Warm weather and seasonal ingredients are inspiring the desserts we’re making this summer.
From ice cream-topped apple crisp to healthy smoothie lollies, we’ve rounded up some delicious vegan dessert recipes that are making us excited for every last bite.
These vegan versions make use of plant-powered substitutes like creamy coconut milk, flax and chia, and sometimes sugar substitutes like maple syrup and dates. They also don’t include the heavy creams and rich butters often found in conventional desserts.
For those of us who prefer to avoid the heat of an oven or stove, we even have no-bake options like chocolate chia pudding and homemade pistachio ice cream to ensure your summer dessert prep is entirely no-sweat!
Vegan lemon pound cake
Summer heat calls for light, refreshing flavours, and vegan blogger and recipe developer Murielle Banackissa’s gorgeous lemon pound cake recipe hits the spot.
Lemon pound cake is the perfect packable picnic dessert or satisfying complement to a cool glass of iced tea. We always appreciate a healthier recipe that still tastes outstanding and Banackissa’s use of half the conventional amount of sugar sits just fine with us.
Vegan apple crisp
This classic dessert brings up so many fun childhood memories, and this vegan apple crisp recipe from Delish Knowledge combines tasty apples with the familiar tastes of ginger, nutmeg, and cinnamon.
Top the crisp with a scoop of your fave vegan ice cream (we love this one) for an easy-to-make quintessential summer dessert.
Summer smoothie lollies
A favourite summer treat takes on a healthy yet delicious twist with these summer smoothie lollies from Joyous Health.
These green pineapple and berry avocado lollies are as pretty to look at as they are fun to eat. Joy uses coconut milk to keep the consistency creamy, as well as good-for-you ingredients like avocado, fresh berries, pineapple, and kale.
Frozen dessert pizza
When Oprah shares something we know it has to be good, and her featured recipe, frozen dessert pizza, by Angela Liddon of Oh She Glows is beyond delicious.
Super simple and fun to make, Angela combines a cereal crust with a homemade frozen banana soft serve and some decadent toppings for this frosty summer treat.
Vegan pistachio ice cream
We love the simplicity of this four-ingredient recipe, not to mention its spectacular taste.
We crushed pre-shelled pistachios for a topping as Jean Choi from What Great Grandma Ate suggests, and tried her freezer method as we don’t have an ice cream maker, although our success with this recipe is motivating us to invest in one.
Strawberry jam swirl muffins
Strawberry season is upon us and these sweet little berries inspire all sorts of recipes. We’re particularly fond of this one for strawberry jam swirl muffins from Murielle Banackissa, who uses frozen berries but fresh strawberries can also be used if preferred.
We’ll be baking these tasty muffins for our morning walks and plan to enjoy this yummy taste of summer all season long.
Chocolate chia pudding
This versatile simple-to-make vegan chocolate chia pudding is the perfect after-dinner refreshment on a hot summer’s day.
Brittany Mullins of Eating Bird Food’s technique of popping all the chia pudding ingredients in a high speed blender to create a mousse-like consistency turns this breakfast favourite into a creamy dessert, no baking required!
Vegan bark with caramelised crackers
Summer and s’mores go hand in hand — there’s nothing like the gooey melted chocolatey marshmallow combined with the cracker crunch. This vegan s’mores bark recipe from The First Mess gives us all that goodness without needing a campfire!
Laura’s recipes consider accessibility — while she doesn’t insist on hard-to-find ingredients she does link to ethically sourced vegan chocolate (which can be used in this recipe) on her site.
Cardamom bliss balls
These no-bake, easy to make cardamom bliss balls from Carley Nadine are delicious bites of nutrient-dense goodness!
Her recipe, which is suitable for nut-free diets, calls for sunflower seed butter or tahini, and the addition of adaptogenic herb ashwagandha can help manage stress.
We recommend rolling the balls in edible rose petals as Carley suggests.
Easy vegan raspberry bars
While we love baking at home, we’re less fond of a messy kitchen, so we were thrilled to discover that this scrumptious vegan raspberry bar recipe from Norah Cooks only uses one bowl to make the recipe and a small bowl to hold the toppings!
We enjoy using fresh raspberry preserves from our local farmers market for the filling and we take Norah’s advice to double the recipe when we’re planning to feed a socially distanced group of loved ones.