Fourth of July is all about commemorating the nation’s freedom and the beautiful lives led by its citizens. More than just a simple gathering, there’s always fireworks, barbecues, and concerts held in celebration of this holiday.
With that said, this bright and lively occasion can only mean more joyous reunions and fun-filled get-togethers with families and friends. And, while attending these parties can be exciting, it’s also equivalent to a mountain-load of preparations for the hosts.
Whether you are that person responsible for getting the food out, or you’re a guest, who’s thinking about what treat to bring to the table, we’ve created this article to give you ideas on cool, festive 4th of July desserts that are easy to make.
Easy 4th of July Desserts for Your Table
Desserts are not only fun to eat on your own, they’re also fun to share with others. For a day that memorializes such an important time in history, it’s only right to personalize them so they better fit the occasion.
So your confections can fit the theme, below is a list of 15 of our favorite recipes for 4th of July desserts that would leave your guests in awe.
Fruit n’ Yogurt Parfait Cups
If you’re looking for a dessert that’s fast and easy to put together, then this recipe for fruit n’ yogurt parfait cups will do just the trick. We love this because it’s perfect for health-conscious folks looking for a sweet treat that’ll satisfy their sweet tooth.
To start, prepare some strawberries, and chop them into slices. Bring out the yogurt, blueberries, whipped cream, and some optional toppings (my eyes are on granola and nuts).
Once you’re ready, start with a layer of strawberry slices, add in some yogurt and, finally, top them with blueberries. Add a dollop of whipped cream for sweetness, and finish with your choice of toppings.
While really simple, these parfait cups’ ingredients and the way you assemble them still fit the theme without doing much work.
Star-Spangled Fruit Cakes
Stars aren’t just found on flags, they can be found on your favorite fruit cakes, too. For this one, begin by preparing some shortcakes—whether they’re homemade or store-bought is completely up to you. Make sure they’re round, so you can decorate it the way you like.
From here, add a generous amount of whipped cream or frosting on top to create a thick layer for the toppings to stick to. Line the outermost edges with some raspberries or cut up strawberries, followed by a ring of blueberries within it. Once you have your two lines finished, add a slice of starfruit in the middle to finish the cake.
This recipe is another one that’s easy to make and doesn’t take a lot of time, so you can go ahead and proceed with your preparations much faster.
American Flag Cake
No 4th of July desserts table is complete without an edible flag. If what you’re looking for is something that screams Independence Day, then a flag cake is the best way to represent the holiday while having fun.
You can make your own cake from scratch. However, if you’re pressed for time, then box cake is the best way to go. We recommend using a confetti cake mix or something similar if you’re making one your own.
Bake the batter in a rectangular baking pan, and let cool once finished. Ice with some vanilla frosting, and fill the top with fruits in the flag’s colors. The easiest fruits to decorate it with are sliced strawberries for the red stripes, blueberries for the blues, and some marshmallows for the star itself.
No matter what fruits or ingredients you use, this cake is bound to display you and your family’s nationalism on the dining table, like no other.
Red, White, and Blue Cupcakes
Something simply delicious, yet still fitting with the theme are some red, white, and blue cupcakes. Because of how the cupcakes are made, it will look as if you took some time and effort to get them done when you can finish it in just a couple of hours.
Using some white cake mix, prepare the batter as specified in the box. You can also make your own from scratch if that’s what you prefer. From here, separate the batter into three bowls of equal parts. Mix each bowl with red, blue, and white food coloring respectively, until you have three bowls of different colors.
Once finished, layer the cupcake liners as follows: Blue batter, white batter, and red. Bake the cupcakes in the oven, and wait for them to cool before decorating. Pipe a swirl of vanilla frosting at the top, along with some star sprinkles for added effect.
4th of Jul-O
Who said Jello was a kids-only dessert? For this recipe, get ready for some jiggly 4th of Jul-O fun that can make both children and adults smile.
To start, make two trays of both red and blue gelatin. After the mixture sets, and the Jello becomes solid, chop them up into cubes and set aside. From here on out, it’s all about assembly. In some clear dessert cups or glasses, add the red Jello cubes to go at the bottom. Then, add in a dollop of whipped cream. For the third layer, add in the blue Jello cubes, and top with whipped cream.
See? It’s incredibly easy-peasy. You can either serve this on a large, clear and deep bowl as a center dish or in separate containers, so your guests can build their own parfaits.
Uncle Sam-nanas
Something fast and easy to make are these Uncle Sam-nanas. This is one of the easiest 4th of July desserts we can recommend, consisting of only two simple steps. It’s a sweet and yummy dessert even the kids can help make.
To start, cut bananas in half and skewer the fruit onto popsicle sticks, then freeze them. Next, melt some chocolate in a double boiler, dip the bananas, and cover them in red, white, and blue candies or sprinkles. After that, just chill them to set the chocolate and you’re done!
Serve them on an ice-chilled platter on the dessert table.
Patriotic Strawberries
Another simple, fruit-based dessert that will have you craving for more are these Patriotic Strawberries. Just like the previous one, it only takes a couple of steps to make and is deliciously perfect for the theme.
Start by preparing whole strawberries, and melting up some white chocolate. In a separate bowl, mix regular white sugar with some blue food coloring until the sugar reaches the desired color.
Once you have all your ingredients ready, it’s time to dip. Grab the strawberries by the stem, and slowly dip each one into the chocolate. While still wet, roll the chocolate-covered strawberry into the blue sugar until evenly coated. When you’re finished, you will have strawberries that are red, blue, and white in color.
Chocolate-covered strawberries are a famous dessert on their own. Putting your own spin on it for the holiday will only make them extra special for you and your guests celebrating the season.
Uncle Sammiches
Haven’t got much time to prepare? Everyone knows how irresistible ice cream sandwiches are, so why not make some Uncle Sammiches for this year’s get-together? Whether you want a cooling treat that satisfies your cravings or a fast, go-to recipe that’s guaranteed to be a big hit, here’s one that satisfies both.
Start by picking up some ready-made ice cream sandwiches at the store. If there aren’t any available or if you want to make them your own, pick up any vanilla-based ice cream flavor.
Take two shortbread cookies, and place one scoop of ice cream at the center. Use the second cookie to smoosh the filling into place, and smooth down the sides with the back of a spoon. Once smooth, roll the sandwiches on their side in mixed red, blue, and white sprinkles to give it the finishing touch. Keep them in the freezer until you’re ready for dessert.
Star Sugar Cookies
Star-shaped sugar cookies are bound to catch anyone’s eye. Not only because of the cookie’s irregular shape but also because of the appetizing colors that almost don’t look like food.
Grab a box of sugar cookie mix, and prepare the dough as per the instructions. Once you’ve begun kneading it, cut the dough into star shapes using a cookie cutter. Reroll the leftover dough, cut out more shapes, and repeat until you’ve formed all your dough into stars. Bake in the oven, and let cool.
Now comes the fun part—decorating the cookies! Purchase a tub of ready-made icing, and separate them into three bowls. Dye the two bowls red and blue, and leave the last one in its natural color, which is white.
Afterwhich, pipe the outline for the royal icing as per the design you want, using these three colors for the design. Once you’ve finished piping the outline, add a small amount of water to each bowl and flood the middle parts of your outline. Smoothen out with a toothpick and wait for it to dry.
American Flag Donuts
Donuts, donuts, donuts. Who could say no to them? Their soft, sweet, and pillowy nature can easily be regarded as one of life’s guilty pleasures. But hey, it’s the 4th of July, everyone deserves a treat from time to time, yeah?
Start off by preparing your dough using a standard vanilla donut recipe. That includes using flour, egg, sugar, yeast, butter, baking powder, and vanilla. You may fry or bake it however you want, but make sure to let it cool before decorating.
Next, melt up some white, red, and blue candy melts, then put them into squeeze bottles or piping bags. Before doing the pipework, dip the donut face down into the white chocolate so you can have a background for the design.
Using the blue candy melts, draw the rectangle of the flag, followed by the red candy melts for the stripes. Let it dry for a bit, then proceed to use the white candy melts to add the star details. Stack or lay them out on a nice platter, and serve.
4th of July Whoopie Pies
Whoopie pies are like handy and deliciously bite-sized cakes. On their own, they’re the perfect party pick-me-up to fill your guests’ stomachs and warm their hearts.
Using a store-bought Funfetti cake mix, prepare the batter, and mix additional red and blue sprinkles for color. Refrigerate for an hour, so they’re easier to handle and mold later on.
Once cooled, scoop the batter and roll them into balls, then bake them in the oven, spacing at least 3 inches apart from each other.
While the dough is baking, prepare your filling. Grab some frosting, and divide it equally into three bowls. Dye two bowls red and blue respectively, leaving one bowl of frosting white. Once the cakes are baked and have cooled, fill your piping bags with frosting, and get ready to assemble.
Lay one cake on it’s back, and pipe one color of frosting on the flat side of the cake. Do this for all the little cakes you’ve baked, leaving half to top them all off later. Once you’re done piping, finish the sandwich with the last whoopie pie, and that’s it!
Independence Day Yogurt Pops
During the summertime, it can get really hot even when staying indoors. Why not treat yourself to a refreshing dessert, like these Independence Day yogurt pops?
To make these healthy and delicious popsicles, all you’re going to need are some molds, yogurt, and a cup of strawberries and blueberries. Simply combine all your ingredients into a bowl, and pour them into your molds. Let them sit in the freezer for at least six hours or until frozen, and serve when you’re ready for dessert.
Patriotic Pretzels
Need a quick treat for the sweet and salty lovers at your party? Fret not, this dessert has to be one of the easiest recipes to pull off, and it doesn’t take a lot of time to make either.
Begin by preparing some pretzel rods you can buy at the store (you can also make your own from scratch). Liquify some white candy melts, and place them in a piping bag to decorate. Lay out all your pretzel sticks on a tray, and squeeze your piping bag in a zig-zag direction, from end to end of the tray, to create some stripes on the pretzels. Before the chocolate dries up, shower with red and blue sprinkles for a nice pop of color.
Once dried, you can either serve them on a plate as is or individually wrap them in clear plastic bags, adorned with red and blue ribbons. However you choose to present them, they’ll be a colorful addition to your 4th of July desserts table.
All-American Oreos
All-American Oreos are all about presentation and personalizing a cult favorite that’s been around for ages. This recipe is incredibly easy, even the kids can do this on their own.
Start by grabbing a pack of regular Oreos. Next, prepare a fine piping bag with some red frosting. Next, melt some white chocolate. Dip each Oreo in the white chocolate, then zig-zag across the white chocolate with the red frosting, then sprinkle blue star sprinkles on top while everything is still wet.
Firework Pops
Cake pops only require two main ingredients: crumbled cake and frosting. You can use scraps from the cupcakes and cakes you’ve used for other recipes, make one from scratch or simply buy some from the store.
First off, break your cake bread apart, piece by piece, until you’re left with just crumbs. Then, add in one dollop of plain frosting at a time, stirring it with the crumbs until lumps begin to form.
Using your bare hands, form balls from the cake and frosting mixture, then stick a popsicle stick at the center to serve as a handle. Put in the freezer to cool until firm.
While it’s setting, prepare the coating. Melt some white chocolate, and ready your blue and red sprinkles. Once the balls come out of the fridge, dip them into the white chocolate, and immediately roll them in red and blue sprinkles. Design some cut-out blue and red paper you will skewer into the bottom of the cake pop to serve as both a bib and design for the dessert.
Serve chilled, and you’re done. All it takes is a few steps to enjoy these nice desserts, fit for the 4th of July. You won’t even need to go outdoors to enjoy the true spirit of the holiday.
A Sweet Day of Independence
The best thing about these 4th of July desserts is they look a lot better than the skill level and effort that’s actually required! Most are rather inexpensive and quick to make, so they are suitable for any budget or schedule! Don’t be that guy who brings yet another macaroni salad!
