10 ice cream desserts for cooling off this summer
Plus 4 ways to give storebought ice cream a homemade touch.
Ice cream on its own is always great — but ice cream can also be so much more than just a scoop in a bowl. It can take the form of cake, pies, sandwiches, and more. To help you stay cool all summer long, here are plenty of creative ways to enjoy ice cream beyond merely a cone.
1) No-Churn Frozen Yogurt Pie
This two-tone frozen yogurt pie is a refreshing dessert that stays slice-able thanks to a splash of vodka in the filling. It’s slightly tangy from the yogurt, which balances the natural sweetness of ripe blackberries. Bonus: It’s entirely no-bake since the base is a simple cookie crust that only needs to be chilled before the filling is added.
Get the recipe: No-Churn Frozen Yogurt Pie
Shop the recipe: 9" Pie Pan
2) Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Sandwich Bars
Instead of meticulously assembling individual ice cream sandwiches scoop-by-scoop, this recipe opts for a much simpler approach. Our homemade version features a giant slab cookie that can be filled with no-churn ice cream all at once and sliced into whatever shape you desire. For extra crunch, dip the sides of each bar in mini chocolate chips or sprinkles.
Get the recipe: Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Sandwich Bars
Shop the recipe: 9" x 13" Pan and Callebaut Semisweet Mini Chocolate Chips
3) Supersized, Super-Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies
Supersized, Super-Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies, our 2024 Recipe of the Year, make the ultimate base for an ice cream sundae. The cookies are large enough to have a generous scoop piled on top, and because they’re made with melted butter, they stay soft even when partially frozen. For a professional-looking sundae, portion the dough into a Hamburger Bun Pan and extend the baking time slightly — aim for 23 to 26 minutes. It’ll make thick, chewy cookies that are perfectly round and ready to be drowned in ice cream and hot fudge sauce.
Get the recipe: Supersized, Super-Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies
Shop the recipe: Guittard Semisweet Chocolate Wafers
4) Mango Float Ice Cream Cake
Take a trip to the Philippines with one bite of this creamy, coconut-y frozen dessert. The cake showcases the natural sweetness of mangoes in the form of canned mango pulp, so you can make it even when there’s not a fresh mango in sight. The buttery Biscoff cookie crust adds a hint of spice to go along with the cool, creamy filling.
Get the recipe: Mango Float Ice Cream Cake
Shop the recipe: 9" Springform Pan
5) Easy Ice Cream Pie
Think you can’t make homemade ice cream without a fancy ice cream maker? This pie will prove you wrong. All you need is an electric mixer, heavy cream, and sweetened condensed milk to make the no-churn ice cream base. Keep it classic and flavor it with some high-quality vanilla extract, or customize it by adding citrus zest, brownie chunks, or chopped chocolate. Pour it into a simple cookie crust, freeze, and then serve the pie at your next summer gathering.
Get the recipe: Easy Ice Cream Pie
Shop the recipe: Pure Vanilla Extract and 9" Pie Pan
6) Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream Sandwiches
This recipe uses the same smart slab cookie approach as traditional Chocolate Chip Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches, this time with a fruity filling. Both freeze-dried and fresh strawberries are added to the no-churn ice cream base, making it delightfully pink, robustly flavored, and not too icy (something that can happen when watery fruity is added to ice cream). It’s all sandwiched between a hearty-yet-soft oatmeal cookie base.
Get the recipe: Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream Sandwiches
Shop the recipe: Half-Sheet Pan and Rolled Oats
7) Fudge Waffles with Ice Cream and Hot Fudge Sauce
Sure, we’ve all had a waffle cone. But if you’ve never topped a chocolatey waffle with a scoop of ice cream and a drizzle of hot fudge, you’re missing out on the true ice-cream-meets-waffle experience. This is a chocolate lover’s dream dessert (or the most indulgent breakfast you’ve ever seen).
Get the recipe: Fudge Waffle with Ice Cream and Hot Fudge Sauce
Shop the recipe: Triple Cocoa Blend
8) Mocha Madness Ice Cream Pie
If you’re a double shot of espresso kind of person, this espresso-infused ice cream pie is your dessert to make this summer. The mocha-flavored filling includes a whopping 2 tablespoons of espresso powder so the coffee flavor comes through loud and clear. Plus, the pie features chocolate sandwich cookies in three ways: in the press-in crust, mixed into the ice cream filling, and sprinkled on top for a simple garnish.
Get the recipe: Mocha Madness Ice Cream Pie
Shop the recipe: Espresso Powder
9) Frozen Pistachio Pie
Inspired by Italian pistachio gelato, we created a frozen pie that celebrates the combination of nutty pistachios and bittersweet chocolate in a luxurious, creamy dessert. Make it in a springform pan and crush some Sicilian pistachios (they’re the most vibrant green!) on top for an elegant presentation.
Get the recipe: Frozen Pistachio Pie
Shop the recipe: 9" Springform Pan or 9" Pie Pan
10) Profiteroles
Once you've gotten into the rhythm of making your own ice cream sandwiches, take things one step further by using crisp, airy choux pastry as the "sandwich" part of your frozen dessert. Baked puffs can be split in half and their cavernous interior filled with your favorite flavor of ice cream (homemade or store-bought). Return the top as a little cap and then douse the whole thing in chocolate ganache or hot fudge sauce before serving.
Get the recipe: Easy Mini Puffs
Shop the recipe: Reusable Piping Bag and Tips
Bonus: 4 homemade ways to improve your store-bought ice cream
If you’re the kind of person who can’t bring themselves to make ice cream from scratch, we’ve got you. Luckily, there are plenty of ways to still upgrade your store-bought ice cream with a homemade touch.
1) Hot Fudge Sauce
A tried-and-true classic, hot fudge sauce can take ice cream from an everyday dessert into decadent sundae territory. It’s easy to make from scratch — you just need 15 minutes and kitchen staples like butter, half-and-half, sugar, and chocolate. Use high-quality Dutch-processed cocoa for the most robust chocolate flavor.
Get the recipe: Hot Fudge Sauce
Shop the recipe: Double Dark Cocoa Blend
2) Caramel Sauce
Some things are worth the time and effort to make from scratch, including caramel sauce. The homemade version is head and shoulders above store-bought with a rich, velvety consistency and deep, toasty caramelized flavor. Plus, you can experiment by infusing additional flavors, like rosemary. When serving, add a pinch of flaky salt on top of the caramel — it’ll balance the sweetness of the ice cream and look fancy, too.
Get the recipe: Caramel Sauce
Shop the recipe: Pure Vanilla Extract
3) Homemade Waffle Cones
Making your own waffle cones can be a fun project, especially if there are little hands eager to help. A waffle iron with shallow divots or a pizzelle iron make the best cones, though you can experiment with using a Belgian waffle maker and flattening the cone slightly while it’s still warm, before it’s rolled. Try making waffle cone bowls by draping the warm cone over an upside-down ramekin. You’ll never go back to store-bought!
Get the recipe: Homemade Waffle Cones
Shop the recipe: Almond Extract
4) Toasted Marshmallow Whipped Cream
Instead of reaching for a can of whipped cream for your next ice cream sundae, try our new obsession: toasted marshmallow whipped cream, which brings a smoky, toasty flavor to the usually one-note ingredient.
Get the recipe: See the whipped cream recipe in our S’mores Icebox Cake
Shop the recipe: Vanilla Bean Paste
Looking for more hot weather-friendly desserts to cool off with this summer? See our collection of easy no-bake desserts for 16 more recipes that’ll keep you baking without turning on the oven.
Cover photo (Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Sandwiches) by Rick Holbrook; food styling by Kaitlin Wayne.
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