28 Labor Day Desserts That Make Summer's End A Little Sweeter

S'mores are one of our favorite outdoor snacks, but there's not always a fire pit or grill to be found. Now you can have everything you love about s'mores—buttery graham crackers, melty chocolate, and toasted marshmallow—in a portable, handheld cupcake!

Get the S'mores Cupcakes recipe.

Nothing beats a ripe, sticky-sweet peach. And while you can just bite right in, cooking with peaches is also killer. For grilling, look for peaches that are a little firm. Too-ripe ones will caramelize too quickly on the grill and burn.

Get the Grilled Peaches recipe.

Want to make a cake, but aren’t confident in your baking skills? You’ve got to try an upside-down cake. They’re quick, easy, and pretty much decorate themselves. For this version, we kept it simple with strawberries, meaning you can make this for any summer soiree. We love it for outdoor picnics, birthdays, BBQs, or even after a casual weeknight dinner.

Get the Strawberry Upside Down Skillet Cake recipe.

These patriotic beauties were inspired by classic red velvet cake, whoopie pies, and the need for an easy and fun Labor Day dessert. Red velvet cookies stuffed with fluffy, white whipped cream and cream cheese frosting and blueberries make for a fun twist on the classic whoopie pie that we didn't even know we needed.

Get the Red Velvet Whoopie Pies with Blueberries recipe.

Bananas? All about ‘em. Pudding? Love it. Lasagna… wait, what? Stay with us! It’s true that this isn’t a true Italian lasagna. Here we've swapped out pasta, sauce, and cheese with Nilla wafers, cheesecake filling, and bananas for the perfect no-bake dessert to make for a crowd.

Get the Banana Pudding Lasagna recipe.

Strawberry shortcake is one of those quintessential summer desserts we can't get enough of—so we made this extra fruity version with blueberries! The buttery, flaky biscuits here are crowned with homemade lemon curd (store-bought is fine, though!), sweetened blueberries, and an easy whipped cream. It’s tart and sweet—and incredibly good.

Get the Lemon Blueberry Shortcakes recipe.

This is really a peach cobbler in soft and buttery cake form, with sweet peaches studded throughout. The frosting is a brown sugar boiled icing, much like you would find on a Texas sheet cake. Pour it on while the cake is still warm. It soaks in as it cools, then hardens into a delicious, sweet topping.

Get the Brown Sugar Peach Cake recipe.

Extra buttery graham crackers meet a sweet, zesty lemon curd-esque filling in this amazing icebox pie. If you’re still looking for a truly no-bake lemon option, check out our lemon icebox cake.

Get the Lemon Icebox Pie recipe.

Strawberry shortcake is THE go-to low-lift summer dessert. Tender, fresh shortcakes are topped with juicy, sweet strawberries and fluffy whipped cream to make this iconic dessert. The beauty of strawberry shortcake is in the balance. We used a shortcake that's lightly sweetened so that the sweet-tart flavor of the macerated strawberries can shine through, but if you prefer this dessert on the sweeter side, try this sour cream pound cake or super easy sponge cake.

Get the Easy Strawberry Shortcake Recipe recipe.

Chess pie is a custard-y, Southern pie very reminiscent of buttermilk pie. For a fun upgrade, we add orange juice, coffee, or maple syrup to the filling.

Get the Chess Pie recipe.

Let this pie be the first thing you make to celebrate peach season. It has a flaky buttery crust that comes together easily, while the tempting filling is rich with spices and a hint of bourbon. Peaches too firm? Baking them into this pie turns them perfectly jammy.

Get the Bourbon Peach Pie recipe.

In the heat of summer, nothing satisfies quite like a fruit popsicle. This classic strawberry version is big on fruit flavor and not too sweet.

Get the Fruit Popsicles recipe.

Fresh fruit pies are some of our all-time favorite desserts, and highlight all our favorite seasonal fruits like blackberries. We promise that making our easy buttery, flaky pie crust is worth the extra time. Peep our pie crust recipe for a step-by-step tutorial on how to make an easy lattice top. Looking for more pie ideas? You can never go wrong with a blueberry pie.

Get the Blackberry Pie recipe.

Hailing from Sicily, classic granita ranks among the most refreshing desserts ever, right up there with snow cones and popsicles. This pineapple version is big on tropical flavors, with heavy notes of vanilla and toffee thanks to a splash of rum and a scoop of dark brown sugar.

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When you need a sweet treat that brings some sass too, this pink lemonade pound cake is just right. Shot-through with a stripe of hot pink, the cake is plenty citrusy, thanks to a whopping two tablespoons of lemon zest, plus lemon juice in both the batter and glaze. Perfect for baby showers and bridal showers, and afternoon tea parties, this is the sort of statement dessert that stands out without much work.

Get the Pink Lemonade Pound Cake recipe.

Can't choose between a chocolaty pie, cake, or ice cream? This ice cream pie is the most delicious compromise: a buttery Oreo crust is filled with a cookies 'n' cream ice cream (and plenty of hot fudge sauce).

Get the Cookies 'N' Cream Ice Cream Pie recipe.

This fluffy coconut cake is filled with an easy pineapple curd and finished with a cream cheese frosting and toasted coconut flakes. We love the bigger, unsweetened flakes, but if you prefer sweetened coconut for the outside it works just as well. The cake calls on coconut milk for extra rich flavor.

Get the Pineapple Coconut Cake recipe.

Smart kids know that best treat from the ice cream truck is the strawberry shortcake novelty bar, with its combination of strawberry and vanilla ice cream coated in shortcake crumbs. A blend of golden sandwich cookies and freeze-dried strawberries are the secret to the irresistibly crunchy topping in this frozen spin on strawberry shortcake.

Get the Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream Cake recipe.

The secret to this sweet stunner is sour cream, which lends a moist, tender crumb to this spin on an upside-down cake.

Get the Raspberry Peach Upside-Down Cake recipe.

Do we sometimes freeze this Key lime pie on a stick and dip in chocolate for the authentic Key West experience? Maybe.

Get the Easy Key Lime Pie recipe.

Super creamy and custardy, this clafoutis is like the lovechild of flan and cake. You'll wish all desserts had healthy doses of amaretto in them.

Get the Cherry Clafoutis recipe.

No mixing or chopping and only three ingredients? This cake is the perfect lazy baker's dessert. Add a dash of cinnamon if you feel like being a little bit of an overachiever.

Get the Peach Dump Cake recipe.

We're coco-nuts for this pie! We love our perfect pie crust so much and think that everyone should use it whenever they make pie. But if you're short on time (or just don't wanna), store-bought refrigerated dough works just fine for this pie, too. Don't skip toasting the coconut, though—just follow our top tips!

Get the Coconut Cream Pie recipe.

The marshmallow whipped cream is everything in this no-bake icebox cake. You just might find yourself wanting to top everything with it.

Get the S'mores Icebox Cake recipe.

This fun dessert is a healthy, kid-friendly spin on a classic. You could even grill these before topping with chocolate for a smoky-sweet char.

Get the Banana Split Kebabs recipe.

Coconut lovers, unite! If you love coconut, you'll go coco loco over this decadently creamy, slightly sweet dessert. You could even add shredded coconut to the crust before baking, if you really want to go wild.

Get the Toasted Coconut Cheesecake recipe.

Grilling helps caramelize the sugar in the pineapple before it's topped with dulce de leche and vanilla ice cream. Say "aloha" to your go-to summer dessert.

Get the Grilled Pineapple Sundaes recipe.

This no-bake dessert is hands down the most fun way to eat a banana split. So easy to customize, we love swapping in different homemade ice creams and adding a layer of magic shell.

Get the Banana Split Lasagna recipe.