With sweltering heatwaves and sky-rocketing summer temperatures, cool and refreshing snacks have become a necessity. Luckily, the Tribune has compiled a list of must-try fruity recipes before we wave goodbye to the Montreal summer. 

1. The one that invigorates — The simple fruit salad

There’s nothing more energizing than a fresh fruit bowl in the summer. This is one of the easiest dishes to put together for those crunched for time, as it only involves cutting and assembling. For this fruit salad, you will need:

• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• ½ tbsp brown sugar
• ½ cup pineapple, cubed
• ½ cup strawberries, sliced
• 1 kiwi, peeled and sliced
• 1 banana, sliced
• ½ cup oranges, peeled and sectioned
• ½ cup blueberries
• Some grated orange zest for additional flavour

Put all the sliced fruit in a large bowl and add the lemon juice and brown sugar to it. Toss the salad to combine the ingredients and let it sit in the refrigerator for 15 minutes to cool. Mix well before serving and enjoy!

2. The one that cools down — Watermelon popsicles 

Popsicles are the way to go for those hot summer afternoons that never seem to end. The watermelon popsicle is a favourite due to the extra coolness added by the fruit. The ingredients needed for this recipe are:

• 3 ½ cups cubed, seedless watermelon 
• 2 ½ tbsp granulated sugar 
• ½ tbsp fresh lemon juice
• ¼ cup canned coconut milk, well shaken
• 6 medium-sized kiwis 
• ½ tbsp mini chocolate chips
• Popsicle moulds 
• Blender 

Blend the watermelon, 1 tbsp sugar, and lemon juice until well pureed. Remove the foam and pour the remaining puree into popsicle moulds until they are two-thirds full. Add the chocolate chips to the mould and push them down with the popsicle sticks so they are visible once frozen. Insert the popsicle sticks and let them sit in the freezer for about three and a half hours. 

While you’re waiting, whisk the coconut milk with ½ tbsp sugar until the sugar dissolves and put it in the refrigerator for half an hour. If the consistency is too thick to pour, you can add in a couple of tablespoons of cold water to thin it out. 

Once cooled, add a tablespoon of the coconut milk mixture to each popsicle and put them back in the freezer for another 45 minutes. 

Meanwhile, scoop the flesh from the kiwis and blend with 1 tbsp sugar until well pureed. Put the mixture through a strainer to remove seeds and chill it for half an hour. Once cooled, add a tablespoon of this mixture to each popsicle and let them sit in the freezer until solid (about two to three hours).

Remove popsicles (using warm water over the moulds is the easiest way to go) and serve!

3. The one that delights — Frozen Banana Bites

If you’re someone who often craves something sweet but in small amounts, these bites are the perfect snack for you! All you will need is:

• 1 cup peanut butter
• 4 bananas, sliced into 1-inch rounds
• 1 oz semisweet chocolate
• ⅓ cup toffee baking bits
• Wax paper

Start by placing the wax paper on a baking sheet and spreading the banana rounds on it. Thinly layer each banana with some peanut butter, put a toothpick through them, and place the baking sheet into the freezer for 30 minutes (or overnight). 

Melt the chocolate in a bowl over simmering water, making sure it doesn’t scorch or form clumps by constantly stirring it. Take the bites out of the freezer and coat each one in chocolate, sprinkle with the toffee bits and place them back in the freezer to let them set—it will take at least an hour before you can serve them. 

You can also store them in the freezer to eat later—just be sure to let them sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before you do. And voilà, you have homemade dessert bites for your sweet tooth cravings over the summer!