22 Dazzling 4th of July Desserts

Bring on the red, white, and blue.

By
Devan Grimsrud
Devan Grimsrud
Devan Grimsrud

Devan Grimsrud is a Berlin-based writer, editor, and recipe developer originally from Minneapolis, Minnesota. After working in television production with James Beard Award-winning chef Andrew Zimmern, she relocated to Berlin and became the managing editor at Kitchen Stories, an international digital cooking platform with millions of active users. 

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Published June 27, 2025
Devan Grimsrud
A pie decorated to resemble the American flag, with blueberry and strawberry fillings and pie crust details
Elise Bauer

The Fourth of July is one those holidays that, for me, calls to mind a backyard barbecue, pink lemonade, sunset boat ride, and fireworks. It's a long weekend filled with family, friends, and food, and sometimes, we have to get a little kitschy with it. Think everything striped or studded with stars and rocking the colors of the American flag. For my family growing up, it was never so much about patriotism as it was about gathering together under the united banner of an American flag-themed party—and everyone knows it's no party without dessert.

So I've gathered 22 red, white, and/or blue desserts to celebrate the holiday, whatever it means to you. There's a mix of in-your-face (think a full-on American flag pie) and those with a more subtle approach (think strawberry ice cream or raspberry cheesecake). Serve your favorites on the 4th, and at any party-slash-potluck you're planning this summer.

  • Showstopper Berry Pavlova

    berry pavlova on a parchment paper lined tray

    Simply Recipes / Sarah Crowder

    "Leave the oven closed the entire time the meringue is baking. A steady temperature during baking and a very slow cooling time lead to the best texture."—Sarah Crowder, Senior Art Director

  • American Flag Pie

    A top shot of an american flag pie

    Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer

    "For the filling for this flag pie, we are using blueberries for the stars' blue background and strawberries for the red stripes. You could easily substitute and switch it up a bit with blackberries for the stars and rhubarb, cherries, or raspberries for the stripes."—Elise Bauer, Founder

  • Easy No-Bake Cheesecake

    No-bake cheesecake slice on a plate with strawberry sauce on top

    Simply Recipes / Mihaela Kozaric Sebrek

    "Make sure the cream cheese is at room temperature (very soft). Cold cream cheese becomes lumpy when mixed and you’ll never be able to get the signature light and fluffy texture of a no-bake cheesecake."—Irvin Lin, Recipe Developer

  • Blueberry Crumb Bars

    Blueberry Crumb Bars with Shortbread Crust

    Simply Recipes / Cindy Rahe

    "You can swap fresh berries for frozen here if you like. No need to thaw the berries; just be sure to bake the bars an additional 10 minutes, or until the filling bubbles and sets."—Cindy Rahe, Recipe Developer

    Continue to 5 of 22 below

  • Strawberry Ice Cream

    Homemade strawberry ice cream

    Simply Recipes / Sally Vargas

    "Homemade ice cream is best eaten within a day or so, but in my experience, ice cream made with a higher fat content, such as this recipe, will store longer than those with a lower fat content. This recipe will maintain its quality for about a month."—Summer Miller, Contributor

  • Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

    A red velvet cupcake set in a cupcake liner with a bite taken out of it.

    Simply Recipes / Michelle Becker

    "If you don't have buttermilk, add a tablespoon of distilled white vinegar to 1 cup milk and let it stand for 10 minutes."—Garrett McCord, Recipe Developer

  • Blueberry Pie

    A slice of blueberry pie on a plate, ready to serve and eat

    Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer

    "Swap half the blueberries for another berry such as strawberries or huckleberries."—Elise

  • Strawberry Spoon Cake

    pan of strawberry spoon cake (missing a few bites) with a spoon resting in the pan

    Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm

    "The lemon is a non-negotiable. It enhances the flavor of the strawberries, and the acid in the juice keeps them bright red even after they’re cooked."—Myo Quinn, Former Associate Editorial Director

    Continue to 9 of 22 below

  • Buttermilk Pie

    A slice of buttermilk pie set in front of the whole pie.

    Simply Recipes / Annika Panikker

    "You need to let the buttermilk pie cool completely before serving so it has time to fully set up."—Elise

  • Blackberry Cobbler

    Overhead view of easy blackberry cobbler in a baking dish with a spoon set where a serving was removed.

    Simply Recipes / Mihaela Kozaric Sebrek

    "Blackberries range in sweetness from quite tart to wonderfully sweet, so test your berries and adjust the amount of sugar in this blackberry cobbler recipe depending on how sweet your berries are."—Elise

  • Blueberry Boy Bait

    Overhead view of multiple blueberry coffee cake slices on a wooden cutting board

    Simply Recipes / Molly Allen

    "A touch of flour is the key to preventing berries from sinking to the bottom of the cake. Toss the blueberries with 1 teaspoon of flour before adding them to the batter."—Molly Allen, Recipe Developer

  • Sweet Cherry Pie

    A slice of sweet cherry pie on a plate ready to serve

    Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer

    "What makes the recipe work is to not add too much sugar. The cherries are already naturally sweet."—Elise

    Continue to 13 of 22 below

  • Summer Berry Tart

    Berry Tart

    Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer

    "The crust will have more flavor if it is browned. Bake it until the color turns from blonde to brown, but not burnt."—Elise

  • Strawberry Shortcake

    Strawberry shortcake on a plate

    Simply Recipes / Michelle Becker

    "You can make the whipped cream up to an hour ahead of time. Refrigerate it in an airtight container until you're ready to serve."—Elise

  • Easy Panna Cotta

    Panna Cotta Topped With Summer Berries and a Berry Sauce in a Bowl, and on the Counter a Spoonful of Panna Cotta With a Raspberry and Blueberry

    Simply Recipes / Sally Vargas

    "Be sure to let the panna cotta chill in the molds for at least 4 hours to make sure it's fully set."—Sally Vargas, Recipe Developer

  • Red Velvet Cookies

    Red Velvet Cookies with White Chocolate Chips

    Simply Recipes / Irvin Lin

    "I didn’t use yogurt chips in these cookies, but I did add cream cheese to the dough! The cream cheese replaces some of the butter in the cookie, and gives the cookies a subtle tang."—Irvin Lin, Recipe Developer

    Continue to 17 of 22 below

  • Blueberry Grunt

    blueberry grunt in a cast iron braiser at cozy looking table with a stack of bowls, salt shakers, a napkin holder with single use napkins, and a vase of flowers

    Simply Recipes / Photo by Andrew Bui / Food Styling by Tiffany Schleigh

    "You can use whatever blueberries you happen to have. My u-pick-em’s were amazing, wild blueberries are a treat, but store-bought or even frozen blueberries would do the trick."—Cynthia Christensen, Recipe Developer

  • Berry Chantilly Cake

    slice of Easy Berry Chantilly Cake on a small plate with a fork

    Simply Recipes / Mihaela Kozaric Sebrek

    "The entire cake can be assembled the night before serving. Loosely cover with plastic wrap and keep chilled in the refrigerator until ready to serve."—Kayla Hoang, Recipe Developer

  • Raspberry Cheesecakes In Jars

    Mason Jar Raspberry Cheesecake

    Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer

    "Single-serving cheesecakes baked in jars cook much faster and cool much faster than large cakes, which usually require chilling overnight in the fridge."—Elise

  • White Cake

    Easy white cake topped with frosting and on a plate.

    Simply Recipes / Irvin Lin

    "If you make this cake with all-purpose flour, you’ll end up with a cake that has a texture resembling cornbread. My guess is you want that melt-in-your-mouth, love-me-tender crumb that you associate with the box mix. So, grab a box of cake flour and get baking!"—Irvin Lin, Recipe Developer

    Continue to 21 of 22 below

  • Berries and Banana Fruit Salad

    A bowl of fruit salad, ready to serve

    Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer

    "If you are thinking about ideas for something red, white, and blue to bring to a July 4th gathering, consider this simple mixed berry and banana salad. It's light and easy, with strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, chopped apple, and bananas, tossed together with honey and lemon juice."—Elise

  • Peach Raspberry Pie

    Overhead view of a summer peach and raspberry pie.

    Simply Recipes / Cambrea Gordon

    "Yellow peaches are best for pie. They are very sweet with sprightly acidity. White peaches, on the other hand, have less acidity and a mellower flavor."—Mark Beahm, Recipe Developer

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