53 Memorial Day Desserts for a Sweet Start to Summer
Sure, we’re all excited to get out the grill and start cooking outdoors again, but we’d argue that Memorial Day desserts are really the highlight of the holiday. It’s the ideal moment to enjoy strawberry shortcake, anything made with rhubarb, or your first ice pop of the season. Kicking off summertime right means selecting the best Memorial Day menu—your grilled food, your salty snacks, your summery drinks, and definitely some easy homemade sweets. Here are Memorial Day desserts that’ll thrill the whole family, including simple cakes, bar cookies, ice cream sandwiches, fruit pies, and more.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Stevie Stewart1/53Strawberry Shortcakes
Great Memorial Day desserts don’t have to require a lot of effort. These simple shortcakes bake up quickly—then all you have to do is top them with macerated fresh strawberries and a generous dollop of whipped cream.
Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Stevie Stewart2/53Cherry Pie With Lattice Crust
With a flaky crust and tangy cherry filling, this is the kind of fruit pie that reminds you why it’s worth baking from scratch.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Lillian Chou5/53Banana Pudding Cheesecake Bars
This Memorial Day dessert was one of our favorite recipes from Spring Bake, and if you haven’t made it yet, you’re missing out. An easy press-in Nilla wafer crust cradles a silky layer of vanilla-scented fresh banana cheesecake, which gets topped with a light and fluffy sour cream whip. It’s a Tara O’Brady masterpiece.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Stevie Stewart6/53Funnel Cakes
Bring the fair home with this foolproof recipe—the key is swapping out the funnel for an easier-to-use squeeze bottle.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Michelle Gatton7/53Peach and Butter Pecan Ice Cream Icebox Cake
If peach jam and pecans don’t grab you, make this no-bake ice cream cake with blackberry and chocolate or raspberry and pistachio.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich8/53Blueberry-Nectarine Lattice Pie
This nectarine-and-blueberry pie gets even more blueberry-y with the addition of coriander, which contains compounds that accentuate the berries’ flavor.
Photo and Food Styling by Edd Kimber9/53Hazelnut Rocher Cheesecake Bars
This summer dessert is like an ice cream bar, but better. Coat frozen squares of no-bake cheesecake in a milk chocolate shell that hardens almost immediately.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton12/53Tre Latte Olive Oil Cake
This is a tres leches meets olive oil cake, lightened up with a chiffon base to help soak in all of the milk.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne13/53Hello Dollies
Bar cookies have a way of disappearing at any gathering. These bars are extra brilliant because crispy, salty Ritz crackers add balance to an otherwise strictly sweet treat.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Katherine Sacks14/533-Ingredient Creamy Coconut-Lime Ice Pops
