This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.

This collection of Memorial Day desserts features all of our favorite patriotic, make-ahead, and cold desserts to take to holiday BBQs and potlucks!

More Collections: Memorial Day Recipes, Summer Desserts, 4th Of July Desserts

Collage of Memorial Day dessert recipes.
Save This Recipe!
Just enter your email and get it sent to your inbox! Plus you’ll get new recipes from us every week!

We Love To Celebrate and Remember!

We love to have a Memorial Day cookout. A backyard barbecue is a great time to remember, be with family, and the perfect kick-off to summer!

We usually assign everyone to bring a different type of dish, and I personally love being in charge of desserts. There is no shortage of outstanding options for your Memorial Day desserts!

Why we love Memorial Day desserts:

  • Patriotic. Many feature a red, white, and blue color palate like our American Flag Cake – perfect for patriotic celebrations!
  • Bright and flavorful. With the start of summer, there are plenty of fresh fruit options to use and a variety of bright flavors.
  • Traditional. There are plenty of tasty traditional desserts like pie or cake.
  • Summer sweets. Since the weather is warm it’s also a great opportunity to do a cold or frozen dessert!
American flag cake.

Planning Tips

  • How much to make. Plan to have at least 2 dessert choices for the first 10-12 guests. Make sure there’s enough for people to have two dessert servings and not a piece of each dessert. 
  • Keeping desserts cold. Many desserts can be left out for a couple of hours or longer and still be ok to eat, but to keep cold desserts chilled:
    • Store in the refrigerator or a cooler with ice until serving.
    • To keep chilled on a serving table, fill a sheet pan or bowl with ice. Place the dessert on a platter or in a bowl and set it right on top of the ice. 
Oreo ice cream cake with a bite missing on a white plate.

Transporting Desserts

  • Carriers. Many desserts have specifically designed carriers, like cupcakes and cake carriers. Often you can use pans, boxes, and bins that you already have to protect the dessert. Be careful that the ice is contained so that if it melts it won’t leak into the dessert.
  • Temperature. Keep them at the right temperature. Use a cooler packed with heating pads or ice packs depending on what type of dessert you have.
  • In the car. Set them on the floor where they cannot tumble off the seat. Use a yoga or other non-stick mat to help prevent sliding, or place a blanket or towel around the container to keep it snugly in place.

Our Favorite Desserts for Memorial Day

Ice cream sandwiches and Strawberry Pie are a summer favorite along with this top-loved list! Try a favorite treat from our go-to list and check out our Best Summer Desserts.

Don’t forget fresh Whipped Cream or a scoop of Vanilla Ice Cream!

1 Fruit Pizza

Dessert Fruit Pizza
Total Time: 30 minutes

Recipe Video

5 from 22 votes
Get the recipe

2 American Flag Cake

Dessert American Flag Cake
Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes

Recipe Video

5 from 11 votes
Get the recipe

3 4th of July Poke Cake Recipe

Dessert 4th of July Poke Cake Recipe
Total Time: 4 hours 50 minutes
5 from 32 votes
Get the recipe

4 Dirt Cake Recipe

Dessert Dirt Cake Recipe
Total Time: 3 hours 10 minutes

Recipe Video

4.99 from 179 votes
Get the recipe

5 Cream Puff Cake Recipe

Dessert Cream Puff Cake Recipe
Total Time: 35 minutes

Recipe Video

4.99 from 155 votes
Get the recipe

6 Lemon Lasagna Recipe

Dessert Lemon Lasagna Recipe
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Recipe Video

4.97 from 161 votes
Get the recipe

7 Angel Food Ice Cream Cake Recipe

Dessert Angel Food Ice Cream Cake Recipe
Total Time: 9 hours 15 minutes

Recipe Video

5 from 16 votes
Get the recipe

8 Oreo Ice Cream Cake Recipe

Dessert Oreo Ice Cream Cake Recipe
Total Time: 5 hours 10 minutes

Recipe Video

5 from 245 votes
Get the recipe

9 Best Pineapple Upside Down Cake

Dessert Best Pineapple Upside Down Cake
Total Time: 45 minutes

Recipe Video

4.94 from 96 votes
Get the recipe

10 Ice Cream Sandwich Cake Recipe

Dessert Ice Cream Sandwich Cake Recipe
Total Time: 6 hours 5 minutes
5 from 67 votes
Get the recipe

Easy Memorial Day Desserts

Keep it simple with no bake desserts, Fruit Salad, or Nilla Wafer Banana Pudding – or try something from our simple list of tasty treats!

11 4th of July Rice Krispies Treats

Dessert 4th of July Rice Krispies Treats
Total Time: 10 minutes
5 from 16 votes
Get the recipe

12 Jello Poke Cake Recipe

Dessert Jello Poke Cake Recipe
Total Time: 3 hours 35 minutes

Recipe Video

5 from 678 votes
Get the recipe

13 Peach Cobbler

Dessert Peach Cobbler
Total Time: 35 minutes

Recipe Video

4.99 from 967 votes
Get the recipe

14 Strawberry Shortcake Recipe

Dessert Strawberry Shortcake Recipe
Total Time: 20 minutes

Recipe Video

5 from 97 votes
Get the recipe

15 Peach Dump Cake Recipe

Dessert Peach Dump Cake Recipe
Total Time: 55 minutes

Recipe Video

4.98 from 493 votes
Get the recipe

16 Chocolate Sheet Cake

Dessert Chocolate Sheet Cake
Total Time: 35 minutes

Recipe Video

5 from 38 votes
Get the recipe

17 Blueberry Cobbler Recipe

Delicious blueberry cobbler with a fluffy biscuit top and tons of juice blueberries served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Dessert Blueberry Cobbler Recipe
Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
5 from 20 votes
Get the recipe

18 Frozen Strawberry Dessert Recipe

Dessert Frozen Strawberry Dessert Recipe
Total Time: 6 hours 10 minutes
5 from 15 votes
Get the recipe

19 Rice Krispie Treat Recipe

Dessert Rice Krispie Treat Recipe
Total Time: 10 minutes

Recipe Video

5 from 34 votes
Get the recipe

20 Scotcheroos

Dessert Scotcheroos
Total Time: 20 minutes

Recipe Video

4.97 from 411 votes
Get the recipe

21 Puppy Chow Recipe

Dessert Puppy Chow Recipe
Total Time: 15 minutes

Recipe Video

5 from 164 votes
Get the recipe

22 Dessert Kabobs Recipe

Dessert Dessert Kabobs Recipe
Total Time: 10 minutes
5 from 11 votes
Get the recipe

23 Dessert Parfait Recipe

Dessert Dessert Parfait Recipe
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
5 from 18 votes
Get the recipe

More Memorial Day Dessert Ideas

A classic Apple Pie, Blueberry Pie, or ice pops are classic All-American treats, but we have even more sweet treats to enjoy!

Check out our other summer favorites in our summer desserts or Fourth of July desserts collection!

24 Red White and Blue Cake

Dessert Red White and Blue Cake
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
5 from 16 votes
Get the recipe

25 Blueberry Delight Recipe

Dessert Blueberry Delight Recipe
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
5 from 16 votes
Get the recipe

26 Butterfinger Pie

Dessert Butterfinger Pie
Total Time: 4 hours 20 minutes
5 from 17 votes
Get the recipe

27 Cherry Sheet Cake Recipe

Dessert Cherry Sheet Cake Recipe
Total Time: 40 minutes
4.97 from 29 votes
Get the recipe

28 Peach Pie Recipe

Dessert Peach Pie Recipe
Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes

Recipe Video

4.89 from 34 votes
Get the recipe

29 Strawberry Pie Recipe

Dessert Strawberry Pie Recipe
Total Time: 50 minutes

Recipe Video

4.82 from 11 votes
Get the recipe

30 Frozen Peanut Butter Pie Recipe

Dessert Frozen Peanut Butter Pie Recipe
Total Time: 2 hours 28 minutes
5 from 7 votes
Get the recipe

31 Triple Berry Pie

Dessert Triple Berry Pie
Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Recipe Video

4.94 from 74 votes
Get the recipe

32 Strawberry Icebox Cake Recipe

Dessert Strawberry Icebox Cake Recipe
Total Time: 10 minutes
5 from 16 votes
Get the recipe

33 Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes

These Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes are so pretty and perfect for spring or summer. They start with fluffy, moist lemon cupcakes. Then they're topped with strawberry frosting made from fresh berries!
Dessert Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes
Total Time: 25 minutes
4.73 from 33 votes
Get the recipe

34 Lemon Icebox Pie

Dessert Lemon Icebox Pie
Total Time: 6 hours 50 minutes

Recipe Video

5 from 28 votes
Get the recipe

35 Key Lime Pie Recipe

Dessert Key Lime Pie Recipe
Total Time: 3 hours 40 minutes

Recipe Video

5 from 17 votes
Get the recipe

36 Sugar Cookie Bars

Dessert Sugar Cookie Bars
Total Time: 35 minutes

Recipe Video

4.90 from 28 votes
Get the recipe

37 No Bake Cheesecake

Dessert No Bake Cheesecake
Total Time: 6 hours 30 minutes
5 from 27 votes
Get the recipe

38 Strawberry Shortcake Bars Recipe

Dessert Strawberry Shortcake Bars Recipe
Total Time: 3 hours 25 minutes

Recipe Video

4.98 from 70 votes
Get the recipe

An All-American Treat!

Festive and fruity American Flag Cake is a delicious way to celebrate. It’s patriotic, light, and refreshing!

You’ll love this recipe. Topped with fresh berries, it’s simple, but quite the show-stopper!

Here is the recipe:

No ratings yet

35+ Memorial Day Desserts

By: Lil’ Luna
This collection of Memorial Day desserts features all of our favorite patriotic, make-ahead, and cold desserts to take to holiday BBQs and potlucks!
Servings: 24
Prep: 25 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Chill Time: 1 hour
Total: 1 hour 45 minutes

Ingredients 

Cake

  • 1 cup butter
  • 1 cup water
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • ½ cup sour cream
  • ½ teaspoon almond extract

Frosting

  • 2 (8-ounce) blocks cream cheese
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
  • 2 – 3 cups powdered sugar
  • cup pineapple juice
  • 2 – 3 cups (about 1 pound) strawberries, sliced
  • 1 cup blueberries

Instructions 

  • Grease an 11×15 baking pan and set aside. Preheat oven to 375°F.
  • In a medium saucepan, bring 1 cup of butter and 1 cup of water to a boil
  • Remove pot from stove and whisk in flour, baking soda, salt, sugar, eggs, sour cream, and almond extract until smooth.
  • Pour batter into a pre-greased baking sheet. Bake for 20-22 minutes. Use a toothpick to test if cake is done. When it comes out clean, remove from oven and let rest on a wire rack for 20 minutes.
  • Make the frosting while cake is cooling. Cream together cream cheese, softened butter, powdered sugar, and pineapple juice with the hand mixer. Spread frosting over the cooled cake.
  • Add sliced strawberries and blueberries to look like a flag. Allow to chill for 1 hour before serving.

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice, Calories: 312kcal, Carbohydrates: 55g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 10g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3g, Trans Fat: 0.3g, Cholesterol: 39mg, Sodium: 212mg, Potassium: 110mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 45g, Vitamin A: 326IU, Vitamin C: 30mg, Calcium: 21mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.


crowd-pleasing desserts

We hope you enjoy this collection of Memorial Day desserts. They are the perfect finishing touch to any cookout or get-together and are sure to please a crowd!

More Collections: Dessert Bar Recipes, Cookie Bar Recipes, Cakes With Fruit

About Kristyn

My name is Kristyn and I’m the mom of SIX stinkin’ cute kids and the wife to my smokin’ hot hubby, Lo. My mom’s maiden name is Luna, and I’m one of the many crafty “Lil’ Lunas” in the fam. On this site I like to share all things creative - from recipes to home decor to gifts and home decor ideas. Welcome!

So Easy & So Yummy

Get my cookbook!

My new cookbook is the ultimate resource for feeding your friends and family with 200+ simple recipes including videos, tips & more!

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




6 Comments

  1. Benita says:

    I love this although I am a Nigerian

  2. Theresa Dickman says:

    I have made the fruit pizzas and fruit cookie recipes. They are so easy and very delicious! I am planning on making the lemon lasagna soon!!!

    1. Lil'Luna Team says:

      I’m so glad you have enjoyed the fruit pizzas! Those are fun ones. Hope you enjoy the lemon lasagna too!!

  3. Olivia says:

    I love all the different recipes for the holidays. I like the ideas and how fun it is to make all this food for your family!!

  4. Sue says:

    I’ve made the Strawberry Pie and the Fruit Pizza recipes listed here both were amazing. I’m anxious to try out more of these desserts- and just in time for memorial day this Monday.

  5. Joy says:

    We love your lemon lasagna!! The more desserts, the better! We make your fruit pizza all summer long!