Next up in our 4th of July series, check out the best 4th of July dessert ideas – talk about fireworks in your mouth! We’ve got decadent, healthy, and kid-friendly options so you are bound to find the perfect dessert for your 4th of July BBQ. Nothing wrong with starting with dessert, but if you still need to plan the rest of your meal, you won’t want to miss our post on 4th of July party food ideas.
Quick & Easy 4th of July Dessert Ideas
1. Red Velvet Brownie Cups with Cream Cheese Frosting
Yum! My mouth is already watering after typing out the recipe name! These mini cupcakes have it all: a chocolate center, red velvet, cream cheese frosting, and juicy blueberries. I looove mini cupcakes because you get a decadent bite without feeling guilty because they are so small. (via I Heart Naptime)
2. Star-Shaped Berry Hand Pies
These adorable star-shaped berry hand pies are perfect for your 4th of July BBQ. They are much easier to make and serve (we’ve all had our beautiful pies turn into a messy disaster once you go to slice). Plus, they are easier to eat! Since you want your guests to be roaming around, chatting and playing backyard games at your BBQ, this dessert is a perfect choice. (via eHow)
3. 4th of July Red Velvet Cheesecake Bars
When it comes to making a dessert for a large party, I love going with a bar type recipe instead of individual cookies are cupcakes because they are so much easier to make in bulk. You simply have to pour all the ingredients into the baking dish instead of having to portion out, so you can make so many more in a short amount of time. (via Baking A Moment)
4. No Bake Summer Berry Icebox Cake
I don’t know about you, but here in Texas, I do not want to turn on the oven in the middle of the summer heat if I can avoid it. So, this quick & easy no-bake dessert is perfect for your 4th of July party! (via Cakescottage)
5. 4th of July Brownie Bites
Throwing together an impromptu 4th of July BBQ? These brownie bites are perfect and can be thrown together in minutes using store bought brownie bites. Then by dressing them up with some whipped cream and berries, they instantly look homemade! (via Real Food by Dad)
6. American Flag Brownie Platter
For another patriotic variation of brownies, check out this gorgeous brownie flag. Considering you can use a box mix to make the brownies, this recipe is super easy despite looking so fancy! (via Spicy Southern Kitchen)
7. Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Flag Dip
Cookie dough may be my ultimate guilty pleasure dessert! This recipe makes an edible cookie dough version (no raw egg) into a decadent dessert dip that I am drooling just thinking about. Just don’t stand or sit near this dip too long because I know I would find it nearly impossible to stop devouring. (via Mom on Timeout)
Show Stopper 4th of July Cakes & Pies
8. Beautiful Stars & Stripes Buttercream 4th of July Cake
If you are a star baker, this cake is for you! It is absolutely gorgeous and there is an easy to follow tutorial to recreate it and bring to a 4th of July party. Everyone will be standing around it raving about how amazing it looks. (via Erin Bakes)
9. Red, White and Blue Confetti Cake
You can be ambitious and make this amazing cake from scratch OR you can buy a store bought plain white cake and dress it up yourself. I especially adore the idea to use the sparkler candles with any 4th of July cake or dessert you choose. (via Style Me Pretty)
10. All American Flag Pie
You can use whatever pie recipe you like, but I love this genius pie design trick to make the crust into the American flag. Just when you thought you couldn’t get any more All American than apple pie… (via Land O Lakes)
11. 4th of July Blueberry Pie
For another festive pie design idea, check out this fun starry crust. (via Betsy Life)
Healthier 4th of July Dessert Ideas
12. Red, White, and Blue Berry Trifle
Short on time but committed to bringing dessert to a 4th of July get together? This is an awesome recipes that is cheap & easy to make. It doesn’t require any baking and you can make it in about 30 minutes. While it is super easy, it doesn’t look it and will wow the rest of the party guests. (via Natasha’s Kitchen)
13. Angel Food Cake with Berries
This lightened up 4th of July dessert is similar to above using angel food cake and berries to make a light and refreshing dessert perfect for a hot summer night. (via Hoosier Homemade)
14. Cheesecake Stuffed Strawberries
This light, but tasty bite-sized dessert is a great sweet treat that is also swimsuit friendly for summertime parties. (via Dessert Now Dinner Later)
15. Triple Berry Angel Food Cake Roll
This angel food cake roll is light and delicious! Plus, each slice is just 250 calories, so you can still indulge without ruining your healthy eating plan. Check out the post (complete with video) to see exactly how to make it. (via The Recipe Rebel)
Kid-Friendly 4th of July Desserts
16. Ice Cream Cone Cupcakes
Did you know that you can bake cupcakes inside an ice cream cone? Check out the tutorial for this cupcake ice cream sundae that won’t melt all over you in the summer heat. (via Our Family of Seven)
17. Patriotic 4th of July Oreo Pops
I love how each of these red, white and blue Oreo pops has a slightly different design and they compliment each other so perfectly! You can even put them in a glass jar on your serving table during dinner to double as a colorful table decoration. (via Happiness is Homemade)
18. Patriotic Popsicles
To help beat the heat, check out these adorable homemade popsicles. They are healthy, easy to make, and will help the kids stay cool. (via Oh, The Things We’ll Make)
19. 4th of July Rice Krispie Treats
These kid-friendly festive treats are sure to be a hit. You can even take a shortcut and buy the premade Rice Krispie treats – we won’t tell! (via Life, Love & Sugar)
20. Festive Ice Cream Cookie Sandwiches
You can use your favorite chocolate chip recipe, vanilla ice cream, and festive sprinkles to pull together this 4th of July treat in no time. Who doesn’t want some cold ice cream with dessert to cool off in the summer? (via New England Today)
21. S’mores
At least in my family, no BBQ is complete without S’mores. I love the way they served them out of french fry holders with the festive paper. (via Balancing Home Life)
22. No Churn Red, White & Blue Cake Ice Cream
Like many other people, I have only made homemade ice cream once because it took so much work to churn! Well you can actually make this red, white and blue ice cream with no churning required. It’s super easy to make and you don’t need an ice cream machine or any special equipment. (via It’s Always Autumn)
23. Firecracker Cupcakes
This is such a creative idea to make little marshmallow firecracker toppers for these festive 4th of July dessert. Sure to provide an explosion of sweetness in your mouth 😉 (via Oh Nuts Blog)
Up Next: 4th of July Party Food Ideas
For ideas like this one…
Which of these 4th of July dessert ideas are you going to make for your holiday BBQ?