Recipes Everyday Cooking More Meal Ideas Retro Recipes 20 Vintage Summer Desserts For Timeless Treats By Diana Moutsopoulos Diana Moutsopoulos Diana Moutsopoulos is a food writer, recipe developer, Greek cuisine expert, and an Editorial Director at Allrecipes. Allrecipes' editorial guidelines Published on June 22, 2021 Close Photo: Meredith Food Studios Summertime is all about making memories, so we took a trip down memory lane to round up the coolest retro desserts from years gone by. From the classic baked Alaska to icebox cakes, frozen key lime pie, and more, we have 20 recipes to tempt you and bring back those sweet, sweet memories. 01 of 21 Baked Alaska View Recipe melissahyerstay Let's begin with what must be the ultimate in retro dessert fare -- the intimidatingly delicious baked Alaska. Ice cream is molded in a bowl, set atop a round layer of cake, then covered in airy meringue. After a final freeze, the whole shebang is put in a hot oven so that the meringue can quickly turn a beautiful golden brown. It may sound like a recipe for a trained pastry chef, but the dozens of reviews from home cooks prove it's totally achievable at home. If you want to make things a little easier, skip making your own cake and use a store-bought cake for the base instead! Watch the Video 02 of 21 Raspberry Trifle View Recipe Holly A solid five-star rating with hundreds of reviews -- this trifle recipe has stood the test of time, and for good reason: light-yet-decadent layers of pound cake, whipped cream, cream cheese, and cool frozen raspberries, all dusted with a cocoa powder finish. Make this with the frozen berries or try using fresh summer berries for a vintage dessert everyone will love. 03 of 21 Creamsicle Ice Cream Cake View Recipe Mackenzie Schieck If your favorite childhood treat was a Creamsicle, this recipe is for you. An easy orange cake made with your favorite box mix is baked, cooled, then layered with vanilla ice cream. Cool and creamy whipped topping makes for the ultimate finish. 04 of 21 Tipsy Peaches View Recipe lutzflcat There's something about fruity and boozy desserts that always evokes retro vibes. Fresh summer peaches are quickly cooked with butter, brown sugar, and a healthy shot of whiskey. Serve with vanilla ice cream for a sophisticated vintage summer treat. 05 of 21 Aunt Betty's Banana Pudding View Recipe smlindsey A classic summertime pudding, perfected here by Aunt Betty with more than 100 glowing reviews. 06 of 21 Seven Layer Gelatin Salad View Recipe larkspur Travel back to a time where the term "salad" was loosely applied to seemingly an endless variety of dishes, including sweet Jell-O treats like this. No one will be able to resist this colorful, jiggly concoction, which is sure to bring back memories for anyone who tries it. 07 of 21 Chocolate Eclair Cake View Recipe footballgirl16 It seems impossible that just five ingredients results in a dessert that's so beautiful and delicious. Graham crackers, vanilla pudding, whipped topping and chocolate frosting transform into an icebox cake that tastes remarkably similar to a fancy chocolate eclair. Watch the Video 08 of 21 Banana Split Ice Cream Pie View Recipe Meredith Food Studios Transform the greatest sundae of all time into a cool, creamy, sliceable pie. All the elements of a banana split are there, including the crushed pineapple, chocolate, nuts, banana, and of course a maraschino cherry on top. 09 of 21 Strawberry Tiramisu Without Eggs View Recipe Alemarsi Lesser-known than its espresso-soaked cousin, strawberry tiramisu is an Italian classic. This no-bake recipe makes the most of fresh summer berries and couldn't be easier to make. 10 of 21 Grandma's Blueberry Buckle View Recipe Deb C Grandma's buckle is delicious as it is, but you could easily use almost any summer berry in place of blueberries for an equally yummy result. Handed down by recipe submitter Gary's grandma, this recipe is a keeper that you'll want to make every summer during blueberry season. 11 of 21 Chocolate Strawberry Crunch Icebox Cake View Recipe Sandra Garth This perfectly portable icebox cake is made in a 9x13 inch dish, making transporting and serving a breeze. Bring it to any summer picnic, barbeque, or reunion and revel in all the oohs and aahs! 12 of 21 Chef John's Fresh Berry Fool View Recipe Chef John When we say "vintage dessert," we use the term loosely -- a dessert from the 1950s may appear alongside one from the 70s or even 80s. The fool, however, truly warrants the "vintage" title. First referenced in the 16th century, this is surely the oldest dessert in this collection! Chef John does the fool's history justice with his rendition of this cool, creamy English dessert. Watch the Video 13 of 21 Ice Cream Sandwich Cake View Recipe ~JustLuvToBake~ A handful of store-bought ingredients are arranged in a 9x13-inch dish, transforming into a decadently cool summer dessert that will give the ice cream truck a run for its money. Watch the Video 14 of 21 Judy's Strawberry Pretzel Salad View Recipe Sarah Waltrip Another salad that eats like a dessert! This summertime favorite is a perfect balance of sweet, creamy, and salty in every bite. 15 of 21 Carlota de Limon (Mexican Lemon Icebox Cake) View Recipe Chapita The carlota is a classic Mexican icebox cake whipped up with just four ingredients before chilling in the fridge, so you'll be in and out of the kitchen in no time! 16 of 21 5-Layer Chocolate Banana Pudding Pie View Recipe HomeCookinMan We love all five layers of this take on banana cream pie. The sweet-salty crust is made with a mix of pretzels and vanilla wafers, then topped with a chocolate ganache, banana cream cheese mixture, vanilla pudding, and finally whipped cream. The end result is as decadent as it looks! 17 of 21 Mudslide Pie View Recipe Marianne Williams Frozen cocktails have long been a summertime favorite. The most famous is surely the mudslide, so it is fitting that it got its own pie. This grown-up treat features coffee ice cream with hints of Kahlua and Baileys. 18 of 21 Chef John's Bananas Foster View Recipe Chef John This New Orleans classic has summer written all over it. Ready in a total of 15 minutes, it's the perfect retro dessert for summer entertaining. Watch the Video 19 of 21 Frozen Key Lime Pie View Recipe Maya Key lime pie has never really gone out of style, of course! This is an extra-summery twist on the original recipe that requires absolutely no heating whatsoever. Just whizz together the ingredients, pour over a graham cracker crust, and freeze! 20 of 21 Fried Ice Cream View Recipe Allrecipes There's lots of debate when it comes to the origins of fried ice cream. We'll save that topic for another day. In the meantime, if you've never made this vintage treat at home, make this the summer that you finally do! This top-rated recipe is the perfect place to start. Watch the Video 21 of 21 More Inspiration Meredith Food Studios If you're in search of more blasts from the past, we've got you covered: Pictured: Boston Cream Pie I Retro Cocktail Recipes Our Entire Retro Recipe Collection Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit