Make-ahead summer dessert recipes
These make-ahead dessert recipes are the secret to relaxed summer entertaining.
Spend more time with guests and less time stressing in the kitchen. Each of these puds can be made ahead of time and then stashed in the fridge or freezer. Some can be made entirely in advance, some just need you to add the finishing touches, like fresh berries, icing or whipped cream.
Make the most of summer produce in your sweet creations. Bake a French strawberry tart, stay cool with raspberry cheesecake ice cream or impress with a gooseberry and elderflower pavlova.
Tropical desserts are always popular in summer. Chill mango mousse in the fridge. Bake easy pineapple puff pastry tarts, or a zesty nectarine and tahini layer cake. There’s a make-ahead pud for every summer celebration…
Showing 1-16 of 127 recipes
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Italian dessert recipes
Theo Randall’s torta sacripantina (cherry and raspberry genoise)
Torta sacripantina is a dessert from Liguria. Theo Randall shares his recipe for this genoise cake with cherries, raspberries and zabaione.
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Italian dessert recipes
Theo Randall’s torta della nonna (lemon custard tart with pine nut topping)
Torta della nonna is a lemony custard tart topped with pine nuts, popular across northern Italy. Chef Theo Randall shares his recipe.
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Medium
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Italian dessert recipes
Almond granita ‘affogato’
Sicilian chef Alfio Laudani shares a make-ahead dessert perfect for hot summer days. Almond granita is topped with a gorgeous espresso foam.
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Easy
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Summer fruit recipes
Fruit chaat
Fruit chaat is a Mumbai summer special and the perfect way to lift the flavours of your favourite fruit. Maunika Gowardhan shares her recipe.
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Easy
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Make-ahead summer dessert recipes
Paul Ainsworth’s strawberry trifle
Top chef Paul Ainsworth shares a recipe from his debut cookbook, upgrading his dad's classic trifle with fresh peak-season strawberries.
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Dinner party dessert recipes
Best-of-the-best summer swiss roll
With a light but springy sponge, rich mascarpone cream and fresh seasonal fruit, our best swiss roll recipe makes the perfect summer dessert.
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Strawberry recipes
Strawberry, black pepper and clotted cream tart
This strawberry tart is one seriously impressive summer dessert. Strawberries macerated with black pepper top a rich clotted cream filling.
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Mango dessert recipes
Mango and peanut crumble custard bars
These crumble bars are bursting with the tropical flavours of mango, lime, cardamom and coconut. A showstopper bake for any occasion.
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Mango dessert recipes
Easy mango mousse
With just five ingredients and 15 minutes prep time, this mango mousse is a great recipe to have in your dessert repertoire.
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Easy
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Strawberry recipes
Balsamic-roasted strawberries with mascarpone
Balsamic strawberries with mascarpone make a seriously good grown-up pudding. Try this low-effort, six ingredient summer dessert today.
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Easy
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Frozen dessert recipes
Baklava ricotta semifreddo
Georgina Hayden's spectacular baklava semifreddo has a caramelised filo top and fragrant ricotta and rosewater base. Frozen dessert heaven.
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Easy
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Sweet tart recipes
Michel Roux Jr’s almond and raspberry frangipane tart
Devote an afternoon to making Michel Roux Jr’s classy frangipane tart. “This French version of a bakewell tart is one of my favourites,” he says.
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Easy
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Frozen dessert recipes
Mini baked alaskas
Introducing our failsafe mini baked alaskas: chocolate no-churn ice cream, sturdy sponge base, no-cook jam and silky torched swiss meringue.
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Pavlova recipes
Gooseberry and toasted coconut pavlova
This showpiece pavlova from food writer Angela Clutton anticipates summer's arrival, combining elderflowers and early-season gooseberries.
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Make-ahead dessert recipes
Galatopita (Greek filo custard pie)
Galatopita is a sweet milk pie from Greece. Georgina Hayden shares her recipe for this classic Greek pud, using golden filo pastry.
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Easy
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