35 Memorial Day Dessert Recipes That Everyone Will Love

The first backyard barbecue of the season calls for a spread of all your cookout favorites — including some summery desserts! Whether you’re a fan of ice cream, fruity cobblers and crumbles or something else entirely, we've got plenty of easy ideas to put a showstopping dessert on the table. And, if you ask us, it never hurts to give your Memorial Day dessert a patriotic twist. That’s why we’ve rounded up these treats that feature plenty of red, white and blue — starting with Ina’s impressive cake. She spreads generous spoonfuls of whipped cream between the layers before adding fresh strawberries, resulting in a decorative treat that easily doubles as the centerpiece of your dessert table.

The inspiration for these cookies is the summertime classic (strawberry shortcake) mashed up with the nostalgic flavors of the shortbread coating on strawberry ice cream bars. We stuff the cookies with a strawberry-spiked frosting and a mix of jam and fresh strawberries, then roll them in a combo of freeze-dried strawberries and shortbread crumbs, for a trifecta of strawberry flavor and texture.

This classic cherry pie is packed with sweet-tart cherries tucked inside a flaky buttery crust for the ultimate all-American dessert.

When you need a dessert for a smaller cookout, reach for your loaf pan. This classic New York cheesecake is just as creamy and satisfying as larger models but clocks in at a manageable 6 to 8 servings and is super-easy to slice and store.

These no-bake strawberry cheesecake bars deliver creamy tangy cheesecake layered with a buttery graham cracker crust and topped with sweet fresh strawberries. Easy to make ahead and perfect for warm-weather gatherings, they’re a refreshing dessert that looks just as good as it tastes.

Sunny's trick for making this colorful trifle quick? Use store-bought angel food cake to cut down on the prep time.

Rachael's 10-minute dessert is chock-full of fresh fruit: strawberries, blueberries and blackberries.

These crunchy and flaky cones make everything taste better. The filling possibilities are endless but, when it comes to Memorial Day, we prefer whipped cream and berries — for a perfectly patriotic treat!

It only takes 15 minutes of measuring and mixing to get a batch of these cherry bars into the oven. Then comes the hard part of the recipe: waiting until they’re baked so that you can eat them!

This dish is a great use of berries that might not be in peak season. The sugar, citrus and spices transform the berries into a nuanced dessert that is super versatile. Not to mention, you can make the sauce up to a week in advance (just store airtight in the refigerator), making it easy to throw together dessert at your cookout.

You'll use vanilla and strawberry ice cream to make the creamy filling for this frozen take on classic strawberry shortcake.

All you need to make one of Ree’s Dump Cakes is a box of cake mix, canned fruit, butter – and whipped cream, for serving.

Gently swirl strawberry jam into uncooked cheesecake using a wooden skewer for a colorful (and tasty) treat. Use dollops of blueberry jam too for the full red, white and blue!

Just like your favorite childhood treat, these ice pops are ideal for ringing in summer. To achieve the different colors, Valerie uses a combination of coconut sorbet, raspberry sorbet and blue food coloring. The cherry on top? Star-shaped cuts of fresh pineapple!

Take all the great, rich flavor of cheesecake, layer it with summer's best berries then add a little crunch and a touch of chocolate, and you have what may just be the perfect summer dessert. Best of all, a great big, celebratory serving of this parfait clocks in at less than 400 calories. (This recipe can also be made to serve six instead of four. Just use smaller glasses and divvy the recipe up into six parfaits with less than 250 calories each. We pinky-swear it won't feel skimpy!)

To make the juicy filling for this refreshing fruit crumble, combine sliced nectarines with succulent plums, tart lemon juice, flour and sugar. Easy!

After baking, Valerie grills her angel food cake for a caramelized flavor and grill marks that scream of summer. A dollop of whipped cream and seasonal berries add a patriotic pop of color that sends the dessert over the top.

You only need a handful of ingredients to make these decadent and oh-so-delicious dessert bowls. The flavor will remind you of berry cheesecake — made quicker and easier!

Berry cobbler is a summertime classic. Kardea bolsters hers with sweet apple and a hint of fragrant cinnamon for a homestyle dessert that everyone is sure to love.

The easiest way to make ice cream if you don’t have a machine? Toss some frozen fruit and Greek yogurt into your food processor and combine until smooth and easy to scoop.

Kardea says, "These are a riff on a treat I loved as a child: little cheesecake bars with ribbons of jam and a drizzle of frosting on top. They are great to keep in the fridge when I've got a craving for something sweet or to serve as dessert for a party".

Mix up this simple 3-ingredient sauce and a delicious dessert is never far away. Our favorite ways to use it? Spooned over slices of grilled pound cake or scoops of vanilla ice cream!

Two great desserts (cheesecake and cherry pie) are rolled into one with Valerie’s delicious galette. Plus, no fussing with pretty pie-dough decorations — the crust of a galette has a simple, rustic charm instead.

Trust us — you’re going to want seconds of this fruity frozen cake. Serve on a blue dish to really emphasize the red and white colors that pop throughout the dessert.

These pretty, layered fruit and cheesecake cups are a breeze to make – just be sure to mix them up in advance so that they have time to chill completely.

Like a pie (but easier) this free-form fruit dessert is the perfect addition to any Memorial Day cookout dessert spread.

A dash of cocoa powder gives this summertime summer favorite a deliciously chocolatey flair.

Use frozen lemonade as the filling for this easy-to-make, berry-topped pie.

Blueberries, raspberries and an easy-to-make cardamom whipped cream give these individual-size trifles their patriotic colors.

Decadent black raspberry ice cream gets housed between buttery lemon sugar cookies to make these yummy ice cream sandwiches.