While winter might have us reaching for warm cakes and bakes to pair with a cup of tea, summer calls for something cooler.
When the heat is on and temperatures soar, the last thing you want to do is turn on your oven. But that doesn’t mean your sweet tooth takes a vacation! So, what’s the solution?
In this post, I’m sharing 23 easy, healthy, no-bake, and cold summer dessert recipes ideas that will keep you cool and satisfied. These desserts are either authentically Italian or inspired by classic Italian favorites like tiramisu, panna cotta, gelato, and cannoli.
Whether you’re entertaining or simply indulging in a treat on a hot day, these recipes will bring a taste of Italy to your summer.
Table of Contents
1. Italian Plumcake & Peaches Trifle
A delightful trifle featuring layers of soft Italian plumcake, sweet fresh peaches, creamy cream cheese, and a touch of balsamic vinegar for a unique flavor twist, topped with crumbled amaretto cookies for added texture.
Ingredients:
Italian plumcake (freshly made or you can find packed mini plumcakes), fresh peaches, cream cheese, balsamic vinegar, amaretto cookies, coconut sugar.
How to make it:
Alternate layers of crumbled plumcake, fresh chopped peaches, and the cream cheese and sugar. Drizzle each peach layer with Italian balsamic vinegar. Top with crumbled amaretto cookies. Repeat the layers until the dish or the glass is filled. Refrigerate before serving.
Enjoy it as: a sweet and light summer dessert perfect for BBQs or Summer evenings.
2. Sicilian Mandarin Parfait
This Sicilian-inspired parfait layers thickened caramelized mandarin juice with tangy plain yogurt, slices of mandarin orange, and crumbled Sicilian almond cookies for a refreshing and crunchy treat.
Ingredients:
Mandarin juice, mandarin oranges, plain yogurt, Sicilian almond cookies (or any almond cookies), sugar.
How to make it:
Caramelize the mandarin juice and sugar in a pan by simmering it until it thickens. Let it cool slightly. In serving glasses, layer the thickened mandarin juice over plain yogurt, and top with slices of mandarin orange and crumbled almond cookies. Repeat the layers and chill in the fridge before serving.
Enjoy it as: a cool and fruity summer dessert, perfect for a light weekday evening treat.
3. Balsamic Fruit Salad
This vibrant fruit salad combines fresh seasonal fruits like kiwi, peaches, strawberries, and blueberries, dressed with a hint of balsamic vinegar and served over a smooth yogurt base.
Ingredients:
Kiwi, peaches, strawberries, blueberries, yogurt, balsamic vinegar, optional herbs like mint leaves.
How to make it:
Chop the fruit and add the balsamic vinegar and optional mint, leave it to marinate in the fridge for a couple of hours. Then serve it over a glass of yogurt and enjoy your cold healthy dessert.
Enjoy it as: a light and healthy Summer treat.
4. Healthy Cassata Bowl
This healthy take on the classic Sicilian cassata features sweet ricotta cheese topped with a blend of candied oranges, chocolate chips, and crumbled pistachios, offering a creamy, fruity, and crunchy combination in every bite.
Ingredients:
Ricotta cheese, candied oranges, chocolate chips, pistachios, Italian balsamic vinegar, and optional sugar.
How to make it:
Mix the ricotta and sugar, add the candied oranges, chocolate chips, and chopped pistachios. Chill and serve into glasses with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar.
Enjoy it as: a healthy evening Summer dessert.
5. Crunchy Ice Cream Sandwiches
These ice cream sandwiches use graham crackers or your favorite cookies as the base, filled with refreshing strawberry ice cream, and dipped in dark chocolate and pistachios for an added crunch.
Ingredients:
Graham crackers or digestive biscuits, strawberry ice cream, dark chocolate, chopped pistachios.
How to make it:
Assemble the ice cream sandwiches by placing a scoop of strawberry ice cream between two graham crackers. Dip the edges in melted dark chocolate and roll in chopped pistachios. Freeze to set before serving.
Enjoy it as: a playful, frozen dessert perfect for hot summer days or a casual evening treat.
6. Candied Caramel Panna Cotta
This creamy panna cotta is infused with rich caramel flavor, topped with candied oranges and toasted walnuts for a delightful contrast of textures and a hint of sweetness.
Ingredients:
Heavy cream, sugar, butter, cream, gelatin sheets, walnuts, candied oranges.
How to make it:
Make a caramel sauce with sugar, cream and butter. Let it cool and add a few tablespoons to your heavy cream in a pot over medium heat. Put the gelatin in water, and then add it to the pot with the heavy cream. Combine until it starts thickening. Pour into molds and refrigerate for at least 6 hours. Toast your walnuts, and mix them with your candied oranges into the caramel sauce. Serve them on top of your panna cotta.
Enjoy it as: a rich and sophisticated dessert for Summer dinner parties.
7. No-Bake Raspberry Tarts
These no-bake tarts feature a crunchy oat and almond butter base, topped with raspberry jam and decorated with piped yogurt, fresh mint leaves, and a drizzle of white chocolate. They’re light, flavorful, and perfect for warm summer days.
Ingredients:
Oat cookies, almond butter, raspberry jam, yogurt, mint leaves, white chocolate.
How to make it:
Press oat cookies mixed with almond butter into tart pans to form the base. Top with raspberry jam, pipe yogurt on top, and garnish with mint leaves. Drizzle white chocolate for a sweet finish. Chill in the fridge until ready to serve.
Enjoy it as: a healthy yet indulgent Summer dessert for the weekend or picnics.
8. Chocolate Mousse with Cherries
Rich and creamy chocolate mousse is topped with crunchy chopped almonds and fresh cherries, making this a decadent yet refreshing dessert to enjoy after a summer meal.
Ingredients:
Dark chocolate, heavy cream, almonds, fresh cherries.
How to make it:
Whip heavy cream until stiff peaks form and gently fold in melted dark chocolate. Spoon into serving glasses and chill. Before serving, top with chopped almonds and fresh cherries.
Enjoy it as: a luxurious dessert perfect for dinner parties or an evening treat.
9. Mixed Italian Fruit Sorbet
This colorful sorbet combines the freshest summer fruits, with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar and a touch of mint for an unexpected but delightful twist on a classic frozen treat.
Ingredients:
Mixed fresh fruits, balsamic vinegar, fresh mint leaves.
How to make it:
Blend the fresh fruits to create a sorbet texture and freeze in stainless steel or silicone container. Every 30 minutes take out the container and use a fork to break the crystals. Repeat three more times. Before serving, drizzle with balsamic vinegar and garnish with mint leaves.
Enjoy it as: a cool and tangy treat for hot summer days.
10. Summer Charlotte Cake
This elegant dessert features ladyfingers arranged around the exterior, filled with light and fluffy strawberry mousse, and topped with fresh strawberries for a stunning summer dessert.
Ingredients:
Ladyfingers, strawberry mousse, fresh strawberries.
How to make it:
Arrange ladyfingers vertically around the sides of a springform pan, fill with strawberry mousse, and refrigerate to set. Top with fresh strawberries and powdered sugar before serving.
Enjoy it as: an easy showstopper dessert for special occasions or a summer birthday celebration.
11. Summer Bignè (Profiterole Shells)
These airy profiteroles are filled with a luscious cream cheese and hazelnut filling, drizzled with dark chocolate and topped with crushed hazelnuts, offering a perfect combination of textures and flavors.
Ingredients:
Profiterole shells, cream cheese, hazelnut cream or butter, dark chocolate, hazelnuts.
How to make it:
Fill profiterole shells with a mixture of cream cheese and hazelnut cream, drizzle with melted dark chocolate, and sprinkle with crushed hazelnuts. Refrigerate before serving for a chilled treat.
Enjoy it as: an elegant dessert for a dinner party or as a cold weekend treat.
12. Pistachio & Blueberries Cheesecake
This creamy pistachio cheesecake is topped with fresh blueberries and a drizzle of blueberry jam, finished off with a sprinkle of crushed pistachios. It’s a simple yet elegant dessert that’s perfect for summer gatherings.
Ingredients:
Cream cheese, pistachio paste, blueberries, blueberry jam, crushed pistachios, sugar, biscuit base.
How to make it:
Crush the biscuits and press into the bottom of your serving dish. Top the with a layer of blueberry jam. Mix cream cheese with pistachio paste and sugar until smooth, then pour the mixture over the base and refrigerate until set. Once firm, top with fresh blueberries, and sprinkle with crushed pistachios for added crunch and aesthetic.
Enjoy it as: a refreshing dessert for summer evenings or a special occasion treat.
13. Bellini Glasses with Limoncello Custard
Delicate limoncello custard is chilled in tall Bellini glasses and served with a sponge cookie, creating a light, citrusy dessert that’s perfect for summer.
Ingredients:
Limoncello, milk, eggs, sugar, sponge cookies.
How to make it:
Prepare a custard with limoncello, sugar, milk, and eggs, then chill it in Bellini glasses. Serve with grated lemon zest and a sponge cookie for an added texture.
Enjoy it as: a refreshing dessert for brunch or add it to your Summer dinner party desserts.
14. Biscuits & Zabaione Parfait
This Italian classic features layers of dry biscuits soaked in creamy homemade zabaione custard, finished off with grated dark chocolate for a rich and indulgent treat.
Ingredients:
Dry biscuits, zabaione (egg yolks, sugar, Marsala wine), dark chocolate.
How to make it:
Arrange two or three layers of dry biscuits and zabaione in a glass or ceramic dish, starting and ending with the zabaione. Top with grated dark chocolate and chill before serving.
Enjoy it as: a comforting dessert for family gatherings.
15. Italian Mascarpone Parfait
This creamy mascarpone parfait is layered with crunchy pieces of ladyfingers, tangy raspberries, and a hint of citrus from chopped oranges, offering a refreshing balance of flavors.
Ingredients:
Mascarpone cheese, ladyfingers, raspberries, oranges, sugar.
How to make it:
Layer mascarpone cheese mixed with sugar in glasses, followed by pieces of ladyfingers, fresh raspberries, and chopped oranges. Repeat one more time and and chill to set.
Enjoy it as: a light and satisfying dessert for a weeknight treat.
16. Cold Sicilian Tartufo
This delightful dessert features choux pastry shells filled with a creamy, whipped mixture and dipped in cocoa-flavored sponge cake, making for a rich, indulgent treat with a hint of Sicilian flair.
Ingredients:
Choux pastry, whipped cream, cocoa powder, sponge cake, sugar.
How to make it:
Fill choux pastry shells with whipped cream, then dip them into cocoa powder mixed with crumbled sponge cake. Chill until firm and serve cold.
Enjoy it as: a special dessert for Summer family gatherings.
17. Mulberries & Almond Granita
A refreshing granita made with mulberries and almond, offering a light, icy texture with a slightly nutty flavor—perfect for cooling off on a hot summer day.
Ingredients:
Mulberries, almonds, sugar, water.
How to make it:
Blend mulberries, almonds, and sugar with water, then freeze and scrape the mixture every few hours to create a refreshing, icy texture.
Enjoy it as: a cooling treat after a summer lunch or a light evening dessert to enjoy outdoors.
18. Millefoglie with Coffee Custard
Layers of crispy puff pastry are stacked with cold and rich, coffee-flavored custard and dusted with powdered sugar, creating a light yet decadent dessert that’s perfect for coffee lovers.
Ingredients:
Puff pastry, milk, sugar, eggs, coffee, powdered sugar.
How to make it:
Make your coffee flavoured custard with milk, sugar, eggs and coffee. Use store bought puff pastry, cut into 3 to 9 slices and layer it onto baking paper. Top each slice with pie weights or dry beans. Bake for 15 minutes maximum. Cool and chill the coffee custard. Layer each slice of puff pastry with a smooth coffee custard. Dust with powdered sugar and serve chilled.
PS: To avoid turning on your oven you can replace the puff pastry with profiterole shells, store bought sponge cake, or Graham crackers.
Enjoy it as: an elegant dessert for afternoon tea or a sophisticated finish to a dinner party.
19. Tiramisu Yogurt Cups
This twist on the classic tiramisu features creamy yogurt layered with espresso-soaked ladyfingers, offering a lighter and tangier version of the beloved Italian dessert.
Ingredients:
Yogurt, ladyfingers, espresso, cocoa powder, sugar.
How to make it:
Mix yogurt and sugar. Layer espresso-soaked ladyfingers with the yogurt mix, repeat one more time, and dush with cocoa powder. Refrigerate to set and enjoy a lighter version of tiramisu.
Enjoy it as: a quick and easy dessert for a weeknight or a healthy afternoon treat.
20. Italian Gelato Waffle Cones
Crisp waffle cones are filled with a blend of pistachio cream and raspberry ice cream, creating a refreshing and indulgent treat that’s perfect for hot summer days.
Ingredients:
Waffle cones, pistachio cream, vanilla & raspberries ice cream, pistachios, dried raspberries.
How to make it:
Drizzle pistachio cream on the inner sides of your waffle cones and sprinkle crumbled pistachios. Fill with vanilla & raspberries ice cream, or strawberries, or amarena cherries. Drizzle with more pistachio cream and top with dried raspberries.
Enjoy it as: a fun dessert for summer picnics or a sweet treat for ice cream lovers.
21. Chilled Sicilian Cannoli
Crispy cannoli shells are filled with sweet, creamy ricotta cheese and chilled to perfection. This iconic Italian dessert is ideal for enjoying on a warm day, offering a perfect balance of crispy and creamy textures.
Ingredients:
Cannoli shells, ricotta cheese, powdered sugar, chocolate chips, candied fruit.
How to make it:
Fill the cannoli shells with a mixture of sweetened ricotta cheese and candied fruit. Sprinkle the sides with chocolate chips. Top with powdered sugar and chill until ready to serve.
Enjoy it as: a traditional dessert for family gatherings or a special treat at an Italian-themed Summer party.
22. Semifreddo with Amarena Cherries
This semifreddo is a frozen gelato dessert Italians love to enjoy throughout the warm months at home or in authentic restaurants. You must try it!
Ingredients:
Vanilla and amarena cherries gelato, dark chocolate, almonds, fresh cherries, balsamic vinegar, cookies.
How to make it:
Chop the cherries and caramelize in a pan with balsamic vinegar. Let them cool and mix them into the gelato. Fill your ice cream container with the gelato and cherries and freeze until serving time. Serve with drizzled dark chocolate, chopped almonds and crumbled cookies.
Enjoy it as: a festive dessert for special occasions or an elegant end to a Summer dinner party.
23. Frozen Italian Amaro Yogurt Balls
These frozen yogurt balls are coated in chocolate and almond crumble, filled with caramelized apricots soaked in Amaro liqueur, offering a unique and indulgent dessert experience.
Ingredients:
Greek yogurt, apricots, Amaro liqueur, chocolate, almonds, cantucci cookies.
How to make it:
Chop fresh apricots, mix them into your yogurt, and add some Amaro liqueur. Mix well and pour into spherical silicone molds. Freeze overnight or for half a day. Dip each yogurt ball into melted chocolate, and then into a mix of chopped almonds and cantucci biscuits. Freeze again until serving time.
Enjoy it as: a decadent dessert for dinner parties or a special treat to enjoy after your dinner.
More Italian Summer Recipes
There you have it—23 irresistible Italian summer desserts, each one offering a delightful mix of refreshing, easy-to-make, and authentic flavors that are perfect for staying cool in the heat. These desserts are a fantastic way to indulge without turning on the oven, making them great for any summer occasion.
If you loved these summer treats, be sure to check out these 25 Irresistible Italian Sandwich Recipes and 25 Italian Pasta Salad Recipe Ideas, both perfect for your sunny days.
Thanks for reading! Please leave a heart and share this post with a friend before you go.
Buon Estate,
Alessia
