Stay cool and refreshed this summer with these no-fuss, easy-to-prepare fruit dessert recipes.

Banana Ice Cream

What’s summer without a cup of ice cream? Instead of buying from the grocery, why not make one? Try this easy-to-make, dairy-free ice cream recipe:

Ingredients: 2 large, ripe bananas, maple syrup, flaked almonds, pinch of salt and cinnamon, to taste.

Procedure: Slice the peeled bananas. Place them on a flat tray and cover it. Put the tray in the freezer for an hour or until frozen through. Then, blend the frozen bananas using a food processor. Whizz until the texture becomes creamy (do not overblend to prevent it from becoming gooey). Pour it into a chilled container. Drizzle it with maple syrup and garnish it with cinnamon. Top with flaked almonds.

Notes:
1. This recipe makes 6 servings.
2. If you prefer a firmer ice cream, place the blended bananas in the freezer for 4 hours or overnight.
3. If you want your ice to be creamier, blend the bananas with one medium-sized avocado.
4. For added flavour, throw in some frozen strawberries, too. Another alternative is to use berries as toppings in addition to almonds.

Berries Romanoff

Love berries? This refreshing berries dessert only requires 25 minutes of preparation time.

Ingredients: 4 cups assorted fresh berries (blueberries, raspberries and/or sliced and hulled strawberries), ½ cup sour cream, ½ cup heavy cream, 1 tablespoon brandy, 3 tablespoons white sugar, 3 tablespoons brown sugar

Procedure: In a bowl, mix sour cream, brandy and brown sugar. Whip cream in a separate bowl and add white sugar. Continue whipping the cream until it’s thick. Then, fold the whipped cream into the sour cream mixture. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for 4 hours or overnight. In a glass, layer the mixture and berries.

Notes:
1. This recipe makes 4 to 6 servings.
2. To make this recipe kid-friendly, use vanilla instead of brandy.
3. If you love coffee, substitute brandy with 2 tablespoons of coffee liqueur and 1 tablespoon of orange liqueur.
4. Garnish with mint sprig.

Kiwi And Strawberry Popsicles

Apart from ice cream, popsicle is another favourite summer dessert. Enjoy this treat minus the guilt with this low-calorie kiwi and strawberry popsicle recipe.

Ingredients: 1 ripe kiwi, 6 strawberries, 2 cups plain Greek yogurt, ¼ cup honey or agave, ½ cup skim milk

Procedure: Chop the peeled kiwi. Hull and chop the strawberries. Puree the chopped kiwi, milk, yogurt and honey using a food processor or blender. Sprinkle chopped strawberry into the popsicle moulds and pour the mixture on top of them. Freeze them for five hours or until they’re frozen.

Notes:
1. This recipe makes 8 servings.
2. If you inserted popsicle sticks into your mould, take them out after two hours. Then, gently pull the stick into the centre of the popsicle. Return the mould in the freezer and wait until mixture is frozen.
3. To properly take out the popsicle from the mould, dip the mould’s bottom under hot water for 10 seconds and then, slowly pull the stick.

Peach Fridge Cake

Enjoy some cake this summer without the hassle of baking. This cake recipe, which includes peaches, is another cold dessert that’s perfect for the summer heat.

Ingredients: 8 ripe peaches, 15 pieces graham crackers, 397 g condensed milk, 250 ml table or all purpose cream

Procedure: Slice the peeled and pitted peaches into wedges. In a bowl, mix condensed milk and table cream. To thicken the mixture, place it in the refrigerator for 3 hours. Line your 9 inch square pan with a layer of graham crackers. Pour some of the mixture over the crackers. Spread evenly. Top the mixture with wedged peaches. Place another layer of graham crackers on top of the peaches. Again, coat the crackers with the remaining mixture and top it with wedged peaches. Cover the pan with plastic wrap. Place it in the fridge overnight.

Notes:
1. This recipe makes 9 servings.
2. To easily remove the cake from the pan, line the bottom and sides of the pan with parchment paper before placing the crackers.
3. If necessary, cut crackers to fit the pan.

To ensure that these summer dessert recipes turn out great, it is imperative that you only use fresh fruits.

Need fresh bananas, plums, berries and other fruits for your summer desserts? We deliver! Call us at 01 4624811.

Photo by Gemma Maree