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Memorial Day is a crucial holiday in America that pays tribute to the brave men and women who lost their lives in US military service. This day is also a period when loved ones come together to herald the onset of summer through outdoor get-together events, barbecues, and picnics.
We are set to delve into a plethora of recipes ideal for completing your festive feasts. These dessert concepts, ranging from time-honored American favorites to novel, seasonal delights, are guaranteed to enthral your guests and elevate your Memorial Day celebrations.
Regardless if you’re in the hunt for a swift and simple treat, or a slightly sophisticated dessert, you’ll find an array of recipes fitting all palates and predilections.
Memorial Day Desserts
21. Red, White, & Blue Trifles
These Patriotic Mini-Cheesecakes are small, individual cheesecakes with a graham cracker crust, topped with fresh strawberries and blueberries. They bring a festive red, white, and blue touch to any holiday celebration, especially for Memorial Day or the 4th of July.
The recipe is straightforward and requires no complicated steps like a water bath, making it accessible for bakers of all levels. Their mini size helps with portion control, allowing you to enjoy cheesecake without overeating or feeling guilty.
20. Patriotic Mini-Cheesecakes
These Patriotic Mini-Cheesecakes are bite-sized desserts featuring a graham cracker crust topped with a creamy cheesecake filling and fresh strawberries and blueberries. They offer a festive red, white, and blue presentation perfect for celebrating holidays like Memorial Day or the 4th of July.
The recipe is straightforward, requiring no complicated steps or water baths, making it accessible for bakers of all skill levels. Their small size helps with portion control, allowing you to enjoy cheesecake without overindulging.
19. Red, White & Blue Bars
These Red, White, and Blueberry Oatmeal Bars combine a buttery oat crust with a layer of raspberry jam and fresh blueberries, topped with a crumbly oat mixture.
The bars bake to a golden finish, offering a soft and chewy texture with a sweet, fruity flavor.
Perfect for patriotic celebrations or any occasion, these bars are easy to prepare and cut into neat squares using parchment paper handles. The balance of tart raspberry jam and juicy blueberries creates a refreshing dessert that’s both comforting and visually appealing.
18. Red White & Blue Patriotic Cupcake
These Red, White, and Blue Patriotic Cupcakes feature distinct layers of vibrant red, white, and blue cake, creating a festive look perfect for Fourth of July celebrations.
Each cupcake is topped with creamy homemade buttercream frosting, adding a smooth and sweet finish to the colorful treat.
The recipe uses a boxed white cake mix enhanced with extra egg whites, melted butter, and whole milk to improve texture and flavor. The batter is carefully divided and colored before layering in cupcake liners, resulting in visually striking, tri-colored cupcakes that stand out at any patriotic gathering.
17. 4th July Brownie Bites
These patriotic firecracker cupcakes feature colorful candy firecrackers made from Twizzlers Pull ‘n’ Peel and black licorice. The candy pieces are crafted by cutting and assembling licorice strips to resemble festive firecrackers, perfect for topping cupcakes or other sweet treats.
The cupcakes themselves can be homemade or store-bought, frosted with white icing to highlight the vibrant candy decorations. This fun and simple design adds a playful, safe twist to traditional 4th of July celebrations, making them enjoyable for both kids and adults.
16. Fresh Berry Trifle
This Fresh Berry Trifle combines layers of angel food cake, vanilla pudding, fresh berries, and whipped cream to create a light and colorful dessert. The ingredients are arranged in a clear dish to showcase the vibrant reds, blues, and whites, making it perfect for summer celebrations or a festive 4th of July treat.
The trifle is easy to assemble by layering pudding, cake cubes, berries, and whipped cream, then chilling it for a couple of hours to let the flavors meld.
Using fresh berries and homemade whipped cream enhances the taste and texture, resulting in a refreshing dessert that is both visually appealing and delicious.
15. Red White & Blue Sugar Cookie Cake
This sugar cookie cake combines chewy sugar cookie dough with red, white, and blue M&M candies and festive sprinkles, baked in a 10-inch tart pan for a patriotic dessert.
It is topped with creamy buttercream frosting and additional colorful candies, making it visually striking and perfect for celebrations like the 4th of July.
The cake is simple to prepare, requiring basic mixing and baking steps that yield a single, shareable dessert instead of multiple cookies. Once cooled and decorated, it can be sliced to reveal the colorful candy inside, offering a fun and tasty treat for gatherings.
14. Patriotic Party Snack Mix
A colorful snack mix combines sweet and salty flavors with a festive twist, featuring Chex cereal, Cheerios, pretzels, and dry roasted peanuts coated in a smooth white chocolate candy layer.
Red, white, and blue M&M’s and sprinkles add a patriotic flair, making it perfect for holiday celebrations.
The mix is easy to prepare by melting the candy coating and tossing it with the dry ingredients before spreading it out to cool and set.
Once hardened, it breaks into bite-sized pieces ideal for sharing at gatherings or serving in themed bowls.
13. White & Blue Chocolate Covered Strawberries
These patriotic chocolate-covered strawberries combine fresh fruit with red, white, and blue candy melts and festive sprinkles to create a visually striking dessert. The strawberries are dipped in melted white and blue chocolate, then decorated with colorful jimmies, sugar crystals, and edible glitter for a festive touch.
The preparation involves melting candy melts in short increments to avoid overheating and dipping the strawberries in layers for a multi-colored effect. These treats can be made ahead of time and refrigerated, making them a convenient and healthier option for summer holidays like the Fourth of July, Memorial Day, or Labor Day.
12. Star-Spangled Cookies
These star-spangled cookies feature a vibrant red, white, and blue marbled glaze that creates a festive, watercolor-like effect. Silver star sprinkles and a light dusting of luster dust add sparkle, making them ideal for patriotic celebrations like the Fourth of July.
The marbling technique uses gel food coloring to maintain bright, distinct hues without overpowering the vanilla-glazed sugar cookie base. The process is simple to follow and results in soft, buttery cookies with eye-catching, swirled designs.
11. Icebox Cake
This item features a no-bake icebox cake made with layers of grain-free cookies, coconut whipped cream, and a mix of fresh berries. The dessert is designed to be easy to assemble and is ideal for warm weather occasions like barbecues and picnics.
The cake is naturally gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan, with options for paleo, low carb, and keto diets. It requires refrigeration to soften the cookies and meld the flavors, resulting in a creamy, refreshing treat that looks vibrant and inviting.
10. Red White & Blue Pretzel Bites
These Red, White, and Blue Pretzel Bites combine salty pretzels with mini candy bars for a sweet and crunchy treat. Each bite is dipped in colorful red, white, and blue candy melts and finished with matching sprinkles, creating a festive look perfect for summer holidays.
The preparation involves baking the candy bar and pretzel sandwiches briefly to soften the chocolate, then dipping them in melted candy coating for a smooth finish.
These treats can be made ahead and stored at room temperature or in the freezer, making them convenient for backyard barbecues and patriotic celebrations.
9. American Flag Kabobs
These American Flag Kabobs combine fresh fruit and cake cubes arranged to resemble the U.S. flag, creating a colorful and festive dessert. The skewers feature red berries, blueberries, and white cake pieces, offering a healthy and visually appealing treat for patriotic celebrations.
The kabobs provide a simple way to add a nutritious option to holiday gatherings while serving as a decorative centerpiece. They can be paired with various dips like whipped cream or lemon curd to enhance the flavor and enjoyment.
8. Firecracker Cake
This Firecracker Cake features vibrant layers of red, white, and blue batter that create a striking patriotic design both inside and out. The cake is baked in a bundt pan, allowing the colors to stack without mixing, resulting in a bold, festive appearance perfect for celebrations like the 4th of July or Memorial Day.
The frosting is divided and tinted with matching red, white, and blue colors, then drizzled over the cooled cake in stripes to enhance the visual effect.
Optional sprinkles add extra flair, making the cake a colorful centerpiece that combines classic flavors with a spirited presentation.
7. American Flag Fruit Pizza
This item features a festive American flag fruit pizza made with a sugar cookie crust, creamy cheesecake mousse, and fresh berries arranged to resemble the flag.
The dessert combines a simple no-bake filling with a baked cookie base, topped with blueberries and raspberries to create a patriotic design.
The fruit pizza offers a fun and visually appealing way to celebrate holidays like the Fourth of July. It includes easy steps for assembling the layers and piping the mousse stripes, resulting in a delicious and impressive treat that can be prepared in about an hour.
6. Patriotic Marshmallow Crunch Brownies
These brownies combine fudgy chocolate with gooey marshmallows and crunchy red, white, and blue M&M’s for a festive and flavorful treat. A drizzle of melted white chocolate tops the dessert, adding a sweet finish and extra visual appeal.
The recipe uses a simple boxed brownie mix enhanced with mix-ins for an easy yet impressive dessert. Perfect for summer gatherings and patriotic celebrations, these bars are quick to prepare and sure to disappear fast.
5. Red White & Blue Cheesecake Salad
This red, white, and blue cheesecake salad combines fresh strawberries, blueberries, and mini marshmallows with a creamy mixture of cheesecake pudding, yogurt, and whipped topping. The result is a light, colorful dessert that is perfect for summer gatherings, picnics, or patriotic celebrations.
The salad is easy to prepare by mixing fresh fruit with a fluffy, vanilla-infused cream base that holds its shape well when chilled. It can be customized with different seasonal fruits and stays fresh outdoors when kept cold, making it a crowd-pleasing treat for warm-weather occasions.
4. Mini Shortcake Cups
Mini Shortcake Cups are small, individual desserts featuring layers of angel food cake and fresh fruit, making them ideal for patriotic celebrations like Memorial Day or the 4th of July.
The combination of berries, including blueberries, creates a festive red, white, and blue color scheme that adds visual appeal to any gathering.
These cups are quick to assemble and light, with each serving containing fewer than 60 calories, making them a refreshing choice for warm weather. They can be prepared in advance by assembling the cake and fruit layers early and adding whipped cream just before serving to maintain freshness.
3. Red, White & Blue M&M’S Cookie Bars
These cookie bars combine classic chocolate chip cookie dough with red, white, and blue M&M’S for a festive and colorful treat. They bake in a single pan, making them easy to prepare and perfect for serving a crowd at summer celebrations.
The dough is rich and buttery, studded with mini chocolate chips and topped with extra M&M’S for added crunch and visual appeal. Once baked and cooled, the bars can be cut into squares, offering a convenient, handheld dessert option.
2. No-Bake Summer Berry Lasagna
This no-bake summer berry lasagna is a layered dessert featuring a graham cracker crust infused with strawberry jam, a creamy cheesecake layer with fresh strawberries, and a blueberry jello salad mixed with pineapple and blueberry pie filling.
It is topped with whipped cream, fresh berries, and a drizzle of white chocolate, creating a festive red, white, and blue treat perfect for warm weather celebrations.
The dessert requires minimal active preparation but needs several hours to set properly, making it ideal to prepare a day in advance. Its combination of fruity flavors and creamy textures offers a refreshing alternative to oven-baked sweets during summer gatherings.
1. Red, White & Blue Patriotic Poke Cake
This Red, White & Blue Patriotic Poke Cake features a white cake base with holes filled by vibrant red and blue Jell-o, creating a colorful, festive pattern inside.
The cake is chilled to allow the Jell-o to set, resulting in a moist, flavorful dessert that visually pops when sliced.
The top is covered with whipped topping, which can be decorated with swirls of red and blue food coloring and patriotic sprinkles for a festive touch.
This dessert is perfect for holiday celebrations, offering a fun and eye-catching way to serve a crowd.