50+ Fresh Memorial Day Recipes (2024)

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We’ve almost made it to the weekend! Here are 50+ fresh, healthy and delicious recipes to commemorate Memorial Day. I’ve organized them by breakfast and brunch, appetizers and dips, salads and sides, main dishes, desserts and sweet treats, and cold drinks.

I pulled all of these recipes from the “Independence Day” category, so check there for even more options. In actuality, these recipes are perfectly suited for summer parties from now through Labor Day.

This is our first Memorial Day with Grace, and my parents are coming up to see her. We’re looking forward to some low-key family time and the farmers’ market. Cheers to the long weekend!

Breakfast & Brunch

Set yourself up for a great day with a balanced breakfast. I love these wholesome blueberry muffins with a swipe of peanut butter or almond butter. For a savory option, you can’t go wrong with my go-to frittata formula.

Crêpes

Banana Coconut Muffins

Whole Wheat Banana Pancakes

Strawberry Oat Muffins

Homemade Bloody Marys

How to Make Frittatas (Stovetop or Baked)

Basic Blueberry Smoothie

Appetizers & Dips

Dips, dips and more dips! I always seem to fill up on appetizers, so I love to set out some lighter options to balance the more indulgent dips. If you find perfectly ripe avocados, you’re going to love this chunky avocado salsa (shown above), or this easy avocado dip, or of course, guacamole.

You could serve homemade tzatziki as a healthy veggie dip. I swear by this quick salsa recipe and this ultra-creamy hummus.

Green Goddess Tahini Dip

Chipotle Salsa

Cowboy Caviar

Easy Blue Cheese Dip

Baked Feta Dip with Cherry Tomatoes

Esquites (Mexican Street Corn Salad)

How to Make a Cheese Board

Elote (Mexican Street Corn)

Salads & Sides

Freshen things up with a crisp salad made with greens or more sturdy veggies. For green salads, wait to drizzle in the dressing until you’re ready to serve. A few of my top picks would be the outrageously colorful and bold strawberry arugula salad shown above (or this berry spinach salad for a more simple option), Jessica’s marinated chickpeas, and this crunchy Thai-inspired quinoa salad.

Pesto Pasta Salad

Green Goddess Tortellini Salad

Cowboy Caviar

A Few Simple Homemade Salad Dressings

Basic Vinaigrette
Creamy Tahini Dressing
Fresh Mint Salad Dressing
Green Goddess Dressing
Sunshine Salad Dressing

Main Dishes

My pizza dough works great on a grill, as do my favorite veggie burgers. If you have my cookbook, follow the burger recipe on page 177, or check out the recipe on the blog. You’ll find more fun handheld options below!

Arugula-Almond Pesto Pizza

Thai Mango Cabbage Wraps with Crispy Tofu and Peanut Sauce

Vegan BLT Sandwich

Greek Pizza

Green Goddess Hummus Sandwich

Simple Peach, Basil and Ricotta Flatbread

Desserts & Sweet Treats

This no-bake berry yogurt tart looks impressive, but it’s easy to make. Add some blueberries to round out the theme. Another beautiful patriotic option is this gluten-free almond cake with berries on top. Or, monster cookies with red, white and blue chocolate candies would be very cute.

Crêpes

Foolproof Basque Cheesecake

Simple Blueberry Cake

Mixed Berry Crisp (Gluten Free)

Easy Pineapple Mint Popsicles

Chocolate Peanut Butter Crispy Bars

Easy Fruit Compote

Gluten-Free Almond Cake with Berries on Top

Cold Drinks

Here’s an idea: Start with mimosas and transition to Aperol spritzes as the day goes on. They’re both bubbly, festive and refreshing.

For non-alcoholic options, try cold brew iced tea, frozen mint lemonade or Starbucks-inspired “pink drink” (it’s made with hibiscus tea, coconut milk and strawberries).

Ranch Water co*cktail

By Kathryne Taylor

Vegetable enthusiast. Dog lover. I'm probably making a big mess in my Kansas City kitchen right now.
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