Chill out this summer with delightful frozen dessert recipes made with ice cream or other icy ingredients. Whether you're hosting a party or just wanting to indulge, these no-sweat cold dessert recipes are a sweet option for cooling off on a hot day. Try our best ice cream cakes, frozen pies, spiffed-up milkshakes, and more before the warm weather melts away.
Confetti Cake and Ice Cream Pops
The iconic duo of cake and ice cream is reinvented as portable pops in this frozen dessert recipe from cookbook authors Paul Arguin and Chris Taylor. The party-on-a-stick features confetti cake layers with swirls of mango and raspberry sorbets. The best part? This layering method works with any combo of cake and ice cream you want.
Grown Up S'mores Torte
Translate the ooey-gooey goodness of the campfire favorite into a modern, gourmet-looking yet easy-to-prep torte. Dulce de leche and coffee ice cream paired with marshmallow creme update the classic s'mores recipe flavor combo. Don't skip the final broiling step for nicely toasted marshmallows atop this tempting frozen dessert recipe!
Ice Cream Sandwich "Tiramisu"
This frozen dessert recipe has the flavors of the fancy coffee dessert you know with the help of store-bought ice cream. Classic tiramisu is reimagined as a super-easy icebox cake using ice cream sandwiches (in place of ladyfingers), chocolate wafer cookies, and a simple coffee-flavored mascarpone cream filling.
Fried Ice Cream Truffles
The fried ice cream sundaes we enjoyed at Mexican restaurants as kids inspired these perfectly poppable snacks. To make the experience even more fun at home, finish off with caramel, fudge, and cinnamon whipped cream for dipping.
Pistachio Gelato Brownie Bars
Thin brownies surround velvety pistachio gelato in this rich frozen dessert recipe. The trick to perfectly tidy layers? Dividing the batter and baking it in two pans (rather than halving it after baking) creates delightfully crisp edges.
Neapolitan Pops
These pretty ice cream dessert pops are the perfect ending to a summer meal. You get a trio of flavors: vanilla, chocolate (two layers, by way of ice cream and the cookie crust), and strawberry in every bite. And since this cold dessert comes served on a stick, you can enjoy it almost anywhere. No bowl or spoon required.
Polka-Dot Neapolitan Pie
Classic neapolitan ice cream takes on a new look in a pie with a crunchy sugar cone crust and peekaboo pattern of strawberry and chocolate polka dots. Toasted strawberry meringue crowns the confection.
Chocolate-Peanut Ice Cream Cake
Savor a scoop of both chocolate and vanilla! With a cookie crust, two layers of ice cream, and crunchy chocolate-covered peanuts throughout, this ice cream cake is everything you could ever want in a dessert. Melt together fudge sauce and creamy peanut butter for a wildly tasty topping.
Lemon Bar Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches
No need to decide between ice cream, cookies, or candy. This sweet-tart frozen dessert item sneaks all three into each bite! Lemon curd-swirled vanilla ice cream is stuffed between homemade sugar cookie squares, then surrounded by crushed lemon candies in this mouth-puckeringly perfect treat.
Pick-Your-Cereal Milkshakes
Whether you're Team Cocoa Puffs or Team Cinnamon Toast Crunch (or both!), you can customize your quick-fix ice cream shake to feature your favorite breakfast cereal(s). A pint of vanilla ice cream, a cup of milk, and a cup of cereal are all you need to end your meal with a frozen dessert recipe inspired by one of the sweetest ways to start the day.
Mint Chocolate Chip Cake
This mint ice cream showstopper is perfect for any season! Dig out those peppermint sticks from the holidays and put them to great use in this summer ice cream cake that's beyond refreshing on a hot day.
Test Kitchen Tip: Prepare this easy cold dessert up to a week ahead of time and store in your freezer until ready to serve.
Smoothie Pops
You'll need just 5 ingredients to whip up a batch of these frozen fruit pops. With wholesome ingredients like frozen berries, banana, and Greek yogurt, these sweet treats can do double duty as breakfast or dessert. You can make a batch and have them stashed in the freezer in just minutes.
Vegan Ice Cream Base
Our vegan ice cream recipe starts with coconut milk and cornstarch to achieve a thick, luscious texture. Add in your favorite flavors or choose from our variations like toasted coconut, chopped fruit, and chocolate chip. A batch of this homemade vegan ice cream will last for up to three months in the freezer.
Stone Fruit Granita
Use your favorite stone fruit to make this frosty granita. Our Test Kitchen tried the frozen dessert recipe with peaches, plums, nectarines, and cherries, and they all worked beautifully.
Banana Split Yogurt Bark
Rethink one of summer's best classic desserts. This banana split bark is made with vanilla yogurt and all the ice cream toppings you know and love. Don't skip the chocolate drizzle and colorful sprinkles.
Ginger-Lime Avocado Granita
Adding avocado to this granita recipe helps it become rich and creamy when scooped. Honey and lime zest rounds out this frozen dessert recipe. Use a fork when scraping to get the perfect fluffy texture.
Halo-Halo (Filipino Shaved Ice Dessert)
Halo-Halo is our go-to frozen dessert recipe for parties because everyone gets to assemble their own glass. As one reviewer raved, "This recipe is insanely good. Maybe my favorite dessert I've had all year. My kids enjoyed mixing up their own glasses. A total hit in our house!"
Sour Cherry Sorbet
This three-ingredient frozen dessert is the perfect balance of sweet and tart flavors. Enjoy the sorbet on its own or try it as part of a cherry-cola float or make our recipe for a cherry rose cocktail.
Roasted Strawberry Frozen Yogurt
Roasting the strawberries first helps intensify their flavor. This extra steps creates the most delicious strawberry frozen yogurt we've ever tried. If you like a little crunch, try topping with crushed pretzels or freeze-dried berries.
Blueberry Ice Cream Pie
This 5-star review speaks for itself! "I made this for Mother's Day and it got rave reviews. It is tedious, but really, really good. Because I like the flavor of lemon and blueberries, I used lemon cream cookies and ground those for a cookie base instead of what was in this recipe. As for how much vanilla ice cream, I used a standard sized container. I also used a large removable bottom tart pan I had because it was higher than a pie plate."
Berry-Yogurt Rocket Pops
Layer this homemade pops with fresh berry puree and yogurt. We like to use vanilla yogurt, but your favorite flavor will work. Chill the pops at least overnight before serving.