5 Summer Fruit Desserts You Need to Make

Summer in Michigan brings to harvest some of the most delicious fruits. From red sweet cherries to juicy mouth-watering plums, summer is abundant with the best summer produce. Try these amazing Five Summer Fruit Dessert recipes with your family, using Michigan’s local farm-fresh fruits before the warm season is gone.

Easy Peach Cobbler

One of our most favorite summer desserts, this peach cobbler recipe is not only easy, but it also tastes delicious. Top this summer fruit dessert with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and you’ve found the best way to end a summer meal out on the patio.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter 
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 cups sugar, divided
• 1 tablespoon baking powder 
• Pinch of salt 
• 1 cup milk 
• 4 cups fresh peach slices 
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice 
• Ground cinnamon or nutmeg (optional)

Instructions

1. Melt butter in a 9×13-inch baking dish.
2. Combine flour, 1 cup sugar, baking powder, and salt; add milk, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened. Pour batter over butter (do not stir).
3. Bring remaining 1 cup sugar, peach slices, and lemon juice to a boil over high heat, stirring constantly; pour over batter (do not stir). Sprinkle with cinnamon, if desired.
4. Bake at 375° for 40 to 45 minutes or until golden brown. Serve cobbler warm or cool.

Blackberry Cheesecake Bars

This easy recipe doesn’t require springform pans or any effort, it’s a creamy summer fruit dessert packed with fresh blackberries and a kiss of lemon. 

Ingredients

For the Crust:

• 2 and 1/4 cups graham crackers, pulsed into crumbs
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted

For the Lemon Cheesecake Filling:

• (4) 8 ounce blocks of full-fat cream cheese, very soft
• 1 and 1/4 cups granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs plus 2 egg yolks, at room temperature
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon zest
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 and 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

For the Fresh Blackberry Swirl:

• 1 cup fresh blackberries
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F).

For the Crust:

1. Line a 9×13-inch baking pan with aluminum foil, allowing two of the sides to overlap. Spray foil and any exposed pan with non-stick baking spray; set aside.
2. In the body of a blender or food processor, combine graham crackers, sugar, and salt; pulse until the crackers have been completely transformed into fine crumbs. Add melted butter and stir well to combine.
3. Press down evenly into prepared pan. Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes; set aside to cool.

For the Lemon Cheesecake Filling:

1. In a large bowl using a handheld electric mixer (or in the bowl of a standmixer fitted with the paddle attachment), beat the cream cheese until completely smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed; about 3 minutes.
2. Add in the sugar, eggs, and egg yolks and beat until smooth and creamy; about 2 minutes.
3. Turn the mixer off. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the lemon zest and lemon juice, stirring until combined.
4. Quickly fold in the flour, stirring just until combined.
5. Pour the cheesecake batter on top of the partially baked crust. Set aside to make your blackberry swirl.

For the Fresh Blackberry Swirl:

1. In a small food processor or blender, puree the blackberries until completely smooth.
2. Press the mixture through a fine mesh strainer, discarding seeds and pulp.
3. Stir in the granulated sugar.

Assembly:

1. Spoon the blackberry mixture on top of the unbaked cheesecake layer, a few dollops at a time. Use a skewer to swirl the mixture gently.
2. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the cheesecake layer is set at the edges and only slightly wiggly in the center. Place the pan of cheesecake bars on top of a wire cooling rack and cool at room temperature until the pan is no longer hot.
3. Place cheesecake bars in the fridge until completely cooled, about 2 hours. When ready to serve, use the overlapped aluminum foil to lift the cheesecake out and onto a large cutting board.
4. Cut cheesecake into 16 bars and serve.

Fresh Cherry Crisp

Cherries are to Michigan as oranges are to Florida. Our beloved summer fruit is amazing on its own, but when used in this 10-minute prep recipe, it tastes a whole lot better. You don’t have to even use the sweet delicious ones, this dessert calls for the sour kind! 

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup quick cooking oats
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, divided
• 1/8 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 2 cups pitted sour cherries
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Spray four ramekins with non-stick cooking spray.
3. Combine oats, 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, baking powder and baking soda together in a medium bowl. Whisk together well to evenly combine.
4. Add brown sugar and melted butter to the flour mixture and mix well to form a clumpy dough. Set aside.
5. In another bowl combine pitted cherries, granulated sugar and 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour. Mix well so the cherries are coated with the flour and sugar. Divide them between the four sprayed ramekins.
6. Cover cherries with crisp topping, dividing it evenly between the four ramekins.
7. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until crisp topping is golden brown.

The Best Homemade Blueberry Pie

Pies are a summer dessert staple. Use our local farm-fresh blueberries for this mouthwatering recipe and enjoy the taste of August in Michigan with this American classic. 

Ingredients

• Homemade pie crust
• 6 cups (890g) fresh blueberries*
• 2/3 cup (135g) granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup (28g) cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 Tablespoon (15ml) lemon juice
• 1 Tablespoon (15g) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten with 1 Tablespoon (15ml) milk
• optional: coarse sugar for garnish

Instructions

The crust:

1. Prepare the pie crust recipe through step 5.

Make the filling:

1. Stir the blueberries, granulated sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, and lemon juice together in a large bowl.
2. Set filling aside as the oven preheats.

Assembly:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C).
2. Roll out the chilled pie dough: On a floured work surface, roll out one of the discs of chilled dough (keep the other one in the refrigerator). Turn the dough about a quarter turn after every few rolls until you have a circle 12 inches in diameter. Carefully place the dough into a 9×2 inch pie dish. Tuck it in with your fingers, making sure it is smooth. Spoon the filling into the crust, leaving any excess liquid in the bowl (you don’t want that in the filling– discard it). Dot the pieces of butter on top of the filling.
3. Arrange the lattice: Remove the other disc of chilled pie dough from the refrigerator. Roll the dough into a circle that is 12 inches diameter. Using a pastry wheel, sharp knife, or pizza cutter, cut strips 1-2 inches wide. Carefully thread the strips over and under one another, pulling back strips as necessary to weave. Press the edges of the strips into the bottom pie crust edges to seal. Use a small knife to trim off excess dough. Crimp the edges with a fork, if desired. Or simply cover the filling with the 12-inch pie dough circle. Cut slits in the top to form steam vents. Trim and crimp the edges.
4. Lightly brush the top of the pie crust with the egg/milk mixture. Sprinkle the top with a little coarse sugar, if desired.
5. Place the pie onto a large baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes. Keeping the pie in the oven, turn the temperature down to 350°F (177°C) and bake for an additional 25-30 minutes. After the first 20 minutes of bake time, I place a pie crust shield on top of the pie to prevent the edges from browning too quickly.
6. Allow the pie to cool for 3 full hours at room temperature before serving. This time allows the filling to thicken up. Cover leftovers tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Original Plum Torte

A New York Times classic recipe that is sure to please everyone’s summer fruit dessert needs.

Ingredients

• 3/4 to 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup unbleached flour, sifted
• 1 teaspoon baking powder 
• Pinch of salt (optional)
• 2 eggs
• 24 halves pitted purple plums
• Sugar, lemon juice and cinnamon, for topping

Instructions 

1. Heat oven to 350. 
2. Cream butter and sugar until very light and fluffy.
3. Whisk together flour, baking powder, pinch of salt.
4. Add the dry ingredients and eggs all at once, beat well. Spoon into spring form pan or 8, 9 or 10 inch round pan. 
5. Line the pan with parchment, then grease it. 
6. Place the plum halves skin side up on batter. 
7. Sprinkle lightly with sugar and lemon juice, depending on the sweetness of the fruit (or with 2 teaspoons sugar and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon). 
8. Bake 40-50 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool on rack 10 minutes, then remove from springform pan and allow to cool on rack. 
9. Serve right away.

Don’t let the season pass before making these summer fruit desserts! And don’t forget the vanilla ice cream!