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Summer Desserts for a Crowd

Summer desserts for a crowd featuring sheet cake squares, strawberry rhubarb crisp, and no-bake lemon cheesecake bars for make-ahead ease. Includes fruit skewers with honey-lime dip plus a dramatic berry trifle and freezer-friendly popsicles for a full crowd spread.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
chill 4 hours 20 minutes
Total Time 5 hours 55 minutes
Servings: 24 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American, Mediterranean
Calories: 330
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Sheet cake or brownies (bakes in one pan, serves 24)
  • 1 Sheet cake or brownies (bakes in one pan, serves 24) Bake any 9×13 cake or brownies recipe you like; frost in the pan and cut into squares.
Strawberry rhubarb crisp (bake in 9×13 dish)
  • 1 Strawberry rhubarb crisp (bake in 9×13 dish) Double the crisp recipe so it fits a 9×13 dish.
No-bake lemon cheesecake bars
  • 1 No-bake lemon cheesecake bars Use your standard graham crust + cream cheese filling; chill until set.
Fresh berry trifle: pound cake, whipped cream, mixed berries
  • 1 Fresh berry trifle: pound cake, whipped cream, mixed berries Layer for a glass-bowl look with visible berries and cream.
Watermelon fruit skewers with honey-lime dip
  • 1 Watermelon fruit skewers with honey-lime dip Thread fruit onto skewers and serve with a yogurt-based dip if desired.
Homemade ice cream sandwiches: cookies + vanilla ice cream
  • 1 Homemade ice cream sandwiches: cookies + vanilla ice cream Assemble sandwiches and freeze until firm enough to hold shape.
Popsicles: blend fruit with coconut milk, freeze in molds
  • 1 Popsicles: blend fruit with coconut milk, freeze in molds Blend fruit with coconut milk and freeze in molds for easy grab-and-go portions.

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

1) Sheet cake squares
  1. Bake your 9×13 sheet cake or brownies recipe according to package or recipe directions until a toothpick comes out clean, then cool slightly before frosting in the pan.
  2. Frost in the pan, then cut into squares for serving to a crowd.
2) Strawberry rhubarb crisp
  1. Double the strawberry rhubarb crisp recipe into a 9×13 dish.
  2. Bake at 350°F for 45–50 min, until the filling is bubbly and the topping is golden.
3) Fresh berry trifle
  1. Cube the pound cake, then layer pound cake cubes in a clear glass bowl.
  2. Add whipped cream over the cake layer so it forms soft, fluffy hills.
  3. Top with mixed berries and repeat layers if desired for a bright, dramatic look.
4) No-bake lemon cheesecake bars
  1. Press a graham cracker crust into the pan, creating an even, compact layer.
  2. Fill with the cream cheese mixture and spread to level the surface.
  3. Chill for 4+ hours until firm enough to slice cleanly.
5) Watermelon fruit skewers
  1. Thread watermelon, strawberry, and grape onto skewers so the fruit is tightly packed.
  2. Serve with the honey-lime dip on the side for bright flavor.
6) Ice cream sandwiches
  1. Assemble homemade ice cream sandwiches using cookies and vanilla ice cream.
  2. Freeze until firm enough to slice or hold for serving to a crowd.
7) Fruit popsicles
  1. Blend the fruit with coconut milk until smooth, then pour into popsicle molds.
  2. Freeze in molds until solid, so they release cleanly for serving.

Notes

Make-ahead plan: build every dessert at least a day ahead, then cover tightly and refrigerate (crisp, cheesecake bars, trifle) or freeze (ice cream sandwiches, popsicles). Store sheet cake squares and crisp in airtight containers in the fridge up to 3 days; cheesecake bars keep 4 days chilled, and trifle keeps 1–2 days for best texture. Freezing is best for ice cream sandwiches and popsicles; cheesecake bars are not ideal for long freezer storage because they can weep after thawing. Dietary swap: for the cheesecake bars, use dairy-free cream cheese and a plant-based graham alternative to make a lactose-free option while keeping the same chill-to-set method.