Fruity Fresh Summer Desserts

Make these delicious summer-inspired dishes!

(Image via Tumblr)

It's time to create delicious summer desserts that your entire family (and friends!) will love. Because fruit is abundant this time of year, we decided to focus on our top 3 favorite summer dessert fruit recipes to fill your home with yummy goodness. Check out our fave recipes below!

1. Fruit Smoothie Pops

These yummy smoothie pops are easy to make and a quick summer treat. Because they’re so easy, why not get the kids involved? Delicious and educational?—That’s a win-win dessert in our book! (Image via Cooking Channel)

Ingredients

• 2 cups mixed berries
• 1 cup Apple Juice
• 1 tub of whipped cream
• 2 cups of ice
• Popsicle sticks
• Powdered sugar (to taste)

Directions

Combine mixed berries, apple juice, and ice in a blender. Mix until fully blended. Alternate pouring a ¼ cup into a popsicle mold and then adding a layer of whipped cream, repeat until the popsicle mold is full. Add a stick. Place in the freezer for 4-5 hours.

2. Berry Pudding Cake

This dessert is heavenly. It’s a mixture of berries and pie crust, and overall goodness. It’s also a light dessert — and although using the term ‘healthy’ to describe it might not apply, it’s not too bad for you (at least when it comes to desserts). (Image via Diabetic Living)

Ingredients

• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• Dash of salt
• 1 cup  fat-free milk
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 3 cups assorted fresh berries

Directions

To begin, preheat the oven to 400 degrees, grease a cooking dish and set a timer for 25-30 minutes. Combine eggs, sugar, vanilla, salt, milk, flour and baking powder in a bowl. Whisk until ingredients are thoroughly combined. Place berries along the bottom of the cooking dish. Pour whisked ingredients on top. That’s it - ready for cooking! Start the timer and let the dish cook for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.

3. Fruit Crostata

How delicious does this fruit crostata look?!! Ahhhhh… I’m drooling just looking at this picture. This recipe comes from the Food Network and is a long-time family fave in my house. If you’re looking for a new recipe to try for a treat, give this one a go! (Image via The Food Network)

Ingredients

Pastry Crust

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup granulated or superfine sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 pound (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, diced
• 6 tablespoons (3 ounces) ice water

Fruit Filling

• 1 pound firm ripe peaches, peeled
• 1/2 pound firm ripe black plums, unpeeled
• 1/2 pint fresh blueberries
• 1 tablespoon plus 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, divided
• 1 tablespoon plus 1/4 cup granulated sugar, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon grated orange zest
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) cold unsalted butter, diced

Directions

For the pastry: Place the flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Pulse a few times to combine. Add the butter and toss quickly (and carefully!) with your fingers to coat each cube of butter with the flour. Pulse 12 to 15 times, or until the butter is the size of peas. With the motor running, add the ice water all at once through the feed tube. Keep hitting the pulse button to combine, but stop the machine just before the dough comes together. Turn the dough out onto a well-floured board, roll it into a ball, cut in half, and form into 2 flat disks. Wrap the disks in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. If you only need 1 disk of dough The other disk of dough can be frozen.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Roll the pastry into an 11-inch circle on a lightly floured surface. Transfer it to the baking sheet.

For the filling: Cut the peaches and plums in wedges and place them in a bowl with the blueberries. Toss them with 1 tablespoon of the flour, 1 tablespoon of the sugar, the orange zest, and the orange juice. Place the mixed fruit on the dough circle, leaving a 1 1/2-inch border.

Combine the 1/4 cup flour, the 1/4 cup sugar, and the salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture is crumbly. Pour into a bowl and rub it with your fingers until it starts to hold together. Sprinkle evenly over the fruit. Gently fold the border of the pastry over the fruit, pleating it to make an edge.

Bake the crostata for 20 to 25 minutes, until the crust is golden and the fruit is tender. Let the crostata cool for 5 minutes, then use 2 large spatulas to transfer it to a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

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