Red, White, and Blue Desserts to Make This 4th of July

Celebrate Independence Day with these spectacularly festive sweets.

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Red, white, and blue is pretty much synonymous with the 4th of July. And whether you’re planning to celebrate with a casual get-together or full blown backyard BBQ, you’ll want to give these colors a starring role—in everything from tabletop decor to aptly hued desserts.

If you ask us, patriotic treats are the perfect way to show off your USA pride. Kitschy confections, like homemade drumsticks and fudgsicles, feel homey and nostalgic—while marbled doughnuts and elegant fruit tarts are decidedly more modern. Consider mixing up your 4th of July menu with a desertscape of classic and contemporary creations. Whichever direction you choose, just be sure to whip up extra—because with sweets this stellar, your guests are sure to go in for seconds.

Here are 17 festive treats, guaranteed to dazzle your guests this Independence Day.

Red White and Blue Dipped Strawberries

Okay—these may technically be a smidge more on the purple side than bright blue, but if you’re artificial food coloring-averse, you’ll love these all-natural (and mostly healthy) treats. The trick to achieving the cool purple-blue hue? Crumbled freeze-dried blueberries. This three-ingredient dessert couldn’t be easier to make.

Patriotic Chocolate-Covered Marshmallows

If you can get over the initially daunting task of making your own marshmallows, you should try these confections. The chocolate can even be swapped for white chocolate dyed red or blue to further the all-American motif, but we love the idea of keeping the base simple and letting the fruity toppings bring the color.

Vegan Coconut Cream Pie with Mixed Berries

Do not be alarmed by the presence of the word “vegan” in the title: This pie is just as decadent as the real thing, and won’t leave you feeling guilty in a food coma. Simple whipped coconut cream serves as the fluffy base to this summery dish.

Red, White, & Blue Funfetti Sandwich Cookies

Nothing says celebration like funfetti. These cute cookies are filled with vanilla buttercream frosting (dyed blue with food coloring) and adorned with star sprinkles.

American Flag Pie

Celebrate the nation’s birthday with a slice of Americana—more specifically this good ol’ fashioned fruit pie. It’s a classic for a reason.

Red, White, and Blue Frozen Yogurt Bark

The combination of raspberries, blueberries, white chocolate, yogurt, and honey makes this one tasty—not to mention festive—treat. That said, because this bark is literally frozen, it’s prone to melting. To mitigate the mess, blogger Honey and Birch suggests wrapping pieces with parchment paper.

Red, White, & Blue Marble Sheet Cake

This star spangled sheet cake tastes like freedom—plus, vanilla cake mix and white chocolate whipped cream frosting.

Fourth of July Chocolate Fudgsicles

The 4th may not be on a Thursday this year, but you can still throw it back. These frozen treats recall all the chocolicious flavor of the original. And a drizzle of white chocolate and chopped M&M’S makes them totally party-ready.

Patriotic Sugar Cookie Fruit Pizza

We love pizza in all its forms—from classic Neapolitan to this dessert pie. Starring a sugar cookie crust, sweet cream cheese, and colorful berries, it’s sure to be the centerpiece of your dessert display.

4th of July Doughnuts

These mesmerizing marbled doughnuts are like a work of art. And yes, they taste as good as they look.

Patriotic Ice Pops

What better way to beat the heat on July 4th than with patriotic popsicles? And these coolers could not be more simple. The only ingredient is Gatorade (well, three flavors, but still).

Mini Firework Cakes

These bite-sized beauties boast tiers of red, white, and blue cake, and a dollop of whipped cream.

Red, White, and Blue Drumsticks​

These homemade drumsticks conjure up cherished childhood memories of the neighborhood Good Humor man.

Strawberry Cream Cheese Tart

This tart is almost too pretty to eat. But the combination of a sweet cream cheese filling and fresh berries is simply too tempting to resist—and we guarantee your guests will agree.

4th of July Bark

Candy bark is always a crowd-pleaser. Plus, it can be customized to fit any holiday or theme. This 4th of July-worthy recipe calls for red, white, and blue candy melts, sprinkles, and mini M&M’S.

Patriotic Oreo Pops

These swirled pops are beyond easy to make (all you need are red, white, and blue candy melts, Double Stuff Oreos, and lollipop sticks). They’re a great way to get the kids involved in party-planning—and let their creativity run wild.  

Strawberry Blueberry Cloud Cake

This no-bake cake is a cinch and takes just 10 minutes. In a baking dish, lay down cloud cakes, pour on strawberry glaze (this recipe calls for store-bought, but you can make your own if you are so inclined), add a layer of chopped strawberries, spread on whipped cream, and decorate with blueberries and strawberries.

This story was originally published on June 21, 2017. It has been updated with new information.

Elly Leavitt

Writer and Editor

Elly enjoys covering anything from travel to funky design (tubular furniture, anyone?) to the latest cultural trend. Her dream apartment would exist on the Upper West Side and include a plethora of mismatched antique chairs, ceramic vessels, and floor-to-ceiling bookcases—essential to her goal of becoming a poor man’s Nora Ephron. You can probably find her in line at Trader Joe’s. You will never find her at SoulCycle.