Food Recipe Collections & Favorites 20 Summer Fruits—and How to Cook With Them Up your seasonal fruit game with these simple recipes. By Melissa Kravitz Hoeffner Melissa Kravitz Hoeffner Melissa Kravitz Hoeffner is a writer and recipe developer. She's a regular contributor to The New York Times, Time Out New York, Forbes, and many more publications. She also writes the food newsletter, Specialty. Real Simple's Editorial Guidelines and Samantha Leffler Samantha Leffler Samantha is the senior food editor at RealSimple and previously launched the US Weekly food vertical, where she wrote about the intersection of food and pop culture. Real Simple's Editorial Guidelines Updated on July 19, 2023 Close Photo: Liliia Bila/Getty Images Saying hello to summer also means saying hello to a plethora of fruit. While a juicy bundle of grapes or fresh wedge of watermelon is excellent straight out of the fridge, take your fruit game up a notch by using your favorite summer fruits in easy, creative recipes that celebrate the season's bounty at its best.Whether cooked or just paired with other excellent, raw ingredients, these easy summer fruit recipes—think appetizers, side dishes, desserts, and more—will make the upcoming hot days even more delicious. Keep reading for some mealtime inspiration! 10 Summer Vegetables—and How to Cook With Them 01 of 20 Mango Gorchittza2012/Getty Images This tropical fruit is known for its sweet, refreshing taste, and contains fiber, plenty of vitamin C, and more. Luckily, the most humid of days can be cured with a good mango, and this chilly mango smoothie makes even the muggiest of summer afternoons bearable. Keep some seasonal summer mangos in stock to blend this up when the craving hits. get the recipe 02 of 20 Raspberries Greg DuPree These bite-sized fruits are sweet and juicy, and can be enjoyed solo or easily transformed into homemade jam. Use your own homemade jam, or grab a fresh jar to bring out the raspberry flavor in these delicious bars. In just 10 minutes, you can prep your own fruit-filled snack to grab and go throughout the week. get the recipe 03 of 20 Grapes Greg DuPree Although they are available year-round, grapes are particularly delicious toward the end of summer. In this recipe, a relish of honeydew, cucumber, and green grapes (a summer must!) make this cold soup even more refreshing and bright. Pack it for a festive summer lunch or serve it as a refreshing dinner. get the recipe 04 of 20 Cantaloupe Victor Protasio Cured meat and melon (in this case, cantaloupe) are an excellent duo, especially when they're paired together on a stick. Whip up these skewers as a treat to yourself after a long summer day, or have them in the fridge ready to grill mid-way through an outdoor summer party. In addition to being satiated, you'll get fiber, vitamin C, and more nutrients from the delicious summer fruit. get the recipe 05 of 20 Watermelon Victor Protasio It’s no secret that watermelon is a summer star, and this recipe is proof positive that all parts of the fruit are worth using. For those who just toss the watermelon rind, this salad may be a revelation! It's sweet, juicy, crisp, and crunchy, and even a little salty and bitter, thanks to that pickled rind. get the recipe 06 of 20 Nectarines Greg DuPree Creamy cheese and stone fruits are always a good idea, and this easy salad with nectarines and just a hint of acidity proves it. The nut topping adds a nice crunch too! get the recipe 07 of 20 Pluots A futuristic cross between a plum and an apricot, pluots are truly special hybrids that are tangy and sweet. This simple tabbouleh recipe gets brightness from chunks of pluot, which is great with grilled meats or on its own. get the recipe 08 of 20 Plums Samantha Seneviratne Sweet and slightly tart, plums don’t need much to shine. In this recipe, the small stone fruits are joined by an easy anise-scented caramel to create a simple yet tasty free-form pie. If you’re in a time crunch, go ahead and use store-bought pie crust to get the job done. get the recipe 09 of 20 Tomatoes Greg DuPree Perhaps the best fruit of the season, late summer tomatoes are worth waiting for, and celebrating in recipes that let their juiciness shine. The tomatoes do all the work in these fancy sandwiches, you just have to enjoy them. get the recipe 100 Summer Dinner Ideas That Are Healthy and Ideal for Hot Days 10 of 20 Honeydew Victor Protasio Upgrade your typical ice cream sundae with this summer fruit-forward recipe. Honeydew melon balls on ice cream scoops are a brilliant idea, and even make your dessert a little healthier! Honeydew is a great source of vitamin C, potassium, and more. get the recipe 11 of 20 Cherries Joseph De Leo If you've got any summer cherries in the produce drawer that may have gotten too soft, this dish, which is made with cherries are cooked in butter, sugar, and a little brandy, is a great way to use 'em up. Serve the cooked cherries over ice cream or Greek yogurt, or just spoon them up solo as a sweet summer treat. get the recipe 12 of 20 Strawberries Caitlin Bensel You can make this trifle with your fresh summer strawberries and have dessert ready to go whenever you want. This freezer treat is always a showstopper at a party, but it can also be an at-home indulgence for one or two if you wish. It keeps in the freezer for days, if not weeks. get the recipe 13 of 20 Peaches Greg DuPree That first day you see ripe peaches for sale in summer? A big win! The fuzzy, sweet fruits are juicy and packed with nutrients such as antioxidants and fiber. Make this trifle to savor your first peaches of the season. And all the peaches that follow too... get the recipe 14 of 20 Blueberries Antonis Achilleos Summer blueberries are truly the greatest, and the best way to honor these little orbs of juiciness packed with vitamin C and manganese is in a crumble. Serve this version à la mode with French vanilla ice cream for the most decadence. get the recipe 15 of 20 Apricots Greg Dupree These stone fruits are in season from late spring to early fall, and can really shine in summer recipes. Given their sweet yet distinctly tart taste, apricots work well in sweet or savory dishes. In this plant-based recipe, apricots are soaked in vinegar as part of a flavorful salsa, which is served alongside planks of tofu nestled in couscous. get the recipe 16 of 20 Blackberries Andrew Purcell Loaded with vitamin C and vitamin K, juicy and tart blackberries can add flavor to salads, parfaits, and pies. In this summertime salad recipe, the healthy berries are joined by savory steak and peppery arugula, as well as pistachios and goat cheese. get the recipe 17 of 20 Figs Getty Images While you can likely find figs all year round, they peak during the summer. And sure, you can snack on figs solo, but they also go well with cheese or nuts. Case in point: This recipe pairs sugary figs with Manchego and crusty bread for a bite-sized appetizer everyone will enjoy. get the recipe 18 of 20 Papaya Victor Protasio Papayas may not be one of the better-known summer fruits, but we promise they’re worth giving a shot. In addition to their soft flesh and delicate flavor, papayas are a great source of fiber and vitamin C. Make the most of your summer papaya supply by making this colorful and vegetarian aguachile. get the recipe 37 Summer Slow Cooker Recipes for Easy Meals in the Heat 19 of 20 Cucumber Jennifer Causey Believe it or not, cucumbers are botanically classified as a fruit because they have seeds in the middle and grow from the flower of a cucumber plant. The hydrating and healthy fruit has a variety of culinary uses, but come summertime we’re partial to this refreshing cucumber salad that comes together in just 25 minutes. get the recipe 20 of 20 Pineapple Victor Protasio It’s not summer without some pineapple! This acidic fruit may be notoriously hard to cut, but once you get to the juicy yellow flesh, it’s well worth the effort. Since summertime is all about grilling and pineapple slices are hearty enough to hit the grates, go ahead and give this recipe with grilled pineapple a try. The charred fruit is joined by chicken thighs that have been marinated in pineapple juice, as well as plenty of white rice. get the recipe Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit