Too hot to turn on the oven? From tiramisu to banana pudding, all of these no-bake treats will keep you cool, no matter how high the temperature rises.
This fun twist on tiramisu — from one of my all-time favorite cookbooks, Nigella Express by Nigella Lawson — is a dinner party regular at my house. With layers of espresso-soaked lady fingers and light mascarpone cream, you’ll be surprised how easy it is to make. GET THE RECIPE
This ice cream has all the bright lime flavor of key lime pie — even the crunchy, buttery graham cracker crust — and it’s a cinch to make. There’s no temperamental custard base to make and chill, no ice cream machine to fiddle with, and no pulling the ice cream out of the freezer every 30 minutes to beat out the crystals. GET THE RECIPE
This summery recipe comes from Gina Homolka’s bestselling cookbook, Skinnytaste Fast & Slow (Clarkson Potter, 2016). She writes: “I love bringing a big bowl of these juicy berries to a backyard gathering, especially in the summer when berries are at their peak. This easy dessert doesn’t require any cooking, and is always a crowd-pleaser…My trick to making the homemade whipped cream with less fat is folding in some Greek yogurt, which also adds a slight tang that’s quite delicious with the berries.” GET THE RECIPE
This chocolate and peanut butter icebox cake is easy to make and doesn’t even require an oven. You simply layer store-bought chocolate wafers with peanut butter-flavored whipped cream in a loaf pan, and then chill the dessert overnight. In the fridge, the cookies soften and meld with the cream, creating a dessert that resembles a fancy layered mousse cake. Can’t beat that! GET THE RECIPE
This fro-yo, modestly adapted from David Lebovitz’s The Perfect Scoop, bears no resemblance to store-bought frozen yogurt or the imitation ice cream served at most yogurt shops. Instead, it tastes intensely of fresh strawberries. My eight-year-old daughter tried said it best: “It tastes very strawberry-y.” GET THE RECIPE
Berry trifles are wonderful summer desserts — not only are they gorgeous, they feed a crowd and you can make them ahead of time. The only drawback is that, with all their layers, they can be time-consuming to make from scratch. I save time by using high quality store-bought ingredients, like crisp Savoiardi biscuits (aka ladyfingers), cream cheese, and raspberry jam. The result is a dazzling, delicious trifle can be made in 30 minutes. GET THE RECIPE
Banana Pudding is an old-fashioned Southern dessert traditionally made with layers of Nilla wafers, vanilla pudding and sliced bananas. Depending on who’s making it, it’s either topped with baked meringue, sweetened whipped cream or cookies. This version bucks tradition a bit, but still tastes wonderfully nostalgic and delicious. GET THE RECIPE