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Cool down with these 45 summer desserts

It's hot, but your sweet cravings persist. We have the solution.
three cheesecake semifreddo squares stacked on top of eachother on white plate with yellow background

JoyBird's cheesecake semifreddo

Mark Roper

Ice-cold, refreshing and singing with seasonal fruit, the joys of summer dessert are second to none. Be it a tropical fruit salad, snow-textured granitas, or ice-creams and ice-blocks of all stripes, these desserts will cool you down in the best way possible.

Photo: Ben Dearnley

Restaurant Labart’s coconut sorbet with dulce de leche

Peppery strawberries with basil and goat’s curd cream
Photo: William Meppem

Peppery strawberries with basil and goat’s curd cream

Banana split
Photo: Ben Dearnley

Banana split with coconut

photo of colourful table setting with rectancgular ice-cream cake topped with chocolate crumb in the centre
Photo: Ben Dearnley

Chocolate coconnetta parfait cake

Photo: Ben Dearnley

Pilot’s mango cup

Peach and basil sorbet
Photo: Ben Dearnley

Peach and basil sorbet

Photo: Alicia Taylor

Tropical fruit salad with coconut jelly and ginger syrup

Pink, green, yellow and purple mochi-covered ice-cream on a bright yellow background
Photo: James Moffatt

Yoko Dining’s mochi ice-cream

Photo: William Meppem

Prosecco jellies with Aperol granita

Photo: Adele Brynne

Chocolate liégeois

Photo: Mark Roper

Lauren Eldridge’s no-churn passionfruit ice-cream with lime sherbet and blackberries

Photo: Ben Dearnley

Faloodeh

Photo: Kara Rosenlund

La Casita’s grilled pineapple with mulato chilli and pineapple granita

Lemon sorbetto
Photo: Ben Dearnley

Lemon sorbetto

Lychee and mango with lime-coconut syrup and lemon gelato
Photo: William Meppem

Lychee and mango with lime-coconut syrup and lemon gelato

Passiona granita jellies
Photo: Chris Chen

Passiona granita jellies

Photo: Craig Wall

Fragrant plum snow cones

Scorched honey cheesecake soft-serve
Photo: Ben Dearnley

Scorched honey cheesecake soft-serve

Rockmelon Granita
Photo: Ben Dearnley

Capitano’s rockmelon granita with a Suze float

Melon and frozen yoghurt sundae with lime-vanilla caramel
Photo: William Meppem

Melon and frozen yoghurt sundae with lime-vanilla caramel

Photo:William Meppem

Matcha popsicles

Peach Melba pops
Photo: Ben Dearnley

Peach Melba pops

Mango-lime granita
Photo: Ben Dearnley

Mango-lime granita

Almond and hokey-pokey ice-cream sponge roll
Photo: Ben Dearnley

Almond and hokey-pokey ice-cream sponge roll

Tropical fruit up with coconut cream and finger lime jelly
Photo: Ben Dearnley

Sean Moran’s tropical fruit cup with coconut cream and finger lime jelly

Mango, coconut and lemongrass popsicles
Photo: Chris Chen

Mango, coconut and lemongrass ice blocks

Photo: Ben Dearnley

Elderflower, Champagne and berry jellies

Strawberries and cream semifreddo
Photo: Ben Dearnley

Strawberries and cream semifreddo

Eton Mess
Photo: William Meppem

Eton mess

Macadamia panna cotta
Photo: Will Horner

Macadamia panna cotta by Alberto’s Lounge

Photo: William Meppem

Curtis Stone’s yoghurt panna cotta with strawberries and rosewater

Lemon cheesecake slice with citrus jelly
Photo: Ben Dearnley

Lemon cheesecake slice with citrus jelly

Photo: William Meppem

Curtis Stone’s no-churn strawberry and créme fraîche ice-cream with caramelised macadamia nuts

Pistachio gelato
Photo: Will Horner

Pistachio gelato by Alberto’s Lounge

Photo: William Meppem

Christine Manfield’s splice

Photo: Alicia Taylor

How to make sorbet

Roast peach and goat’s milk gelato
Photo: Ben Dearnley

Roast peach and goat’s milk gelato

Cucumber-gin slushie
Photo: Ben Dearnley

Cucumber-gin slushie

Photo: William Meppem

Peach and gin slushie

Watermelon and cherry salad with cheat's cherry granita
Photo: Ben Dearnley

Watermelon and cherry salad with cheat’s cherry granita

Strawberry, cherry and raspberry salad with raspberry sorbet
Photo: Ben Dearnley

Strawberry, cherry and raspberry salad with raspberry sorbet

Fast peach Melba
Photo: Will Horner

Fast peach Melba

Blueberry and coconut ice-cream sandwiches
Photo: Ben Dearnley

Blueberry and coconut ice-cream sandwiches

Salted-caramel macadamia ice-cream sandwiches
Photo: Ben Dearnley

Salted-caramel macadamia ice-cream sandwiches

three cheesecake semifreddo squares stacked on top of eachother on white plate with yellow background
Photo: Mark Roper

JoyBird’s cheesecake semifreddo

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