In a world of ultra-rich treats packed with loads of sugar, it’s easy to forget that some of the tastiest sweets come from fresh, nutrient-filled ingredients. Fruit desserts are my go-to—especially after a heavy meal or during summer. But! It’s time to explore an option that won’t leave you with a sugar crash in the hours to follow. From sweet fruit salads to elegant tarts, these fruit desserts prove your post-dinner snack can be indulgent and virtuous.
The Best Fruit Desserts to Make Right Now
Now I know what you’re thinking, and no—fruit desserts aren’t just a couple of strawberries plopped on a piece of vanilla cake. These desserts are the real deal. While this list contains plenty of quick and easy options, these are fruit desserts that will leave your dinner guests begging for the recipe. If you’re ready for a lighter, indulgent experience, look no further than these 29 fruit desserts.
Cake Fruit Desserts
Strawberry Cake with Mascarpone Cream
Why We Love It: Contrary to popular belief, strawberries aren’t in season during the peak summer heat. Nevertheless, they make for a stunning addition to fruit desserts any time of the year. The tart and sweet fruit is the star of this cake, accented with creamy mascarpone and fluffy angel food cake.
Hero Ingredient: I’ll find a way to eat these macerated strawberries on everything.
Grain-Free Lemon Raspberry Cake
Why We Love It: As we all know, good gluten-free desserts are hard to come by. Luckily, we have a plethora of options when it comes to keeping things GF, including this cake with fresh lemon zest and frozen raspberries. This cake’s incredible texture is brought to you by whole milk ricotta, keeping this sponge light, moist, and rich.
Hero Ingredient: Sliced almonds are the perfect crunchy topping for this flavorful cake.
No-Bake Lemon Icebox Cake
Why We Love It: No-bake desserts are a go-to for several reasons. Sometimes, they’re the quicker and more convenient option when my schedule is jam-packed. At other times, it’s just too hot outside to bake at all! Light and tangy with citrus and a whipped cream frosting, there’s nothing not to love about this lemon icebox cake.
Hero Ingredient: Orange zest allows the fruity flavors to come through in this soft and sweet cake.
Gluten-Free Citrus Cake with Strawberries and Cardamom Coconut Cream
Why We Love It: When I said we had an abundance of gluten-free desserts here at Camille Styles, I meant it. Topped with freshly sliced strawberries and a to-die-for spiced cardamom coconut cream, this cake is perfect for keeping things GF while still bringing great flavors to the table.
Hero Ingredient: Alison Carroll recommends massaging your sugar and citrus zest together for a sweet and colorful burst of flavor.
Blueberry Almond Coffee Cake
Why We Love It: Coffee cakes have so much going for them. As a bit of a coffee fanatic, I love any opportunity to construct a dessert that pairs perfectly with my morning (or afternoon) brew. The nuttiness from the almond extract and the walnuts in the streusel act as the perfect base for the addition of fresh blueberries.
Hero Ingredient: Definitely don’t miss out on the brown sugar streusel to top this coffee cake.
Citrus Upside Down Cake
Why We Love It: I strive to curate a dessert that’s stunning enough to be the centerpiece of any dinner table, and this upside-down cake topped with vibrantly colored citrus does just that. While the typical upside-down cake can be intimidating for beginner bakers—never fear. This recipe uses parchment paper as the secret hack for a non-stick baking process.
Hero Ingredient: Buttermilk helps this cake stay moist and fluffy.
Cobbler and Pie Fruit Desserts
Cherry-Berry Ice Cream Pie
Why We Love It: Ice cream and fresh fruit are a pairing unlike any other in the realm of fruit desserts. It’s an easy way to make your post-dinner bite refreshing, while still being sweet and satisfying. This ice cream pie with cherries and berries is perfect for serving summer crowds, and it gets bonus points for only requiring five ingredients.
Hero Ingredient: A graham cracker crust is a must.
Peach Tarte Tatin
Why We Love It: This summer, I’ve been obsessed with Claire Ptak’s take on the classic apple tarte tatin. In her version, she uses in-season fresh peaches alongside a light and fluffy puff pastry (store-bought or homemade). With a peach leaf custard accented with nutty almond flavors, this fruit dessert is simply a gem.
Hero Ingredient: Picking ripe, yet firm peaches is key for the best tarte tatin.
Pluot Galette
Why We Love It: When I first discovered this recipe, brought to us by Camilla Marcus, I was stunned by all of the savory and tart flavors that pluots could bring to a dessert. It’s the perfect sweet for when you want something without a thick pastry dough. To prevent your delicate galette from becoming soggy, brush the interior with egg whites before adding your filling.
Hero Ingredient: Crème fraiche to top is the perfect addition.
Raspberry Mascarpone Tartlets
Why We Love It: If tarts are more your style, these tartlets may be the perfect dessert for you. They require a bit of attention and care, but the end result is worth the effort. You can whip and chill your mascarpone in advance to save time, making day-of assembly less of a hassle.
Hero Ingredient: This recipe’s pistachio praline is top-notch.
Walnut and Honey Olive Oil Cake
Why We Love It: If you’ve never tried an olive oil cake, now is your chance to indulge in this rich and decadent dessert. The olive oil flavor you’d expect isn’t the highlight of this dessert—it simply helps to keep this cake moist while other flavors shine through.
Hero Ingredient: Candied citrus of any variety is an automatic yes for me.
Rhubarb Meringue Cake
Why We Love It: This fruit dessert highlights one of the most unique and underrated seasonal fruits—rhubarb! This elegant treat is the perfect combination of moist cake, vibrant rhubarb filling, and a range of textures that transport you to a sunny day with every bite.
Hero Ingredient: Rhubarb, duh!
Gluten-Free Strawberry Shortcake
Why We Love It: With the perfect flaky biscuits that rival your typical wheat-based shortcake, these strawberry shortcakes are layered with fresh, juicy strawberries and whipped cream. It’s the perfect twist on a classic summer dessert that keeps things both delicious and gluten-free.
Hero Ingredient: A high-quality GF flour can take your shortcake to the next level.
Mango Cardamom Icebox Cake
Why We Love It: Our food editor, Suruchi, absolutely nailed the perfect no-bake summer dessert with this mango icebox cake. With a pistachio crumble and fruit-filled layers, it’s a balanced treat with plenty of sweet, salty, and savory to go around.
Hero Ingredient: I would eat this cardamom cream on every dessert.
Easier Than Pie Warm Apple Tart
Why We Love It: This warm apple tart is a perfect blend of comforting flavors that create a show-stopping appearance. It’s a classic dessert that’s typically enjoyed warm—perfect for settling down indoors after a day in the sun.
Hero Ingredient: A sprinkle of cinnamon goes well with the tart apple flavor.
Apple Ginger Pie
Why We Love It: Just because this pie recipe is perfectly fitting for the fall months doesn’t mean it can’t be enjoyed year-round. For this particular pie, feel free to opt for a store-bought pie crust to save a bit of time, but for the best results, try blind-baking your crust with the filling to avoid a soggy base.
Hero Ingredient: Minced ginger is the unexpected (and highly underrated) complement to this classic dessert.
Healthy Fruit Desserts
Summer Fruit Salad
Why We Love It: Now I know this fruit dessert might not fit the image you have of a typical fruit salad—trust me when I say that this recipe is ten times better. With a simple, low-effort meringue and a hint of citrus, these personal fruit salads are easy to assemble and serve, and even easier to enjoy.
Hero Ingredient: Honey and fruit are one of my top flavor pairings.
Bendita Entre los Melones
Why We Love It: This recipe is the real deal when it comes to an easy and simple fruit dessert. In her new cookbook Le Sud, Rebekah Peppler shares this simple melon recipe, which only requires one Charentais melon, your sweet wine of choice, and flaky sea salt.
Hero Ingredient: While you can make do with a canteloupe, Peppler recommends the Charentais melon due to its intense aroma.
Healthy Apple Crumble
Why We Love It: This apple crumble is a fruit dessert that can be enjoyed for practically every meal. If you’re craving fall flavors, look no further. The combination of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves will leave you wishing for autumn leaves and a warm chai latte.
Hero Ingredient: Coconut sugar sweetens this crumble topping without overwhelming your taste buds.
Easy Grilled Peaches
Why We Love It: If you haven’t tried grilling your fruit, you’re totally missing out on a delicious way to enjoy your desserts. Drizzle these peaches with a bit of honey (and maybe a bit of vanilla ice cream) for a simple and satisfying treat.
Hero Ingredient: Brushing your peaches with olive oil keeps them from sticking to your grill.
Mango Lassi Popsicles
Why We Love It: Who doesn’t love a popsicle for dessert? With no kitchen cleanup, these mango lassi pops are perfect for warm weather. They’re made from coconut milk or milk powder, cubed mango, yogurt, and a variety of warm spices.
Hero Ingredient: Garnish with melted white chocolate for a stunning presentation.
More Fruit Desserts You’ll Love
Citrus Olive Oil Muffins
Why We Love It: While these muffins aren’t technically a fruit dessert, they definitely have fruit-based elements thanks to the citrus zest and juice used in their batter. Greek yogurt and any plant-based milk of choice add moisture and flavors that pair well with all the citrus zest.
Hero Ingredient: Edible flowers are the real highlight of these muffins. You can often find them at your local farmer’s market or specialty grocer.
Summer Fruit Fools
Why We Love It: Any recipe with only four ingredients captures my attention. These fruit fools keep it simple, using only berries and cream to layer together a time-saving fruit dessert.
Hero Ingredient: Whether thawed or frozen, a variety of berries is a necessity.
Easy Blackberry Cobbler
Why We Love It: Maybe it’s a Southern tradition, but I can’t remember a family gathering without a homemade blackberry cobbler. While crumbling sweet streusel isn’t a requirement for this recipe, I think it has the potential to bring this traditional dish to the next level with an extra touch of texture to the topping.
Hero Ingredient: An ice cream or whipped cream topping is practically a requirement.
Raspberry Tiramisu
Why We Love It: This raspberry tiramisu is arguably one of our best recipes here at Camille Styles, and it undoubtedly deserves the hype. This no-cook dessert uses raspberry liqueur—in addition to actual raspberries—to contrast the rich chocolate and cream flavors.
Hero Ingredient: Vanilla bean seeds are a baking hack that I never knew I needed until I tried this recipe.
Pineapple Crumble with Black Pepper
Why We Love It: I love a fruit-filled crumble, and this pineapple version is no exception. For both the pepper and cardamom that are included, freshly ground options are a must for the best flavor. The extra bit of effort is totally worth it in the end.
Hero Ingredient: Don’t knock a pineapple dessert until you try it.
Almond Blackberry Cream Pavlova
Why We Love It: If you’re not familiar with pavlova, it’s a simple meringue-based dessert with Australian origins that almost resembles a cake-like structure. In this almond and blackberry version, the tart berries plus the richness of the mascarpone cream are exactly what you need for an elevated and elegant fruit dessert.
Hero Ingredient: Mascarpone is the true hero.
Mango Curb and Rice Pudding Parfaits
Why We Love It: This fruit dessert gets points simply due to its beautiful assembly. However, just because its presentation is lovely doesn’t mean it lacks flavor. Filled with a blend of fruit and sweet rice pudding, it’s a smooth and creamy single-serving snack.
Hero Ingredient: Rosewater brings a herby and floral flavor into this simple dessert.
