Sell More Desserts Over the Summer: Tips for Bakeries

Even though summer is often considered the “off season” for many bakeries and confectioneries, there's a tremendous opportunity to boost dessert sales. To capture attention and drive repeat visits, however, bakeries need to be strategic, creative, and seasonally attuned.

Here’s a  detailed guide with actionable ideas, ranging from branding with high-quality bakery boxes to recipe development and thematic promotions, to help bakeries sell more desserts over the summer months.

Embrace Eye-Catching Packaging That Sells Before the First Bite

Packaging can make or break a dessert sale, especially in summer when impulse purchases are high. Make your packaging an extension of your bakery’s brand and the season:

Summer-Themed Bakery Boxes

• Choose bakery boxes with pastel tones such as sunshine yellows or ocean blues.
  
  
• Use windowed boxes to show off bright and beautiful pastries and cakes.
  
  
• Add seasonal stickers like “Handcrafted for Summer,” “Tastes Like Vacation,” or “Made to Melt Hearts, Not in the Sun.”

Instagrammable Presentation

• Summer consumers love to share on social media. Consider the presentation while encouraging users to share their treats on Instagram or TikTok. Offer a small discount to incentive customers and keep them engaged!

Offer Summer-Inspired Dessert Menus

Refreshing, fruit-forward, and visually vibrant items perform well during summer. Go beyond traditional bakes and lean into tropical flavors, lighter textures, and international inspiration. If you have some leeway with your product offerings and can tweak your menu for the summer, now’s your chance to stand out!

Tropical & Fruity Desserts

• Coconut cream tarts with lime zest
  
  
• Mango-passionfruit cheesecake
  
  
• Pineapple upside-down cupcakes
  
  
• Lemon-lavender shortbread
  
  
• Raspberry matcha donuts

Frozen & Chilled Items

• No-bake strawberry cheesecake jars
  
  
• Gelato macaron sandwiches
  
  
• Icebox cakes with graham crackers and whipped cream
  
  
• Frozen banana bread pops

Limited-Time Themes

• “Flavors of the Beach” week: Key lime pie, piña colada cupcakes, sea salt caramel brownies
  
  
• “Summer Campfire Nights”: S’mores bars, toasted marshmallow cupcakes, honey graham muffins

Offer tasting flights or mini versions so customers can try several at once.

Run Creative Seasonal Promotions

Discounts are always appreciated, but clever theming gives them extra power. Make your offers part of an experience:

Christmas in July

• Utilize Christmas chocolate boxes that embody the spirit of the holidays.
  
  
• Bundle items into “Christmas in July Samplers.”
  
  
• Offer “12 Days of (Summer) Christmas” – a daily deal across a dozen different items leading up to July 25.

Beat-the-Heat Happy Hour

• Offer 2-for-1 iced cookies or chilled desserts between 2–4 PM on weekdays.
  
  
• “Sunset Sweet Deals” after 6 PM for late shoppers.

Summer Birthday Club

• Encourage customers to register for a free birthday dessert and target email offers during their birthday month.
  
  
• Include a tropical cakelet with sparkler candles.

Dessert Picnic Packs

• Bundle mini pies, cookies, and cool drinks into picnic-ready boxes with utensils and napkins.
  
  
• Great for date nights, concerts, or family outings.

Host Events and Collaborations

Pop-Up Stands at Summer Markets

• Take your brand to where the people are: farmers markets, outdoor fairs, concerts, and park festivals.
  
  
• Sell smaller-portioned items like cookies, bars, and macarons that are easy to carry and eat.

Partner with Local Businesses

• Collaborate with a nearby ice cream shop for “dessert mashups” like brownie sundae cups or cookie-dough cones.
  
  
• Pair up with a florist for bundled bouquets and dessert boxes for anniversaries or “Just Because” gifts.

Summer Dessert Workshops

• Host in-store events like “Decorate Your Own Cupcake” nights, “Tropical Tart-Making,” or “Frozen Dessert Jars 101.”
  
  
• Include take-home recipe cards and exclusive coupons for attendees.

Use Strategic Online Marketing

Your online presence should reflect your summer offerings and help drive foot traffic or delivery orders.

Highlight Summer Specials with Gorgeous Photos

• Showcase desserts under natural light, styled with summer props like seashells, sunglasses, or fruit slices. Don’t forget to include the attractive packaging - we have a wide variety of bakery boxes and other great confectionery packaging options so that you can properly present your treats.
  
  
• Use vibrant, clean backgrounds that reflect your seasonal packaging.

Launch a “Summer Sweets Series”

• Weekly blog or Instagram posts featuring behind-the-scenes baking clips, the story behind a new dessert, or summer pairing tips (e.g., which lemonade goes best with a tart).

Engage With Polls and Contests

• “Vote for our next summer flavor” contests can build hype.
  
  
• Run giveaways for picnic dessert packs or Christmas in July gift boxes.

Loyalty Programs and Limited-Time Collectibles

Summer Dessert Passport

• Each visit or purchase earns a stamp: five stamps = free mini dessert or $5 off.
  
  
• If customers complete a full “passport,” they can receive a branded tote or picnic blanket.

Collectible Summer Packaging

• Limited-edition packaging (with illustrations, fun facts, or local artist collabs) encourages repeat purchases.
  
  
• Customers may collect all 4 box variations over the summer.

Make Summer a Season to Remember (and to Rebuy)

Summer dessert sales thrive when bakeries go beyond just offering good food: they create an experience. Through smart packaging, themed products, imaginative marketing, and engaging promotions, your bakery can become a must-visit summer destination.

From tropical tartlets to peppermint bark in July, lean into seasonal fun and use the emotional power of summer to craft dessert moments that stick in customers’ hearts (and get shared online). With the right strategy, you can create just as much buzz during the summer months as you do during the holidays!