Beyond Ice Cream: 11 Summer Treats That Beat The Heat (Slideshow)

This treat is a favorite at Disneyland, but you can make it right at home. It's so easy that you'll want to make it all the time. All you need is frozen pineapple chunks and milk, or a milk substitute if you're dairy-free. You can add a bit of sugar or sweetener if you like, and then you blend it all up. Fill a piping bag with the mixture and serve it in swirls like soft serve. 

Brownies are delicious any season, but freeze them and they are perfect for summer. Start with any brownie recipe, and once they are fully cooled, stick a Popsicle stick in them. You can freeze them plain just like that, but we like to dip them in different frostings and dust them in sprinkles. It makes for a fun ice cream bar alternative.

These bite-sized treats are perfect for kids, and so easy that they can help you make them. Cut up  chunks of fresh banana, spread a layer of peanut butter on top on each one, and then dip themin melted chocolate. Make sure the whole bite is fully covered in chocolate before you freeze. Put some wax paper on a tray and place the bites down on them, speaced out. Leave them in the freezer for a few hours so the chocolate can harden, and then enjoy for a uniquw sweet treat.

There is ice cream involved in this treat, but it's a unique twist with Japanese roots. This ice cream is covered in rice flour dough and dusted with corn flour. It's sort of like an ice cream dumpling. They are chewy, cool, and super yummy, and  aren't too difficult to make. You can use any flavor of ice cream you want for the filling.

You'll probably be drinking a lot of lemonade or sangria this summer to cool off. Fruit filled ice cubes are a perfect addition to your summer drinks. Raspberries, blueberries, and lemons work best for this, but you could really use any fruit you want. All you need to do is stick some fruit in each of your ice cube molds and then fill with water. As the ice cubes melt in your drink, you'll get a nice added fruity flavor.

Coffee is the perfect pick-me-up, and it's even better in ice pop form. You'll need some ice pop molds for this, but those aren't hard to find. Combine fresh brewed coffee, milk, and sugar if you like yours sweet, and pour the mixture into the mold. You can substitute decaffeinated coffee too. Let them freeze for at least eight hours and enjoy! 

This is another great treats for kids because it uses their favorite breakfast cereals. To start off this recipe, make some cereal milk. Once that's done, you want to get out your popsicle molds and start filling them with cereal. We recommend using Fruit Loops, but any sugary cereal will work. Put about ten pieces in each mold and crush them up a bit. Then pour in your cereal milk, add a few more cereal pieces, and then finish filling. Freeze for eight hours and serve to your kids as an after dinner treat.

The reason why this recipe is so perfect is because it requires no baking. That means you don't have to turn on your oven and heat up your whole house. It's filled with peanut butter, chocolate and cookies, so you know it's going to be delicious. You should add a bit of whipped cream and a chocolate drizzle for the perfect garnish.

Sorbet doesn't get nearly as much love as it deserves. Too often it's overlooked, but in truth sorbet is the perfect summer treat. Unlike ice cream, there's no dairy so it has a refreshing tang that a lot of ice creams lack. Mango sorbet is our favorite because it is tropical. This recipe adds a little bit of rum for a kick, but you can always leave it out.

Another fruity treat, granita is like sorbet only softer and icier. This recipe incorporates the perfect summer fruit, watermelon, with a hint of mint.  It's so refreshing that you'll forget about the heat.

Snow cones are surprisingly easy to make at home. You can buy shaved ice at the store, or make it at home if you have an ice shaver. Using fresh fruit is the upside of making snow cones at home because you avoid the sugary toppings. This recipe uses raspberries and blueberries, but any juicy fruit will work.