13 Make-Ahead Labor Day Desserts for a Sweet, Stress-Free Goodbye to Summer

Celebrate summer's last hurrah with something sweet.

By Robin Shreeves
Published August 24, 2025
A plate of layered chocolate squares with a fudgy and textured appearance topped with sea salt

Serious Eats / Morgan Hunt Glaze

Labor Day mournfully signals the end of summer. As an adult, I no longer get a summer break, but there's something bittersweet about crawling into bed that Monday night knowing that the sun is setting earlier and the fireflies have mostly disappeared. Before sleep calls, the day is often spent gathering with friends and family for a last hurrah. Food sizzles on the grill, corn on the cob drips with butter, friends sip cocktails, and kids quench their thirst with lemonade and soda. Ending the feast with something sweet helps soften the sting of the shorter days ahead. Below, you'll find 13 desserts—including Rice Krispies Treats, homemade Pop-Tarts, and not one, but two creamy no-bake cheesecakes—that can easily be made ahead, leaving you with more time to enjoy the last of summer. 

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  • S'mores Icebox Cake

    Overhead view of smores icebox cake

    Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez

    Get the flavors of classic campfire s’mores through layers of coffee-brushed graham crackers, chocolate mousse, and whipped cream, all topped with a toasted Italian meringue frosting. Prepare the cake layers up to one week ahead, then frost with meringue just before serving.

  • Strawberry-Rhubarb Pop-Tarts

    Plate of strawberry rhubarb pop-tarts on a colorful background

    Serious Eats / Victor Protasio

    Homemade Pop-Tarts recipes abound, but this one is designed to truly mimic the classic toaster pastry, with thick jam, a nearly spot-on cookie-like pastry dough, and sweet icing (the best part of a Pop-Tart). You can bake and ice the tarts up to one week ahead and store them at room temperature, or assemble the tarts in advance, freeze them unbaked, and pop them in the oven the morning you plan to serve them.

  • Shortbread Cookies

    Overheav view of shortbread cookies with coffee

    Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez

    Buttery shortbread that melts in your mouth is hard to resist, and that’s exactly what this grandmother-approved recipe offers. These cookies are super simple to make: Bake them in a 9-by-13-inch baking pan, then cut them into squares once cooled. You can store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week, but they're best eaten within three days.

  • Strawberry Matcha Tiramisu

    A plate with a slice of strawberry matcha tiramisu set on a table

    Serious Eats / Stacy K. Allen, Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle, Food Stylist: Julia Levy

    This twist on classic tiramisu, made with a delicious combination of jammy strawberries and matcha, is visually striking and make-ahead friendly—and simultaneously playful and elegant. It can be prepared up to three days in advance…if you can resist digging in.

    Continue to 5 of 13 below

  • Eggless Chocolate Mousse

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    Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik

    Having a small gathering where individual desserts make sense? This recipe fits the bill. Prepare the base up to a week in advance, then whip and fold in the cream before spooning the mousse into individual bowls or glasses at least 30 minutes before serving. (Want to make it extra fancy? Reach for coupe glasses.)

  • Portokalopita (Greek Citrus “Cake” Pie)

    A slice of orange-flavored cake served on a white plate with a dollop of cream and a fork, with the rest of the cake in a green dish in the background

    Serious Eats / Qi Ai

    This portokalopita—"orange pie" in Greek—is made with dried phyllo and soaked in spiced syrup for a chewy, custardy cake that stays moist for days. Store at room temperature for up to three days, and serve with ice cream, yogurt, or sour cream.

  • No-Bake Fudgy Chocolate Squares

    A plate of layered chocolate squares with a fudgy and textured appearance topped with sea salt

    Serious Eats / Morgan Hunt Glaze

    Leave the oven off—it’s still summer, after all—and make the filling with microwave-melted chocolate for these squares with an Oreo cookie crust. The two firm up together in the fridge, and the squares can be made up to a week ahead and brought out to “oohs and aahs” when its time for dessert.

  • Mixed Berry Trifle

    Trifle on a white counter

    Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez

    This dessert has a ton of retro charm and is a labor of love, but all that labor can be done days ahead. The combination of wobbly fruit jelly, génoise sponge cake, luscious crème légère—a combination of pastry cream and whipped cream—plus even more whipped cream on top guarantees this will be the hit of the dessert table.

    Continue to 9 of 13 below

  • Pistachio Cake

    20190524-pistachio-oil-cake-vicky-wasik-5

    Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik

    Good quality pistachio oil is a must for this cake, which gets its bright, tangy flavor from buttermilk and orange zest. Pistachios and bright citrus are a winning combination, and the cake will keep for two to three days at room temperature. Serve it with an optional pistachio cream or a simple dusting of powdered sugar on top.

  • Easy No-Bake Cheesecake

    20170526-no-bake-cheesecake-vicky-wasik-18.jpg

    Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik

    A no-cook, no-bake cheesecake is perfect for beating the summer heat—and a great vehicle for whatever seasonal fruit you have on hand. Here, the cheesecake gets its rich, caramelized flavor from a Biscoff cookie crust. Always a winner, this dessert can be made up to 36 hours in advance.

  • Strawberry Pretzel Salad

    Angled shot of strawberry pretzel salad

    Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez

    We love a sweet and salty dessert—especially when it's a retro dessert that's creamy, fruity, and can be made up to three days ahead. Traditional strawberry pretzel salad is made with Jell-O mix, but here, we opt for a homemade topping that's made with a syrup from fresh strawberries and lemon juice.

  • No-Bake Greek Yogurt Cheesecake

    20191107-greek-yogurt-cheesecake-vicky-wasik-19

    Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik

    With tart Greek yogurt, whipped cream, and an airy meringue, this may just be the fluffiest cheesecake around. It's light as mousse, as tangy as cheesecake, and visually impressive enough to be a centerpiece dessert—all without even glancing at an oven.

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  • Rice Krispie Treats

    Overhead view of a torn apart rice krispie treat

    Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez

    A couple of small tweaks turn everyone's favorite no-bake treat into something extra special. Browning the butter adds a rich nuttiness, while a sprinkling of salt creates that salty-sweet magic.

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