When I hit the summer farmers market, I only have one thing on my mind: berries. Fragrant strawberries, plump blueberries, juicy blackberries and tart raspberries are my favorite spoils of the season, and they all happen to lend themselves beautifully to sweets. From a ridiculously simple galette to Insta-worthy whoopie pies, here are 61 berry desserts to make while they’re at peak deliciousness.
61 Berry Desserts to Bake Before Summer’s Up
Cobbler and trifle and pie, oh my
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Published Jul 31, 2024
Mark Weinberg/Liz Andrew/Erin McDowell
1. Easiest-Ever Blueberry Biscuit Cobbler
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 15 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, one pan, special occasion-worthy
"While I encourage you to make this berry dessert with homemade biscuits, [since] they’re infused with lemon zest and have an impossibly fluffy texture," explains PureWow senior food editor Katherine Gillen, "you can take a shortcut with store-bought biscuit dough." Your secret is safe with me.
- Time Commitment: 1 hour
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, make ahead, <10 ingredients
As if buttery, sweet-tart lemon bars weren’t flawless enough. "The secret isn’t food dye, but raspberry puree, which tames the tart citrus flavor and adds a berry hue," Gillen explains. "The filling is thickened with flour instead of cornstarch, which means it’s guaranteed to set and won’t become weepy over time."
3. Strawberry Upside-Down Cake
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, make ahead, special occasion-worthy
"As it bakes, the berries form a sweet, caramelized layer," Gillen raves. In other words, it basically "frosts" itself. Simply invert the cake onto a platter and…you’re done.
4. Lemon-Raspberry Whoopie Pies
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 5 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, make ahead, kid-friendly
Aren't they lovely? Soft lemon cakes meet delicate raspberry-infused cream and fresh fruit for an easily transportable berry dessert that will change how you picnic forever.
5. Strawberry Pie with Strawberry Crust
- Time Commitment: 2 hours and 45 minutes
- Why I Love It: special occasion-worthy, make ahead, crowd-pleaser
Food coloring? I don’t know her. Instead, the crust gets its vibrant pink hue from freeze-dried strawberries, which you can find at most grocery stores (including Trader Joe's).
- Time Commitment: 25 minutes
- Why I Love It: <30 minutes, beginner-friendly, crowd-pleaser
Despite its fancy appearance, this sweet-tart berry dessert is a breeze to put together. The chocolate layer is similar to mousse, but it’s nothing but melted chocolate folded into whipped cream.
7. Blackberry Plum Upside-Down Cake
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, make ahead, special occasion-worthy
Two summer stars unite to create one stunning treat. A bit of whole-wheat flour offers just a touch of earthy, nutty flavor to the cake.
8. Lemon-Berry Sheet Pan Trifle
- Time Commitment: 3 hours and 45 minutes
- Why I Love It: sheet pan recipe, beginner-friendly, crowd-pleaser
We modernized this old-school British dessert by preparing it on a sheet pan instead of in a crystal-cut bowl, which will make the meringue, whipped cream and fruit way more accessible to your guests.
9. Blackberry Panna Cotta Tartlets
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, make ahead, special occasion-worthy
Panna cotta is a much simpler filling for these shortbread tarts than pastry cream, since it doesn’t require you to bust out the stand mixer. As for the crust, it takes three simple ingredients, including store-bought shortbread.
- Time Commitment: 4 hours and 15 minutes
- Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, crowd-pleaser, make ahead
What if I told you that you could make a killer pint of ice cream without a fancy ice cream maker? Here, raspberries are blended with a few pantry staples in a stand mixer instead.
11. Strawberry, Cardamom and Pistachio Pavlova Bites
- Time Commitment: 3 hours and 25 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy, <10 ingredients, gluten free
These fruity clouds of meringue are as stunning as they are easy to make. Serve them at your next dinner party to wow your guests (and to satisfy anyone who doesn't eat gluten).
12. Blueberry, Blackberry and Raspberry Soufflés
- Time Commitment: 55 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy, <10 ingredients
Leave it to baker extraordinaire Erin McDowell to create a foolproof soufflé recipe. The key is to not overmix the batter and being gentle with the treats from start to finish, so they don’t deflate.
- Time Commitment: 1 hour
- Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, make ahead, crowd-pleaser
The key to this hybrid is the brown sugar-oat streusel on top, which stands in for traditional lattice pie crust. In the words of Ina Garten, how easy is that?
14. Grilled Angel Food Cake with Blueberry Sauce
- Time Commitment: 45 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly
Move the burgers and dogs aside to make room on the grates for slabs of store-bought angel food cake. Fresh whipped cream and blueberry sauce transform it into something spectacular, so your guests won’t suspect the shortcut.
- Time Commitment: 2 hours and 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy, make ahead
Get in, we're going to Paris. These light-as-air puff pastries are not only stuffed with vanilla crème pâtissière, but they’re also bursting with fresh passionfruit pulp and raspberries.
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 40 minutes
- Why I Love It: no bake, make ahead, crowd-pleaser
Keep this simple recipe in your back pocket for any event that calls for a red, white and blue dessert. The filling is tangy and rich, thanks to a ricotta-cream cheese base.
18. Berry Galette
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 15 minutes
- Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients
Ah, the galette, or as I like to call it, the lazy baker’s pie. You won’t have to fuss over the freeform crust: Just pile the fruit in the center, fold the edges over and bake until bubbly.
19. Skillet Blueberry Cornbread
- Time Commitment: 40 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, one pan
This beauty is like a cross between cornbread, coffee cake and a blueberry muffin. The brown sugar streusel qualifies it as dessert, but feel free to have this cornbread for breakfast instead.
20. Bite-Size Almond Raspberry Spoon Cakes
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy, one bowl
All these cuties require is a whisk, a mixing bowl and a handful of pantry staples. Good luck not eating them all in one sitting, friend.
- Time Commitment: 10 minutes
- Why I Love It: <30 minutes, <10 ingredients, crowd-pleaser
When a cheesecake craving hits but you don’t have the energy to make one, turn to this ten-minute crowd-pleaser. It’s marbled with strawberry preserves, but I wouldn’t blame you for adding freshly chopped berries to the mix too.
22. Strawberry Shortcake Skewers with Whipped Cream
- Time Commitment: 1 hour
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly
Made with easy store-bought biscuits and generously brushed with honey butter. Up the summer ante by adding a toasted s’mores-style marshmallow to each shortcake.
23. Mini Strawberry Ice-Cream Pies
- Time Commitment: 40 minutes
- Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, kid-friendly, <10 ingredients
You’ve had raw strawberries and vanilla ice cream before, but just wait until you try them roasted. A stint in the oven concentrates their sweetness.
24. No-Bake Cheesecake with Raspberry Compote
- Time Commitment: 3 hours
- Why I Love It: no bake, crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly
Graham cracker crust and silky cream cheese filling don’t need any tweaking to be delicious. But once you try cheesecake crowned with a zingy raspberry topping, you might never look back.
- Time Commitment: 40 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly, make ahead
With so many blueberries piled on top, this confection is basically a fruit salad. Go ahead, have a slice (or um, two) for breakfast—I encourage it.
26. Blackberry-Raspberry Skillet Cobbler
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly, <10 ingredients
Psst: Make this your cast iron skillet’s next project. Bonus points for dragging a spoon through the batter to achieve a swirly marbled pattern.
27. Peanut Butter Cream Pie with Raspberry Meringue
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 45 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy, make ahead
This pie looks like it was plucked straight out of a fairytale. Chalk the blush-colored meringue whisps up to blitzed, freeze-dried raspberries.
28. Vegan Strawberry Shortcake in a Jar
- Time Commitment: 1 hour
- Why I Love It: vegan, beginner-friendly, gluten free
Gluten-free almond shortcake + strawberry-chia jam + coconut-cashew whipped cream = plant-based heaven. Assemble them ahead for easy transport to a cookout, dinner party or beach outing.
- Time Commitment: 40 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients, make ahead, beginner-friendly
The intense raspberry flavor in these larger-than-life cookies pairs seamlessly with malty, nutty rye flour. Feel free to freeze the dough for up to two months, so you can bake these whenever a craving strikes.
30. 10-Minute Strawberry Cobbler Mug
- Time Commitment: 10 minutes
- Why I Love It: <30 minutes, <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly
Yup, you can make so much more than lava cake in your trusty microwave. The best part is that the recipe only makes one serving, so you won’t be stuck with a ton of leftovers (although there are worse problems to have).
31. Vegan Spiced Blueberry Breakfast Cake
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 10 minutes
- Why I Love It: vegan, make ahead, crowd-pleaser
Sure, the cake is free of refined sugar, loaded with fiber and contains ten grams of protein per slice. But generous doses of maple syrup, blueberries and coconut sugar keep its flavor on the sweet side.
32. Gluten-Free Lemon-Raspberry Pavlova
- Time Commitment: 2 hours and 40 minutes
- Why I Love It: gluten free, special occasion-worthy, crowd-pleaser
Isn’t she lovely? Sink your teeth into two layers of fluffy meringue, sandwiched together with whipped cream that’s infused with lemon curd and raspberry jam.
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 10 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy, make ahead
You won’t believe how mind-blowingly easy the pink icing is to make. (We’re talking mashed strawberries and confectioners’ sugar.)
- Time Commitment: 35 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, beginner-friendly
Despite its Insta-worthy looks, this crepe cake couldn’t be easier to assemble. Add flecks of crushed freeze-dried raspberries to the crepe batter to make them even fruitier.
- Time Commitment: 1 hour
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly, <10 ingredients
The store-bought lemon cake mix won’t know what hit it once it’s being filled with homemade blueberry syrup. Your guests will love it so much they won't clock your shortcut, promise.
- Time Commitment: 3 hours
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients, make ahead, beginner-friendly, vegan
There’s no need to chase down the ice cream man for one of these bad boys ever again. Plus, the homemade version of these ice pops is free of food coloring and corn syrup.
37. Raspberry Prosecco Ice Pops
- Time Commitment: 3 hours
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients, make ahead
If boozy ice pops are more your thing, these three-ingredient gems have your back. The only tough step of this recipe is waiting for them to freeze before digging in.
38. Dairy-Free Cheesecake with Blueberry Topping
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 10 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, vegan, gluten free
Thanks to a press-in pecan crust made with coconut oil instead of butter and a cashew-coconut milk filling, this berry dessert is equal parts dairy-free and indulgent. It's vegan and gluten free too, BTW.
39. Strawberry Galette with Whipped Cream
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 45 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy, beginner-friendly
Three surprising ingredients take this stunner over the top: minced rosemary in the crust, balsamic vinegar in the fruit and sour cream in the whipped topping. But don't worry, it's still just as easy to master as any other galette.
40. Lemon Pie with Blueberry Meringue
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 35 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy, make ahead
Any berry dessert topped with a layer of lilac meringue that tall is one after my own heart. Be sure to boil the filling for a full 30 seconds after adding the cornstarch, so all its flavor cooks out and the pie sets properly.
41. Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes
- Time Commitment: 1 hour
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, beginner-friendly
Any summer baby would be thrilled to have these at their birthday party. Not only are there lightly sweetened strawberries in the center of each cupcake, but there are also fresh ones and a dollop of whipped cream on top.
42. Whole-Wheat Blueberry Muffins
- Time Commitment: 50 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, make ahead
Bring on the antioxidants. These are healthy enough to have for breakfast (thanks, whole-wheat pastry flour), yet still indulgent enough to snack on before bed.
43. Raspberry Beet Tart with Oat Walnut Crust
- Time Commitment: 3 hours and 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, gluten free, special occasion-worthy
A single steamed beet and lots of fresh raspberries keep this pretty-in-pink pick from being overly sweet. Don’t even get me started on the mini meringue kisses.
44. 3-Ingredient Strawberry Ice Cream Shell
- Time Commitment: 10 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, <30 minutes, beginner-friendly, <10 ingredients
One bite and boom: You’re a kid who’s wrist-deep in a sundae all over again. This calls for all the rainbow sprinkles, if I do say so myself.
45. Angel Food Cake with Fresh Berries
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 15 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly, <10 ingredients
Proof that simplicity can be delicious—even without frosting. All this fruit-topped berry dessert needs is a hefty scoop of fresh whipped cream to be complete.
46. Strawberry-Mango Hawaiian Shave Ice
- Time Commitment: 5 hours and 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, vegan, beginner-friendly
Consider it a one-way ticket to paradise. Luckily, your humble blender can pull the treat off without the help of a shave ice machine.
47. Sheet Pan Strawberry Shortcake with Black Pepper, Whipped Honey Ricotta and Togarashi
- Time Commitment: 55 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, sheet pan recipe, beginner-friendly
I’ve had enough arugula salads in my life to know that floral, freshly cracked black pepper and summer berries are soulmates. The stars togarashi, a Japanese spice blend that’s toasty, spicy and sweet.
48. Raspberry White Chocolate Bûche de Noël
- Time Commitment: 3 hours
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, make ahead, special occasion-worthy
Rolled buttercream-filled sponge cake topped with meringue marshmallows > reindeer-shaped sugar cookies. Even Santa will think this berry dessert is too pretty to eat.
49. Paleo Almond Butter Blender Muffins
- Time Commitment: 25 minutes
- Why I Love It: <30 minutes, make ahead, beginner-friendly
If you aren't familiar with blender muffins, I'm about to change your life. Instead of whisking (and whisking) the batter, all you do is dump the ingredients in a blender and whirl them until combined.
50. Blackberry Jam Pie Crust Straws
- Time Commitment: 35 minutes
- Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, <10 ingredients, make ahead
For those days when your heart screams “pie” but your brain says “nap.” Luckily, you're only 35 minutes away from flaky, jammy bliss with this simple recipe on your side.
- Time Commitment: 2 hours and 20 minutes
- Why I Love It: make ahead, keto-friendly, low carb, <10 ingredients
They're sweet, tangy and oh-so filling, thanks to a decadent base of cream cheese and butter. They're also gluten free and only contain 5 grams of carbs per serving.
52. Blueberry and Peach Crostata
- Time Commitment: 50 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly, kid-friendly
If you’re wondering why this crostata looks so much like a galette…well, it’s because they’re basically the same thing, only the former is Italian and the latter is French. The more you know.
53. Blackberry Cream Cheese Crumb Cake
- Time Commitment: 2 hours and 5 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly, kid-friendly
A layer of smooth, tangy cream cheese filling is the ultimate foil for the sugary crumb topping and sour blackberries. The vanilla icing is optional...sort of.
54. Double Strawberry Pretzel Pie
- Time Commitment: 3 hours and 35 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy, beginner-friendly
Strawberry jam-infused cream cheese filling? Check. Sweet-and-salty pretzel crust? Check. St-Germain-kissed fruit? You bet. You're going to want seconds, trust.
55. Double Chocolate Chunk Raspberry-Stuffed Cookies
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: kid-friendly, make ahead, beginner-friendly
These bold handhelds have Valentine’s Day dessert written all over them. Sandwich a scoop of vanilla ice cream between two cookies for a next-level ice cream sandwich.
- Time Commitment: 2 hours
- Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, special occasion-worthy, vegetarian
They’re stuffed with blueberry-vanilla goat cheese and lemon-spritzed blueberry filling, so each pie is kind of like a dough-wrapped charcuterie board. Need I say more?
57. Blackberry Lavender Cobbler
- Time Commitment: 1 hour
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly, special occasion-worthy
Cream cheese. Honey. Biscuits. That is all. Even better, the recipe calls for using frozen berries, so you can make this stunner all year round with ease.
- Time Commitment: 55 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly, make ahead
Devour these whole-grain bars for breakfast, lunch or dessert. The vanilla glaze on top is totally optional (but I can’t think of a good reason for skipping it, TBH).
- Time Commitment: 1 hour and 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly, make ahead
Warning: This cake will make you actually want to get out of bed in the morning. Wash it down with a hot cup of joe (or better yet, a white chocolate mocha).
60. Honey Butter Stone Fruit and Blackberry Meringue Tart
- Time Commitment: 50 minutes
- Why I Love It: special occasion-worthy, crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly
Using a star-shaped cookie cutter to slice the peaches and nectarines makes this simple berry dessert look a million times more impressive. No one will notice the store-bought phyllo dough.
- Time Commitment: 35 minutes
- Why I Love It: beginner-friendly, crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly
Is it cool if I drink the blueberry glaze straight from the saucepan? Top each doughnut with a flourish of sprinkles, dried blueberries or edible flower petals.
