

1 box of angel food or white cake mix

16oz of cream cheese

1/2 cup of sugar

2 cups of heavy cream

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

2 cups strawberries, sliced

2 cups blueberries (alternative: blackberries, halved)

 

Recipe

1. Prepare your angel food or white cake according to box instructions (or buy a ready-made version at your local supermarket if you’re short on time – we won’t tell!)
2. Let your cake cool, and cut into medium-sized cubes.
3. Combine cream cheese and sugar in a mixing bowl, and beat with an electric mixer until smooth and fully combined. 
4. Add in vanilla extract and heavy cream to your cream cheese and sugar mixture, and beat until it reaches a smooth and even consistency, like whipped cream.
5. Assemble your trifle in a large, trifle dish! Your 8 layers should go as follows:

• 1 layer cake cubes (approximately half)
• 1 layer blueberries
• 1 layer cream mixture (approximately half)
• 1 layer strawberries
• 1 layer cake cubes (remainder)
• 1 layer blueberries
• 1 layer cream mixture (remainder)
• 1 layer mixed strawberries and blueberries on top – get creative and make a pretty, decorative topping!

Lastly, cover your trifle and refrigerate for 1 hour!

TIP: For an extra boost of berry flavor, spread a couple of spoonfuls of strawberry, blueberry or raspberry preserves on top of your berry layers when assembling your trifle. The extra sweetness from the preserves may mean you wish to reduce the sugar content of your cream mixture, depending on how much of a sweet tooth you have!

3. Red, White and Blue Chocolate-Covered Strawberries

There’s nothing better than a ripe, juicy strawberry on a warm summer’s day. This light and delicious, patriotic dessert is bound to go down a treat after an afternoon of grilling. Just follow these simple steps:

Ingredients (makes 10 large strawberries)

10 large strawberries with stems intact, washed

4 oz white chocolate

2 tablespoons blue sprinkles

 

Recipe:

1. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper
2. Melt your white chocolate; the quickest and easiest way is in a microwave-safe bowl, in short 15-second blasts, stirring well in between each blast.
3. Pour your melted chocolate into one small, deep bowl, and your blue sprinkles into another small, deep bowl (this shaped bowl is best for dipping!)
4. Take your first strawberry carefully by the stem, and dip it two thirds of the way into the melted white chocolate. Remember; we still want to see a good portion of red strawberry around the top! 
5. Remove and let the excess chocolate drip off.
6. Next, dip the bottom third of the same strawberry (around the tip) into your blue sprinkles to coat. Feel free to use a teaspoon to help spoon your sprinkles onto the strawberry if you prefer, for as straight a line as possible.
7. Place the strawberry onto your parchment paper-lined sheet pan and repeat with the rest of your strawberries.
8. Place your tray in the refrigerator so that the chocolate can set, and leave it there until ready to serve.

Ta-da! There you have it; 3 delicious, fresh and summery desserts that are guaranteed to wow everybody in attendance at your long weekend cookout. Enjoy! (And don’t forget to check out our epic Start of Summer Sale, while you’re in the mood for indulging…)