17 Labor Day Desserts That Taste How Summer Feels Savor the last of the stone fruit, melons, and weather perfect for eating multiple popsicles in one sitting. By Hannah Walhout Hannah Walhout Hannah Walhout is freelance writer-editor formerly on staff at Food & Wine. She was also, for many years, a print editor at Travel + Leisure, where she covered the food & beverage beat. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on July 3, 2025 Add Us On SAVE ALL RECIPES NEW! Save as a collection on MyRecipes Close Credit: Greg DuPree / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen Summer is turning the corner, but the sweetness of seasonal fruit and time spent with friends and family doesn't have to go just yet. We've got dessert ideas for a Labor Day barbecue or dinner party that channel the flavors of the ebbing season: stone fruits like peaches and nectarines, plus other seasonal treats like mangoes and prickly pears; frozen treats and make-ahead desserts for a crowd; and, best of all, a few things you can throw together when you'd rather be outside than spend hours in the kitchen. Some are easy, some are involved — but all are right at home in any late-summer spread. Keep all of your recipes at your fingertips. With the MyRecipes app you can easily save and organize your favorites from anywhere, including Instagram and TikTok, in one convenient place. Get the free app. 01 of 17 Plum Galette Carson Downing / Food Styling by Annie Probst / Prop Styling by Addelyn Evans Jacques Pépin's family-favorite galette is a showcase for seasonal fruit that's nearly impossible to mess up — and if summer's plums aren't available, it can be used with whatever fruit you have. The sugared sliced fruit is layered over a sweetened almond mixture and folded into a crumbly pâte brisée crust. Get the Recipe Save 02 of 17 Pineapple-Coconut Soft Serve Photo by Greg DuPree / Prop Styling by Christine Keely / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer Channel a tropical drink or a cup of Disney-favorite Dole Whip with this super-fluffy dessert, which requires just five ingredients and five minutes in the food processor. This soft serve is also completely dairy-free — and it can be spiked with a little rum for the flavors of a frozen piña colada. Get the Recipe Save 03 of 17 Cherry Pie Greg DuPree / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen Is there anything better? This diner-style pie is topped with a classic lattice crust and stuffed with frozen sour cherries that cook into a sweet, jammy filling. (You could try it with fresh cherries, too, though you may have to cook them down a bit more.) The tart fruit pairs beautifully with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Get the Recipe Save 04 of 17 Peach and Tomato Buckle CEDRIC ANGELES Both peaches and tomatoes are sun-kissed and deliciously juicy this time of year — and they make a surprisingly natural pairing in dishes both savory and sweet. Pastry chef Miro Uskokovic uses both fruits in this summery buckle, a cobbler-cake mashup topped with a sweet, crunchy almond streusel. Get the Recipe Save 05 of 17 Almond-and-Plum Snack Cake Photo by Johnny Autry / Food and Prop Styling by Charlotte Autry The slivered almonds might catch the eye first, but what really makes these cake bars sing is almond paste, which Uskokovic both blends into the batter and crumbles on top before laying down the fresh purple-red plums. The result is jammy and tender with pops of unexpected sweetness. Get the Recipe Save 06 of 17 Prickly Pear Paletas Victor Protasio Labor Day typically coincides with the beginning of the season for prickly pear fruit, a favorite ingredient in Southwestern and Mexican cuisines. Here, the fruits (which you can buy online if the cactus doesn't grow near you) lend their deep pink-red color and refreshing sweetness to simple ice pops. Get the Recipe Save 07 of 17 Georgia Peach Pie with Bourbon Whipped Cream Cara Cormack Atlanta-based cookbook author and baker Angie Mosier distills the flavor of summer in Georgia with this juicy double-crust peach pie. Bourbon-spiked whipped cream brings it all together with a subtle boozy bite — but it would be just as delicious with vanilla ice cream, too. Get the Recipe Save 08 of 17 Fresh Mint Stracciatella Semifreddo Greg DuPree The base for this easy semifreddo is a refreshing mint custard, flavored by steeping it with two full bunches of the coolly fragrant herb. You'll then fold hand-whipped cream into the custard and drizzle in swirls of melted chocolate for an airy and visually striking frozen dessert, no special equipment necessary. Get the Recipe Save 09 of 17 No-Bake Peaches-and-Cream Cheesecake Greg DuPree / Prop Styling by Christine Keely / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer No oven required for this fruit-forward cheesecake, which is kind of like an icebox pie: a super-creamy combination of ricotta and sour cream, with alternating layers of vibrant frozen peach puree in a crumbly graham cracker crust. Crown the whole thing with fresh peach slices and serve. Get the Recipe Save 10 of 17 S’mores Icebox Cake Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen S'mores are great all gooey and warm, but the flavors and textures work beautifully in a cold context, too. This no-bake frozen dessert, with layers of graham crackers, salted fudge, and broiled-marshmallow ice cream, will catapult guests of all ages back to their own favorite campfire memories. Get the Recipe Save 11 of 17 Mango Pie Eva Kolenko / Food Styling by Natalie Drobny / Prop Styling by Nidia Cueva Peach pie, blackberry pie — all the summer fruits seem to get the pie treatment this time of year. Why not mango? Former F&W restaurant editor Khushbu Shah developed her mango pie recipe for her 2024 cookbook Amrikan, filled with dishes that explore the meeting of Indian and American culinary cultures. Get the Recipe Save 12 of 17 Espresso Martini Pops Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Christina Daley Turns out, transforming your favorite caffeinated cocktail into a popsicle is a great way to cool down while putting just the right amount of pep in your step. To achieve an alcohol ratio that allows the pops to actually freeze, we swap out the espresso for cold brew and add just enough vodka and coffee liqueur to give a hint of booze. Get the Recipe Save 13 of 17 Melted Ice Cream Cake Food & Wine / Photo by Robby Lozano / Food Styling by Chelesa Zimmer / Prop Styling by Christina Daley This ingenious cake comes from Pooja Bavishi's cookbook Malai: Frozen Desserts Inspired by South Asian Flavors. Instead of freezing, you'll harness the unexpected power of melting — pouring a melted pint of ice cream into the cake batter, then topping it with whipped cream and a masala-spiced icing. Get the Recipe Save 14 of 17 Lemon Lavender Nectarine Cobbler Photo by Greg DuPree / Food Styling by Ali Ramee / Prop Styling by Christine Keely Sweet, perfume-y lavender is a natural match for the ginger-spiced nectarines in this summery dessert, which is topped with flaky, buttery buttermilk biscuits. Sprinkle more dried flowers over the finished cobbler for a rustic-elegant look. Get the Recipe Save 15 of 17 Chocolate Milkshake Greg DuPree / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen Surprise the kids (or channel your inner child) with easy old-school milkshakes, which are surprisingly simple to prepare but look and taste like an extra-special treat. The cherry on top (other than the actual cherry, of course) is serving the shakes in pre-chilled glasses so they stay nice and frosty. Get the Recipe Save 16 of 17 Tropical Jackfruit–Ginger Ale Sorbet with Charred Pineapple Greg DuPree / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen In this simple but layered sorbet from Sam Fore, the chef's roots in both Sri Lanka and Kentucky shine through. The sorbet itself is made with canned jackfruit, pineapple juice, and Ale-8-One, a regional Kentucky ginger ale. Charred pineapple, caramelized in the oven, is the perfect topping. Get the Recipe Save 17 of 17 Sugared Melon with Cardamom and Mint Cedric Angeles Let's face it — you can bake or make frozen desserts all year round, but one thing you can't replicate out of season is peak summer fruit. In this simple ode to the melon, Mississippi chef Vishwesh Bhatt macerates perfectly ripe cantaloupe and honeydew in cardamom sugar, then tosses in slivers of fresh mint. Get the Recipe Save Explore more: Food Holidays & Occasions Holidays Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit