Marshmallows don’t need a campfire to be worth pulling out of the pantry. In fact, some of the best summer desserts start with a bag of marshmallows and end nowhere near a stick. From chilled treats that beat the heat to party-ready bars and cookies, marshmallows pull their weight in more ways than one. These recipes are perfect for casual cookouts, family picnics and any moment you need something sweet that doesn’t fall apart outside.
Marshmallow Fruit Salad with Blueberries
This retro-style fruit salad mixes blueberry pie filling, pineapple, mini marshmallows, and Cool Whip into a soft, creamy dessert that fits right in at summer cookouts. It serves a crowd easily and holds up well next to grilled food and picnic sides.
Get the Recipe: Marshmallow Fruit Salad with Blueberries
Cornflake Chocolate Chip Marshmallow Cookies
These cookies are loaded with chewy marshmallows, crispy cornflakes, and big chocolate chunks. The mix of textures makes them great for summer snacking when you want something sweet with a little crunch.
Get the Recipe: Cornflake Chocolate Chip Marshmallow Cookies
Chocolate Marshmallow Ice Cream
This no-churn chocolate ice cream is packed with marshmallows and built for backyard heat. It’s creamy, rich, and doesn’t require an ice cream machine, which makes it great for casual summer dessert tables.
Get the Recipe: Chocolate Marshmallow Ice Cream
Smores Chaffle
These sweet cinnamon chaffles are filled with melted chocolate ganache and marshmallows, giving you all the flavor of a classic s’more in a fun and easy-to-serve form. They work well as a personal-size treat during summer BBQs.
Get the Recipe: Smores Chaffle
Ice Cream Sundae Rice Krispie Treats
These treats take the best parts of a sundae and turn them into a crispy, handheld dessert that won’t melt. Topped with marshmallows and candy, they’re a great pick for outdoor parties or birthday tables.
Get the Recipe: Ice Cream Sundae Rice Krispie Treats
Mini M&M Rice Krispie Treats
The classic marshmallow treat gets an upgrade with mini M&Ms for color and crunch. These are easy to slice and serve, and they stay firm enough for hot weather snacking at cookouts and poolside tables.
Get the Recipe: Mini M&M Rice Krispie Treats
Strawberry Marshmallow Brownie Sandwich Cookies
Marshmallow strawberry fluff is sandwiched between chewy, brownie-style cookies to create a dessert that feels playful but still rich. These are perfect for summer dessert trays or as a stand-alone treat for kids and adults.
Get the Recipe: Strawberry Marshmallow Brownie Sandwich Cookies
Triple Chocolate Marshmallow S’mores Cookies
These cookies go heavy on the chocolate with a gooey marshmallow center and a melted chocolate topping. They’re built to impress and taste like a backyard campfire without needing one.
Get the Recipe: Triple Chocolate Marshmallow S’mores Cookies
Chocolate Marshmallow Ice Cream Recipe
This milk chocolate ice cream has swirls of marshmallow running through it, giving each bite a soft contrast to the creamy base. It’s a freezer-friendly dessert that cools you down after a hot afternoon outside.
Get the Recipe: Chocolate Marshmallow Ice Cream Recipe
S’mores Icebox Cake
This layered dessert brings together graham crackers, marshmallow creme, and chocolate pudding in a chilled dish that feeds a crowd. It’s easy to make ahead and serves cold, which makes it perfect for steamy summer days.
Get the Recipe: S’mores Icebox Cake
S’mores Pizza
This dessert pizza is built on a soft cookie crust and topped with melted chocolate, gooey marshmallows, and graham cracker pieces. It’s fun to slice and share, making it a great option for cookouts, parties, and late-night summer snacking.
Get the Recipe: S’mores Pizza
Toasted to Perfection No-Churn S’mores Ice Cream
This no-churn ice cream folds in roasted marshmallow fluff and graham cracker pieces for a frozen version of the classic treat. It’s smooth, creamy, and made for backyard bowls and cones.
Get the Recipe: Toasted to Perfection No-Churn S’mores Ice Cream
Chocolate Marshmallow Top Hats
These bite-sized cakes have a marshmallow center and a chocolate shell, making them easy to pick up and pass around. They’re great for kids’ tables or summer potlucks where you want something that travels well.
Get the Recipe: Chocolate Marshmallow Top Hats
Crunchy Peanut Butter Marshmallow Bars
These bars mix marshmallows, cereal, and peanut butter into a sweet, crunchy square that doesn’t melt or fall apart. They’re easy to stack, wrap, and bring along to summer events.
Get the Recipe: Crunchy Peanut Butter Marshmallow Bars
Double Chocolate Marshmallow Bars
These bars layer marshmallow fluff over a dense chocolate base for a dessert that’s rich but manageable in bite-size pieces. They’re easy to cut, pack, and set out at any summer dessert table.
Get the Recipe: Double Chocolate Marshmallow Bars
Frozen Lemon S’mores
These frozen treats combine graham crackers, a lemony filling, and marshmallows into something that lands between pie and s’more. They’re cool, firm, and perfect for hot summer nights when you want something refreshing but still sweet.
Get the Recipe: Frozen Lemon S’mores
Frozen S’mores
These layered treats use chocolate, marshmallow creme, and graham crackers to build a frozen bar that tastes like the original but won’t leave you sticky. They’re a great make-ahead option for summer parties.
Get the Recipe: Frozen S’mores
Marshmallow Ice Cream
This creamy vanilla ice cream is packed with toasted marshmallows and charred bits throughout. It delivers the flavor of a roasted marshmallow in every scoop and works especially well for cookouts or late-night cones.
Get the Recipe: Marshmallow Ice Cream
Avalanche Bars
These bars combine marshmallows, peanut butter, white chocolate, and cereal into a chewy square that stays firm in the heat. They’re easy to slice, share, and pack for road trips, beach days, or outdoor potlucks.
Get the Recipe: Avalanche Bars
Roasted Sweet Potato Casserole with Gingersnap Streusel
This casserole brings a dessert-style side dish to summer cookouts with mashed sweet potatoes, gingersnap crumble, and toasted marshmallows on top. It works well as part of a bigger picnic spread.
Get the Recipe: Roasted Sweet Potato Casserole with Gingersnap Streusel
Make-Ahead 24-Hour Marshmallow Fruit Salad
This chilled fruit salad sits overnight and gets creamier as it rests, making it perfect for prepping ahead. With marshmallows and sour cream folded in, it’s a throwback-style side that works at any outdoor gathering.
Get the Recipe: Make-Ahead 24-Hour Marshmallow Fruit Salad
Marshmallow Peach Icebox Dessert
Layers of marshmallows and fresh peaches come together in this no-bake dessert that sets up in the fridge. It’s great for hot days when you don’t want to turn on the oven but still want something sweet and refreshing.
Get the Recipe: Marshmallow Peach Icebox Dessert
Hawaiian Pineapple Coleslaw with Marshmallows
This creamy pineapple coleslaw mixes shredded cabbage with chunks of fruit and mini marshmallows. It’s an unexpected but fun side dish that works with grilled meats and casual summer meals.
Get the Recipe: Hawaiian Pineapple Coleslaw with Marshmallows
Gina Matsoukas is an AP syndicated writer. She is the founder, photographer and recipe developer of Running to the Kitchen — a food website focused on providing healthy, wholesome recipes using fresh and seasonal ingredients. Her work has been featured in numerous media outlets both digital and print, including MSN, Huffington post, Buzzfeed, Women’s Health and Food Network.