14 Must-Make Desserts for Summer

Living in Oregon for the past eight years has really spoiled me. Going berry picking during the summer is an absolute MUST for our survival all year long. We pick buckets and buckets of berries, which we turn into jam or freeze for later use in smoothies, on top of pancakes and yogurt, or just to munch on.

When we go berry picking, we get the freshest of the fresh berries, and their taste is absolutely indescribable. It makes me smile when I see my girls munching on the berries as they fill up their buckets, and I’m always inclined to just keep my mouth shut because there’s no way I’m going to stop them from eating all the fruit they want!

PS: Remind me to tell you about the time my husband and I started canning fresh peaches at 11:30 at night... that was an adventure!

With all the fresh summer fruit around, there are countless ways to bask in their glory. I’m talking about pies, cobblers, ice cream, muffins, and even fresh salads! I want it ALL, but sadly, I don’t have a million hours to make it all!

That’s why I’ve narrowed it down to 14 recipes. Not all of them are made with summer fruit, but they all just feel summery and are perfect for backyard parties, afternoon snack breaks, and post-dinner nibbles as the sun goes down.

I can’t even begin to tell you the agony I went through to trim down the giant list I originally had, because every recipe seemed to make my heart sing.