20 Favorite Summer Desserts to Take to the BBQ

Aunt Betty's Banana Pudding

This is for the folks who swear it's not a BBQ unless there's banana pudding for dessert. "I've made this recipe about 25 times now because people beg me to bring it to every function! Hands down the best banana pudding recipe out there," says IVYCHAOS.

Reviewer jilly bean suggests tossing the bananas in a little lemon juice to keep them from browning after you slice them.

Judy's Strawberry Pretzel Salad

"I have made this three times and given out the recipe twice. Everyone likes it! Make sure to follow the three 'golden rules' for making it: 1. Do not bake crust for more than 10 minutes. 2. Spread the cream cheese mixture all the way to the edges to 'seal' out the jello. 3. Chill cream cheese layer thoroughly and jello layer slightly before pouring the jello over the rest so that you don't have marbling." —Allyson Brown Howard

Blueberry Cheesecake Ice Cream

This isn't your everyday blueberry ice cream. A homemade graham cracker crust is swirled into homemade ice cream with homemade blueberry sauce. "This was so good," says reviewer Barbara Goebel Field. "I entered in an ice cream contest we had at our church and won 1st place out of 6 entries! Since it was a cheesecake ice cream I used Cheesecake Pudding instead of vanilla. I made it in three batches and layered it as stated in the recipe."

Jackie's Fresh Peach Cobbler

David Boland share this recipe and says, "An old fashion recipe from a collection of my mother's favorites. With a dash of nutmeg the aroma will take you back to grandma's kitchen."

Lemon Lush

"This is my favorite go to summer dessert," says divine1. "I make with a few modifications. I add a cup of finely chopped nuts to the flour mixture (walnuts pecans or almonds) whichever I have available. I also substitute powder sugar for the white sugar with the cream cheese and 1/2 a container of cool whip. Everything else I follow as instructed. Love this easy light layered dessert."

Brookies (Brownie Cookies)

When you can't decide between bringing brownies or cookies to the BBQ, bring both in one dessert. Tip: You can use store-bought chocolate chip cookie dough instead of making the dough from scratch.

Blueberry Crumble Bars

"These bars are always a big hit and are a great way to use those fresh summer berries — though frozen blueberries work just as well. They're especially great with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream on top." —magicallydelicious

Mom's Peach Crisp

This ultra-simple recipe is so good, reviewers give it a 5-star rating. Fresh (or canned) peaches are baked under a crunchy oat topping for a summer dessert that lets the fruit take center stage. You can substitute any fruit for the peaches, and get a summer's worth of fruit crisps with just one recipe.

Lemon Pie Bars

"This is a really easy recipe that my mom made before the lemon bar 'rage' was on," says recipe submitter RCFoodie. "Thick-skinned lemons work the best. I suggest using real butter and eggs, I've tried using eggbeaters — nowhere near as good!"

World's Best Rice Krispies Treats

Bring a nostalgic dessert to the BBQ and watch everyone's eyes light up. "Literally the best Rice Krispies® treats you have ever tasted due to a secret ingredient — sweetened condensed milk. You're welcome. Leftovers (there won't be any) can be placed in an airtight container on the counter for up to 3 days." —Jessie Sheehan

Cheesecake in a Jar

Hands down the easiest way to serve cheesecake at a BBQ picnic. Just pack everything into jars and keep chilled until you're ready to whip out these adorable single servings.

S'more Brownies

Here's how to have all the fun and flavor of s'mores without having to crowd around a fire. "These are awesome," says MadLib04. "I read all of the reviews and followed the advice. I increased the marshmallows to 2 cups, used 6 Hershey bars, cut the graham crackers into smaller pieces, and only put the toppings on for the last five minutes of baking. Everyone loved them and asked for the recipe!"

Freezer Caramel Drizzle Pie

"I put this in a 12" springform pan (sprayed with Pam) with a graham cracker crust made with 1½ cups graham crackers, ⅓ cup sugar and 6 tablespoons butter (melted). Bake 10 min. @ 350 degrees and cool completely. Then layer the cream cheese mixture, caramel, coconut. and pecans mixture, as recipe describes. It fits perfectly in the pan." GAYLEREYNOLDS

Chef John's Peach Pie

"Above and beyond beautiful, this lattice design is also very practical. When you're making pie with something like peaches, the relatively open top allows for lots of moisture to evaporate, which helps prevent the dreaded 'watery-pie syndrome.' That's also the reason we boil the excess juices down to a syrup." —Chef John

Blueberry Pie

"I loved this pie recipe! It was super-easy to make, and it was delicious! After reading the other reviews, I put in 4 tablespoons of cornstarch instead of 3 tablespoons, and it set without a problem. Also, I added a splash of lemon juice to the blueberry mixture for some extra flavor, and I covered the edges of the pie crust with aluminum foil until the last 15 minutes (to prevent overbrowning). A great recipe!" —BabkaGal

MySweetCreations Peanut Butter Cookie Pie

"Sinfully rich over the top delicious oh so chocolately delightfully peanut buttery and absolutely fabulous! I mean to try to describe this using just one word may be virtually impossible just as impossible as it is to eat just one slice — yes it's that good. And what's great about this is for as gorgeous as this turns out it's surprisingly easy to make!" —Jillian

Banana Split Cake II

This no-bake "cake" uses crushed vanilla wafers so you don't have to turn on your oven when it's just too hot to bake. "One IMPORTANT detail that gets over looked is to save the pineapple juice and cut your bananas into the juice and allow them to sit in there for a few minutes. This will keep the bananas from turning brown and keep it fresher looking longer. also it is important to squeeze the pineapple to get ALL the juice out not just let the juice drain out using gravity," says Buzz Buzzard JR..

Watermelon-Mint Paletas

Watermelon, lime, and mint get blended up and frozen into easy, refreshing Mexican fruit pops. Perfect for those who want a little lighter dessert after a big barbeque.

Cherry Pie III

Use sour cherries to make this classic summertime pie. "This is the 1999 American Pie Council's National Pie Championship first-place winner in the Fruit and Berry Category," says Beth Campbell.

Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream Cake

"This recipe is fast to assemble and while you can absolutely buy the ingredients pre-made, I prefer to make the cake part myself. You can also use angel food cake (loaf shape) or your favorite pound cake." —thedailygourmet

More Summer Sweets

• 15 Easy Summer Desserts Ready to Wow in Under 30 Minutes
• 15 No-Bake Summer Desserts to Help You Keep Your Cool
• Find More Summer Dessert Recipes