Sometimes an ambitious baking project is just not in the cards, and it’s a better bet to seek out delicious, ready-to-devour frozen desserts. These ready-to-go ideas deliver on flavor and fun.

From creamy cheesecakes to gooey lava cakes, Belgian Boys’ selection of frozen treats will satisfy the most discerning sweet tooth. (Hint: best not shop when you’re too hungry; it can be dangerous.)

The Perfect French Frozen Dessert: Parfait

The French word "parfait" means "perfect," and you’ll see why. Traditionally, parfait is a frozen dessert made from a base of egg yolks, sugar, and whipped cream, flavored with any number of additional ingredients such as fruit, nuts, or coffee. (So many possibilities!) They’re often layered in clear glasses or flutes, so all the pretty layers are easy to see and admire.

You don’t have to make your own meringue to make your own simple, tasty frozen parfait. Simply layer ice cream (or frozen yogurt) with your favorite fruit, whipped cream. Add nuts, granola, or chocolate chips if you feel inspired. Summertime is the perfect season for topping an ice cream parfait with plenty of fresh or frozen strawberries or blueberries. Enjoy it outside!

The #1 Frozen Italian Dessert: Gelato

What could be better than a stroll down a small, cobblestoned Italian town with a cone of fresh gelato in your hand? Not much. Gelato is creamier and silkier than all-American ice cream, as well as denser and more elastic. Gelato uses more milk and less cream than ice cream. You won’t find egg yolks, which are a common ingredient in ice cream, in gelato. Gelato has slightly less butterfat than typical ice cream; it feels more concentrated because there’s less air churned into the smoother goodness.

Gelato is as ubiquitous as pasta in Italy, and for good reason. The word “gelato” comes from the Italian word “congelato,” which means frozen, and the best gelato is served the same day it is made. Some of the boot’s most beloved flavors include chocolate hazelnut, fig, coconut, pistachio, and lemon…but it’s very hard to go wrong.

The All-American Frozen Yogurt

Frozen yogurt is a cousin of ice cream and gelato—a frozen dairy dessert made with yogurt instead of milk and cream. If you have an ice cream machine, you can make homemade fro-yo with nothing more than some yogurt; just add some in the machine and let it churn into a tangy, refreshing delight (a little sugar will enhance the flavor and keep your creation nice and soft).

Fun fact: sugar molecules inhibit growing ice crystals, keeping frozen desserts smooth and creamy. In the best frozen yogurt, the yogurt’s tart flavors really shine through. Top yours with fresh berries, crunchy granola, or even a drizzle of rich balsamic vinegar. Even better, add a Belgian Boys Mini Stroopwafel on top, perfect for scooping up the very last goodness.

Japanese Mochi Ice Cream

Mochi (pronounced MOE-chee) is a Japanese dessert made with sweet glutinous soft grain rice flour, called mochigome. With a chewy, smooth texture, mochi dough is often tinted with green tea powder (matcha) or other flavors and wrapped around a sweet center to form bite-size confections—little orbs of goodness. The original mochi were filled with red bean paste. Though the date of the original creation of mochi is hard to pin down, archaeologists have discovered mochi-making tools that date back to the Kofun Period (250 to 538 AD).

In the more modern mochi incarnations, you’ll find rainbow colored mochi dough wrapped around mini scoops of ice cream to make some of the prettiest bite-size frozen treats around, in flavors like chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, mango, coffee, lychee, matcha, and beyond. You can probably find packaged mochi in your supermarket freezer, and if you’re feeling creative you can absolutely try your hand at making a batch yourself.

Warning: due to the sticky nature of the snack, mochi can actually be dangerous. Make sure to enjoy your mochi carefully!

Paletas: Popular Mexican Mini Frozen Desserts

Paletas are a Mexican frozen treat. They can be made from fresh fruits like strawberry and mango, or rich, creamy ingredients like chocolate and pistachio, which are usually milk-based. Paleta flavors can get totally fun and funky—think spicy chile mango, tamarind, hibiscus raspberry, and goat’s caramel.

The word paleta roughly translates to “little stick,” and like popsicles, they’re served on a stick. But that’s about where the similarities end. Paletas de aguas (water-and-juice-based pops) and paletas de leche, or de crema, (milk- or cream-based pops) are made from simple, quality ingredients, frozen to perfection.

In the 1940s, two Tocumbans grew an incredibly successful paletería business in Mexico City and subsequently helped others from Michoacán open their own shops throughout Mexico, with an emphasis on making fresh paletas right there on-site. A common name for paleterías that keeps popping up is La Michoacana. This isn’t a chain, though. Dig into these gorgeous treats all summer long…and beyond.

Frozen New York Cheesecake

Why is New York cheesecake so creamy and irresistible? The first answer is cream cheese, which gives it its luxurious texture. Traditional New York cheesecake also includes extra eggs and egg yolks to provide a smooth, extra rich consistency. It’s fantastically lush without being overly dense.

Belgian Boys New York Cheesecake is a fresh take on a classic dessert, made with the Non-GMO, premium ingredients you’ve come to expect in our products. We love it as is, or topped with fresh berries and whipped cream.

Love cheesecake and craving some new flavors? Our selection includes raspberry, key lime, cookies & cream, and cookie butter. They’re all fantastically decadent, full of great flavor and creamy texture, and ready to go from the freezer in their own cute little individual glass ramekins.

Shop New York Cheesecake now! Here’s to happy frozen desserting!