Keep Cool This Season With These Delicious Summer-Inspired Disney Recipes

Meagan S

From fresh salads and juicy ribs, to creamy milkshakes and outrageous ice cream sundaes, and of course that classic must-have Dole Whip, these Disney recipes are perfect for any summer occasion!

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STK Tomato & Watermelon Salad – STK at Disney Springs, Walt Disney World Resort
Serves 4

Salad Ingredients: 

  • 4 heirloom tomatoes, cut into bite-size pieces
  • Smoked Chile-Lime Dressing, to taste (recipe follows)
  • Sea salt, to taste
  • 1 cup watermelon (STK uses red and yellow), cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 1 dozen heirloom cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1 teaspoon chopped fresh cilanto
  • 1 cup watercress
  • 1/4 cup thinly shaved red onion
  • Shaved radishes, for garnish
  • Shaved Dry Jack or cotija cheese, for garnish
  • Pinch micro-cilantro, for garnish

Salad Directions: 

  • Arrange heirloom tomatoes on 4 serving plates; drizzle with dressing and season with salt.
  • Gently toss watermelon, cherry tomatoes and cilantro with dressing, to taste; divide into 4 servings and place on top of tomatoes.
  • Top each serving with equal amounts of watercress and red onion. Garnish with radishes, cheese, and micro-cilantro. Season with salt and serve immediately.

Smoked Chile-Lime Dressing
Makes 1 3/4 cups

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Dressing Ingredients: 

  • 1 canned chipotle chile plus 1/2 teaspoon adobo sauce from a can
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 1/2 cup fresh lime juice
  • 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • Zest of 1 lime
  • Coarse salt, to taste

Dressing Directions:

  • Puree chile and adobo sauce, honey, and lime juice in a blender. 
  • With blender running on low, stream in oil. 
  • Stir in lime zest and salt

Shrimp Ceviche with Lime-Mint Foam – Pop Eats at Showcase Plaza, Epcot International Festival of the Arts Serves 4

Shrimp Ceviche Ingredients:

  • 2 cups diced cooked shrimp (about 2/3 pound)
  • 1/2 cup diced red onions
  • 1/4 cup diced green pepper
  • 1/4 cup diced red bell pepper
  • 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced
  • 1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
  • 1/4 cup orange juice
  • 1/2 cup lime juice
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1/2 cup diced mango
  • 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
  • Salt, to taste
  • Black pepper, to taste

Shrimp Ceviche Directions:

  • Combine shrimp, red onion, green pepper, red pepper, jalapeno, and green onion in a glass mixing bowl.
  • In a small bowl, combine orange juice, lime juice, and sugar. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Pour over shrimp mixture.
  • Add mango and cilantro and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  • Set aside.

Lime-Mint Foam Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/2 cup lime juice
  • 1 teaspoon soy lecithin
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh mint

Lime-Mint Foam Instructions:  

  •  Combine water, lime juice, soy lecithin, sugar, and mint in a large mixing bowl.
  • Whip using a whisk or immersion blender until foam develops on the top.
  • Allow to stand for 1 minute.

Serving Directions:

  • Evenly divide ceviche among 4 bowls. 
  • Spoon 2 tablespoons lime-mint foam on top of ceviche.

Cobb Salad – The Hollywood Brown Derby at Hollywood Studios, Walt Disney World Resort Serves 6

Salad Ingredients:

  • 1/2 head iceberg lettuce
  • 1/2 bunch watercress
  • 1 small bunch chicory
  • 1/2 head romaine lettuce
  • 2 medium tomatoes, blanched & peeled
  • 1 1/2 cups cooked turkey breast, diced
  • 3 eggs, hard-cooked
  • 1/2 cup blue cheese, crumbled
  • 6 strips crisp bacon, crumbled
  • 2 tablespoons chopped chives

Salad Directions:

  • Chop all greens very fine (reserve some watercress for presentation) and arrange in a salad bowl. 
  • Cut tomatoes in half, remove seeds and dice fine. 
  • Dice the turkey, avocado, & eggs. 
  • Arrange the above ingredients, as well as the blue cheese and bacon crumbles, in straight lines across the greens. 
  • Arrange the chives diagonally across the above lines. 
  • Present the salad at the table, then toss with the dressing (below). 
  • Place on chilled plates with a watercress garnish.

Brown Derby Old-Fashioned French Dressing Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/2 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 1/4 tablespoons salt
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 clove garlic, chopped
  • 1/2 cup red-wine vinegar
  • Juice of 1/2 lemon
  • 1/2 tablespoon ground black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon English mustard
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 1 1/2 cups salad oil

Dressing Directions:

  • Blend all ingredients except oils.
  • Then add olive oil and salad oils and mix well.
  • Blend well again before mixing with salad.

Chickpea Salad – Harambe Market at Animal Kingdom, Walt Disney World Resort
Serves 8 as a side dish or appetizer

Ingredients:

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  • 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
  • 1/2 small jalapeno pepper, seeds removed, minced
  • 1 teaspoon tamarind paste, dissolved in 3 tablespoons of water
  • 1/4 teaspoon chaat masala, optional
  • 1/2 medium yellow onion, diced
  • 2 (14.5-ounce) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice, divided
  • Coarse salt, freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 1 large tomato, seeds removed, diced
  • 1/2 cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced
  • 1/2 bunch cilantro, stems removed, minced

Directions:

  • Heat oil in a small sauté pan over medium heat. 
  • Add garlic, ginger, and jalapeño; cook until garlic is lightly golden. 
  • Set aside until the mixture is room temperature. 
  • Whisk in tamarind paste and chaat masala. 
  • Stir in onion. 
  • Refrigerate until cold.
  • Add chilled spice mixture to chickpeas, tossing to coat. 
  • Add 2 tablespoons of lime juice and stir to combine. 
  • Season with salt and pepper. 
  • Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
  • Just before serving, add cucumber, tomato, and cilantro. 
  • Add remaining 1 tablespoon lime juice, if desired. 
  • Serve chilled or at room temperature

Cook’s notes: Tamarind paste has a distinctive, tart flavor. It can be purchased in Asian and Latin-American grocery stores or online. Chaat masala is a spice blend available in specialty food stores and some grocery stores or online.

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Guava Glazed Barbecue Ribs – Disney Cruise Line
Serves: 4

Marinade Ingredients:

  • 1 onion (chopped)
  • 3 tbsp. cilantro (chopped)
  • 3 tbsp. oregano (chopped)
  • 1 tsp. ground cumin
  • 1 tsp. cracked black pepper
  • 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
  • 3 garlic cloves (crushed)
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1⁄2 cup water
  • 1 rack pork spareribs

Guava Barbecue Sauce Ingredients:

  • 1 cup guava puree
  • 1 cup barbecue sauce
  • 3⁄4 cup clear honey

Directions for the Rib Marinade:

  • Place all the ingredients, except the water and bay leaves, in a blender.
  • Blend until smooth, place into a mixing bowl, and add the bay leaves and water.
  • Pour the mixture over the ribs so both sides are covered 
  • Marinate for a minimum of 24 hours.

Directions for the Guava Sauce:

Mix ingredients together.

Directions for the Ribs:

  • Transfer the ribs and the marinade to a roasting pan*, cover and place into a preheated oven at 270 degrees.
  • Roast for 1.5 hours.
  • Remove the ribs from the marinade and place onto another baking tray
  • Brush with the guava barbecue sauce and place back into the oven.
  • Roast for 25 minutes at 340 degrees until cooked through and glazed.
  • Remove and rest for 10 minutes
  • Carve.

*Can also be done in a covered barbecue grill.

Chocolate-Drizzled Pineapple Skewers – Aulani Resort and Spa, Hawai’i

Ingredients

  • 20 chunks fresh pineapple
  • 1 cup chocolate melts, such as Ghirardelli
  • 1/4 cup shaved sweetened coconut
  • 1/4 cup macadamia nuts, finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons sprinkles

Directions

  • Place 5 pineapple chunks onto each of the 4 skewers
  • Pat dry pineapples with a paper towel to reduce some of the liquid
  • Melt chocolate melts in microwave according to package directions until melted and smooth
  • Drizzle chocolate over tops of each skewer and sprinkle with coconut, macadamia nuts, and sprinkles
  • Serve room temperature

“Frushi” – Hanami at the Japan Pavillion, Epcot’s International Flower and Garden Festival

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups sushi rice, cooked per package directions
  • 1 tablespoon cream of coconut
  • 16 soy wrappers
  • 16 fresh strawberries, hulled and quartered
  • 1/2 cantaloupe, cut into four-inch-long by 1/4-inch-wide rectangles
  • 1/2 pineapple, peeled and cored cut into four-inch-long by 1/4-inch-wide rectangles
  • toasted coconut, for garnish
  • raspberry puree, for garnish
  • whipped cream, for garnish

Directions:

  • Cook the sushi rice. 
  • Let sushi rice cool slightly; stir in cream of coconut. 
  • Set aside to cool to room temperature.
  • Lay one soy wrapper on a flat surface. 
  • Place about 1/4 cup sushi rice on the soy wrapper, pressing with moistened fingers to cover the whole sheet.
  • Place one piece each of pineapple and cantaloupe, and four pieces of strawberry in the center of the rice-covered sheet.
  • Starting at one end, fold about 1/3 of the roll up, then roll the sheet into a cylinder, keeping the fruit in the middle.
  • Moisten soy wrapper to seal.
  • Cut into 4 equal pieces
  • Garnish with raspberry puree, coconut, and whipped cream!
Three cups filled with soft-serve Dole Whip at Aloha Isle in Magic Kingdom park
Credit: Walt Disney World

Dole Whip – Various Locations

Ingredients:

  • 1 scoop of vanilla ice cream
  • 4 ounces of pineapple juice
  • 2 cups of frozen pineapple

Directions:

  • Add all 3 ingredients to a blender, and blend it until it’s smooth. 
  • You can serve it as-is, but Disney suggests putting the blended mixture into a piping bag and piping a swirl into your bowl for the soft-serve look. 
  • Top with a cocktail umbrella for an extra tropical touch.

Peanut Butter & Jelly Milk Shake – 50’s Prime Time Café at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Walt Disney World Serves 1

Ingredients:

  • 2 tablespoons peanut butter
  • 2 tablespoons jelly (strawberry or grape)
  • 2 cups vanilla ice cream
  • 1/4 cup milk

Directions:

  • Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth.
  • Add additional peanut butter or jelly to taste.

Cook’s Notes: Two cups sliced strawberries can be substituted for jelly.

Kitchen Sink – Beaches & Cream Soda Shop, Disney’s Beach Club Resort, Walt Disney World Serves 4 -6

Ingredients: 

  • 1/2 cup warm fudge topping 
  • 1/2 cup warm butterscotch topping
  • 1/2 cup warm peanut butter topping
  • 1 medium banana, sliced in 1/2-inch slices
  • 1 cinnamon spice cupcake (2 ½ x 1 1/4-inch), quartered
  • 1 angel food cupcake (3 x 1 1/2-inch), quartered
  • 2 generous scoops vanilla ice cream
  • 2 generous scoops chocolate ice cream
  • 2 generous scoops strawberry ice cream
  • 1 generous scoop mint chocolate chip ice cream
  • 1 generous scoop coffee ice cream
  • 3 tablespoons chocolate syrup 
  • 1/4 cup marshmallow cream
  • 1/4 cup strawberry topping
  • 1/4 cup pineapple topping 
  • 14-ounce can dairy whipped topping 
  • 1 large brownie (6-inch x 6-inch), quartered  
  • 1 regular-sized candy bar, quartered
  • 4 chocolate cookies with cream filling
  • 1 tablespoon sliced toasted almonds 
  • 1 tablespoon dark and white chocolate shavings
  • 1 tablespoon crushed chocolate cookies with cream filling 
  • 1 tablespoon chopped jellied orange slices, about 2 large slices
  • 1 tablespoon milk chocolate chip morsels
  • 1 tablespoon peanut butter chip morsels
  • 1 tablespoon chocolate sprinkles
  • 1 tablespoon rainbow sprinkles 
  • 1/2 cup drained maraschino cherries 

Directions:

  • Pour hot fudge, butterscotch, and peanut butter toppings into the bottom of a large bowl.  
  • Layer banana slices and cupcake pieces over toppings. Top with all ice creams.  
  • As quickly as possible, spoon chocolate syrup, marshmallow cream, strawberry, and pineapple toppings over ice cream.
  • Cover completely with dairy whipped topping. Tuck brownie pieces, candy bar pieces, and cookies in whipped topping.
  • Sprinkle with toasted almonds, dark and white chocolate shavings, crushed cookies, jellied orange slices, milk chocolate chip morsels, peanut butter morsels, chocolate sprinkles, and rainbow sprinkles. 
  • Top with cherries.

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My name is Meagan and I grew up on Long Island, New York but I am currently living in South Carolina. I am grateful for the opportunity to share my love and knowledge of all things Disney. When I'm not writing, I am teaching preschool in Charlotte, NC, and planning my next Disney trip!
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