By Lisa Esile, MS Last Updated:
Fruit never tastes as sweet as it does in the dog days of summer. Packed with fresh produce, these chilled and frozen vegan dessert recipes are refreshing, delicious, and guilt-free. As an added bonus, many of these tasty treats are quick to make and also work well as snacks.
To read more about the benefits of fruit, check out Why You Should Have a Fruit-Filled Summer.
Mint and Blueberry Nice Cream
Fresh mint adds a refreshing boost of flavor to this vibrant and creamy blueberry-banana nice cream. Serve as a dessert or snack: It’s so healthy, you can eat it anytime of the day!
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Strawberry Nice Cream Sundaes
Looking for an upscale twist on strawberry nice cream? Add a simple strawberry-apple compote and a sprinkle of freshly roasted almond slithers for a cool and creamy dessert that’s guaranteed to turn heads.
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Vegan Peaches and Cream Ice Pops
These peachy pops will cool you down when the weather gets hot. Plant-based milk and vanilla join forces to create a “cream” flavor, which perfectly complements the fresh fruit in these frosty treats. If you want to add extra excitement to this dessert, add some fresh berries into the mix to really make the most of tasty summer produce.
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Watermelon-Kiwi Ice Pops
These cute fruit pops are made from just two ingredients—kiwi and watermelon—both of which taste absolutely amazing frozen: Kiwi has a tart, refreshing bite while watermelon lends a relaxed, sweetness. These are so good you’ll want to eat them daily!
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The Best Vegan Strawberries and Cream
We’ve put a plant-based spin on this classic summer dessert so you can enjoy all the traditional flavors of strawberries and cream without refined sugar or animal products. Silken tofu is the secret ingredient behind the decadent cream sauce that gets a boost of natural sweetness from dates and vanilla extract. Add a pinch of ground cardamom to really enhance the flavors of the fresh fruit!
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Tricolor Nice Cream Cupcakes
It’s hard to believe this stunning melt-in-your-mouth dessert has just three ingredients. Layers of frozen banana, mango, and berries are instantly refreshing and look great on the plate; just blend the fruit and layer into cupcake molds, allowing six hours for them to set in the freezer. Note: This recipe calls for frozen mango and frozen berries.
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Loaded Strawberry Ice Pops
Need a pick-me-up with pizzazz? These knock-out pops are jammed with thinly sliced fruit in a lightly sweetened plant-milk base. They taste incredible and look amazing—like a stained glass window on a stick! Note: These are banana-free and sweetened with maple syrup.
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Mixed Fruit Tartlets with Raw Date and Nut Crust
Beat the heat with no-bake fruit tartlets that take advantage of the season’s best produce. The raw oat and nut crust is delightfully chewy and can easily be rolled into energy bites if you have extra. Banana slices line the bottom of these mini pies and are topped with a blended berry mixture and fresh orange slices. What could be better?
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Cherry-Almond Nice Cream
It only takes a little almond extract to transform frozen banana and cherries into a heavenly plant-based Amarena gelato—not exactly as the Italian chefs intended, but we think they’d be impressed!
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Pistachio-Orange Stuffed Dates
Enjoy this Mediterranean-inspired dessert when you’re short on time but don’t want to skimp on taste. Caramel-like dates are stuffed with a variety of chopped nuts and orange zest to create the perfect interplay between sweet, salty, and citrusy flavors. If you happen to have rose water on hand, sprinkle a few drops on each date to add extra dimension to this delectable dessert.
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Caramelized Pineapple Nice Cream
In this gourmet fruit ice cream (aka nice cream), caramelized pineapple chunks are blended with frozen bananas for an icy snack or dessert adored by children and adults alike. Note: You can use fresh or frozen pineapple.
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Chocolate-Strawberry Vegan Whoopie Pies
Make the most of strawberry season with this summer dessert that’s a grown-up version of a childhood classic. An irresistible strawberry cashew cream is sandwiched between rich chocolate cookies and rolled in freeze-dried strawberries for extra fruity goodness. This is the perfect recipe for when you’re craving a few bites of sweetness after a satisfying meal.
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Grilled Peaches with Basil-Peach Nice Cream
Your taste buds won’t know what hit them with this top-shelf summer dessert that’s easy enough to make for just the family but will wow guests, too. Just grill a few choice peaches until candy-sweet, and serve with a simple basil-infused peach nice cream.
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Vegan Key Lime Pie
This gorgeous pie will transport your taste buds straight to the Florida Keys with the zippy lime filling and tender almond butter–infused crust. Using only nine ingredients, this delightful dessert makes a show-stopping centerpiece for a BBQ or summer dinner party. Top each slice with a dollop of Aquafaba Whipped Cream and you’re in for a major treat!
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Orange-Plum-Rosemary Ice Pops
Subtly infused with rosemary, these gourmet ice pops are bursting with whole fruit.
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Blueberry Tartlets
Adorable and delicious, these blueberry tartlets are the perfect single-serving dessert when you’re feeding a crowd. The creamy cashew-based filling is blended with pears and maple syrup for a naturally sweet flavor that pairs pleasantly with the saucy blueberry topping. The ingredient that sends this treat over the top? Dried lavender flowers! The subtle floral notes meld beautifully with the berries for a floral, fruity flavor that will have you reaching for a second serving.
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Peanut Butter-Marble Pudding
You can’t go wrong with chocolate and peanut butter. Though this recipe requires around four hours of chill time, it requires only 20 minutes of active prep—so you can chill, too.
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Southern-Style Banana Pudding Parfaits
Perfect for both breakfast and dessert, these mouthwatering parfaits have it all: layers of creamy vanilla pudding, sliced fresh bananas, crunchy cinnamon-infused oats, and an indulgent cashew cream topping. Make sure you arrange this summer dessert in clear glasses so you can admire all the beautiful layers before you dig in!
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Jeweled Avocado-Chocolate Pudding
The classic chocolate-orange flavor pairing wins again in this velvety, cool dessert, while avocado and banana offer a sweet and creamy base.
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Mango-Lime Tart
One of our most popular dessert recipes of all time, this no-bake treat is worthy of a fancy dinner party. The luscious mango filling is tart and refreshing, while the oat and nut base brings a nostalgic graham cracker–like flavor to the crust. Top everything with fresh fruit, mint leaves, and a sprinkling of coconut flakes for an eye-catching treat that will leave everyone licking their plate.
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Butternut-Pecan Nice Cream
Bold in color and flavor, this butternut squash and roasted pecan nice cream is a dreamy dance of nutty, sweet, and earthy flavors.
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Mini Peach Tarts
When peach season is in full swing this is a must-make summer dessert. Sweet potato thickens the peach filling and adds a subtle earthy flavor to the fruit that’s cradled by a tender, flaky crust. Slices of fresh peaches and refreshing mint leaves create a beautiful garnish so they look just as wonderful as they taste.
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Strawberry-Lemonade Nice Cream
Using both the pulp and zest of a lemon adds delectable lemonade flavor to this creamy strawberry nice cream. Pro tip: Make sure to use frozen strawberries that are sliced or halved so your food processor or blender can easily munch them up—large strawberries can be tricky!
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Chia Pudding with Strawberries
Looking for a light summer dessert that’s packed with nutrients and will keep you cool on warm nights? This simple chia pudding does the trick. Absorbent chia seeds soak up creamy almond milk that’s flavored with cinnamon, vanilla, and maple syrup. Fresh strawberries add fruity flair and bring seasonal scrumptiousness to every bite.
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Watermelon-Basil Ice
All this dessert consists of is ripe watermelon, fresh basil, and a twist of lemon, yet this wholesome fruit sorbet offers a cool daytime treat, or a nice palate cleanser after a hearty meal. Make it the crowning jewel on your Fourth of July menu!
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Sweet Fig Flatbreads
Serve up this sweet flatbread at the end of a good meal and be prepared for the barrage of “oohs” and “aahs” from everyone present. The tender crust is slathered with a creamy vanilla-orange spread and topped with fresh sliced figs. The subtly sweet fruit brings a Mediterranean vibe to the recipe, and a light drizzle of maple syrup rounds out the refreshing flavor profile.
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Cinnamon-Banana Nice Cream with Fruit Compote
In this scrumptious frozen dessert, a citrusy apple and pear compote cascades over cinnamon-infused banana nice cream. Sprinkle with oil-free granola and dig in.
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Date-Sweetened Chocolate Panna Cotta
This vegan panna cotta is a great summer dessert to make when you’re craving the classic combo of chocolate and fruit. The cocoa flavor is given an extra boost from caramel-like dates and vanilla extract, which pairs deliciously with fresh raspberries. Feel free to swap out any other berries you prefer for the topping, and sprinkle with extra cocoa powder for a restaurant-quality treat!
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Ginger and Blueberry Balsamic Glaze
Jazz up a bowl of fresh fruit salad with this simple 10-minute balsamic-blueberry glaze. The glaze will keep in the refrigerator for three months—although, given how yummy it is, you’ll likely use it up a lot sooner than that!
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Patriotic Fruit Pops
Made with blueberry, strawberry, and banana, these sugar-free fruit pops are a fun snack or dessert, perfect for Independence Day festivities. Pro tip: Make sure you leave each layer to set for 20 minutes to ensure colors don’t bleed between layers.
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Berry-Swirled Corn Ice Pops
The star ingredient in these jazzy pops is fresh sweet corn, which gets blended with almond milk, maple syrup, and vanilla then added to a zesty, partially frozen layer of lime-infused blackberry. The attractive tie-dyed look comes from lightly swirling the layers.
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Strawberry Chocolate Ice Cream Cupcakes
Ice cream cake in bite-size form: This chilled, chocolatey, creamy dessert hits the spot when you’re craving a little something sweet, and it’s great for entertaining.
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Vegan Peach Ice Cream
Showcasing the drip-down-your-chin deliciousness of in-season peaches, this creamy nice cream is great for when you have an oversupply of peaches, ripening faster than you can eat them. Note: You can also use store-bought frozen peaches.