100+ Cold Desserts For Summer (Paleo, GAPS, Keto options)

Luscious, mouthwatering and (best of all) chilled to refreshing perfection, these 100+ cold desserts will crown your hot summer evenings and send you to bed content! There’s something here for every sweet tooth, whether gluten-free, dairy-free, grain-free, nut-free, Paleo, GAPS, or Keto!

Is there any better way to finish a hot summer day than with a cold dessert?

You can’t go wrong with ice cream, and yet it’s just the tip of the iceberg!

I’m thinking about cold and creamy custards and puddings, frosty shakes and frappés, and of course, a slice of pie made with summer fruit straight from the fridge.

Make sure you’re comfy now, because you’ll want to pin away and start planning which of these healthy cool desserts will end your next summer get-together!

Serve ‘Em Creamy: Mousses, Puddings & Custard

Let’s kick things off on the right foot with luscious and creamy healthy summer dessert recipes!

Image courtesy of Whole New Mom.

Mousses

• Dairy-Free Berry Chia Mousse
• Paleo Chocolate Avocado Mousse (dairy-free, egg-free, refined sugar-free)
• Middle Eastern Apricot Mousse With Nut Crumble Layers (Mish Mish)
• Healthy Probiotic Pomegranate Mousse
• Cultured Lemon Cheesecake Mousse
• Easy Paleo Lemon Mousse
• Strawberry Clouds Dessert — Light and airy, this is the perfect cold dessert to serve after a summer dinner party.
• Raw Chocolate & Orange Mousse
• Chia Avocado Healthy Chocolate Mousse — Paleo, gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan.
• Avocado Chocolate Mousse — Dairy-free, refined sugar-free, Paleo, Keto.
• Honey-Sweetened Mixed Berry Semifreddo — Semifreddo means “half-frozen”. It’s an Italian dessert often described as a frozen mousse, because it has a very light and airy texture.

Puddings, Custard & More

• Quick & Easy Vanilla Custard — Who says homemade custard has to be difficult? Experience just how easy (and tasty) vanilla custard can be!
• Whipped Espresso Chocolate Chip Chia Pudding — This cold, little indulgence tastes so gourmet, you’ll feel like you’re on a mini-vacation in your own kitchen!
• Creamy Avocado Lime Pudding
• Vanilla Cinnamon Coconut Pudding
• Homemade Chocolate Pudding Recipe
• Delicious Yogurt Parfaits In Endless Variations (kid-friendly recipe!)
• Coconut Panna Cotta Citrus Cups
• No-Jello Chocolate Pudding Cups {just 5 ingredients!}
• Lemon Curd — This lemon curd recipe is so full of bright, luscious, lemony flavor that you’ll be left smiling from ear to ear!
• Lemony Italian Creme
• Strawberry Meringue Shells With Lemon Curd
• Fresh Fruit Gelatin
• Allergy-Friendly Chocolate Custard

Serve ‘Em Sliced: Pie, Cheesecake, Cake & Tarts

My favorite healthy dessert recipe in the summertime is a cold slice of pie… topped with homemade whipped cream!

Pie, Cake & Tarts

• Healthy Deep Dish Blueberry Pie (Einkorn, Gluten-Free & Paleo options!)
• Paleo Chocolate Peanut Butter Tart — Grain-free, dairy-free, egg-free.
• Southern Coconut Cream Pie — A decadent choice with gut-healing gelatin, pastured egg yolks, and toasted coconut!
• No-Bake Chocolate-Covered Strawberry Tart — Keto, THM-friendly, sugar-free.
• Gluten-Free Raspberry Crepe Cake — Thin crepes layered with cream and berries… no bake, no oven, no heat, no fuss. Just simple and beautiful.
• Peanut Butter Pie with a Double Chocolate Crust
• No-bake Coconut Blueberry Pie Recipe (Whole30)
• Paleo Grasshopper Pie
• Healthy No Bake Chocolate Pie
• AIP Strawberries & Cream Tart
• Raspberry Cream Pie (Grain-Free/Dairy-Free)
• Neapolitan Ice Cream Cake (Grain-Free/Dairy-Free/Nut-Free)
• Tiramisu — Tiramisu, a traditional Italian cake, is soft, sweet, creamy … basically a taste of heaven!
• Paleo No-Bake Chocolate Avocado Tart — GAPS-friendly.
• No-Bake Banana Walnut Brownies — Paleo, GAPS-friendly.
• Paleo Lemon Tarts (‘Hail Merry’ Knock-Off) — Raw, gluten-free, vegan.
• Gluten-Free Cauliflower “Pizza” With Chocolate, Almonds, & Berries

Cheesecake

• Nourishing No-Bake Peppermint Cheesecake {with a low-carb option}
• Instant Pot Grain-Free Pumpkin Cheesecake
• Instant Pot Chocolate Cheesecake With Probiotic Blueberry Sauce
• Orange & Dark Chocolate Cheesecake In The Instant Pot
• Instant Pot New York Cheesecake
• Vanilla Bean Faux Cheesecake — No nuts, and no dairy in this cheesecake!
• Lemon Blueberry Frozen Cheesecake Bombs — Grain-free, Keto-friendly.
• Dairy-Free No-Bake Raspberry Cheesecake
• Chocolate Cheesecake Pie
• No-Bake Cheesecake

Serve ‘Em Frosty: Shakes, Slushies, & Frappes

Image courtesy of Recipes to Nourish.

Instead of the inevitable sugar crash, these refreshing beverages will leave you feeling satiated and energized.

• Hibiscus Lemonade Slushie — You’ll find 40 other healthy fruit-herb drinks at this recipe link!
• Raw Cacao Mint Shake with Avocado, Collagen, & Fresh Mint
• Healthy Real Food Chocolate Shake (No Sugar Crash!)
• 5-Ingredient Real Food Shamrock Shake — Keto, low carb, Paleo options.
• Dairy-Free Banana Eggnog Shake
• Dairy-Free Hormone-Balancing Chocolate Malt
• Carrot Milkshake {With Fresh Ginger, Turmeric, and Cinnamon}
• Mango Watermelon Frappe
• Acai Berry White Chocolate Frappe — Once served at fancy restaurants as a palate cleanser, frappes are the perfect light, refreshing dessert.
• Water Kefir Granita
• Watermelon Cucumber Slushie — Did you grow up with gas station slushies like the rest of the kids of the 80s and 90s? How about a healthier option?

Serve ‘Em Extra Cold: Frozen Desserts & Popsicles (Make-Ahead Desserts)

These cold or frozen treats can be enjoyed straight out of the fridge or freezer!

Cookies, Bars & Bites

Also check out our round-up dedicated entirely to nourishing no-bake cookies and bars!

• Chocolate Nut Butter Cups — GAPS-friendly.
• German Chocolate Freezer Cookies
• Coconut Raspberry Chocolate Cups — Nut-free.
• Maca Gingersnap No-Bake Treats
• Raspberry-Kissed Frozen Yogurt Bites
• Frozen Yoghurt Cups
• No-Bake Chocolate-Covered Raspberry Cookie Bites — These little bites of goodness are so easy to make, your kids can do it! And you can savor one right out of the freezer for a cold, healthy dessert!
• Chocolate Peanut Butter No Bake Cookies
• Homemade Peanut Butter Cups Recipe — A healthy copycat of Reese’s! Only three ingredients, gluten-free, sugar-free and dairy-free too!
• Frozen Chocolate Banana Bars
• Chocolate Coconut Oil-Covered Bananas
• Sweet & Salty Chocolate Bar with Fruits & Nuts — Paleo, GAPS-friendly.
• Paleo Chocolate Coconut Bars — With no nuts, dairy, eggs, or grains, these are super allergy-friendly!
• Coconut & Avocado Grasshopper Bars — Paleo, GAPS-friendly.
• Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Hummus
• Cake Batter Hummus
• Pumpkin Pie Hummus
• No-Bake Brownie Bites

Image courtesy of Recipes to Nourish.

Freezer Fudge & Bark

• Chocolate Sunflower Freezer Fudge
• Peppermint Pattie Coconut Bark {plus, Almond Joy Version!} — An oldie but a goodie!
• Marbled Fudge
• Peanut Butter Fudge
• Raw Cacao & Almond Butter Fudge
• Frozen Yoghurt Bark With Honey
• Mint Chocolate Freezer Fudge (Vegan, Gluten-Free)

Popsicles & Fudgsicles

In addition to the healthy summer dessert recipes below, you can find 20+ dairy-free popsicle recipes here!

• Dairy-Free Fudge Pops (sugar-free options!) — Creamy, naturally sweetened, and above all *not* drippy (perfect for littles!), this homemade fudge pops recipe is a summertime dream best enjoyed poolside!
• Probiotic Mint Chocolate Chip Popsicles (dairy-free option!)
• 3-Ingredient Mixed Berry Kefir Popsicles (probiotic & kid-friendly!)
• 9 Insanely Refreshing Popsicles {that you and your kids will love!}
• Watermelon On A Stick
• Probiotic Coconut Mango Lassi Popsicles — Gluten-free, dairy-free.
• Dark Chocolate Dipped Fudgesicles
• Sugar-Free, Dairy-Free Fudgesicles — Low carb with AIP and vegan option.
• Healthy Homemade Fudgesicles
• 3-Ingredient Watermelon Popsicles — With seven variations!
• Keto Key Lime Popsicles — Low carb and dairy-free.
• Homemade Ice Pops – 100% Real Fruit and No Sugar
• 3-Ingredient Easy Yogurt Popsicles
• Coconut Cream Popsicles
• Cherry Limeade Popsicles — Made in a blender with only 4 simple ingredients!

Serve ‘Em Churned: Ice Cream & Sorbet

Here’s a smattering of our favorite ice cream recipes for summer days, plus a podcast episode where I discuss tips and tricks for homemade ice cream.

• Dairy-Free No-Churn Blackberry Ice Cream — Paleo, GAPS-friendly.
• Real Food Gingerbread Cookie Chunk Ice Cream
• No-Churn Mango Turmeric Ice Cream — Paleo, dairy-free.
• Herb, Flower, & Citrus Essential Oil Ice Cream
• Probiotic Watermelon Strawberry Fruit Sorbet
• Naturally Sweetened Spiced Honey Pear Sorbet (THM:E)
• Cultured Raw Lemon Ice Cream With Only Three Real-Food Ingredients
• THM:S Stevia-Sweetened Blackberry Cheesecake Ice Cream {with a dairy-free option, too!}
• Vegan Mango Nice Cream Bars (Gluten-Free)
• Nutrient-Dense Strawberry Sherbert (Sherbet) — Made in your food processor with just three raw ingredients!
• No-Churn Vanilla Kefir Ice Cream — Simple ingredients, GAPS-friendly, and a slight tang reminiscent of frozen yogurt.
• Coffee Ice Cream with Fudge Swirl — GAPS-friendly.
• Dark Chocolate Avocado Ice Cream — Vegan, low carb, Paleo.
• Healthy Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Banana Ice Cream
• Homemade Vanilla Bean Ice Cream
• Homemade Apple Crumble Ice Cream

Need more allergy-friendly options? Be sure to check out 36 Egg-Free Ice Cream Recipes + 17 Toppings! and 40 Deliciously Dairy-Free Ice Cream Recipes (THM options!).

What are your favorite cold, healthy summer desserts?

If you love these, then…

This post was originally published and written by Lindsey Dietz on 5/24/16. It was updated and republished on 5/27/22.