Get inspired by some of the season’s best and brightest flavors with these 30 homemade recipes to try for your Memorial Day weekend gatherings. Whether you’re looking for a baking project like cherry pie, a quick and easy favorite like s’mores cookie bars, or something savory for the grill (black bean burgers!), this list has a little something for everyone.
Memorial Day Weekend Recipe Ideas
Memorial Day weekend is often observed in the company of family and friends. If you’re planning to gather with loved ones during this holiday weekend and are in need of a special dish to share, my team and I gathered some popular recipes that shine this time of year.
Think fresh fruit pies and cobblers, cool ice cream treats, toasty s’mores rice krispie treats, and savory dishes featuring the season’s best produce. What are you most looking forward to making this upcoming summer season?
I anxiously await the summer months each year for the abundance of strawberries. One of the first treats on my list is this recipe for strawberry shortcake cupcakes. They’re like traditional strawberry shortcake, but in cupcake form.
How about dinner? If you’re in charge of the grill, try my recipes for jalapeño turkey burgers, caprese pesto chicken burgers, and black bean burgers (loved dearly by non-meat eaters and meat eaters alike!). Creamy chicken pasta salad is endlessly customizable and feeds a crowd. And my cold veggie pizza makes a fantastic appetizer or side.
Whether you’re making dessert, dinner, or a side, everyone can appreciate the effort that goes into something homemade. I hope you find a new recipe to love from the list below. Be sure to let my team and me know what you try!
Success Tip for Transporting Desserts
Traveling with your desserts for Memorial Day weekend? If you’re bringing along sheet cakes or bars, bake and transport them in a 9×13-inch pan with a lid. Transport layer cakes in a cake carrier, pies in this handy pie carrier that holds a pie dish, and cookies and cupcakes in a cupcake carrier.
30 Memorial Day Recipes
No-Bake Greek Yogurt Fruit Tart (GF)
This wholesome Greek yogurt fruit tart comes together with a simple 3-ingredient crust, protein-packed Greek yogurt, and all your favorite seasonal fresh fruits.
Blueberry Pie Bars
A layer of buttery brown sugar crust, jammy blueberry filling, and crumbly oat topping come together for an easy bar version of a favorite summer pie.
Corn, Black Bean & Avocado Salsa
This corn black bean & avocado salsa is loaded with flavor and is perfect as a chip dip or side salad.
Simple Strawberry Bacon Salad
This strawberry bacon salad is proof that a simple salad can steal the show!
Any Flavor Focaccia
You only need 6 simple ingredients to make the softest, chewiest, and most flavorful homemade focaccia.
Strawberry Cream Cheese Pie
This fresh strawberry cream cheese pie is a great make-ahead recipe because it takes a while to set up, so it’s actually best made a day ahead.
Lemon Blueberry Tart
Cool, creamy, and undeniably beautiful, this lemon blueberry tart recipe features a buttery shortbread crust, fresh lemon filling, and homemade blueberry sauce swirl.
Southwestern Chopped Chicken Salad
My easy recipe for southwestern chopped chicken salad is packed with flavor and texture, and best of all, it comes together in a snap.
Homemade Cherry Pie
After plenty of testing, my homemade cherry pie recipe promises a thick almond-hinted cherry pie filling set between 2 layers of the best buttery flaky pie crust.
S’mores Cookie Bars
These s’mores cookie bars are chewy, soft, gooey, undeniably delicious, and always a top recipe each summer.
Popular Black Bean Burgers
These are the best black bean burgers I’ve ever had—they’re big, thick, hearty, and flavorful, and you can make them on the grill or bake them in the oven.
Easy Berry Icebox Cake
My easy berry icebox cake is simple to prepare, feeds a crowd, doesn’t require baking, and is made with fresh, cool homemade whipped cream and sweet seasonal berries.
Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes
A favorite summer dessert in hand-held form, these vanilla bean-speckled strawberry shortcake cupcakes are filled with homemade strawberry filling and topped with strawberry whipped cream.
Easy Corn Fritters
Crispy, savory, and easy corn fritters get mixed together in 1 bowl and are bursting with fresh flavors like corn, cilantro, and green onion.
Blueberry Yogurt Swirl Popsicles (GF)
These super simple, protein-packed 3-ingredient blueberry yogurt swirl popsicles hit the spot when the weather heats up!
Creamy Strawberry Feta Pasta Salad
My creamy feta pasta salad is a texture-lover’s dream, feeds a crowd, keeps for days in the refrigerator, and has the most incredible homemade poppy seed dressing.
Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
These soft and chewy chocolate chip cookies are the most popular cookies on my site, and they’re guaranteed to be the most popular treat at any gathering, too!
Mixed Berry Cobbler
Carefree summer dessert at its finest! Prepare this easy berry dessert in a casserole dish or small ramekins for individual servings.
Strawberry Biscuit Cookies
Each buttery biscuit cookie is tender and flaky in the center, packed with juicy strawberries, and topped with a sprinkle of crunchy sugar and sweet icing.
Bacon Wrapped Stuffed Jalapeños
If spicy foods are your thing, you’ll love these bacon wrapped cheesy stuffed jalapeños!
Key Lime Pie
Tangy and sweet key lime pie is deliciously simple with a 3-ingredient filling and extra thick and nutty crust.
Mini Fruit Galettes
These mini fruit galettes are everything we love about fruit-filled pies with half the work and a fraction of the time.
Jalapeño Turkey Burgers
Enjoy these mega flavorful medium-spicy jalapeño turkey burgers them fresh off the grill or sautéed, and don’t forget all your favorite burger fixings!
Zucchini & Herbed Ricotta Flatbread
Give homemade flatbread pizza a fresh summer spin with the addition of zucchini, herbed ricotta, roasted tomatoes, and fresh basil.
Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches
Make your own cookie ice cream sandwiches at home using my quick no-chill cookie recipe and your favorite ice cream.
Oatmeal Lemon Crumble Bars
Creamy, crumbly, and refreshing, these oatmeal lemon crumble bars are made with a simple oatmeal crumb crust and a 2-ingredient lemon filling.
Fresh Berry Cream Cake
This minimally decorated naked-style cake is layered between fluffy whipped cream and piled high with juicy seasonal berries.
Maryland Crab Cakes
From my family to yours, here is our favorite recipe for Maryland crab cakes—they get the stamp of approval from locals and out-of-towners alike!
Strawberry Vanilla Crisp
Consider this quick and simple strawberry vanilla crisp your new summer dessert staple.
Blueberry Cream Cupcakes
These buttery-soft blueberry cream cupcakes are bursting with juicy blueberries and pure vanilla flavor, and are topped with a fluffy cloud of lemony whipped cream cheese frosting.
And finally, let me leave you with a fresh take on an old favorite!
Have you tried my fruit pizza recipe before? It’s a summertime staple and would be the perfect addition to your Memorial Day weekend plans. The recipe below uses the same sugar cookie crust but finishes with a lovely lemon cream cheese frosting, your favorite assortment of fresh berries, and an optional glaze. This is always a crowd pleaser!
Memorial Day Recipes: Lemon Berry Pizza
- Prep Time: 1 hour, 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours
- Yield: serves 10-12
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
This colorful dessert pizza features a vibrant bounty of summer berries atop a soft sugar cookie crust and thick, tangy lemon cream cheese frosting. Choose your favorite berries to customize this classic summertime dessert!
Ingredients
Sugar Cookie Crust
- 1 batch of fruit pizza dough (see Note)*
Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 oz (224g) full-fat block-style cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 3 Tablespoons (43g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 and 1/4 cups (150g) confectioners’ sugar
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 Tablespoon (15ml) fresh lemon juice
Topping
- assorted fresh berries, such as sliced strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, and/or raspberries
- optional glaze: 1 Tablespoon apricot preserves mixed with 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
Instructions
- Make the crust: Follow the instructions for the fruit pizza dough, steps 1–3. You could also use store-bought sugar cookie dough. Cool crust completely before decorating.
- Make the frosting: In a medium bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the cream cheese and butter together on medium speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the confectioners’ sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Beat for 1 minute or until creamy and combined. Spread a thick layer over the cooled sugar cookie crust.
- Garnish with fresh fruit. To make the optional glaze, whisk together a Tablespoon each of apricot preserves and lemon juice, warm for about 15 seconds in the microwave, then brush on top of the fruit.
- Cut into slices and serve. Leftovers keep well in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Notes
- Make Ahead Instructions: Prepare the cookie crust and frosting 1 day in advance—cover each tightly and keep the cookie at room temperature and the frosting in the refrigerator. Frost and assemble the day of serving.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand Mixer) | Zester | Citrus Juicer | Icing Spatula | Glass Mixing Bowl | Whisk | Pastry Brush
- Sugar Cookie Dough: If you’d like to add a little more flavor to the sugar cookie dough, add 1 teaspoon lemon zest.
- Pizza Pan: Make sure you aren’t using a pizza crisper pan with the little holes/air vents in it. The pizza pan I use is this nonstick pizza pan.
- Can I make this without a pizza pan? Yes, you can press this crust into a 9–10-inch circle or square on a regular baking sheet or press into a very thin crust in a 9×13-inch baking pan. Bake time is about the same, usually a minute or two less if using a 9×13-inch pan. No need to chill the cookie dough if using a 9×13-inch pan.
- Can I make this in a half sheet/jelly roll pan? Yes, but double the crust and frosting. Press crust into a greased 12×17-inch pan. About the same bake time. No need to chill the cookie dough if doubling and pressing into a 12×17-inch pan.
Reader Comments and Reviews
Your bean burgers are the only one I use. Probably have made them a dozen times! Great recipe!! Thank you for your knowledge and expert recipes!
Do you have a recipe for ranch or spicy ranch dressing? I didn’t find one on the website we hen I searched.
Hi Dawn, we do not have a ranch dressing recipe, but we do have this zesty taco seasoning-spiced Greek yogurt dressing from our Southwestern Chopped Chicken Salad that you might enjoy.
Clicked on the “get the recipe” for lemon cupcakes with strawberry buttercream, but it’s not the correct recipe. The page goes to lemon cupcakes with vanilla frosting.
Hi Cindy, you can swap out the vanilla frosting for strawberry buttercream. Sorry for the confusion!
Love your lemon fruit pizza!! Thanks for sharing!!
Yahoo!!! You made my weekend so much more fun with all of these scrumptious ideas! We’re trying the zucchini flatbread, stuffed jalapeños, chicken (fruit) salad, and the flag pie for starters! You have no idea how you’ve blessed our household (and neighborhood and church) plus my daughter is making your goodies now too.
Thank you for all your hard work and dedication!
Xoxoxo,
Karen
I’m glad you reminded me of the berry quinoa salad you posted from last year…I’ve been wanting to try that and now I will! Looks amazing.
Every one of these recipes look absolutely delicious! I can’t wait to try each one of them! Thank you,