The best summer desserts that travel well are a lot easier to think of than it may seem.
You may be able to get away with different summer desserts that travel well depending on what kind of trip you are going on, so keep that in mind when looking at these ideas.
It may also become clear that a lot of the desserts that can make it through the travel process are baked goods.
But if you’re going on a trip and just need a little bit of sugar, I’m sure any kind of sweet treat will hit the spot.
This post is all about the best summer desserts that travel well.
Traveling with dessert is usually the ideal case scenario because this means that you have more control over what happens during the traveling process.
For example, you can bring a cooler to ensure that your dessert doesn’t melt, or you can keep it in a backpack instead of a suitcase to prevent the dessert from getting squished.
Shipping your desserts to someone else doesn’t mean that they will get smashed, though, but if you want to take preventative measures by using something to cushion the dessert, that will definitely improve the odds of it making it to its destination in one piece.
And, of course, if you know that the weather is going to be very hot when you’re shipping, desserts, you shouldn’t make anything that is going to melt.
Unless the receiver doesn’t care or if that’s just not something you’re concerned about. But if you don’t want to make a mess, stick with non-meltable desserts.
This kind of limits your options to anything that doesn’t have chocolate chips in it because the chocolate can get melty and smear all over the place.
On the other hand, if the weather is going to be super cold, you won’t have to worry about the desserts looking unrecognizable once they are received.
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Either way, there are plenty of delicious summer desserts that travel well no matter what conditions they need to go through to get to their destination.
The list down below will explain in greater detail the possible restrictions or limitations that may come with each different dessert if that is something you are worried about.
And just to be clear, these are all desserts that you can make yourself. there are options to buy these at the store but they typically taste better and it’s more fun to make them from home.
Now on to the fun part!
These are the best summer desserts that travel well:
Cookies
Cookies are probably the most obvious dessert that you could make and travel with. There are tons of different recipes and flavors, so there’s enough variety for everyone to find something they like.
You may want to consider whether you need to exclude any ingredients if you’re worried about the melting, but there are so many different types of cookies that even if you can’t use one recipe, it is super easy to find a different one.
Cookies are great to pack in your bag if you are going to the airport or on a long road trip because they are already the perfect shape so they don’t get smushed, and they don’t take up a bunch of space.
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If you want to make cookies but can’t think of any other recipe besides chocolate chip, and don’t want them to melt on you, here are some other ideas that always taste amazing!
Snickerdoodle cookies are one of my favorite cookie recipes because they aren’t playing like a regular sugar cookie. The cinnamon gives them a seasonal feel, and they just taste delicious.
Lemon cookies are a bit more of a niche cookie flavor that may not appeal to everyone, but if you really like lemon or citrus-flavored desserts, lemon cookies have that iconic lemon taste while still also tasting like a cookie without the tartness of, say, a lemon bar.
Oatmeal raisin cookies are another type of cookie that won’t be popular with everyone. However, they are sweet and have a good texture if that is something you look for or like.
Brownies
For the chocolate lovers who don’t want their desserts to melt in the possible hot conditions of traveling, brownies are definitely for you. Like cookies, their shape makes it easy to pack and they don’t take up a lot of room.
They also don’t smush down very much and even if they do get pretty distorted, the taste is exactly the same. Sweet and fudgy, brownies are a good alternative to cookies and you can cut your own portion size to as much or as little as you want.
You could also make these into brownie bites, which may eliminate the possibility of them getting crushed in transit.
Brownie bites don’t exactly take less time, but if you happen to just want to try making them or if you’ve already made them for something else, then it wouldn’t hurt to add them to your list of summer desserts that travel well.
Biscottis
Biscottis are a very yummy and sturdy dessert that won’t crumble easily under pressure and won’t melt in intense heat.
If you were to send one of these desserts on a very long journey, biscottis will probably reach the destination with the least amount of damage.
They do take a bit longer to make, but just like all of these dessert recipes, the finished product is always worth the amount of time it takes to make it.
Macaroons
Macaroons were my mom’s favorite cookie to make and eat when I was younger, and it still continues to be one of my favorite non-conventional cookies.
You can dip them in chocolate, or you can leave them plain, but either way, they always taste amazing.
If you’re worried that the chocolate might melt, you may want to leave them plain or you could bring chocolate separately and eat it together, whatever works for you.
Because there are a lot of coconut shavings, you may have to deal with the macaroon crumbling if it smashes in your bag or the packaging.
Although this is likely, whether it is assembled or disassembled, the macaroon will taste exactly the same.
Muffins
Depending on how you make them, muffins can be a dessert or as a snack/breakfast food.
There are some really good, healthy recipes out there but there are also some super delicious and sugary versions that definitely put muffins under the dessert category.
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Just like all of the other baked goods, muffins are summer desserts that travel well because they don’t melt, they don’t break, and the end result of how they look after getting to their destination doesn’t in any way affect how they taste.
Most of them are good no matter what, it doesn’t make a difference if they are hot or cold.
Cheesecake Bites
Now, this doesn’t sound like it would be something that could fit in with the other summer desserts that travel well, but its small size makes it convenient for transporting.
It also depends on how long it’s going to be en route because if you were taking it with you somewhere, you can ensure that it stays safe and sound. Although it’s best not to send it off on its own, you can never really be sure how packages are going to be handled.
If you have tons of time, you can use a recipe of a fully baked version so the outside temperature won’t affect the cheesecake bite as drastically.
The no-bake cheesecake bites are just as yummy, but that does mean that you will have to have a bit more control over the temperature to make sure that they don’t get soft or liquidy.
And that is the short but sweet list of summer desserts that travel, pun intended!
If there are other dessert recipes that you want to use instead, go right ahead. Most baked goods do well during travel because they have already been baked and don’t get messed up if they get super hot or super cold.
You don’t have to stick to only baked goods, but it may be something useful to keep in mind if you’re trying to think of something else that maybe you make often.
On the chance that you’re going on a road trip, you will have a lot more flexibility when it comes to what you can and can’t bring, whereas if you were going to the airport and flying, you may have to find something that you can pack tightly.
All of these recipes are things that you can make in bulk, so they will last you quite a while or you can leave some for when you get back.
For each recipe, there is of course the alternative to go to the store and buy it ready to go, which will definitely save a lot of time if you happen to be heading out or want the packaging so the dessert is safe and sound during its trip.
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