5 Summer Desserts (Freezer Friendly)

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

These freezer-friendly summer desserts are all sensational and include ice cream sandwiches, a fresh fruit pie, and delicious dessert salads.

This is the final post in my summer dessert series, where I’ve been featuring cool and refreshing summer desserts you can make ahead of time. The other posts in this series include summer cakes and summer pies, so now I’m sharing the best summer desserts in general. 

Each of these summer dessert recipes is quick and easy to make and you can make them ahead of time. Just store them in the freezer for no-fuss entertaining at the top of the hat. We all need these kinds of desserts during a busy summer season, right?

Of course, if it is on SouthernPlate.com, you know it’s a favorite of mine so I hope you’ll enjoy all of these.

Freezer-Friendly Summer Desserts

Stack of ice cream grahamwiches (summer desserts).

Ice Cream Grahamwiches

These ice cream graham cracker sandwiches are a low-sugar alternative to an ordinary ice cream sandwich. The ice cream is a combination of milk, whipped cream (Cool Whip), and sugar-free pudding mix. This creamy mixture is then squished between graham crackers, for a low sugar alternative to normal cookies.

I dearly love these little wonders and they can be made at a fraction of the cost and calories of what you’d buy in the store. What’s even better is that they are as delicious as an ice cream sandwich and super easy! If you prefer, you can just use whatever ice cream you have on hand (such as vanilla ice cream).

Frozen Cranberry Banana Salads (summer desserts).

Frozen Cranberry Banana Salads

This was one of Granny Jordan’s signature recipes and I’ve never met a person who didn’t fall in instant love with them. They’re a creamy, light-tasting, and fruity dessert recipe. The ingredients include sour cream and whipped topping and lots of canned and fresh fruit. We’re talking crushed pineapple, cranberry sauce, and bananas. A classic Southern dessert and sweet treat, I hope you’ll give them a try!

coconut caramel pie

Ashley Mac’s Coconut Caramel Pie

We can’t talk about summer desserts without featuring at least one pie, right? Ashley Mac’s is a treasure located in Birmingham, Alabama. The owner shared her signature recipe for this delicious pie in a guest post on SouthernPlate.com! So, what’s in a coconut caramel pie? Lots of good stuff, let me tell you! Butter, coconut, chopped pecans, cream cheese, sweetened condensed milk, whipped topping (Cool Whip), and caramel topping, all in a pie crust (either a store-bought or homemade pie crust).

While I’m on the topic of caramel pies, I also recommend checking out my easy-peasy caramel banana pie, which is a Southern spin on the classic banoffee pie.

Front porch salads (summer desserts).

Front Porch Fruit Salads 

This is another Granny Jordan summer dessert recipe! On those days where I’m really hot and need a special fruity treat, these really hit the mark. My mother loves them, too! They include a combination of canned and fresh fruit, including canned apricots, crushed pineapple, orange juice concentrate, frozen strawberries, and ripe fresh bananas. Combine all of this spectacular summer fruit with Greek yogurt and sugar and you have fabulous Front Porch Salads.

Slice of mandarin orange pie.

Mandarin Orange Pie

If you love the icing on my Mama’s mandarin orange cake, you’re really gonna love this cool fruit pie! To me, it tastes like sunshine and includes a delicious combination of mandarin oranges, crushed pineapple, sweetened condensed milk, lemon juice, and whipped topping in a graham cracker crust. It’s fresh, creamy, and one of my favorite summer desserts.

Here are a few more summer dessert recipes:

  • Strawberry Poke Cake: for fans of strawberries and cream and strawberry shortcake. This delicious dessert includes a white cake mix with strawberry jello, whipped cream, and fresh strawberries. It’s bursting with fresh strawberry flavor. If you have more fresh berries to use, check out fresh strawberry pie too. You just can’t freeze this one. 
  • Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls (No Baking Necessary): for when you want a small sweet treat. Their ingredients include creamy peanut butter, butter, vanilla extract, and powdered sugar. You then cover this creamy filling in a candy coating of melted semi-sweet chocolate chips.
  • Lemon icebox cake: because a best summer desserts post isn’t complete without featuring at least one icebox cake, right?
  • Peach kuchen: if you like peach crisp, check out this recipe. A favorite summer fruit, you can use either canned peaches or fresh peaches too.

To go directly to the dessert index, click here (scroll down a bit until you see Category: Dessert).

“If you can’t see the bright side of life, polish the dull side.”

Similar Posts

31 Comments

  1. Good Afternoon Christy!! 3 yrs, wow.. it just keeps getting better!!!! I’ve only been a fan a short time, but soooooooooooo happy I found you!!! I can’t wait to try some of the pie recipes, of course I have made several from the cookbook already!! The cakes are a dream!! My Mom’s favorite question after every supper is “Do we have pie??” I’ve made a few but need to make them more often for sure! Congratulations on the milestone and I do believe you will “Live Long and Prosper” as the saying goes!! Take care, enjoy the sleepover my 22 yr old still has them here, LOL… just keeps getting better!! Hugs and best wishes!!

  2. I finished reading your cookbook. My mother and granny loved to read cookbooks and I found myself wanting to share yours with them. Not only is it a good read, but the recipes are super! Thanks for bringing back memories of some dishes that I had forgotten about. After eating one of your dishes recently I found myself saying, “That’s larapin!” My folks used to say that and so did my husband’s folks in another county. I looked it up. It means a southern saying of people when they eat delicious po’ folk food! My daughter, who is your age, never heard of it. Apparently, I’ve been derelict in teaching her country stuff. If you haven’t heard it, I’m sure your folks have.

  3. I just found your site several days ago and I think your recipes sound so. I can hardly wait to start trying them. I am sure my hubby and grandkids (who live with us) will be asking for them time and again. Thank you

  4. wOW!! 3 Years? It sure goes by quickly when you’re with family and not only do you have your ‘real’ one, but you’ve also welcomed all of us into your family also. I know I speak for many when I say a HUGE thank you and give you a big ol’ HUG! You’ve brightened my day so many times I’ve lost count. Then you go and post truly yummy recipes too! What more could I want?? ~giggles~
    Keep up the good work and I’ll be posting for another 3 years. HAPPY 3rd ANNIVERSARY CRISTIE!! (Happy Birthday to Brady too, of course! )

  5. Congratulations of the anniversary of your blog. I have been with you since nearly the beginning and I still enjoy each and every one. I love to cook, love to reminicse, and always seeking new ideas. Best wishe sfor your continued success and Happy Birthday to brady. My middle son was 38 yesterday but birthdays for your children are always special no matter what their age.

  6. Hi Christy;
    I was in Alabama last week for a family reunion and while I was sitting there talking with my cousin’s wife, she began talking about you and I was shocked to find out that you both went to college together. She said she would have never passed her sewing classes without you. I told her that I have read every one of your post for the last 2 1/2 years and love them all. I can’t believe it, that makes you and I almost like family 🙂 !! I love to read your stories, they make me reminisce about my childhood visiting my Granny in Alabama, keep up the awesome work girl!!

  7. Morning, Christy and All – it was a great 4th, and the kitchen is almost back to normal, now .. whew, how is it that good fun always makes such a great mess?!? 🙂 We had a great meal, and a lot of fun. The 4th of July trifle (red, white, and blue with berries, jello cubes, and pound cake inbetween layers of custard) was a big surprise to the kids, who loved it. We downloaded coloring book pages, a 4th of July word search, and copies of the Declaration of Independence to read, to commemorate the reason for Independence Day. After the waterslide and the grownups watching the kids cool down, we watched the fireworks. From the sounds of things, we had fireworks in stereo, around Madison: Space & Rocket Center, Bridge Street, and Dublin Park!

    1. I was watching those same fireworks and listening to the same stereophonic event! lol Can you imagine what someone would have thought if they had been dropped down in the middle of Madison with no knowledge of what we do on the fourth and all that blasting coming from three directions? ~snickers~

      We really blew it up this year!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *