50 Gorgeous Labor Day Desserts
Updated: Aug. 21, 2024
From easy no-bake cheesecakes to fresh fruit pies, these red, white and blue Labor Day desserts will be the highlight of your holiday barbecue or potluck.
Whether you’re having a Labor Day barbecue, spending the day at the beach or the park, or just hanging around doing a whole lot of nothing (but eating and drinking, of course), we’ve got you covered with red, white and blue Labor Day desserts that look festive without too much effort.
All weekend long, keep it breezy with easy Labor Day recipes and stress-free slow-cooker recipes where you barely have to lift a finger. Or create a full spread with everything from appetizers and snacks to Labor Day sides, potluck salads, and grilling recipes that will make everyone’s mouth water (you can never go wrong with snacks made in wonton wrappers or a crowd-pleasing potluck pasta salad).
For something sweet, these Labor Day desserts bursting with patriotic color and seasonal fruit flavors will make the unofficial end of summer a memorable one.
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Cherry Bars
Immensely customizable, these festive fruit bars will become a holiday classic any time of year. Cherry pie filling brings all the bright color to the party, but blueberry or apricot works great, too. Or try a Black Forest variation by adding a handful of mini chocolate chips.
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Strawberry Ladyfinger Icebox Cake
Think of this delicious dessert as strawberry shortcake meets tiramisu. Like with other summer no-bake desserts, you chill the cake overnight to ensure the ladyfingers, sweet mascarpone filling and balsamic strawberries set up properly.
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Grilled Peach Sundaes
Making use of the grill that you already have going for Labor Day, this dessert is simple to prepare and will get raves. It’s basically a peach crisp that doesn’t require an oven. If you don’t have waffle bowls handy, simply serve in small bowls topped with ice cream.
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Berries & Cream Torte
Bake thin cake layers to fill with a fluffy whipped cream and fresh fruit. Mix up the berries as you see fit—strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries and even sliced stone fruit works!
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Bomb Pop Cookies
Instead of chasing down the ice cream truck, make a few batches of these adorable bomb pop cookies for a sweet summer dessert. They’re perfect for Fourth of July parties, Labor Day cookouts or any time you want a little red, white and blue.
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Blueberry Cream Pie
Whenever I ask my family which pie they’d like me to make, everyone gives the same answer – Blueberry Cream Pie! This refreshing dessert has an enticing cream layer topped with lots of plump blueberries.—Kim Erickson, Sturgis, Michigan
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Oatmeal Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches
Make these delicious oatmeal cookies from scratch, but if you’re tight on time, store-bought cookies are perfectly fine. Roll the sides in colorful jimmies for an extra fun presentation. Here are more tips for how to make ice cream sandwiches at home.
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Fudgy S’mores Brownies
Why go with one summer dessert when you can have two in one bite? Top these fudgy brownies with mini marshmallows, Golden Grahams and chocolate, and your s’mores dreams are made.
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Pretty Peach Tart
This tart recipe is a great way to showcase beautifully ripe summer peaches. The shortbread crust can be made ahead of time. Once filled with peaches, bake until they’re soft and bubbly and ready for a dollop of whipped cream.
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Patriotic Ice Cream Cupcakes
Like mini ice cream cakes, these red velvet cupcakes get a layer of blue ice cream (either Blue Moon flavor or vanilla tinted with blue food coloring). A swirl of creamy marshmallow topping and star-spangled sprinkles give them a festive twist.
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Jumbleberry Crumble
Is it a crumble or a crisp? Either way, these quick fruit desserts can be made in individual servings or in one larger pan that feeds a group. Any kind of summer berries will do, from strawberries to blackberries and everything in-between. Top with your favorite ice cream or lightly sweetened whipped cream.
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Lemonade Icebox Pie
You will detect a definite lemonade flavor in this refreshing lemon icebox pie. High and fluffy, this dessert has a creamy smooth consistency that we really appreciate. It’s the dessert that came to mind immediately when I put together my favorite summer meal. —Cheryl Wilt, Eglon, West Virginia
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Rhubarb Upside-Down Cake
Whether you have too much rhubarb growing in your garden or you can’t pass up the stalks at the farmers market, this beautiful cake makes good use of it. It’s one of our favorite rhubarb desserts for picnics, potlucks or any summer gathering.
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Blueberry Sour Cream Coffee Cake
Let your Bundt pan do all the decorative work with this coffee cake. Fresh summer blueberries are best, but if you have to use frozen, don’t thaw them first. They’ll discolor the batter.
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Fresh Cherry Pie
If you're looking to learn how to make a cherry pie, this recipe is the place to start. This ruby-red cherry pie is just sweet enough, with a hint of almond flavor and a good level of cinnamon. The cherries peeking out of the lattice crust makes it so pretty, too. I like to make a few of these cherry pies throughout the summer. —Josie Bochek, Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin
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Blueberry Lemon Trifle
Trifles are easy go-tos when you need a delicious and impressive dessert in a pinch. Layer homemade or store-bought angel food cake, creamy lemon filling and fresh blueberries for a taste of summer in a bowl.
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Patriotic Cookies & Cream Cupcakes
Decorate cookies and cream cupcakes with festive red, white and blue buttercream and top with star-shaped sprinkles to make them really stand out on the dessert table. You can also go with a different flavor of cupcake.
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Favorite Coconut Cake
Set out bowls of red and blue berries next to this fluffy coconut cake for a patriotic Labor Day dessert display. Unsweetened coconut flakes work best here.
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Grandma’s Star Cookies
Every kitchen should have a few star-shaped cookie cutters. The orange-scented icing in this recipe is like a blank canvas for any edible red, white and blue jimmies, pearls or festive glitter.
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No-Bake Blueberry Cheesecake
No need for an oven with this light and airy cheesecake. Pureed blueberries create a lovely color and flavor, and you can always change up the crust by using graham crackers or gingersnaps.
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Red, White and Blue Dessert
It’s amazing what you can accomplish with cream cheese, whipped cream and a few berries. Layer the strawberries and blueberries to look like a flag for Labor Day. Raspberries work, too!
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Berry, Lemon and Doughnut Hole Trifle
This easy Labor Day dessert couldn’t be quicker to make: Just mix instant pudding with frozen whipped topping, then layer it in a decorative bowl with fresh berries and store-bought doughnut holes.
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Pink Lemonade Stand Cake
Just like no one can pass up a lemonade stand, no one can say no to this cake. You get citrus flavor from fresh lemon juice and lemonade, and a layer of sweetness and tang from the cream cheese frosting. Decorate with your favorite pink sprinkles.
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Mixed Berry Pie
Our berry pie is the best way to use up those beautiful summer berries. Colorful, juicy berries are tucked into a homemade all-butter pie crust that dares not get a soggy bottom and stays perfectly flaky all the way through.
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Patchwork Quilt Cake
Let the cake, which has a terrific tender crumb, and vanilla buttercream frosting be your canvas. When it comes to organizing the berries into a pattern, be creative but don’t stress about it. It’s cake!
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Lemon Layer Cake
This beautiful cake bursts with fresh lemon flavor. Need something super elegant? Decorate with edible flowers like nasturtiums, violets and pansies. If you love that citrus flavor, here are some of our other best lemon desserts.
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Key Lime Pie Balls
Take all the flavors of a classic key lime pie and roll them into a cookie! This is a kid-friendly recipe and makes a great rainy day activity. But the citrusy treat is good any time of year.
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Plum Poppy Seed Cake
Any seasonal stone fruit, like nectarines or apricots, work well in this recipe. The trick is to not push the fruit into the batter. Let it sit on top, and everything will sink while the cake rises around it.
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Apple Rhubarb Crumb Pie
This recipe is a seasonal segue: Use crisp apples to usher in fall and the rhubarb you’ve been loving all spring and summer. The flavors are fantastic together, and it’s as good with a scoop of ice cream as any pie out there.
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S’mookies
These oven-baked s’mores-like cookies are the summer camp treat you need. The cookie has cinnamon chips, which adds tremendous flavor. Sandwich them with Biscoff cookie spread and broiled marshmallows.
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Easy Cream Pie
An easy cream pie is what summer desserts are all about. Let the mixture set in the fridge for at least three hours and then top with your favorite fresh berries.
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Humble Bumble Crumble Bars
Applesauce is the secret layer in these delicious and super easy fruit bars. They’re lightly sweet and bursting with summer flavor. And like any good Labor Day recipes made in a 13×9-inch pan, they feed a crowd!
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Rainbow S’moreo Cookies
The cookie portion of these s’mores-inspired treats includes both the chocolate and the graham cracker. Spread on a sweet marshmallow cream and roll the sides in sprinkles for a festive touch.
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Decadent Fudge Cake
Buttermilk and four types of chocolate give this cake a decadent texture and fudgy flavor. We love Bundt cake recipes like this for their ease and wow factor.
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Blueberry Lattice Bars
These bars are easy as pie—because they’re basically slab pie! All you need is a great crust recipe, some lattice skills and fresh or frozen berries for a crowd-pleasing favorite.
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Grilled Angel Food Cake with Strawberries
Balsamic vinegar adds a surprisingly delicious glaze to angel food cake, especially when you put it on the grill. Serve with fresh berries and whipped cream. A drizzle of blueberry syrup adds a festive red, white and blue look for Labor Day.
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Cherry-Almond Streusel Tart
Create a crunchy sweet streusel topping with oats and almonds for this cherry tart. Serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream to end the holiday picnic on a sweet note.
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Red, White & Blueberry Poke Cake
Ribbons of red and blue fruit-flavored gelatin create firework-like ribbons throughout white cake. Top with creamy whipped topping for an unforgettable summer treat.
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Chocolate-Topped Strawberry Cheesecake
This gorgeous cheesecake looks so impressive, and you never have to turn on the oven. The recipe calls for chocolate graham crackers for the crust, but chocolate wafer cookies also work.
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Arnold Palmer Cupcakes
Powdered iced tea mix adds flavor to the creamy frosting that tops these citrusy cupcakes. A slice of candied lemon or yellow-colored sprinkles are a nice touch on top.
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Contest-Winning Fresh Blueberry Pie
I’ve been making this blueberry pie recipe for decades since the ingredients for the filling are readily available in Michigan. Nothing says summer like a piece of fresh blueberry pie! —Linda Kernan, Mason, Michigan
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Cherry Dream Cake
Making an almost-homemade cake is what Labor Day is all about! Make it less laborious by using boxed cake mix, cherry gelatin and pie filling for an easy end-of-summer dessert.
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Plum Upside-Down Cake
Use any seasonal plum or pluot for this Labor Day dessert. Whipped cream takes it from really good to fantastic.
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Lemon-Blueberry Pound Cake
No family barbecue should be without a good dessert, and this lemon blueberry pound cake is just the ticket. Use lemon juice in the glaze for even more zesty citrus flavor.
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Five-Star Brownies
What makes a brownie go from everyday to five-star status? Star-shaped cookie cutters, of course! And don’t waste the leftover brownie: Cut it up into small pieces and serve in a bowl with vanilla ice cream.
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S’more Cheesecake
This cheesecake recipe is a decadent way to capture the flavors of summer, even without the campfire. It starts with a graham cracker crust and packs marshmallows and chocolate into the filling and topping.
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Red, White ‘n’ Blue Salad
Patience is the key to this striking striped Labor Day dessert. Layer the blueberry-studded gelatin with a creamy white layer and then a raspberry-filled layer for the top. It works for any summer holiday.
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Strawberry Bliss
Homemade puff pastry is the base of this easy layered dessert, but in a pinch it’s fine to use frozen. You’ll want to chill the finished creation for at least an hour before serving, so get it done ahead of everything else and serve when everyone’s ready for something sweet.
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Frozen Banana Split Pie
Make this fruity ice cream pie a few days ahead of your party, and you won’t have to worry about dessert. All you need is a graham cracker crust, banana and strawberry ice creams, and chocolate hard-shell ice cream topping, plus whipped cream.
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Heavenly Blueberry Tart
For all blueberry lovers, this is the Labor Day dessert for you. You’ll get a burst of berries baked in the tart, plus more fresh berries on top.Originally Published: June 26, 2018
