31 Fourth of July Desserts for Star-Spangled Summer Fun
The best 4th of July desserts take advantage of an auspicious bit of timing: The US celebrates its Independence Day just as fresh berries—blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, and raspberries—are approaching their sweetest, juiciest, and most colorful. Coincidence? Who’s to say? But these desserts make the most of summer’s bounty in an extraordinarily festive fashion. There are American flag cakes; frozen treats including icebox cakes and homemade ice cream sandwiches; and classics like strawberry shortcake, raspberry cheesecake, and many-a-fruit-studded pie.
Read on for our coolest, creamiest, sweetest, flakiest, and all-around most celebratory sweets. (And don’t forget to peruse our 4th of July dinner ideas. You’ll probably need some summer drinks too.)
Photo by Emma Fishman, Food Styling by Kate Schmidt1/31Angel Food Cake
After a full meal of veggie burgers, BBQ chicken, or whatever you throw on the grill at your cookout, choose a 4th of July dessert that’s light as a cloud: this fluffy, ethereal angel food cake topped with whipped cream.
Photo by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Liberty Fennell2/31Blackberry Pie With Lattice Crust
The flavor of this ultra-fruity blackberry pie is as explosive as the sparklers you’ll be lighting after dinner. If you’re lucky enough to have extra blackberries, consider doubling down and making a batch of ice pops.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Prop Styling by Gerri Williams, Food Styling by Judy Haubert3/31Summer Jam Floats
Scoops of vanilla ice cream meld with soda and berry jam to make a seasonal beverage that’s sweet and refreshing. And if your tastes lean more traditional, we've got a Root Beet Float for that.
Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton4/31French Silk Pie
If you gravitate towards chocolate desserts (think brownies; gooey, marshmallow-y s’mores), this pie—featuring a rich chocolate filling, whipped topping, and chocolate wafer pie crust—is the dream.
Photo by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Liberty Fennell6/31Easy Blueberry Cobbler
You might associate freshly grated nutmeg with the winter holidays (lookin’ at you, eggnog), but it also gives depth to this summery blueberry cobbler. Use fresh or frozen blueberries in this vintage Gourmet recipe—either will work.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Stevie Stewart8/31Funnel Cakes
Bring the fairground home this July Fourth with a platter of delightfully nostalgic, squiggly, crispy fried dough dusted heavily with powdered sugar. The secret to the best funnel cakes? Skip the funnel.
Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Liberty Fennell9/31Lemon Pound Cake
Whether your family enjoys stealing slices throughout the weekend or you’re serving it at a party with a glistening blueberry compote, this easy cake will always be a hit.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Michelle Gatton11/31Peach and Butter Pecan Ice Cream Icebox Cake
A few tweaks to the standard icebox cake formula make this version stand out: peach jam folded into half of the whipped cream for a fruity element; Ritz crackers that go delightfully soft in the freezer but still bring their salty, buttery flavor; and a layer of butter pecan ice cream that runs right through the middle.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Susan Kim14/31No-Bake Peach Cheesecake With Wheat Thins Crust
Skip the graham cracker crust and turn to a box of Wheat Thins for your pie base. The crackers bring a nice dose of saltiness to this no-bake dessert.
Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton15/31Chocolate Cupcakes
This chocolate cupcake recipe is ridiculously easy: The batter comes together in about 5 minutes and there’s virtually no equipment required. It delivers big flavor, though, thanks to the trifecta of salt, vanilla extract, and cocoa powder. Top the cupcakes with (duh) red, white, and blue sprinkles.
Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Tiffany Schleigh16/31Ruffled Galette With Stone Fruit
This tart uses phyllo pastry for the crust—creating a texturally delightful and arguably more delicious option that saves both time and effort. Serve with vanilla ice cream, a dollop of soft whipped cream, or enjoy it all on its own.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton17/31Double Ripple Ice Cream Cake
Ice cream cake may look fancy, but most of the work is in the assembly. The easy blondie base comes together in a saucepan and can be baked ahead, while the fruit and maple ripples take just minutes. First-timers, follow our expert tips to construct the ice cream cake of your dreams.
Tara Donne18/31Red, White, and Blueberry Pie
Take the best parts of Key lime pie (the crust) and blueberry pie (the filling), and you’ll wind up with this all-star red, white, and blue number. It’s easy to prepare and goes with most summer menus, not just your Fourth of July feast.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Kat Boytsova19/31Retro Strawberries-and-Cream Pretzel Tart
A pretzel crust, cream cheese filling, and strawberry-studded gelatin topper essentially make this a no-bake cheesecake recipe. Building it in a springform pan will let you show off its pretty layers, but a pie dish would work just as well.
Photo by Erin Scott21/31Sour Cherry Pot Pies
If you’re planning a smaller 4th of July gathering, look no further than these individual pot pies, which are made with store-bought puff pastry to keep prep work to a minimum.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Judy Haubert22/31Vanilla No-Bake Cheesecake With a Chocolate Cookie Crust
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Stevie Stewart23/31Blueberry Pie
A fresh blueberry pie hinges on far more than the titular fruit. For the best-textured, most vibrantly flavored filling, use every part of a lemon—skin, flesh, and all. You’ll see (or taste) why.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Michelle Gatton24/31Blackberry and Chocolate Ice Cream Icebox Cake
Mix blackberry jam into half of the whipped cream for a twist on the usual chocolate-berry combo and spread a layer of ice cream right through the center of this make-ahead dessert.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Kat Boytsova25/31Coconut Cream Pie
This old classic relies on a few tricks—toasted-coconut milk, gelatin, and whipped cream—to make the most ethereal pie imaginable.
Photo by Alex Lau, Food Styling by Sue Li26/31Cherry Biscuit Cobbler
The cherry filling in this easy dessert is intentionally juicy; the shortcake-inspired biscuit topping will soak up the extra liquid. (And the sauce will also seep beautifully into the scoop of vanilla ice cream.)
Photograph by Emma Fishman, food styling by Caroline Hwang, prop styling by Elizabeth Jaime.27/31Lush Vanilla Berry Pudding
Banana pudding, who? This alternative will make you forget all about its winter fruit inspiration. And if you're berried out, chopped plums are also nice here.
Photograph by Rana Düzyol, food styling by Pearl Jones, prop styling by Beth Pakradooni28/31Sour Cherry Crumb Cake
A 4th of July dessert you can eat for breakfast the next morning, no questions asked? (We’re not talking about a slice of watermelon; we’re talking about cake.) We’re in.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Prop Styling by Sean Dooley, Food Styling by Kendra Vaculin29/31Sheet-Pan Berry Shortcake
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Prop Styling by Sean Dooley, Food Styling by Kendra Vaculin30/31Cherry Lemonade Beach Pie
You can use whatever crackers or cookies you want for the crust of this cherry limeade-inspired pie. Saltines make cutting clean slices a breeze, but the buttery crunch of Ritz with a tart, creamy lemon filling is great, too.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Thu Buser, Prop Styling by Stephanie De Luca31/31Chocolate Chip Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches
What may be the ultimate 4th of July dessert gleefully and unapologetically calls for mini chocolate chips, creating maximum Chipwich effect. (Mini chips have the added benefit of being so tiny, they’re easy to bite into and chew even when frozen.)
