14 delicious summer dessert ideas

Strawberry meringue roulade

Gorgeously gooey meringue with a rich and creamy strawberry filling, surely this is the epitome of British summer?

Recipe: strawberry meringue roulade

Summer pudding

Summer pudding is a classic dessert and it’s extremely easy to throw together, as long as you plan in advance and allow it all to soak overnight.

Recipe: summer pudding

Passion fruit pavlova

Phil Vickery’s decadent pavlova is topped with a good dollop of whipped double cream folded with zinging passion fruit and lemon zest. Yum!

Recipe: passion fruit pavlova

Gooseberry custard tart

These gorgeous little gooseberry tarts from Nathan Outlaw make charming desserts and really make the most of the British gooseberry season.

Recipe: gooseberry custard tarts

White chocolate and raspberry cheesecake

Queen of Baking Mary Berry’s rich and indulgent white chocolate cheesecake is topped with a stack of sweet, fresh raspberries.

Recipe: white chocolate and raspberry cheesecake

Coconut and almond crème caramel

A crème caramel is a delicious treat at any time of year, but switching cream for coconut milk gives this recipe an added summery flavour. Plus it’s suitable for vegans or those with a dairy allergy, making it a great dessert for a crowd with different dietary requirements.

Recipe: coconut and almond crème caramel

White chocolate and raspberry marquise

Eric Lanlard’s recipe for a showstopping white chocolate marquise is easier than it looks. Layers of chilled sponge, fruit and cream are surrounded by white chocolate cigarillos. If you struggle to find cigarillos you could use white chocolate biscuit fingers instead.

Recipe: white chocolate and raspberry marquise

Syrup for summer fruit salad

If piles of cream aren’t your thing thing you could try serving summer fruit with a simple flavoured syrup. Diana Henry suggests pairing mint or basil with berries and coriander with melon.

Recipe: syrup for summer fruit salad

Strawberry shortcakes

Sweet crunchy biscuits, thick whipped cream and fresh summer strawberries make this a classic simple summer pud.

Recipe: strawberry shortcakes

Strawberry, lemon and ricotta tart

Sweet strawberries and tart lemon make up the flavour of this beautiful summer tart.

Recipe: strawberry, lemon and ricotta tart

Buñuelos with raspberry purée

These mouth-watering wafer of deep-fried dough are a popular street food in Mexico. They’re excellent with a fresh raspberry sauce in this recipe from Wahaca’s Thomasina Miers.

Recipe: buñuelos with raspberry purée

Blueberry clafoutis

This French dessert is a bit like a sweet Yorkshire pudding that’s bursting with fresh, summery blueberries.

Recipe: blueberry clafoutis

Gooseberry Eton mess

Don’t limit yourself to only serving up Eton mess with strawberries, try this version made with plump British gooseberries.

Recipe: gooseberry Eton mess

Chocolate raspberry puddings

For the chocoholics out there these lovely little individual puds are made with fresh raspberries and served with ice cream.

Recipe: chocolate and raspberry puddings

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