40+ Easy Southern Desserts for Summer BBQ Cookouts
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Discover 40+ easy Southern desserts perfect for summer BBQ cookouts! From classic banana pudding and peach cobbler to no-bake treats and make-ahead favorites, these crowd-pleasing recipes from Add a Pinch will be the hit of your next backyard gathering.
Easy Southern BBQ Desserts
If you’re planning a backyard BBQ, family reunion, potluck, or summer cookout, these easy Southern desserts are guaranteed to be the star of the dessert table! I’ve spent years perfecting family-friendly Southern recipes that are simple to make, travel well, hold up beautifully in the heat, and pair perfectly with grilled burgers, ribs, brisket, and fresh grilled okra (if you haven’t tried grilled okra yet, put it on your summer must-try list!).
These are my most-requested, tried-and-true favorites—many passed down through generations or developed in my kitchen. They’re perfect for Memorial Day, Father’s Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day, or any sunny gathering. Most can be made ahead, so you can enjoy the party instead of stressing in the kitchen.
A Few Tips I’ve Learned Over the Years:
- For bigger crowds, double the no-bake options, cookies, or fruit salads — they scale up easily.
- No-bake and chilled desserts taste even better when made a day ahead — the flavors have time to come together.
- Extra whipped cream, vanilla ice cream, or fresh berries take any of these to the next level.
Here are over 40 easy Southern desserts perfect for your next summer BBQ cookout, organized by category for easy browsing:
Fruit-Filled Favorites & Cobblers
Nothing says Southern summer like banana pudding, a warm fruit cobbler, or a fresh berry dessert. These juicy, crowd-pleasing options pair wonderfully with ice cream and are always a hit at BBQs.
Southern Banana Pudding Recipe
This easy Southern Banana Pudding recipe makes a delicious old-fashioned homemade banana pudding from scratch! Rich and creamy homemade banana pudding between layers of vanilla wafers and fresh bananas and topped with an airy meringue make a favorite dessert!
Easy Peach Cobbler Recipe
Easy Peach Cobbler made with a buttery topping on sweet peaches. This makes the BEST Peach Cobbler recipe and favorite dessert!
Blueberry Cobbler Recipe
This easy Blueberry Cobbler recipe is a delicious dessert made with fresh or frozen blueberries and simple pantry ingredients. Warm and satisfying, you'll love the crisp cake-like crust atop luscious blueberry goodness for a quick, comforting dessert anytime. Take it over the top with ice cream or whipped cream for a crowd-favorite cobbler dessert!
Easy Blackberry Cobbler Recipe
This Easy Blackberry Cobbler recipe is filled with juicy blackberries and a simple, sweet crust. It's quick to make and uses fresh or frozen blackberries, along with simple baking ingredients for a delicious dessert everyone loves!
Strawberry Cobbler Recipe
This Strawberry Cobbler Recipe is a classic Southern dessert! This easy strawberry cobbler recipe comes together quickly and bakes into a thick, sweet, yet still tart, strawberry layer topped with a buttery topping.Â
Southern Chocolate Cobbler
Chocolate Cobbler is a classic Southern dessert recipe. With a delicious brownie-like topping and a rich fudge sauce on the bottom, this Chocolate Cobbler is like a lava cake but so much easier to make. Great for reunions, potlucks, and more!
Strawberry Shortcake Recipe
This homemade Strawberry Shortcake recipe is deliciously different and tastes divine! Sweet, tender biscuits topped with sweetened strawberries and fresh whipped cream make this simple strawberry shortcake the best around!
Apple Crisp Recipe
This Apple Crisp Recipe is a cozy, old-fashioned dessert featuring warm, tender cinnamon apples and a buttery oat streusel topping. It’s a comforting treat that's perfect for holidays or weeknight dinners when you want a warm, delicious dessert!
Grandmother’s Peach Cobbler
Peach Cobbler Recipe – My Grandmother’s peach cobbler recipe is a traditional Southern peach cobbler!
The Best Peach Pie Recipe
This is the BEST Peach Pie Recipe! Made with a lattice-topped double crust and filled with an easy and delicious homemade peach pie filling!
Grilled Peaches Recipe
This Grilled Peaches with Honey and Ice Cream recipe is a simple yet decadent dessert! Juicy peaches are lightly grilled then drizzled with honey and served with vanilla ice cream for a treat everyone loves!
Peach Tart Recipe
A simple recipe for peach tart ready in minutes.
Fruit Pizza Recipe
Easy fruit pizza recipe with a soft sugar cookie crust, thick, creamy cream cheese frosting, and your choice of fruit toppings!
No-Bake & Easy Chilled Desserts (No Oven Needed!)
When it’s already hot outside, these no-bake and chilled desserts are lifesavers. They’re quick to put together, taste even better after chilling, and are so refreshing at any cookout!
Berry Trifle Recipe
This easy Berry Trifle recipe is a delicious dessert that's ready in minutes! Great to make ahead, this beautiful trifle features layers of fresh berries, cake, and cream for a favorite dessert anytime!
Cookie Dough Dip Recipe
The BEST Cookie Dough Dip Recipe – Seriously the BEST Cookie Dough Dip Recipe that I’ve ever tasted! So quick and easy and always a favorite when you serve it! This creamy dip tastes just like cookie dough in dip form! Made with cream cheese, chocolate chips, and a secret ingredient that takes it over the top! Everyone will ask for the recipe! Serve with graham crackers, pretzels or fruit!
Chocolate Mousse Recipe
This chocolate mousse recipe makes an easy and elegant, creamy and perfectly chocolatey dessert! So rich and delicious, this chocolate mousse is an absolute favorite!
Easy Cheesecake Pie Recipe
This easy cheesecake pie recipe makes the best recipe for cheesecake lovers. Creamy cheesecake filling bakes in a graham cracker crust and is delicious served plain or topped with your favorite cheesecake topping.
Southern Ambrosia Salad Recipe
Classic Southern ambrosia salad recipe with pineapple chunks, mandarin oranges, mini marshmallows, and sweetened coconut all in a creamy whipped dressing. This 10-minute ambrosia fruit salad is the perfect make-ahead holiday side!
Grape Salad Recipe
Grape Salad Recipe – Grape salad makes an easy and delicious side dish or dessert! Creamy, crunchy and made with just 5 ingredients! It is family favorite recipe!
Cookies
Easy, handheld cookies are always popular at cookouts because they travel well and need no utensils. These Southern favorites come together quickly and disappear even faster.
Best Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe
This Best Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe delivers crisp edges, chewy, soft centers, and rich chocolate flavor in every bite. Made with simple ingredients, these extraordinary cookies are so delicious that you'll make them often for so many occasions.
The BEST Chewy Sugar Cookies Recipe!
The BEST Chewy Sugar Cookies Recipe – Absolutely the BEST sugar cookie recipe I've ever tasted! These sugar cookies are soft, chewy and produce a flavorful bakery style soft sugar cookie! Quick and easy to make, this sugar cookie recipe makes cookies that turn out perfectly every single time!
Chocolate No Bake Cookies Recipe
No Bake Cookies Recipe – These simple chocolate no bake cookies make a perfect sweet treat. Made with cocoa powder, peanut butter, and oats, these no bake cookies are always a favorite.
Peanut Butter Cookies Recipe
These Peanut Butter Cookies are soft, chewy, melt-in-your-mouth delicious, and loaded with peanut butter! Easy classic made from simple ingredients – it's the peanut butter cookie recipe you'll crave!
Southern Tea Cakes
Southern Tea Cakes are old-fashioned, simple sugar cookies. These classic cookies are a family favorite!
Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake Recipe
Delicious Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake with buttercream frosting takes the best of the iconic cookie and creates the best cookie cake recipe!
Cakes & Cupcakes
Moist, impressive cakes make wonderful centerpieces for any cookout dessert table. Most of these can be baked ahead and stay fresh for days.
The Best Chocolate Cake Recipe {Ever}
The Best Chocolate Cake Recipe – A one bowl chocolate cake recipe that is quick, easy, and delicious! Updated with gluten-free, dairy-free, and egg-free options!
Cream Cheese Pound Cake Recipe
This Cream Cheese Pound Cake recipe makes the most delicious, moist, and perfect pound cake! Easy to make with this time-tested recipe and just 7 simple ingredients, it's the best pound cake and is sure to be a favorite!
Pineapple Upside Down Cake Recipe
Homemade Pineapple Upside Down Cake is a classic dessert with a buttery, moist cake, signature caramelized pineapple, and cherry-studded topping.
Lemon Pound Cake Recipe
This easy Lemon Pound Cake recipe makes a dream dessert for lemon lovers! Made with fresh lemon juice and zest and topped with a lemon buttermilk glaze, this moist pound cake is bursting with delicious flavor!
The Best Vanilla Cake Recipe
This delicious Best Vanilla Cake Recipe is made from scratch and incredibly moist, fluffy, and tender, and makes the best vanilla cake I've ever tasted! So quick and simple to make and perfect for every occasion!
Best Chocolate Cupcakes Recipe
This Best Chocolate Cupcakes recipe makes decadent, moist, rich, and delicious cupcakes! They are quick and easy to make and are always a crowd favorite!
Strawberry Cake Recipe
This is the best Strawberry Cake recipe and it's made from scratch! It's a fresh, delicious cake that's been a family favorite dessert for many years!
Pies & Bars
Classic Southern pies and gooey bars are potluck favorites because they slice easily and feed a crowd. Many travel well and taste even better the next day.
Key Lime Pie Recipe
This Key Lime Pie Recipe is a classic, creamy, and tangy dessert with a buttery graham cracker crust and fresh key lime filling. It’s easy to make and the perfect delicious treat for summer or any special occasion.
Coconut Cream Pie Recipe
Decadent Coconut Cream Pie with rich, creamy coconut custard topped with pillowy whipped cream and toasted coconut in a flaky homemade pie crust. Delicious dessert perfect for entertaining!
Best Pecan Pie Recipe
This easy Southern Pecan Pie Recipe is a classic dessert in which salty pecans caramelize in a sweet filling and flaky crust. A family favorite, this iconic pie is a must for Thanksgiving and a favorite for Christmas and family suppers. It's make-ahead and freezer-friendly too.
Strawberry Pie Recipe
Strawberry Pie is a classic pie recipe that is always a favorite. Made with fresh strawberries, this easy no-bake strawberry pie recipe is simple and oh so delicious!
Buttermilk Pie Recipe
This Buttermilk Pie recipe is a Southern classic! It's an easy old-fashioned custard pie that comes together quickly and has a light texture and a slightly tangy flavor!
Southern Pecan Pie Bars
These are the best Pecan Pie Bars. This easy dessert recipe features a shortbread crust topped with a sweet pecan pie filling. These bars are perfect for Thanksgiving and Christmas and throughout the year.
Peach Bars Recipe
Peach bars make a wonderful make-ahead breakfast, delicious snack, or an amazing dessert. Made with shortbread and a oat crumble, these peach bars are a favorite!
Peanut Butter Bars Recipe
Peanut Butter Bars make a quick and delicious treat. This no-bake peanut butter bars recipe is ready in less than 30 minutes and makes between 20 and 36 bars.
Hello Dolly Bars Recipe
Make these deliciously gooey Hello Dolly Bars for a favorite dessert everyone loves! Also known as Seven-Layer Bars and Magic Bars, this vintage cookie bar recipe features graham cracker crust, chocolate chips, pecans, coconut, and sweetened condensed milk. Ready in 30 minutes with recipe modifications provided, these cookie bars are scrumptious anytime and always a winner!
S’mores Bars Recipe
S'mores Bars are easy, delicious dessert bars made with graham crackers, melty chocolate and toasty marshmallows with a delectable blondie crust!
Strawberry Pretzel Salad Recipe
Strawberry Pretzel Salad is an easy, delicious dessert with a buttery pretzel crust, a cheesecake-like layer, and a sweet strawberry topping. It is the perfect combination of creamy, crunchy, sweet, and salty! A great dessert or side dish!
Ice Cream
Nothing beats homemade ice cream on a hot summer day. These refreshing frozen treats are the perfect cool-down after grilled food.
Old Fashioned Vanilla Ice Cream Recipe
An old fashioned vanilla ice cream recipe that everyone loves! This creamy custard base homemade vanilla ice cream recipe tastes like an ice cream parlor favorite.
Peach Ice Cream Recipe
Make the best homemade peach ice cream with fresh or frozen peaches! This creamy, no-egg recipe uses a secret roasting technique for rich peach flavor. Ready in 35 minutes + churn time. Perfect summer dessert!
No Churn Chocolate Ice Cream Recipe
This rich and creamy No-Churn Chocolate Ice Cream recipe makes such a delicious ice cream with only three ingredients and no ice cream maker! Enjoy easy chocolate ice cream anytime!
Strawberry Ice Cream Recipe
This Strawberry Ice Cream recipe is creamy, delicious, and loaded with fresh, juicy strawberries. Easy to make with a few simple ingredients, this classic ice cream is the best!
Blueberry Cheesecake Ice Cream Recipe
This Blueberry Cheesecake Ice Cream recipe makes an easy and delicious ice cream dessert! A family favorite, this includes a churn and a no-churn ice cream recipe method!
Butter Pecan Ice Cream Recipe
Butter Pecan Ice Cream is classic favorite. Get this delicious homemade butter pecan ice cream recipe. It is sure to be a family-favorite.
Cherry Cheesecake Ice Cream Recipe
Cherry Cheesecake Ice Cream makes a perfect cheesecake lover’s ice cream. Full of rich flavor and the creamiest of textures. Get this favorite Cherry Cheesecake Ice Cream recipe to serve at your next party!
Easy Peach Sorbet Recipe
This refreshing peach sorbet recipe is made with one ingredient and so quick and easy! A favorite gluten-free, dairy-free, and easy dessert!
Peanut Butter Ice Cream Sandwich Recipe
Ice cream sandwiches make a favorite sweet treat! This peanut butter ice cream sandwich is one that the whole family loves!
Pro Tip:
Many of these (like the trifles, puddings, and no-bake options) can be made ahead and kept chilled until serving time. Pair with fresh whipped cream or a scoop of homemade ice cream for the ultimate finish!
I hope these desserts help make your next cookout extra special and a little less stressful. I’d love to hear which one you try first or what your family’s favorite is — drop a comment below!
Happy grilling and sweeter summer memories! 🍑🥧🍰🍦
Enjoy!
Robyn xo
