45 Light Summer Desserts That are Kind to Your Waistline

From the Recipe Creator: The best time for this dessert is midsummer, when the blueberries are thick in our northern woods. Red raspberries can be added to the mixed berries, too, to brighten the patriotic colors. —Anne Theriault, Wellesley, Massachusetts

From the Recipe Creator: This golden brown, tender pound cake is the perfect light summer dessert to make when you have an abundance of summer squash in your garden. It’s not overly sweet, so it appeals to everyone. —Lisa Brockwell, Necedah, Wisconsin. Eating healthier doesn’t have to mean giving up sweets entirely. Try these delicious skinny desserts.

From the Recipe Creator: This light summer dessert tastes extra good on a busy day, because you can make it ahead of time! If you don’t have fresh peaches handy, subbing three cups of the canned ones works, too. —Christina Moore, Casar, North Carolina

From the Recipe Creator: You'll love the sunny color and fruity flavor of this light dessert. If you can't find mangoes, substitute fresh peaches. To peal peaches, drop them into boiling water for a few seconds. Then you can easily slip the skins right off. —Test Kitchen

From the Recipe Creator: We live in blueberry country and this pie is a perfect way to showcase the luscious berries. A neighbor made this pie for us when we had a death in the family several years ago. Our whole family enjoys it. —R. Ricks, Kalamazoo, Michigan

From the Recipe Creator: I reconstructed this dessert based on an old recipe that had been in the family for years but was never written down. The subtle cinnamon flavor of the zwieback crust and the dense texture of the ricotta cheese are reminiscent of the cheesecake I enjoyed as a child. —Mary Beth Jung, Hendersonville, North Carolina

From the Recipe Creator: This blueberry clafoutis is somewhere between a fruit-filled pancake and a fruity egg custard. Wrong season for fresh berries? Use frozen berries thawed in a colander and discard the juice. —Ken Hulme, Venice, Florida

From the Recipe Creator: Faced with an abundant grape crop, I created this easy, impressive-looking dessert. I like to add a drizzle of honey and a sprinkle of coarse sugar to finish it off. —Kallee Krong-McCreery, Escondido, California

From the Recipe Creator: This tasty treat has helped my family stay healthy, lose weight and still be able to enjoy dessert! Other kinds of berries or even fresh peaches are just as delicious in this cobbler. —Leslie Browning of Lebanon, Kentucky

From the Recipe Creator: This refreshingly fruity dessert is one of our favorites. It looks so beautiful layered in a glass bowl that people will think it took ages to make. The secret is starting with a purchased angel food cake. —Lynn Marie Frucci, Pullman, Washington

From the Recipe Creator: My mother received this peach cobbler recipe from a friend of hers many years ago, and fortunately she shared it with me. Boise is situated right between two large fruit-producing areas in our state, so peaches are plentiful in the summer. —Ruby Ewart, Boise, Idaho

From the Recipe Creator: You will detect a definite lemonade flavor in this refreshing lemon icebox pie. High and fluffy, this dessert has a creamy smooth consistency that we really appreciate. It’s the dessert that came to mind immediately when I put together my favorite summer meal. —Cheryl Wilt, Eglon, West Virginia

From the Recipe Creator: Folks have been flipping over this peach upside-down cake for generations. This dessert is very popular with my family and guests. —Terri Kirschner, Carlisle, Indiana

From the Recipe Creator: I love this recipe because it combines three of my favorite flavors: coffee, hazelnuts and cherries. It’s the perfect light summer dessert! —Joan Pecsek, Chesapeake, Virginia

From the Recipe Creator: I didn’t see my son, Lance Corporal Eric Harris, for more than two years after he enlisted in the Marines after high school. And when I saw him arrive at the airport, I just grabbed hold of him and burst out crying. When we got home, the first thing he ate was two bowls of my easy banana pudding recipe. He’s a true southern boy! It’s a light dessert, but you can have it for breakfast, lunch or dinner. —Stephanie Harris, Montpelier, Virginia

From the Recipe Creator: My son always asks for this guilt-free frozen yogurt pie for his birthday. Complete with peanut butter, fudge topping and nuts, it tastes ice cream parlor–good … but it's healthier. —Margaret Hanson-Maddox, Montpelier, Indiana

From the Recipe Creator: This unique dessert is a bread pudding-pie combo. It was created by my paternal grandmother’s family. They had a farm and made their own bread, which made this a low-cost dessert. — Kelly Barnes, Lexington, Indiana

From the Recipe Creator: For a taste of paradise, try this no-bake Key lime pie recipe. It’s low in fat, sugar and fuss. It truly is the best light summer dessert! —Frances VanFossan, Warren, Michigan

From the Recipe Creator: I love to make desserts with fruit all summer! You can use store-bought crusts or make your own. I recommend stacking your two pie crusts on top of each other and then rolling them to the correct size. —Elisabeth Larsen, Pleasant Grove, Utah

From the Recipe Creator: My mother's family owned peach orchards in Missouri. I currently live in Tennessee, a top consumer of buttermilk. This summery ice cream combines my past and present. —Kim Higginbotham, Knoxville, Tennessee

From the Recipe Creator: Berries, peaches or any fruit can be used for this simple cobbler recipe, but the cheery bright color of cherries makes it just right for gray winter days. —Eleanor Jacoby, Eureka, Kansas

From the Recipe Creator: When I take this different kind of angel food cake to church bake sales, it goes before I can get it on the table!—Mary Ann Iverson, Woodville, Wisconsin

From the Recipe Creator: My husband and I pick lots of fruit at berry farms in the area and freeze it to enjoy all year long. This light summer dessert showcases both blueberries and strawberries and has a refreshing lemon flavor. —Bernice Russ, Bladenboro, North Carolina

From the Recipe Creator: I grew up helping my mom make a lot in our farmhouse kitchen; strawberry shortcakes, roasts, soups and pies. This sunny strawberry shortcake recipe brings back memories of family summers on the farm. —Janet Becker, Anacortes, Washington

From the Recipe Creator: This simple yet satisfying coconut cookie recipe has been around for generations. Pressing a fork into the top gives the look of an old-fashioned washboard. —Tommie Sue Shaw, McAlester, Oklahoma

From the Recipe Creator: This sweet-tart cake recipe is so much fun to make with my grandkids. They love just “dumping it all in” and watching it magically become a pretty, delicious dessert. —Nancy Heishman, Las Vegas, Nevada

From the Recipe Creator: Inspired by an abundance of zucchini, I found a new way to use it up in this spiced and lightly sweet summer dessert. It even won a blue ribbon at our county fair! —Regina Stock, Topeka, Kansas

From the Recipe Creator: I've given a fresh summery twist to the classic blueberry buckle everyone loves by replacing the blueberries for raspberries (my favorite) and adding sweet and tart lemon curd. This berry buckle cake recipe tastes great with vanilla ice cream! —Jenna Fleming, Lowville, New York

From the Recipe Creator: My parents were coming over for dinner, and I wanted to create a fast go-to brownie. My mom loves coconut and chocolate, so I thought these Nutella brownies would be the perfect treat. —Danielle Lee, West Palm Beach, Florida

From the Recipe Creator: One bite of this sweet, juicy, crunchy crisp, and you just might hear the crash of the ocean and feel warm sand under your toes! —Taste of Home Test Kitchen, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

From the Recipe Creator: For our daughter's wedding, a friend made this lovely, airy angel food cake from a recipe she's used for decades. It really is one of the best angel food cake recipes I've found. Serve slices plain or dress them up with fresh fruit. —Marilyn Niemeyer, Doon, Iowa

From the Recipe Creator: My mother-in-law made a slump of wild blueberries with dumplings and served it warm with a pitcher of farm cream. We’ve been enjoying slump desserts for 60 years. —Eleanore Ebeling, Brewster, Minnesota

From the Recipe Creator: Citrus trees grow abundantly in California, and I'm always looking for new recipes which use the fruit from the orange and lemon trees in my yard. This lemon pound cake is one of my favorites! My mother passed this recipe down to me. —Richard Killeaney, Spring Valley, California

From the Recipe Creator: This recipe came from my mom’s Grandma Alice, who taught her how to bake. Grandma Alice always had a fresh plate of warm cookies on her counter. I learned some of her recipes by heart as a child, and I’ve been making these since high school. They taste like summer. —Kristin Bowers, Rancho Palos Verdes, California

From the Recipe Creator: With an abundant crop of fresh raspberries from the backyard, it's no wonder why I rely on this dessert for a tasty, no-fuss frozen dessert. —Karen Bailey, Golden, Colorado

From the Recipe Creator: My family simply adores my daughter’s fudgy s’mores brownies. The cinnamon graham cracker crust and the dark chocolate brownies bring our passion for s’mores to a whole new level! —Jennifer Gilbert, Brighton, Michigan

From the Recipe Creator: My granddaughter Sydney has acquired a love of baking. While I was visiting her in Tampa, we made these light summer desserts. She’s a natural—they turned out fantastic! —Lonnie Hartstack, Clarinda, Iowa

From the Recipe Creator: No ice cream maker is needed to make this easy, 3-ingredient watermelon sorbet recipe. We couldn't keep enough watermelon in the house to keep up with the demand! —Kory Figura, Waverly, Iowa

From the Recipe Creator: I found this strawberry rhubarb crisp recipe on a box of Quaker Oats about 20 years ago. It's quick and easier to make than pie. It's versatile, too, because you can add strawberries in spring or apples in fall. I usually pop it into the oven shortly before we sit down to eat so it's still warm for dessert! —C.E. Adams, Charlestown, New Hampshire

From the Recipe Creator: I often bring this light summer dessert salad to potlucks, and everyone goes crazy for the sweet and crunchy combination. Be sure to add the pretzel mixture right before serving to keep it crispy. —Beth Olby, Ashland, Wisconsin

From the Recipe Creator: Years ago, I added some zucchini to a peanut butter bar I had created, and this time I wanted to try adding it to a cake. The zucchini makes the cake super moist but doesn’t get in the way of the chocolate and peanut butter goodness. —Marilyn Blankschien, Clintonville, Wisconsin

From the Recipe Creator: When our granddaughter visits on weekends, I try to find something fun for her to do. This light summer dessert is super simple for her to fix. —Melissa Defauw, Auburn Hills, Michigan

From the Recipe Creator: This light dessert makes an especially pretty final course in the summer. With berries, a creamy topping and a sprinkle of meringue cookies, it always earns praise. —Lily Julow, Lawrenceville, Georgia

From the Recipe Creator: A basic angel food cake becomes a heavenly indulgence, thanks to a hint of orange flavor swirled into every bite. The orange color makes slices of the cake look so pretty when arranged on individual dessert plates.—Lauren Osborne, Holtwood, Pennsylvania