45 Delicious Memorial Day Dessert Ideas for Your 2025 Cookout
These easy desserts are perfect for a picnic or backyard bbq!
If you're planning on grilling or having a Memorial Day cookout, barbecue, or picnic this year, you're probably going to need some dessert recipes. And we have plenty!
Cooking a meal or baking a dessert can be a great way to show someone you care, and these desserts are great to share (or even make with!) your family. Whether you're looking for some healthier Memorial Day desserts, like fruit desserts and ice pops, or you plan on sticking to the classics, we've got desserts the whole crew will love.
In the list below, you'll find desserts that'll feed a crowd, like slab pies and layer cakes, and even some options for smaller gatherings, like semifreddos and ice cream. There are a few make-ahead and no-bake recipes as well, so you can focus on spending time with your family.
They're delicious and enjoyable before or after you hit up the Memorial Day sales and your other Memorial Day activities.
More For Your Memorial Day:
Three Layer Strawberry Cake
This dreamy strawberry cake is a great way to celebrate with friends and family on Memorial Day. It's bursting with strawberry flavor and topped with plenty of strawberry cream cheese frosting.
Mixed Berry Flag Pie
With mixed berries and cut-out pie crust pieces, you can assemble a Memorial Day treat that's both delicious and impressive! This pie is the perfect choice for any summer occasion.
No-Bake Lemon Bar Cheesecake
No need to heat up the house making this light and citrusy cheesecake. Because it's no-bake, you can also make it a day or two in advance.
Red, White & Blue Sorbet Loaf
This impressive dessert is like a Bomb Pop on a plate! It's a sweet-and-tart lover's dream in the form of cherry, lime, and coconut flavors.
No-Bake Peach Cheesecake
It's hard to beat a no-bake cheesecake for a cool summer treat on a hot day. But it's not hard to top one: we used super ripe freestone peaches tossed with a little honey! The results are pretty incredible.
Mini Stars Berry Pies
These individual pies, bursting with fresh berries and naturally festive for Memorial Day, are best enjoyed with homemade ice cream.
Sugar Cone Cookie Ice-Cream Sandwiches
With hot fudge sauce, vanilla ice cream, salted peanuts, and homemade cookies (made with crumbled sugar cone!), these ice cream sandwiches are a fun treat for hot summer days. They're a great option for your Memorial Day menu.
Strawberry-Lemonade Angel Pie
If you're looking for a light and sweet dessert for Memorial Day, this pie is like a reverse lemon meringue pie.
It starts with a baked meringue pie shell, and easy homemade lemon filling, and plenty of whipped cream and strawberries to serve. It's also a delicious gluten-free option!
Strawberry Shortcake Ice-Cream Bars
Featuring homemade sorbet and crushed shortbread cookies, these Strawberry Shortcake Ice-Cream Bars are a cool and delicious treat the whole family will enjoy.
Patriotic Cupcakes
Keep it classic and simple with this made-from-scratch cupcake recipe—top your treats with mini American flags!
Peach Upside-Down Cake
Almost magically simple to make, upside-down cakes make the most of caramel and fruit flavors. This bourbony peach version is full of Southern charm and great for outdoor gatherings, like Memorial Day.
No-Churn Fudge Ice Cream
This simple-as-can-be recipe tastes just like a Fudgsicle!
Brandied Cherry-and-Chocolate Chunk Ice Cream
This is a recipe you'll be making all summer long! Try it out for your Memorial Day celebration.
Brandied cherries and chocolate chunks are a dream team! You can easily leave out the brandy to make this ice cream kid friendly.
Get the recipe for Brandied Cherry-and-Chocolate Chunk Ice Cream.
Key Lime Slab Pie with Candied Lime Zest
Key lime lovers, this is the Memorial Day dessert for you. This enormous pie is sure to please — and feed — a crowd.
Chocolate Tres Leches Cake
This rich cake, soaked in three kinds of milk, is a sweet, creamy dream! It might just be your new favorite chocolate cake.
Puff Pastry Star Cookies
It doesn't get any easier than puff pastry treats! Use a star cookie cutter to make these cute cookies with jam centers. They're as festive for Memorial Day as they are delicious!
Strawberry-Almond Crumble Pie
What better way to use the season's best ripe berries than with this easy pie? Fruity pies and vanilla ice cream is the best way to celebrate Memorial Day.
Salty Peanut Banana Pudding
An all-American classic, this banana pudding benefits from the addition of just a hint of salt.
Dump Cake
This is the easiest Memorial Day dessert! Four ingredients are literally dumped into a rectangle baking dish and off into the oven it goes!
Zebra Semifreddo
If you're looking for a fun and kid-friendly dessert for Memorial Day, this semifreddo starts with store-bought ice cream sandwiches. The kids will love it!
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