42 Berry Desserts You'll Want to Make All Summer Long

Put the season's colorful bounty on display by making one of these strawberry, raspberry, blackberry, and blueberry treats.

filled strawberries on cake platter
Credit: Julia Gartland

Summer is berry season: First come strawberries, then raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries. But before you head to the grocery store, keep these points in mind: The fresher the berries, the better they'll taste, so buy them locally grown—or, if you get the chance, pick them yourself at a farm.

When you bring berries home, don't wash them—moisture on the surface encourages mold. Instead, sort through the berries: pick out any mushy ones, carefully pat dry any moisture, and store them in a clean, dry container. Berries don't have a long shelf life, so they are best used within a day or two after purchase. Rinse your berries just before eating or before using them in any of the delicious berry dessert recipes ahead.

Here are some of our favorite ways to use fresh summer blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, and raspberries in a variety of delightful desserts.

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Blueberry Crisp

blueberry crisp
Credit: Johnny Miller

Cobblers and crisps are some of the best berry desserts—and some of the best ways to use pints of farm-fresh berries. A sweet oat topping gets heavily sprinkled atop a jammy filling of macerated berries, cornstarch, sugar, and lemon juice in this Blueberry Crisp. It will be a welcome addition to any summertime dessert menu.

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Lemon Shortcakes with Basil Berries

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This light, crumbly shortcake soaks up the sweet juices from blueberries and raspberries that are tossed with lemon juice, sugar, and fresh basil. If you don't have a food processor, make these shortcakes with a pastry cutter.

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Naked Berry Chiffon Cake

naked berry cake adorned martha bakes strawberries blueberries
Credit: Mike Krautter

When there's an occasion really worth celebrating, make this layered, airy chiffon cake with a lightweight whipped cream. Despite its show-stopping appearance, the cake is incredibly delicate; fresh edible flowers and mixed berries are the picture-perfect finish.

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Raspberry Cobbler

raspberry cobbler
Credit: Marcus Nilsson

If you have an abundance of fresh raspberries, this is the berry dessert recipe for you: The filling of slightly syrupy, macerated berries is topped with flaky biscuits. Brush the top of the biscuits with heavy cream before baking for the perfect golden brown finish.

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Fruit Tart

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Simple yet delicious, a vanilla-infused pastry cream is topped with a mound of colorful glazed fresh berries. You can bake the crust in advance, but the tart is best eaten the day it's filled.

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Frozen Yogurt and Fruit Pops

Yogurt Pops
Credit: Lennart Weibull

This treat is surprisingly healthy for how decadent it tastes. Made from Greek yogurt, honey, and berries, all blended and frozen into popsicle molds, this will become a summer staple.

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Chiffon Cake with Strawberries and Cream

chiffon cake
Credit: Marcus Nilsson

This light-as-a-feather cake gets its airiness from egg whites and cake flour. It's filled with quartered strawberries and a light whipped cream filling for a fresh, natural sweetness.

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Pavlova Wreath with Berries and Créme Fraîche

meringue wreath martha bakes strawberries blueberries
Credit: Mike Krautter

Sugar-coated mixed berries lay lightly atop a creamy filling of crème fraîche and whipped cream. Assembling the miniature pavlovas into a wreath is a visual stunner, but feel free to make individual shells for serving as well.

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Strawberry Icebox Pie

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If you were overenthusiastic when you went strawberry picking and have more berries than you could ever possibly use, this is the recipe for you. It calls for 2 quarts of fresh strawberries that make a vibrant filling for this graham cracker crust pie.

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Berry Sorbet

berry sorbets

One of the most refreshing summertime desserts, this sorbet is also simple to make. All you need are 4 cups of fresh raspberries, sugar, and water. Prep takes just five minutes, then the sorbet needs a few hours to firm up in the freezer before you can scoop it.

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Berry Layer Cake

overhead of purple frosted berry layer cake
Credit: Mike Krautter

This supremely beautiful berry layer cake is piped with swirls and twirls of black raspberry jam buttercream and topped with fresh berries. Save this for when you really want to impress your dinner guests.

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Banana, Berry, and Buttermilk Popsicles

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Like a smoothie on a stick, these could be eaten for breakfast, as well as for dessert. The buttermilk base gives a rich flavor, blended with berries (fresh or frozen), and sweetened with a bit of banana and honey. Another bonus: They're super easy to make. The hardest part is waiting for them to freeze before you eat one.

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Pull-Apart Vanilla-Wafer Cupcake Cake with Berries

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Want the look of a sheet cake and the ease of cupcakes? This crowd-friendly dessert brings the best of both worlds. Another bonus: There's no need to decorate each cupcake; simply smooth vanilla buttercream over the top of the dessert and garnish with mixed berries.

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Strawberry-Banana Pudding

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A Southern summer staple, this gorgeous layered pudding needs time to set, so it's best made the night before.

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Blueberry Lattice Pie

blueberry lattice pie martha bakes
Credit: Mike Krautter

Go with a dessert you know everyone will love: blueberry pie. Our version cradles the fruit filling into a pate brisee crust with an intricate lattice topping.

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Filled Fourth of July Strawberries

filled strawberries on cake platter
Credit: Julia Gartland

Put a festive treat on the table in 15 minutes with this fancy two-bite dessert that's made by filling strawberries with sweetened cream cheese.

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Mini Strawberry-Rhubarb Galettes

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Credit: Jennifer Causey

Like personalized pies, these stunning summery galettes are made with frozen puff pastry, which makes the job easy. Lavender sugar adds a sophisticated touch.

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French Fruit Tart

french fruit tart
Credit: William Abranowicz

Every layer of this tart has something special; melted white chocolate is brushed on the crust, sour cream is mixed into a traditional pastry custard, and warm apricot jam is drizzled over the fresh berry garnish.

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Strawberry-Lemonade Angel Pie

strawberry-lemonade angel pie topped with fresh strawberries
Credit: Paola + Murray

Similar to a pavlova, this show-stopper of a dessert features a meringue base baked in a pie plate, layered with a cooked strawberry filling and whipped cream.

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Cherry-Raspberry Semifreddo

cherry-raspberry semifreddo topped with whipped cream
Credit: Paola + Murray

Semifreddo means partially frozen in Italian. It is a light and airy dessert that's like a blend between ice cream and mousse. The recipe is versatile. You can use whatever fresh berries you have on hand.

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Blueberry Tart

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A dessert for die-hard blueberry fans, this tart calls for 6 cups of fresh berries. Some are macerated with lemon juice and sugar, then mixed with fresh berries for the filling.

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Blueberry–Cream Cheese Hand Pies

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Credit: Johnny Miller

Blueberry pie goes portable in this picnic-perfect dessert. The fruit is mixed with sugar, lemon juice, and flour and spooned onto quarters of dough spread with a rich cream cheese mixture. The hand pies bake until the crust turns a crisp, golden-brown.

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Blackberry Fool

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A fool is a light and refreshing dessert that consists of fruit puree folded into whipped cream and chilled in individual custard cups. It's a great way to use up blackberries.

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Firecracker Ice Pops

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Fourth of July party-goers will love these patriotic pops. And for the cook, they're an easy way to utilize fresh strawberries and blueberries in a treat that captures their natural color and flavor.

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Martha's Strawberry Ice Cream

strawberry ice cream
Credit: Marcus Nilsson

In a decadent adults-only version of this classic summer dessert, Martha shows you how to macerate strawberries with vodka or tequila, then add to an ice cream base. Guaranteed to become a guest favorite!

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Chocolate Cake With Whipped Cream and Berries

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A super simple recipe, this cake uses store-bought cake mix for the chocolate cakes, which are then layered with whipped cream and fresh strawberries. It's a recipe that kids could make.

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Strawberry Tart

Strawberry Tart

The presentation of this fragrant tart will lure you in, but it's the combination of juicy strawberries and sweet, airy cream cheese filling that will keep you coming back for more.

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Blackberry Crisp

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One of the easiest ways to celebrate summer berries is with a crisp. This blackberry version uses five pints of berries beneath the simple butter-sugar-flour topping.

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Bourbon-and-Brown-Sugar Cake with Berries

bourbon and brown-sugar cake with berries
Credit: Kate Mathis

An easy-going cake that doesn't need any frosting, the juicy berries on the surface are all the decoration that's needed.

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Pressure-Cooker Raspberry Upside-Down Cake

raspberry upside down cake
Credit: Marcus Nilsson

When it's too hot to bake, turn on the pressure cooker or multi-cooker to make this cheery, raspberry-topped cake.

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Lemon-Basil Custard Pie with Red Berries

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Credit: Jonathan Lovekin

A few handfuls of raspberries, strawberries, and elderberries tossed in sugar rest atop a chilled custard infused with lemon basil. The herb, with its citrusy note, brightens the silky, rich filling of this beautiful pie.

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Red, White, and Blueberry Trifle

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An easy, make-ahead, crowd-pleasing dessert—what's not to like about this trifle? We use a mixture of blueberries and raspberries to layer between the cake and a cream cheese mixture, but you can use any type of berries you prefer.

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Raspberry Mousse Pie

Raspberry Mouse Pie
Credit:

Con Poulos

An amazing no-bake dessert, this raspberry mousse pie uses a graham cracker crust and a gelatin-thickened raspberry puree that is folded into whipped cream. After a few hours in the fridge, it turns into a decadent dessert that will have everyone coming back for seconds.

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Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes

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These lovely little cupcakes feature a hollowed-out center that's filled with macerated strawberries and topped with whipped cream. Get the strawberry shortcake experience in handheld form!

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Raspberry-Swirl Cheesecake

Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake
Credit:

Brie Goldman

Elevate a classic cheesecake with a stunning raspberry swirl. You won't need to add any further toppings because this alone is so beautiful. You can make it up to three days in advance.

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Blueberry Slab Pie

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Pie for a crowd, this blueberry slab pie is baked in a large rectangular pan. A buttery pastry keeps it flaky, and the sweet blueberry filling is sure to please.

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Chocolate-Raspberry Cake

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Credit: Con Poulos

There's something about the combination of chocolate with raspberries that seems extra luscious. This is a special occasion cake, with layers of jammy raspberry filling and chocolate cream cheese frosting.

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Strawberry Cake

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Vanilla cake gets a summery upgrade with the addition of strawberries to this easy one-layer cake. Our pro tip to prevent the strawberries from sinking to the bottom of the cake is to toss them in a couple of tablespoons of all-purpose flour.

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Peach and Blueberry Tart With Cream Cheese Filling

peach and blueberry tart with cream cheese filling
Credit: Paola + Murray

Think of this like a new take on cheesecake. A no-bake cream cheese filling is pressed into a pre-baked tart shell and topped with fresh macerated fruit and berries.

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Strawberry Cream Cake

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This dessert starts by baking two layers of simple vanilla cake. While you wait, toss strawberries with granulated sugar and make the whipped cream filling, then layer the two elements between the cooled cake pieces and add more on top for a stunning finish.

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Fruit Pie with Crumb Topping

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A simple pie crust, a filling of blueberries combined with sugar, flour, and lemon juice, and a buttery crumble topping make this berry dessert just irresistible.

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Blackberry Crumb Bars

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Imagine a blondie topped with a delicious coffee cake crumble. Then add the season's most vibrant berries—that's this dessert. Need we say more?

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