Festive 4th of July Dessert Recipes
Cherry-Berry Shortcake Stars [1]
Tossing the cherries and blueberries with a little sugar draws out the juices. The sweet syrup is a perfect complement to the flaky, sconelike shortcakes. The dough for these shortcakes will be sticky. To easily cut out the star shapes, dip the cutter in flour between each cut.
Red, White and Blue Parfaits [5]
Pour a syrup of honey, sugar and crystallized ginger over blueberries, watermelon, and strawberries, then top with a swirl of sweetened whipped cream and a fruit star for a pretty—and patriotic—finish.
Fruit Hand Pies [9]
Our flaky hand pies taste just like their big sibs, but they're tidier to serve and eat, making them perfect for picnics and potlucks. Best of all, you get to choose the fruit filling: cherry, blueberry peach or plum!
Fruit Hand Pies [10]
Light Berry Pie with Creamy Filling [13]
Ingredients like fat-free Greek yogurt and low-calorie cranberry-raspberry drink—plus six cups of fresh berries—keep this delightful dessert on the light side. Garnish with mint sprigs or a lemon cream sauce.
Pistachio Pavlova with Fresh Berries [17]
Mildly nutty meringue cradles fresh berries in this classic dessert named for a ballerina. Use your favorite nut to flavor the meringue. Our Test Kitchen recommends pistachios, almonds or pecans. Any fruit works: blueberries, kiwi, bananas.
Blueberry Sour Cream Dessert [21]
Use fresh blueberries when in season to make this rich dessert, a cross between a pie and a cheesecake.
Watermelon stars [25]
Use a 2- to 3-inch star-shape cookie cutter to make stars from watermelon slices, then serve stars by themselves, on a platter with fruit and cheese, or in a dessert like our easy Red, White and Blue Parfaits. [6]
Cherry Phosphate Icebox Pie [28]
A humble pie if you ever saw one, this unassuming potluck star has an almondy crust and a yogurt-based filling that mimics the acidic tang of a phosphate. Amaretti (Italian almond cookies) are available at large supermarkets. You can substitute graham cracker crumbs.
Caramel and Chocolate Kettle-Corn Crispie Bars [32]
This sweet-salty bar cookie won the grand prize of $10,000 in our first annual Best of the Midwest® Recipe Contest. Judy Reynolds of Bloomington, Indiana, started with a Hoosier staple—popcorn—and stirred together these snack bars. Homemade caramel sauce makes them a standout.
Berry Pudding Cake [36]
Vanilla cake bakes over fresh blueberries and strawberries for a light, lower-calorie summer dessert.
Berry Pudding Cake [37]
Red, White and Blueberry Ice Cream Dessert [40]
Create this pretty summer dessert with raspberry sorbet, vanilla ice cream and a flavored syrup.
Firecracker-Red Cupcakes with Coconut Filling [44]
A red, white and blue dessert stars at any patriotic potluck. Red velvet cake mix makes our moist and gooey Firecracker-Red Cupcakes extra easy to prepare.
Pretzel Sparklers [48]
The sweet coating complements salty, crunchy pretzel rods. Stand your edible sparklers in a container filled with coarse brown sugar or candy-coated milk chocolate candies (M&Ms). Change the color of the sprinkles and candies to suit the occasion!
Pretzel Sparklers [49]
Blueberry Ice Cream Pie [52]
Combine fresh blueberries, vanilla ice cream and homemade blueberry sauce in an almond-brown sugar crust for this showstopping dessert.
Sparkler Cupcakes [56]
Fireworks-inspired zigzags and sprinkles dress up cupcakes.
Sparkler Cupcakes [57]
Easy Berry Cheesecakes [60]
Transform vanilla cupcakes into a patriotic treat with a swirl of cream cheese frosting and a topping of fresh berries.
Patriotic Salute [64]
Patriotic color bursts from strawberry ice cream, strawberry topping, whipped cream, cinnamon candies and fresh strawberries dipped in white chocolate and colored sugar. Add a star cookie cutout baked with a sprinkling of colored sugar (blue, of course).
Out-and-About Cheesecake [67]
Combine sweetened Brie and cream cheese with fresh blueberries for this no-bake dessert designed for single-serving cups.
Strawberry Shortcake Trifle [71]
Prep time is just 10 minutes for this easy summer mix of strawberries, light frozen whipped topping, prepared strawberry topping and pound cake.
Cherry Raspberry Pie [75]
Combine fresh cherries and raspberries with cranberry juice blend, sugar and tapioca for a delightfully sweet-tart filling to this summer pie.
Cherry Raspberry Pie [76]
Raspberry Pavlova [79]
An airy Pavlova cradles fresh raspberries and a simple raspberry sauce.
Raspberry Pavlova [80]
Blueberry Cupcakes [83]
Fresh blueberries get baked into these vanilla-flavored cupcakes and scattered on top.
Blueberry Cupcakes [84]
Strawberry-Blueberry Cookie Crisp [87]
Prep this easy dessert in just 10 minutes, then bake for 25 minutes. Crumbled pecan shortbread cookies form the topping over a fresh fruit filling.
Very Blueberry Pie [91]
This easy-to-make pie calls for pouring a warm sugar glaze over a generous amount of fresh blueberries or raspberries.
Very Blueberry Pie [92]
Lemon Bundt Cake [95]
Fill the center of this cake with fresh blueberries, raspberries, and melted strawberry jelly or jam to give it a festive look. Serve with extra berries on the side.
Lemon Bundt Cake [96]
Double Berry Vanilla Cream Pie [99]
A double dose of berries tops a tangy-sweet sour cream pudding filling in a toasted almond crust. It's the perfect warm-weather dessert because it requires less than 30 minutes in the kitchen before you tuck the pie in the refrigerator to chill.
Berry Trifle [103]
Mix buttery pound cake, creamy vanilla pudding, soft cream cheese, and fresh strawberries or blueberries for a rich comfort-food dessert. To trim calories, try making it with angel food cake, fat-free pudding, and low-fat or fat-free cream cheese.
Berry Trifle [104]
Blueberry Shortcake [107]
Serve warm shortcake with a rich filling of sweetened blueberries and whipped cream.
Blueberry Shortcake [108]
Berry-Topped Cupcakes [111]
Top your favorite homemade or purchased cupcakes with fresh berries just before serving for a supereasy festive dessert.