20 Boozy Summer Desserts That Are a Breeze to Make

Summer is the perfect time to kick back, relax and treat yourself to some deliciously indulgent desserts (bonus points if they remind you of piña coladas—or any cocktail, really). This collection of grown-up summer desserts is here to cool you down satisfy your craving for a sweet treat, all featuring a special infusion of giggle juice. Think refreshing berry recipes that bring out the best of the season, alongside decadent pies and cakes and no-bake desserts when you just can’t even fathom turning on the oven. So grab a fork and dive into these mouthwatering treats!

These boozy, semi-scratch cupcakes are loaded with citrus flavor, thanks to a generous pour of White Claw Natural Lime Hard Seltzer. We upped the ante by adding a spiked lemon curd filling, and topped each cupcake with a dollop of vanilla frosting for an adults-only treat.

If you need a grown-up dessert but its just too hot to turn on the oven, whip up this simple fruit salad that uses limoncello to add flavor to ripe summer berries. Pair it with a creamy Greek yogurt infused with lemon curd and honey to create a dessert that could just as easily follow brunch as it could dinner.

Pineapple upside-down cake has a timeless appeal that’s endlessly open to adaptation. This version combines the classic with the flavors of a Piña Colada. Boxed cake mix and instant vanilla pudding saves time making this drunken cake that’s soaked with plenty of dark rum.

A Dark and Stormy cocktail combines dark rum, spicy ginger, and plenty of tangy lime. This pie combines all those flavors into a show-stopping pie, with a creamy rum pudding that’s finished with dollops of airy whipped cream.

While technically a beverage, this blended root beer float is decadent enough to count as a dessert. Topped with whipped cream, malted milk balls and plenty of homemade caramel sauce, the float can be made with alcoholic root beer for a boozy treat, or nonalcoholic for a universal crowd-pleaser.

Smoky, rich bourbon is a natural pairing to sweet, sun-ripened summer peaches. This recipe puts a Southern twist on classic upside-down cake by starting with caramelized peaches doused with a nice pour of bourbon.

This decadent dark chocolate pie sneaks in an entire bottle of red wine for a rich and grown-up dessert. It's the perfect showstopper for your next dinner party and tastes even better with a dollop of whipped cream.

Limoncello is the secret ingredient that helps keep tart lemon sorbet from getting icy in the freezer. It’s a dairy-free dessert that’s the perfect light finish to a summer evening.

Salt sets off the taste of tangy lime in a classic margarita, or in this pie based off the same flavor profile. The filling is spiked with tequila and orange liqueur like the drink, and sweetened condensed milk like a traditional Key lime pie.

This no-bake cheesecake gets topped with a stunning flower made from sliced strawberries and mandarin oranges, then sealed under a layer of white wine gelatin.

Who doesn’t love a good strawberry shortcake? This grown-up version includes extra berries plus a little orange liqueur for a bit of fun. Making the biscuit dough in the food processor means it comes together quickly.

Spring for a bottle of best-quality Sauternes for this simple French dessert that leans heavily on the flavor of ripe summer peaches. Blanch them quickly to slip the skins off before tossing them with a bit of sugar, a hint of orange liqueur and the Sauternes to chill before enjoying.

Recipe developer Jessica Merchant says, "A spiked granita filled with coffee and sugar and booze sounds just about right when you need to cool down or chill out, right? My take is a cappuccino granita with brown sugar, cream and cinnamon-and a dab of coffee liqueur."

Even spiked seltzers can be used to craft a creative treat. This recipe uses boxed red velvet cake mix to save time while you work on infusing a tart cherry jam with black cherry hard seltzer.

Coffee and chocolate are a natural pairing in desserts where one flavor boosts the flavor of the other. Together, they can create this frozen pie that’s filled with a blend of coffee and Irish cream liqueur to keep the dessert from being too sweet while still offering a satisfying finish on a summer day.

Take a trip to the Italian coast with this spiked frozen dessert. Icy and cold, this citrusy granita is infused with Campari, a bitter Italian aperitif.

Fresh, juicy summer berries hardly need any alteration. This recipe spikes them with a hint of chilled limoncello and garnishes with a few torn basil ribbons to create a grown-up dessert that’s fancy yet effortless.

Got a bumper crop of juicy summer peaches? Add a generous pour of bourbon to cool whipped cream to elevate the classic combination of peaches and cream.

Refreshing and cool, chocolate and mint are a pairing that can create the perfect dessert to serve in warmer weather. This pie draws on the flavors of an old-school Grasshopper cocktail, combining creme de menthe and creme de cacao to spike it with a boozy kick.