Sometimes, hosting a party during summer can be overwhelming. Yeah, you want to serve something sweet as desserts but at the same time, you want your guest to feel something fresh to comfort them from the heat. Luckily, there are many summer desserts for a crowd you can try. We have collected the best recipes for simple refreshing summer desserts.
Key Lime Pie
There is no need to use Persian lime if you don’t have it. Regular limes work well for this pie. Similar to other pie variants such as lemon meringue pie or coconut cream pie, the key lime pie also works well with a cookie crust. You can also choose the traditional pie crust.
If you want a quicker process, you can use graham cracker crust. One Key Lime Pie is for 8-10 servings. So, it is perfect for a crowd.
Ingredients
For The Crust
- 1 1/2 cups crushed graham crumbs (it is from around 12 graham crackers)
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
- For The Filling
- 2 (14-oz) cans of condensed milk
- 1 cup plain yogurt
- 1 tbsp grated lime zest
- 3/4 cup fresh lime juice
For The Topping
- 2 tbsp confectioners’ sugar
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 tsp grated lime zest
- 8-10 lime slices
Instructions
For The Crust
- Set the oven temperature to 375 degrees F. Place an oven rack in the middle.
- Combine brown sugar, graham cracker crumbs, and melted butted. Mix it with your hands until combined.
- Press the crumbs into the bottom of the pie pan. The thickness should be 1/4 inch.
- Bake the crust until it is golden brown, about 10 minutes, and let it cool.
For The Filling
- Set the oven temperature to 350 degrees F.
- Whisk yogurt, condensed milk, lime juice, and lime zest. Pour the mixture into the crust and then bake it for around 15 minutes. Then, let it sit for 30 minutes in a room After that, store it in the refrigerator for 3 hours.
For Topping
Add heavy cream in an electric mixer and then beat it until soft. Then, add sugar and beat it again. Put the whipped cream on the cream and top it with lime zest and decorate it with lime slices. Store the pie in the refrigerator until you serve it.
Tips:
You can create the pie crust one day before, but the filling should be made the day of serving.
Lemon Bars
Craving something sweet and fruit at the same time? Then the lemon bar is the answer. It is great for a party with a crispy-tender crust the creamy filling. Sprinkle the final result with powdered sugar if you want an extra sweetness.
To get the best taste, use fresh lemon because the canned versions have a more acidic flavor. You also need to let it cool completely before slicing.
Ingredients
For The Crust
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 sticks butter, softened
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 2 cups flour
For The Filling
- 3-cup granulated sugar
- 6 eggs
- 2 tbsp grated lemon zest
- 1 cup flour
- 1 cup lemon juice
- Powdered sugar
Instructions
- Set and preheat the oven temperature to 350 degrees F.
- Place the foil in a pan and then spray it with cooking spray.
- Combine the butter and sugar. Mix until they are blended. Then add salt and flour to the mixture. Mix until it creates a dough.
- Flaten the dough into the pan to make a crust.
- Bake the crust for around 20 minutes or until the edges look brown. Set it aside.
- Mix lemon zest, granulated sugar, eggs, flour, and lemon juice in the bowl. Whisk it until perfectly smooth.
- Pour the mixture into the crust, and then put it again in the oven for around 35 minutes. Later, the filling is supposed to look jiggly.
- Let the lemon bar cook a room temperature and then put it in the refrigerator for at least an hour.
- Dust the bar with powdered sugar before slicing it. Enjoy!
Affogato
If you are looking for perfect easy no-bake summer desserts for a crowd, affogato is your next choice. This Italian dessert is so popular! who can resist a scoop of vanilla ice cream by the way?
Affogato is a traditional Italian dessert that features gelato or ice cream (usually vanilla) that is drowned in espresso. Typically, it is served with hazelnut or Kahlua.
The magic of affogato is when the ice cream is flooded with espresso. You can be creative by using caramel, chocolate, or pistachio.
Instructions
- 1-2 ounces espresso
- 2 scoops vanilla ice cream
- 1 splash Amaretto
- Grated dark chocolate as garnish
Instructions
- Brew the espresso
- While brewing the espresso, scoop the ice cream into the glass.
- Pour the espresso over the ice cream. If you use liqueur, you can add it.
- Garnish it with dark chocolate.
- Serve!
Tips:
- Make sure to use high-quality ice cream and you must use fresh-brewed espresso.
- Only take out the ice cream from the freezer if the espresso is ready.
- Don’t be afraid to experiment with different flavors of espresso.
- Remember to follow the ratio to get a perfect taste. 1-2 ice cream is for 1-2 ounces of espresso.
- Serve the affogato immediately before the ice cream melts.
- For toppings, you can use caramel, nuts, cinnamon or nutmeg, cocoa powder, fresh fruits like bananas or berries, Italian pizzelle cookies, or a pinch of salt.
Fruit Tart
Next time you host a party, try the fresh fruit tart. It is a classical French dessert that everyone loves. The best thing about this dessert is the flaky, buttery crust that is freshened up with a bunch of fruits. Of course, you can modify the fruits.
The crust is made of typical pie crust while the tart filling is from regular custard pastry cream. For fruits, you can adjust it but we suggest you use blackberries, kiwis, strawberries, raspberries, mangoes, and peaches.
To make the fruits look shiny, you can melt some jelly or jam in the microwave and then brush it over the fruit. Or, just bring sugar and water to a boil. Let it cool and brush it over the fruit.
Ingredients
For the crust
- 1 1/3 cups flour
- 1/2 cup cold butter, sliced
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp vinegar
- 1/4 ice water
For the pastry cream:
- 4 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 cup+2 tbsp sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 1/2 cups whole milk
- 2 tsp Vanilla
- 6 egg yolks
Fresh fruits
- Strawberries
- Raspberries
- Blackberries
- Kiwi
- Blueberries
- Mangoes
- Red plums
- Peaches
- Oranges
- Green apple
For fruit Glaze
- Strawberry jelly
Instructions
- For the pie crust, mix salt and flour then add sliced butter in the food processor. Add 1-2 ice water at a time to the flour mixture. Then add vinegar. Pulse it until mixed.
- Create a ball and then pat it so it forms a disk. Wrap it and then put it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes-2 hours.
- Roll out the dough on a work surface. Do it as fast as possible to keep the dough cold.
- Set the dough on the pan and then line it with parchment paper. Fill the crust with pie weights and bake it for around 12 minutes. Remove the pie weights and parchment paper and bake it again for 8 minutes. Set it aside.
- For the pastry cream, heat the milk. While heating the milk, mix cornstarch, salt, and sugar in a bowl. Whisk in the egg yolks and mix it until thick.
- Remove the milk from the heat and then add it little by little to the egg-cornstarch mixture. This is an important step so be careful.
- Place the mixture in the saucepan and heat it while whisking it vigorously for 3-4 minutes until the mixture is thickened. Check if the mixture starts to bubble. Make sure it will not boil for more than 10 seconds.
- Strain the mixture to remove lumps and then add vanilla.
- Pour the mixture into the crust and then arrange the fruits that have been brushed with strawberry jelly. Put it in the refrigerator and serve it when it is ready.
FAQs
What Desserts Do Well In The Summer?
The perfect summer desserts for a crowd can be something refreshing such as fruit pies, fruit bars, and fruit slices. You can also make ice cream for your guests if you want to play safe.
What Are The Types Of Desserts To Know?
There are thousands of desserts out there that are categorized into 7 basic types which include:
- Frozen desserts
- Baked desserts
- Dessert drinks
- Fried desserts
- Cold desserts
- Cobblers
- Pudding and custards
Which Vegetables Suit For Summer?
Some fresh vegetables are great to serve in the summer such as spinach, cowpeas, okra, cucumber, bottled gourd, brinjal, white onions, and pumpkins.
What Are Great Dessert For People Who Don’t Like Sweets?
Sometimes it is overwhelming to think about desserts that are not sugary. But there are some great choices you can offer to people who don’t like sweets, such as:
- Walnut butter cookies
- Lemon yogurt cake
- Chocolate mousse
- Yogurt pie
- Sour cream raisin bars
- Slices fruits