Our recipes for refreshing chocolate desserts perfect for summer

If summer is all about red and yellow fruits, there’s no question of giving up chocolate. The trick is to choose the right recipes, fresh and light. So out go the chocolate moelleux, which we reserve for fall and winter, and hello to frozen desserts, no-bake cakes and airy mousses.

How to make a fresh chocolate dessert for summer?

No-bake dessert

Are you hosting but don’t feel like turning on the oven? There’s only one solution: opt for a “raw” chocolate dessert, requiring at worst, a simple heat in a saucepan, at best, no heat at all. In this category, we first think of chocolate mousses. With a bar, fresh eggs and possibly cream, it couldn’t be simpler. A little more complex now, but still very effective, are no-bake tarts. With a base of crushed biscuits (chocolate for a totally chocolatey version) and butter, all you have to do is garnish it with chocolate ganache, and it’s ready! Otherwise, you can also opt for a “fridge cake”, which will delight the whole family. The concept? Mix melted chocolate with almond powder and crumbled biscuits. The mixture is then spread in a dish lined with baking paper, then placed in the refrigerator until it sets. Some variations include meringue pieces, dried fruit, or replace the chocolate with cocoa and dates.

Frozen dessert

Just the mention of chocolate ice cream or sorbet makes us shiver (with pleasure). Because yes, you read that right, you can make sorbet with more than just fruit. No need for eggs or fat, just boil water and chocolate together, before putting it all in the ice cream maker. It’s hard to get simpler. Afterwards, if you feel like something sweet, nothing stops you from giving in to the call of a good ice cream or chocolate profiteroles.

The fruity dessert

Another option to bring freshness to chocolate is to combine it with fruit. The acidity of raspberry, for example, or even tomato, has the advantage of counterbalancing the heaviness of any chocolate, whether white or dark. On the other hand, avoid fruits that are not in season, such as pear, and those like banana, which would only weigh down the recipe.

Right now: 17 desserts that will let you enjoy chocolate, even at 38°C.