25 Easy Desserts for Memorial Day

Celebrate the beginning of summer with these Memorial Day desserts! Find no-bake treats, crowd-pleasing cookies and bars, fruit chips, cakes and more.

No Memorial Day cookout is complete without dessert! I’ve rounded up our best Memorial Day dessert recipes to help you find the perfect one for your celebration. They include no-bake treats like this spectacular strawberry tiramisu, crowd-pleasing cookies and bars (no one ever complains about brownies!), frozen desserts, and all things fruit. Try one (or two or three) for a sweet start to summer!

Very Berry Desserts for Memorial Day

strawberry cake

When it comes to Memorial Day desserts, there’s nothing more classic than strawberry shortcake. This recipe is wonderful with ripe, juicy early summer strawberries, but feel free to use other berries as well. A mix of strawberries and blueberries would be very festive for Memorial Day!

blackberry cobbler

This cobbler is one of the easiest ways to turn fresh fruit into a delicious Memorial Day dessert. A simple one-bowl crust is baked into a buttery, pie-like topping for the juicy berries. Don’t expect leftovers. In our house, at least, this one always disappears quickly!

Strawberry Tiramisu

This strawberry tiramisu has summer entertaining written all over it! It doesn’t need to be baked, you can make it ahead of time and it’s absolutely delicious, layered with fresh berries, strawberry-soaked biscuits and mascarpone cream. L&L reader Melinda wrote: “This is a fantastic fresh dessert that will definitely be a summer go-to.”

Lemon and blueberry bread

Two slices for me, please! This quick and easy bread is moist, lemony, and full of juicy blueberries. On its own, it can pass as breakfast, but a two-ingredient lemon glaze takes it firmly into dessert territory.

Blueberry Cobbler

This classic cobbler has a flaky cookie topping and a spicy, syrupy blueberry filling. If you serve people with dietary restrictions, you can easily make it vegan or dairy-free. Simply replace regular butter with vegan stick butter. No one will guess it’s plant-based!

Blackberry Crisp

This easy summer crunch has an almond, oat, and walnut crumble topping, making it a perfect gluten-free dessert for Memorial Day. L&L reader Lo Mo wrote: “I’ve made this 3 times with no changes. It’s amazing and wonderful to be able to serve it to my gluten-free family and friends!”

No-Bake Memorial Day Desserts

Homemade vanilla ice cream

Our most popular summer dessert? This ice cream, without a doubt. Easy to make with 5 simple ingredients, it’s rich, creamy and full of sweet vanilla flavor. Enjoy it with your favorite toppings (vote for this strawberry compote!), or serve it over chips, pies, and cakes.

lemon posset

Lemon posset is a creamy, bright British pudding…and might be the easiest of all the Memorial Day desserts on this list. Make the 4-ingredient base in 15 minutes on the stove, then put it in the refrigerator for a couple of hours to set. Serve it in hollowed out lemon halves for an incredibly cute treat!

watermelon popsicles

My son Ollie can’t get enough of these 2 ingredient popsicles! The base is super simple: just mix watermelon and lime juice. What could be more refreshing on a hot day?

Peanut butter bars

If you love Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, these no-bake bars are for you! They have a crunchy chocolate coating and a sweet peanut butter and graham cracker base. They are a fantastic dessert to make with children. Ollie loves to press the peanut butter mixture into the pan!

Vegan Raspberry Cheesecake

These no-bake cheesecake bars have three delicious layers: a date-walnut crust, a creamy “cheesecake” center, and a bright raspberry streak on top. They set up in the freezer, making them a perfect make-ahead summer treat!

Chocolate covered strawberries

So simple, but so good. A delicate chocolate coating makes sweet, juicy summer strawberries a delicious bite.

Homemade chocolate ice cream

I tried this recipe several times last summer and I’m embarrassed to admit how quickly each batch disappeared from our freezer (…very, very quickly). The cocoa powder and melted dark chocolate give it a wonderful, rich chocolate flavor. L&L reader Scarlet wrote: “This recipe turned out perfect: very creamy and chocolatey.”

Ice Cream Cake

Who says ice cream cakes have to be bought at the store? This adorable homemade cake has a chocolate cake base topped with three types of ice cream and fresh raspberries. Feel free to use any type of ice cream you like. I love this colorful mix of pistachio, salted caramel, and raspberry sorbet!

More Fruit Desserts for Memorial Day

Rhubarb Crisp

Rhubarb season is short and sweet, usually ending at the end of June, so Memorial Day is the perfect time to make this sweet and crunchy tart for dessert. Top it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream to complement the tart rhubarb flavor.

Homemade cherry pie

If you’re up for a cooking project this Memorial Day weekend, make this cherry pie! It’s a bakery-worthy dessert, with a flaky, buttery crust and a velvety, almond-scented filling. Frozen cherries work perfectly here if you can’t get fresh cherries.

Easy Peach Cobbler

Peaches are in peak season in Texas in May, so this peach cobbler will most likely round out my Memorial Day menu this weekend. It’s sweet, summery perfection, with a juicy fruit filling topped with tender, barely sweet cookies.

Cherry clafoutis

For an elegant Memorial Day dessert, surprise your guests with these cherry clafoutis. This classic French dessert is deliciously creamy and slightly sweet. L&L reader Liz wrote: “Delicious! I wanted to eat them.”

Lemon and Olive Oil Cake

The citrus and fruity flavor of this cake makes it perfect for summer. Load it up with juicy strawberries and whipped cream to make it feel even more festive this Memorial Day weekend.

Cookies and Bars

The best homemade brownies

Can’t decide which Memorial Day dessert to make this weekend? Brownies are never a bad idea! These have an intensely soft texture, with crispy edges and crispy tops. They are so much better than a boxed mix!

Lemon Bars

Lemon bars are a classic crowd-pleasing gift for summer celebrations! Mine have a buttery crust and an extra tangy lemon filling. I love this variation from L&L reader Sharon – she added 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme to the filling for an herbal touch!

Perfect oatmeal cookies

Sometimes a classic cookie is the perfect way to end a summer cookout. There’s nothing better than these oatmeal ones: they’re soft, chewy, full of buttery brown sugar flavor, and packed with raisins and nuts. Yes, chocolate chips are great here too.

blondes

Brownies, I love you, but sometimes I think I would love these. blondes even more. Brown butter, brown sugar, and vanilla extract give them an irresistible caramel flavor, and white chocolate chips add creamy balls of sweetness. They’ll be the hit of your Memorial Day cookout!

Chocolate Chip Cookies

This no-chill recipe produces my ideal chocolate chip cookie: crispy edges, very chewy, and with just enough salt to balance the sweetness. If you invite chocolate lovers over over the holiday weekend, they’ll gobble them up.

Snickerdoodle Cookies

I took these cinnamon-spiced cookies to a block party a few summers ago and the entire container was gone within minutes. Soft and chewy, they’re a hit with kids and adults alike!