If you thought fruit desserts were only for summer, think again. Serve your favorite fruits baked in a warm flaky pastry shell or chilled in an icy shake, depending on the season and your mood. Here are our 50 favorite fruit-filled desserts.

Watermelon is aptly named: About 92 percent of the cool fruit is H20. But the melon packs a nutritional wallop; it contains L-citrulline, which the body converts into an amino acid essential to vascular health.

Kanten, also called agar-agar, is a vegetable gelatin. This is a great palate refresher.

Popsicles don't have to come from the supermarket freezer case or contain artificial dyes and sweeteners. After all, they're so easy to make at home.

Is it a cocktail, or a dessert? This easy dish of cubed watermelon with a bit of Campari lets you have it both ways. Serve as a part of a menu with light sandwiches and red-cabbage coleslaw.

Dessert couldn't be simpler: Take a small bowl of cherries, and dip each fruit into a bit of luscious, melted dark chocolate.

Juicy, ripe peaches star in this easy-to-make dessert, but you can also substitute other stone fruits such as nectarines or plums -- or even combine several.

Want a macaroon or a piece of tart? Shredded coconut paired with a sweet filling in this dish deliver the best aspects of both.

Scoops of sorbet made with red papaya and a zingy dose of freshly squeezed lime juice pack plenty of antioxidant power in the form of lycopene and vitamin C.

Sweet cherries dot light, flaky phyllo dough dusted with sugar and cinnamon in this virtuous dessert.

This dessert celebrates summer's just-ripening crop of stone fruits.

Blackberries mix with raspberries and strawberries in this dessert; ricotta holds them in place, and provides a wonderfully creamy texture.

A little ginger -- a powerful anti-inflammatory and digestion aid -- goes a long way in this dessert. Combining dates and apples makes for a sweet dose of fiber.

This gelatin recipe is almost as easy to make as the from-the-box variety, but is more sophisitcated and nutritious.

Don't let strawberries have all the fun: A blueberry shortcake makes the perfect dessert.

This fancy-looking dessert is really quite simple: Just pipe an easy-to-make meringue lattice atop a flavorful stew of raspberries and rhubarb.

Individual fruit puddings made with guava juice, a good source of lycopene, are topped with yogurt and heart-healthy almonds.

Vitamins A and C found in peaches and apricots take the cake in this sweet after-dinner treat.

The mellowed acidity of aged balsamic vinegar pairs perfectly with the sugary sweetness of strawberries. For a special presentation, garnish with wild strawberries.

If peaches are in season, pair them with this crust of light flaky dough, but if not, try it with any fruit you wish. Serve it as an end to a meal of smoked salmon.

This quick and easy salad can be served as a side dish at a barbecue or dessert at a luncheon.

Ground almonds in this tart's crust add heart-healthy omega-3s, while honey and brown sugar sweeten the filling.

Juicy nectarines imbue the glace with the most unbelievable color. Find the very ripest nectarines for this gorgeous dessert.

Take a classic summer drink, and make it a perfect ending to a late-summer meal.

Since you can make the lemon cream in advance, this is a great dessert for entertaining. The blackberries and lemon juice provide most of the flavor, while the silken tofu makes the dish smooth.

A Napoleon traditionally is made of three layers of puffy pastry alternating with pastry cream. This more healthful version uses thinly sliced pineapple and lightened-up creme fraiche instead.

Phyllo is neither the culinary bully nor nutrition nightmare that it is commonly thought to be. Quick hands and a good pastry brush or nonstick cooking spray are all you need to make delicious pastries.

This recipe calls for apricots, but peaches, plums, and nectarines roast beautifully, too. The traditional version of dulce de leche is full of fat, but this slimmed-down version is a great low-fat alternative to heavy cream.

This recipe is brought to us by noted French author, restaurateur, and hotelier Georges Blanc.

Layered and light, the tiers of this cake call for cholesterol-free egg whites and skim milk.

When peaches aren't in season, give cream a new best friend with this banana tart.

Instead of ice cream, serve bowls of beta-carotene-rich chilled cantaloupe soup with tarragon syrup.

Halved and pressed into a fragrant mix of candied ginger and toasted nuts, seared apples are a sophisticated (and far healthier) version of those sticky, sweet candied apples from childhood.

Whisking the granita as it freezes ensures that it reaches the proper consistency.

A sorbet of frozen fruit can be supremely satisfying when cravings strike.

Try to find a variety of dried fruits for this dessert. Dried plums work especially well.

Choose soft, plump dried figs for this easy, healthy dessert. Very hard figs won't soften even as they soak.

This dish goes great with a dollop of yogurt or ice cream.

For the most visually rewarding presentation, layer the parfaits in clear glasses.

The two types of cranberries in this recipe create a sweet and tart pie. Gravenstein apples work best because they hold their shape and have a delicious tart flavor.

Slices of cantaloupe and balls of honeydew and canary melon are so delectable that little is needed to enhance them.

As delicious as a bowl of just-picked strawberries are for dessert, tossing them in a simple vanilla syrup sweetened with fruit juice and a little sugar is a wonderful, quick way to make them special.

Paper-thin crepes are improved upon healthwise with blackberries; this fruit is among the most fiber-rich you'll find and is a good source of vitamin C.

Plantains aren't meant for eating right out of the peel, but they are transformed into a gently sweet dessert when caramelized.

Avocado adds an unexpected savoriness -- plus its retro shade of green -- to icy gelato, made in part with fat-free milk.

This gelee replaces gelatin with agar, a natural setting agent made from seaweed.

This drink makes a nutrious dessert for milk shake lovers -- especially once you swirl in fresh fruit.

The humble, healthful banana is elevated to elegant heights when sugared and fanned out atop lightly spiced ricotta.

Spare, cool melon and pineapple prepared sushi-style is a graceful finish to a simple, elegant meal.

Serve this dessert in a clear bowl or trifle dish to show off its beautiful stained-glass layers and colors.

Summer melons serve as enticing dishes for this sweet-tart black-currant gelatin infused with a hint of mint.