30 Easy Summer Desserts

Satisfy your sweet tooth with these easy summer desserts! They include fuss-free ice cream recipes, no-bake treats, fruit pies, crisps, and more.

Bring on the summer desserts! I don’t know about you, but I’m ready for frozen treats like ice cream and popsicles. I’m ready for no-bake sweets that hit the spot on days when it’s too hot to use the oven. And I’m especially ready for summer desserts that showcase the season’s best fruit. Cherry pie? Peach crisp? Blueberry cobbler? Yes, please! You’ll find 30 of my favorite easy summer desserts below. Some are perfect for packing up for picnics. Others are designed to help you cool off on hot days, and still others are celebration-worthy centerpieces like pies, cakes, and tarts. I love…

TO THE RECIPE >>>>

Strawberry Shortcake

This strawberry shortcake recipe is a classic, delicious summer dessert! Tender biscuits are filled with juicy strawberries and airy whipped cream.

summer

This strawberry shortcake recipe is one of my favorite ways to enjoy summer strawberries. Tender biscuits surround the sweet, juicy berries and billowy whipped cream. The combination is rustic, simple, and only lightly sweet, putting the berries front and center. I’d rank it up there as one of my favorite summer desserts…if not favorite desserts, period. When I was growing up, my family made strawberry shortcake every summer, using store-bought cake. It wasn’t until years later that I realized classic shortcake biscuits are easy to make from scratch—there’s no need to get store-bought! Seriously, you can make these biscuits with…

TO THE RECIPE >>>>

Antipasto Platter

This antipasto platter recipe is a crowd-pleasing party appetizer! It's loaded with flavorful Italian ingredients like cheeses, olives, and fresh veggies.

Let’s make an antipasto platter! This Italian appetizer spread is one of my favorite things to serve when I’m hosting family and friends. Everyone (kids included!) loves trying the different snacks and bites on the board—cheeses, veggies, olives, nuts, and more. Often, folks enjoy grazing so much that there’s no need to serve a larger meal. As a host, I think an antipasto platter is the ideal party food. I can use a mix of store-bought and homemade components, and I can prep all the homemade ones in advance. When guests arrive, I just assemble the platter and serve. I’m sharing my…

TO THE RECIPE >>>>

Marinated Mozzarella Balls

These marinated mozzarella balls are a quick and easy party appetizer! Coated in olive oil, lemon, garlic, and herbs, they're full of rich flavor.

These marinated mozzarella balls are quickly becoming a family favorite snack. I love them because they’re the perfect last-minute appetizer for gatherings—flavorful, elegant, and SO easy to throw together. Jack and Ollie love them…well…because they love anything with cheese. The recipe is super simple. I marinate mini fresh mozzarella balls in olive oil with herbs, garlic, lemon zest, and red pepper flakes. The bright, savory flavor of the fresh garlic, lemon, and herbs saturates the oil, which in turn soaks into the chewy balls of cheese. I hope these marinated mozzarella balls become your go-to appetizer for parties and gatherings,…

TO THE RECIPE >>>>

Marinated Gigante Beans

These marinated gigante beans are a delicious appetizer or lunch! Olive oil, sun-dried tomatoes, lemon, garlic, and herbs infuse them with savory flavor.

This marinated gigante beans recipe is an easy, delicious kitchen staple. A flavorful blend of olive oil, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, lemon zest, and parsley coats the big, creamy white beans. They’re rich, tangy, and intensely savory. Try them once, and you’ll make them on repeat for picnics, appetizer platters, and protein-packed lunches. Before I developed this recipe, I regularly bought marinated gigante beans from the olive bar at my grocery store. I loved the taste, but I was always disappointed by their mushy texture. These homemade marinated gigante beans solve that problem. Made with good-quality canned beans or dried beans…

TO THE RECIPE >>>>

45 Easy Summer Dinner Ideas

Tired of the same old recipe rotation? Change things up with these easy summer dinner ideas! They include grilling recipes, quick pastas, and more.

favorites

If you’re looking for new summer dinner ideas, you’re in the right place! Below, you’ll find 45 of my best summer dinner recipes. They include easy weeknight pastas, fresh summer salads, quick grilled meals, and more. These recipes are the meals I make on repeat throughout the summer. I love them because they’re packed with the best produce the season has to offer—tomatoes, sweet corn, peppers, basil, and more. Using these fresh ingredients is a simple way to add bold flavor to summer meals. I’ll be cooking with them as often as I can this season, and I hope you…

TO THE RECIPE >>>>

Easy Pasta Salad

This fresh, easy pasta salad recipe comes together in under 30 minutes! Tossed in a tangy vinaigrette and filled with veggies, it's a cookout hit.

summer / salads

Today’s recipe is a picnic-perfect pasta salad! Every cookout needs a great pasta salad, and this is the one that I make all summer long. It comes together in no time, it’s full of fresh ingredients, and it packs a flavorful punch. I took extra care to make sure that this recipe is not just easy, but also easy to make in advance… because I totally get that you don’t want to be futzing with your pasta salad when you could be spending time outside with your friends. Note: If you do decide to make this salad in advance, toss…

TO THE RECIPE >>>>

Best Broccoli Salad

This broccoli salad recipe is a delicious cookout side dish! It features fresh broccoli, dried cranberries, and toasted nuts and seeds in a creamy dressing.

summer / salads

This broccoli salad recipe is one of my favorite side dishes. A creamy, tangy homemade dressing coats crisp broccoli florets, chewy dried cranberries, sharp red onion, and smoky roasted almonds and sunflower seeds. It’s my lighter spin on classic Midwest broccoli salad, and though you won’t find any cheese or bacon here, it’s every bit as delicious. Even salad skeptics love it. This broccoli salad recipe is easy to make, and even better, make ahead. A few hours or a day in the fridge gives the broccoli a chance to soften and soak up the dressing’s punchy flavor. Pack it…

TO THE RECIPE >>>>

Cowboy Caviar

This cowboy caviar recipe is a delicious party dip! It's easy to make with black-eyed peas, fresh veggies and a zesty dressing. Great for making ahead!

summer / appetizers

This cowboy caviar recipe is a perfect make-ahead dip for potlucks and parties! Easy to mix up in minutes, it’s a delicious combination of black-eyed peas, black beans, and fresh veggies in a zesty vinaigrette. I especially love it in summer—scooped up with crisp tortilla chips, the tangy, juicy dip is so refreshing on a hot day. Cowboy Caviar Ingredients Here’s what you’ll need to make this easy cowboy caviar recipe: Black beans and black-eyed peas – They make up the base of this hearty dip. Corn – If fresh corn is in season, slice the kernels straight off the…

TO THE RECIPE >>>>

Easy Coleslaw Recipe

Meet my best coleslaw recipe! Made with colorful cabbage and a creamy homemade dressing, it's a perfect side dish for picnics and BBQs.

summer / side dishes

This easy coleslaw recipe is great for just about any occasion—a weeknight dinner, a summer BBQ, or a fun picnic lunch. Shredded cabbage and carrots create its colorful base, and a homemade coleslaw dressing ties the whole thing together. Crunchy, creamy, tangy, and lightly sweet, it’s one of my favorite quick side dishes. I’ve made it for countless cookouts over the last 6 years, and this creamy coleslaw recipe is always a hit! Coleslaw Recipe Ingredients You only need a few basic ingredients to make this homemade coleslaw recipe! Green and red cabbage – They create the slaw’s crunchy base.…

TO THE RECIPE >>>>

Air Fryer Chickpeas

Love oven roasted chickpeas? These air fryer chickpeas are even better! They're super crispy, flavorful, and easy to make. A delicious healthy snack!

Air fryer chickpeas! If you love oven roasted chickpeas, get ready: these air fryer chickpeas are even better. I’ve been making them on repeat lately. Here’s why: They’re ready in 15 minutes. Roasting chickpeas in the air fryer is about twice as fast as making roasted chickpeas in the oven. Bonus: the air fryer preheats in no time! They’re INSANELY crunchy. Expect to eat a few (erm…half) straight from the air fryer basket. They’re irresistible! I love sprinkling these crispy chickpeas over salads and grain bowls. Filled with fiber and plant-based protein, they’re also a delicious healthy snack! Season them simply with…

TO THE RECIPE >>>>

Welcome to Love & Lemons!