21 Easy Ice Cream Desserts to Try This Summer

Sure, you can eat it out of the carton. (No judgement here!) Or you can make a cake, a sandwich, a shake, truffles—or even s'mores!

Pint of ice cream
Photo: Rita Maas

Who doesn't love ice cream on a balmy day? From ice cream cakes and sandwiches to ice cream s'mores, these cool recipes are perfect for a hot summer night—or, honestly, pretty much anytime. And if you want to be a little bit extra? You can even make your own homemade ice cream to create these dreamy, creamy ice cream desserts.

01 of 16

Ice Cream S'mores

Ice Cream S'mores
Tom Schierlitz

What would make the campfire dessert even better? Try it with a little vanilla ice cream inside.

02 of 16

Mexican "Fried" Ice Cream

mexican-fried-ice-cream-1219sta
Jen Causey

The secret to avoiding melting this fun treat? Cook up the crispy coating in advance, let it cool, then roll scoops of vanilla ice cream in the mixture..

03 of 16

PB&J Ice Cream Sandwiches

PB&J Ice Cream Sandwiches
Greg DuPree

Feel like a kid again with this ice cream dessert that plays on the classic lunchbox sandwich. Freeze-dried strawberries and chopped peanuts add a satisfying crunch.

04 of 16

Chocolate Caramel Ice Cream Pie

Chocolate Caramel Ice Cream Pie
Maria Robledo

Nutella's chocolate hazelnut spread and a pre-made chocolate cookie pie crust make this recipe as easy as it is delicious.

05 of 16

Melted Ice Cream Whoopie Pies

Melted Ice Cream Whoopie Pies
Jennifer Causey

This childhood favorite looks like French macarons and tastes like heaven.

06 of 16

Easy Ice Cream Cake

The secret to this astonishingly simple four-ingredient dessert? Using ice cream sandwiches to build your cake. Get the recipe for Easy Ice Cream Cake.
Marcus Nilsson

This ice cream cake comes together super fast—just layer in ice cream sandwiches and sweetened whipped cream.

07 of 16

Honeydew and Blackberry Ice Cream Sundaes

Honeydew and Blackberry Ice Cream Sundaes

Sesame-almond brittle and honeydew melon give the standard sundae a serious upgrade.

08 of 16

Tiramisu Ice Pops

tiramisu ice pops
Victor Protasio

These boozy pops are made with mascarpone cheese, sugar, and heavy cream. As you would with the actual dessert, add espresso and rum to half. Then layer in ice pop molds.

09 of 16

Tropical Creamsicle Smoothie

EXTRA SHARP: Tropical Creamsicle Smoothie

You'll blend together mango and carrots in this smoothie that's full of probiotics, vitamins, and nutrients.

10 of 16

Peanut Butter Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches

Peanut Butter Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches
Ngoc Minh Ngo

Homemade peanut butter cookies are the perfect salty-sweet foil to vanilla ice cream.

11 of 16

Butterscotch Bananas With Vanilla Ice Cream

Butterscotch Bananas With Vanilla Ice Cream
Con Poulos

You'll need a match or lighter for this dish, as it requires lighting up the rum-soaked bananas!

12 of 16

Cantaloupe-Coconut Ice Pops

Cantaloupe Coconut Ice Pops
Victor Protasio

Use an ice pop mold to make these treats, starting with cantaloupe on the bottom and topping that with a sweet basil-coconut cream. Sprinkle on some toasted coconut and freeze!

13 of 16

Mint Chip Ice Cream Pie

Mint Chip Ice Cream Pie
Yunhee Kim

A chocolate Rice Krispie crust is the perfect foil for mint chip ice cream. If you really want to wow your guests, DIY your own mint chip ice cream.

14 of 16

Frozen Banana Ice Cream

Frozen Banana Ice Cream
© Getty Images

Overly ripened, frozen bananas are the sweet secret behind this delicious non-dairy dessert.

15 of 16

Strawberry Ice Cream Cake

Strawberry Ice Cream Cake
Anna Williams

Fresh strawberries give this frozen dessert extra sweetness.

16 of 16

Vanilla Mango Ice Cream Cake

Vanilla Mango Ice Cream Cake
Philip Friedman; Styling: Colleen Riley

Layers of mango sorbet, vanilla ice cream, and chocolate cookie crumbs make for a crowd-pleasing ice cream dessert.

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