25 Easy Memorial Day Desserts

Celebrate the start of summer with this Memorial Day dessert! Find no-bake snacks, crowd-favorite cookies and bars, fruit chips, pies, and more.

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

Very Berry Memorial Day Dessert

Strawberry Shortcake

When it comes to Memorial Day desserts, nothing is more classic than strawberry shortcake. This recipe is great with ripe, juicy early summer strawberries, but feel free to use other berries as well. I think mixing strawberries and blueberries would be truly festive for Memorial Day!

Blackberry Cobbler

This cobbler is one of the easiest ways to turn fresh fruit into a mouth-watering Memorial Day dessert. A simple one-bowl batter creates a buttery, cakey topping for your juicy berries. Don’t expect leftovers. At least in our house this always goes away quickly!

Strawberry Tiramisu

This strawberry tiramisu has summer fun written all over it! It can be made ahead of time without baking, and is truly delicious with layers of fresh berries, strawberry-pickled lady fingers, and mascarpone cream. L&L reader Melinda wrote: “This is definitely a fantastic, fresh dessert that is a summer must-try.”

Lemon Blueberry Bread

Two pieces, please! This easy quick bread is moist, lemony, and packed with juicy blueberries. It might pass as breakfast on its own, but the two-ingredient lemon glaze places it firmly in dessert territory.

Blueberry Cobbler

This classic cobbler has a crunchy biscuit topping and a sweet-and-sour syrupy blueberry filling. If you’re serving people with dietary restrictions, you can easily make them vegan or dairy-free. Replace regular butter with vegan stick-style butter. No one will guess it’s plant-based!

Blackberry Crisp

These simple summer crisps are topped with almond, oat, and walnut crumbles, making them the perfect gluten-free dessert for Memorial Day. L&L reader Lo Mo wrote: “I’ve made this 3 times without changes. It’s so 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

What is the most popular summer dessert? Hands down this ice cream. It’s easy to make with just 5 simple ingredients and is rich, creamy and full of sweet vanilla flavor. Enjoy with your favorite toppings (vote for strawberry compote!) or spooned over fruit crisps, cobbler and pies.

lemon can

Lemon Fawcett is a bright, creamy English pudding. This might be the easiest Memorial Day dessert on this list. Make the four-ingredient base on the stovetop in 15 minutes, then place in the refrigerator to set for a few hours. Serve with hollowed-out lemon halves for an incredibly cute snack!

Watermelon Popsicle

My son Ollie can’t get enough of these two-ingredient pops! The base is very 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! It has a crunchy chocolate topping and a fudgy peanut butter and graham cracker base. This is a great dessert to make with kids. Ollie loves pressing the peanut butter mixture into the pan!

Raspberry Vegan Cheesecake

No-bake cheesecake bars feature three delicious layers: a date and nut crust, a creamy “cheesecake” center, and a bright raspberry stripe. It’s a perfect summer treat to make ahead because it keeps in the freezer!

chocolate covered strawberries

It’s so simple, but so good. A delicate chocolate shell makes sweet, juicy summer strawberries a delightful bite to eat.

Homemade Chocolate Ice Cream

I tested this recipe several times last summer, and I’m embarrassed to admit how quickly each batch disappears in the freezer (…very, very quickly). Cocoa powder and melted dark chocolate combine to create a rich chocolate flavor. L&L reader Scarlet wrote: “This recipe was just right. It was creamy and chocolatey.”

ice cream cake

Who says you have to buy ice cream cake at the store?! This lovely 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 the colorful combination of pistachio, salted caramel, and raspberry sorbet!

More Fruit Desserts for Memorial Day

Rhubarb Crisp

Rhubarb season is short and sweet (it usually ends in late June), so Memorial Day is the perfect time to make these sweet tarts into a crunchy dessert. Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top to add the sour rhubarb flavor.

Homemade Cherry Pie

If you’re planning a cooking project this Memorial Day weekend, try making this cherry pie! It’s a bakery-worthy dessert with a buttery, crispy crust and velvety almond flavor. If fresh cherries aren’t available, frozen cherries work perfectly.

Easy Peach Cobbler

Peaches are peak season in Texas in May, so this peach cobbler will likely round out my Memorial Day menu this weekend. A juicy fruit filling topped with a soft, barely-sweet biscuit for sweet, summer perfection.

Cherry Clafoutis

Surprise your guests with cherry clafoutis for an elegant Memorial Day dessert! This classic French dessert has a custard flavor and is slightly sweet. L&L reader Liz wrote: “It’s delicious! I feel like eating it.”

Lemon Olive Oil Cake

The fruity and citrusy notes of this cake are perfect for summer. Make your Memorial Day weekend even more festive by topping it with juicy strawberries and whipped cream.

cookies and bars

The best homemade brownies

What Memorial Day dessert didn’t you make this weekend? Brownies are never a bad idea! This product has a very fuzzy texture with crispy edges and split tops. So much better than the boxed mix!

Lemon Bar

Lemon bars are a classic, crowd-pleasing snack for summer celebrations! Mine has a shortbread crust and a very refreshing lemon filling. I love this variation from L&L reader Sharon. She added 1/2 teaspoon of dried thyme to the filling for an herbal twist!

Perfect Oatmeal Cookies

Sometimes classic cookies can be the perfect way to end a summer cookout. This oatmeal can’t be beat. Soft and chewy, full of buttery brown sugar flavor and studded with raisins and walnuts. Yes, the chocolate chips are delicious here too. 🙂

blondie

Brownie, I love you. But sometimes I think I might like this blondie Much more. Brown butter, brown sugar, and vanilla extract provide an irresistible butterscotch flavor, while white chocolate chips add creamy sweetness. This will be a great night’s sleep for your Memorial Day cookout party!

chocolate chip cookies

This no-chill recipe makes my ideal chocolate chip cookies. It’s crispy on the edges, chewy, and has just enough salt to balance out the sweetness. If you’re hosting chocolate lovers over the holiday weekend, they’ll gorge on these.

Snickerdoodle Cookies

I brought cinnamon-flavored cookies to a neighborhood party a few summers ago, and the entire jar was gone in a matter of minutes. It’s soft and chewy, so it’s popular with both children and adults!