Five Quick Strawberry Desserts to Make Tonight

Strawberries never fail to dazzle in summer desserts like classic shortcake and elegant fruit tarts. When the berries are at peak season in late spring and summer, keeping a steady supply of these ruby-red gems on hand means that a snack, smoothie, or last-minute dessert will never be out of the question. And when you want something sweet but low-maintenance, try one of these ideas for fast, low-fuss strawberry desserts.

Related: Quick Fruit Dessert Recipes

No need to wait until next Valentine's Day to enjoy Chocolate-Covered Strawberries—these can be an everyday kind of treat (not to mention a healthy one, too). Don't let their fancy reputation intimidate you. If you have a bag of chocolate chips and about 30 minutes of patience, then a delicious dessert is in your future.

These Strawberry Shortcake Cookies take the flavors of the iconic summer dessert and transform them into a tender and portable cookie. We think these cookies are best served warm straight out of the oven, but thanks to their simple dough and relatively short baking time, it's possible to whip them up right after dinner and enjoy them later for dessert.

When you're in the mood for a really fast strawberry dessert, turn to this recipe that starts with store-bought pound cake. Cinnamon-Toasted Pound Cake is a sweet and simple canvas for the fresh or frozen strawberries you'll spoon on top before serving. This super-easy recipe has you brush slices of pound cake with butter and cinnamon-sugar and then put them under the broiler for a couple of minutes to toast. Macerated strawberries complete the lovely picture.

The classic combination of strawberries-and-cream gets the French treatment in a light and airy crepe dish that tastes as good as it looks! To make these Strawberry Crepes even faster, you can take a shortcut by picking up a pack of pre-made crepes at your local supermarket (you can typically find them in the produce section near the fruit).

This nostalgic recipe for a Strawberry Shake doubles up on fruity flavor by calling for strawberry ice cream in addition to frozen strawberries. Though fresh strawberries can easily be substituted here, we think this is a great recipe to keep in mind for when your refrigerated berries are beginning to turn—simply throw them in a resealable bag and stash them in the freezer until the craving strikes for an old-fashioned milkshake.