The 27 Coolest Ice Cream Desserts to Enjoy on Hot Summer Days

Yes, this homemade verison of the tried-and-true ice cream truck treat is as good as it looks. The classic combination of chocolate and vanilla ice cream is hard to beat, but you can make these ice cream sandwiches your own by swapping in your family’s favorite ice cream flavor.

If you’re looking for an over-the-top summer dessert, look no further than a classic banana split. It’s easy to assemble the old-fashioned ice cream treat at home: All you need is a trio of ice cream flavors, a few fun toppings (sprinkles are a must!), and a ripe banana for the base.

Celebrate any special summer occasion with this decadent stunner. Combining homemade chocolate cake and fluffy whipped cream with store-bought vanilla ice cream and fudge sauce, it’s the perfect mix of effort and convenience.

It's the ultimate milkshake for lovers of the cookies-and-cream combo.

This no-bake ice cream sandwich cake recipe is pure nostalgia — but it’s also the easiest way to make an ice cream cake at home. Simply layer store-bought ice cream sandwiches with softened ice cream and a layer of crushed Oreos (and finish it all off with magic shell) and you’ll be serving up slices of this summer favorite in no time.

The only thing that makes a warm, chewy chocolate chip cookie better is a scoop of vanilla ice cream wedged between it and another cookie.

Just because you can't buy Choco Tacos at the grocery store, doesn't mean you can't make them at home! This clever recipe is even more delicious than the original.

Bananas foster — caramelized brown sugar bananas served with vanilla ice cream­ — is a classic New Orleans dessert bursting with banana flavor.

With its Oreo crust, ice cream, crushed toffee, and whipped cream, this frozen version of mud pie will instantly win you over.

This easy yet elegant sundae features vanilla ice cream, homemade meringue, and in-season strawberries.

Filled with vanilla ice cream and draped in shiny DIY magic shell, this fun new twist on ice cream cake is destined to become your go-to summer dessert.

For those of you who dream of nothing more than recreating your favorite childhood ice cream cake at home (perhaps with your own homemade ice cream!) here is a step-by-step recipe to let you do just that.

Inspired by an ice cream truck treat, top vanilla ice cream with candied almonds, almond butter caramel sauce, and crumbled cookies.

Layers of chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry ice cream fill this cool, creamy, and playful pie with a Rice Krispies crust.

Baked Alaska is an old-school dessert that consists of a layer of cake, a frozen ice cream center, and a coating of toasted marshmallowy meringue. It’s essentially a fancy version of an ice cream cake, and it’s totally worth making it for that wow-factor.

This recipe brings all the flavor and crunch of a traditional fried ice cream with none of the deep-frying mess or splattering oil. We roll balls of vanilla ice cream with a crunchy oven-baked mixture of crushed cornflakes, brown sugar, and spices.

Traditional spumoni requires nothing more than three layers of store-bought gelato or ice cream, but we couldn’t help ourselves from making a few minor additions (or, one might say, upgrades) to ensure an extra-special dessert. We amped up each layer with salty toasty pistachios, irresistible red maraschino cherries, and crunchy mini dark chocolate chips.

Gelato squished between buttery toasted brioche is the ultimate summer treat.

This delicious round dessert features layers of vanilla ice cream and coffee ice cream with chocolate wafer cookies, coated in a hard chocolate shell.

Affogato, the Italian coffee-based dessert is made with just three ingredients — espresso, gelato, and a shot of liqueur. Here's how to make it at home without an espresso machine.

By frosting red velvet with big swoops of ice cream, the classic American layer cake suddenly transforms into the most refreshing ice cream cake.

These small Japanese-American frozen confections combine two components – a ball of cool, creamy ice cream and a soft, chewy shell made from glutinous rice flour – into the perfect bite.

It only take a few store-bought ingredients and 10 minutes to put together this dreamy Oreo-studded ice cream cake. Here's how to make this easy dessert for your next gathering.

Inidividual mini baked Alaskas with tender cake, an ice cream center, and torched meringue to cover it all.

This two-ingredient rolled ice cream made with sweetened condensed milk and heavy cream can be topped with your favorite ingredients.

This copycat recipe is a bright green milkshake made with vanilla ice cream, milk, and mint.

This ice cream cake combines soft vanilla cake with tart raspberry sorbet and is topped with lightly sweetened whipped cream. It's the perfect end to a backyard barbecue!