Best Memorial Day Desserts You Can Buy from the Grocery Store

Memorial Day is here. Patriotism is high, the sun is hot, and a family of rumbling bellies surround the poor schmuck who got elected as grillmaster and just can’t churn out hot dogs and burgers fast enough. But a Memorial Day celebration simply cannot be complete without one thing: the best Memorial Day desserts.

These can’t just be any desserts. They need to be plentiful. They need to have a little bit of that classic Americana feel. And, because we’ve learned from that pour schmuck by the grill, they need to involve zero cooking. With that in mind, here are the seven best Memorial Day desserts!

Kirkland Signature 12″ Cheesecake: Maybe I’m watching too much Golden Girls, but something about cheesecake just screams camaraderie. It’s the perfect blend of rich creaminess and tang, which keeps it feeling fresh in the summer heat. Add a few strawberries and blueberries on top and you have a perfectly patriotic red, white, and blue cake fit to celebrate America with (or symbolically critique and demolish America with, you decide!).
Popsicle Firecrackers Ice Pops: Not to be too on the nose here, but come on, this nationalistic dessert is born for a Memorial Day barbeque! The flavor is a blast of nostalgia—cherry, lemon, and blue raspberry. And I think these are the best Memorial Day desserts to honor veterans. Let me explain: It embodies the spirit of firecrackers, YET there is no actual firecracker that ends up causing more turmoil than celebration for many veterans. I also think there is nothing more quintessentially summer barbecue than cooling down with a popsicle and laughing at the blue tongues everyone gets. Whether you care about the symbolism or not, this is one of the best Memorial Day desserts.
Sprouts Double Crust Apple Pie: What’s the saying? “It’s as American as apple pie.” Ok maybe that’s a “point for patriotism” cop out, but regardless of apple pie’s relationship with America, it is a universally beloved treat. And this pie is perfect for all age ranges. There’s the fruitiness for the kids and a little saltiness from the flaky crust that appeals to those who eschew an overly sweet treat. Truly, the dessert for masses, and the best Memorial Day dessert to bring to pretty much any type of event.
Bakery Fresh Cookies & Creme Cupcakes: If birthdays in elementary school taught me anything it’s that cupcakes are the underrepresented hero of any celebration. Not only do they give the same pleasure of cake, but they do so with little to no fuss. You just grab your cupcake and eat it on the go—or while standing and chatting and maybe watching a few LEGAL sparklers go off in your backyard. And these are the best cupcakes to pick up. The blend of chocolate and vanilla comes with a nicely balanced degree of sweetness that will satisfy taste buds of all ages.
Oreo Lemon Cookies: I love to romanticize a Memorial Day barbecue, but let’s be real: It’s hot. You’re outside. Bugs are nipping at your legs and you’re too stuffed with hamburger to fight them. That’s where these Lemon Oreos come in. These are wonderfully bright and lemony cookies that will satisfy your Memorial Day dessert cravings without bogging you down with heavy, rich flavors (and they’re one of the best Oreo flavors, according to our ranking). Instead you’ll feel a second wave of ready-to-party as this citrus-creme delight hits your tongue.
Great Value Vanilla Ice Cream Sandwiches: Here’s my qualm with summer: It is the perfect temperature for wanting ice cream, and the worst temperature for actually eating ice cream. You’re always left with a sticky, melty ice cream cone mess. The solution? Ice cream sandwiches. They were practically made for summer festivities. (Does the ice cream inside an ice cream sandwich act like normal ice cream? Maybe not, but it tastes good and, in this case, it’s a plus!) There’s also something about the sheen on these rectangular chocolate cookies that gives it a classic feeling. The simple yet tasty design of these ice cream sandwiches from Walmart brings me back to running out the door at the sound of the ice cream truck and if that isn’t part of the American Dream, I don’t know what is!
Old Fashioned Donut Holes from Vons: If you give me an old fashioned donut I am assuming it is old fashioned. Like, pilgrims celebrating with a bunch of old fashioned donuts when they hit Plymouth Rock, old fashioned. While my historical knowledge may be flawed, that doesn’t erase the warm nostalgia of a “simpler time” that this style of donuts brings. These freshly fried old fashioned donut holes from Albertsons-owned stores, specifically, are so delectably soft and subtly coconutty and sweet. You’d think a family just made them as a farewell treat for their soldier son who is about to fight for America’s independence. Instead of being concerned with my conflation of the Revolutionary War and Colonization, I’d be more concerned with snagging these donut holes before everyone else does!