Ahh Summer. When the days get long, the fruit gets juicy, the desserts get whimsical and melty scoops and buttery pastries win the day. Summer sweets hit differently, from stone fruit pastries to frozen hot chocolate (yes, that is a thing). Perfect for sharing on patios, munching on picnics and passing around during impromptu parties, here are our top picks for summer desserts in Utah, handpicked by Salt Lake magazine food writer Lydia Martinez (who never says no to a panna cotta).
Monkey Wrench—Tea & Cookies Ice Cream
I have a tradition of taking my niece for high tea on her birthday every year thanks to my own memories of summery tea parties on the lawn. My mom and her friends would be on one side of the yard and I would be on the other with my friends. The Tea & Cookies Ice Cream at Monkey Wrench is the frozen epitome of a thousand summer teas. Made with Earl Grey tea with surprising chunks of shortbread-esque cookies embedded throughout, it is icy, creamy and refreshing for a hot summer day. I also love that it’s vegan and am mystified at the witchery that must go into making such a creamy ice cream without actual cream. The shop is not a shop, but more of a walk-up window. You can get a scoop to go, or go all in and get a pint to take home. Bonus points if you get a pint of the lavender ice cream and mix and match your own frozen London fog latte sundae at home. 53 E. Gallivan Ave, SLC @monkeywrench_slc
Doki Doki—Dessert Cafe Strawberry Bunny Panna Cotta
Something about Doki Doki makes you feel like you’ve stepped into an anime dessert daydream. Case in point: the Vanilla Bunny Panna Cotta. This delicate, jiggly little rabbit looks like it hopped straight out of a storybook and onto your plate. Panna cotta is sweetened cream studded with vanilla bean and set with gelatin—a milky jello, to put it into Utah terms. It’s lightly sweet, smooth as velvet and just barely quivers when you poke it with your spoon. It’s completely charming, an edible sculpture too cute to eat (but too delicious not to). Add the strawberry sauce for a punch of color and summer sweetness. Snag a Peachee Blush Ombre Soda while you’re there to wet your whistle with peach, strawberry and rose summery goodness. 249 E. 400 South, SLC dokidessert.com
Chubby Baker—Strawberries & Cream Donut
Fresh strawberries are synonymous with summer. The berries are at their peak freshness and flavor; you can almost taste the sun. My summertime before-bed snack as a kid was often fresh-sliced strawberries, milk and a sprinkle of sugar. Chubby Baker has captured the snack, combined the flavors with a Japanese fruit sando (white bread, whipped cream, sliced fruit) and created a donut that elevates simple ingredients into something truly special in the Strawberries & Cream Donut.
Swapping out basic whipped cream for chantilly, the Bavarian-style donut is filled with a homemade strawberry sauce ensconced in cream and studded with fresh strawberries sliced in half to look like rosebuds. The entire donut is dusted with powdered sugar (rather than glazed) for a little hint of snow in the summer. Eating this fluffy, messy, fruity mouthful, you’re sure to get powdered sugar on your nose! Oh, and if sweet heat is your thing, get the Hot Guava Donut. Trust me. Multiple locations. chubby-baker.com
Forty-Three Bakery—Stone Fruit Pastries
Andrew at Forty Three Bakery takes his laminated dough seriously. His croissants and danishes are some of the best in town. Made with butter, folded, and layered with precision, the dough forms the crispy base for many seasonal pastries, and nothing is more seasonal and local than stone fruit. The farmers’ markets are bursting with apricots, peaches, plums, cherries and nectarines this time of year. Andrew is a wizard at taking whatever is most enticing and making it better with flaky pastry, crisp tart dough, and adding a curd, cream, jam, or ganache to take it to another level. While the menu switches out all the time based on what is available, consistency and creativity are present in the dough. You will be surprised and delighted. I promise. 733 W. Genesee Avenue, SLC, fortythreebakery.com
Hatch Family Chocolates —Frozen Hot Chocolate
Hot chocolate in summer sounds like a contradiction—until you try the frozen version at Hatch Family Chocolates. It’s like drinking a memory: rich, velvety chocolate blended in a frozen drink machine until it’s smooth, slushy and utterly refreshing. It is what your memory of a frosty tastes like, but better. There’s a beautiful balance here—sweet but not cloying, creamy but still light, deeply chocolatey without feeling like you need a nap afterward. Top with a generous swirl of whipped cream (mandatory). It’s a frozen hug in a cup. If you’re smart, you’ll order a truffle or two on the side to seal the deal. 376 E. 8th Avenue, SLC hatchfamilychocolates.com
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