20 Best Graduation Dessert Ideas for the Class of 2025

Skip the store and make your own ice cream cake! It’s got everything: frozen whipped cream, chocolate and caramel, ice cream in multiple flavors, and Maraschino cherries for topping.

Get the Ice Cream Cake recipe.

Tassels were officially flipped—and that’s what inspired these bite-sized treats. Bonus points if you can find candy decorations that match your graduate’s school colors.

Get Ree’s Graduation Brownie Bites recipe.

Whether they were the star quarterback or a cheerleader on the sidelines, this dessert was made for a student with a love of the game. Mix and match the color of sour gummy candies (the itty-bitty players!) to their jerseys and those of their rival team.

Get the Football Sheet Cake recipe.

A giant, skillet-sized cookie always hits at a party—and it’s so easily customizable: Decorate with sprinkles in their school’s colors and pipe a congratulatory message in frosting.

Get the Cookie Cake recipe.

SHOP SKILLETS

Sure, Dunkaroos might be a ’90s thing—but the ’90s are back! This dessert doubles as a cute party favor. After all, who wouldn’t love dunking animal cutout cookies into sprinkled frosting?

Get the Homemade Dunkaroos recipe.

Mall hangouts in high school just weren’t the same without an Orange Julius, right? You’d be surprised how easy it is to recreate this iconic drink. All you need is frozen orange juice concentrate, vanilla ice cream, milk, ice, sugar, and a spoonful of vanilla extract.

Get the Orange Julius recipe.

Inspired by beloved Fig Newtons, these homemade treats are a nod to when you’d send them off to school with a lunchbox. Those days might be behind you, but fig bars are still a sweet surprise.

Get the Fig Bars recipe.

Remember when your kids opened their own lemonade stand? Boy, how far they’ve come! These cupcakes will remind them of those humble beginnings and where that ambition can take them today.

Get the Pink Lemonade Cupcakes recipe.

Just picture this rich and fudgy Bundt cake making its debut at the party. Gold and silver are a classic choice, but it’s even better covered in sprinkles that match the school colors.

Get the Chocolate Bundt Cake recipe.

SHOP BUNDT PANS

Fair warning: This dessert is best served for graduating college seniors, of course. But if the crowd is right, it’s the perfect summer send-off. Tropical flavors of pineapple and coconut with a dash of rum all bring back memories of spring break.

Get the Piña Colada Cake recipe.

Four ingredients: that’s all you need for this otherwise impressive-looking layered ice cream cake. It’ll withstand the heat outside, just be sure to freeze it until firm before serving.

Get the Ice Cream Sandwich Cake recipe.

This retro dessert works whether they graduated with the class of 2025 or 1925! So it’s a nice idea for high school reunions, too. Fizzy soda in the batter is what makes this chocolate dessert so light and soft.

Get the Coca-Cola Cake recipe.

It’s one last summer before the real world, so you might as well indulge in all those campfire treats! These dessert bars are layered with gooey marshmallow, melted chocolate, and toasted graham crackers.

Get the S’mores Bars recipe.

Cookies n’ cream lovers of all ages will love this no-bake pie! A deep-dish pie plate allows for more of that fluffy whipped filling, so use one here.

Get the Oreo Pie recipe.

SHOP PIE PANS

Is your graduate Team Chocolate or Team Brownie? Either way, these homemade bars satisfy both cravings as they’re part fudgy brownie, part chewy chocolate chip cookie.