15 Festive 4th of July Desserts

Whether you’re on a beach vacation or celebrating the holiday in your own backyard, these 4th of July desserts will bring sweet joy to any event. Inspired by summer produce and the American flag, we picked out standout strawberry, blueberry, and vanilla sweets that pair well with picnics, cookouts, and parties. Choose from classic cobbler and pie, frozen treats, or simple cookies and ice cream to serve red, white, and blue desserts that rival the fireworks.

Strawberry-Buttermilk Cobbler

Eva Kolenko

Combine tender, fluffy biscuits with Aria Alpert Adjani’s juicy strawberry cobbler filling for this sweet, seasonal dessert.

Vegan Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Rishon Hanners / Prop Styling by Christine Keely

Use pea milk and Xanthan gum for thick, sweet vanilla ice cream without the cream or eggs in this recipe from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen.

Blueberry Panna Cotta with Blueberry Chia Pudding

Photo by Antonis Achilleos / Prop Styling by Christina Daley / Food Styling by Ali Ramee

Pile fresh blueberries on top of blueberry panna cotta with a blueberry and chia seed pudding, for a very blue treat with tons of texture.

Red Velvet Cake Ice Cream Sandwiches

Food & Wine / Photo by Stacy Allen / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall / Prop Styling by Tucker Vines

Serve a tangy no-churn cream cheese ice cream between cakey red velvet cookies with this recipe from chef Taffy Elrod. Plan for six hours of freeze time.

Old-Fashioned Blueberry Pie

Matt Taylor-Gross / Food Styling by Debbie Wee

Celebrate peak blueberries in a flaky pastry crust with this comforting recipe that’s ready in under three hours.

Red Velvet Beet Bars with Brown Butter Sour Cream Frosting

Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen

Use hearty beet puree and brown butter in the batter for earthy, toasty flavor and a dense texture, similar to that of blondies. Top with tangy sour cream frosting in this sweet recipe from chef Tanya Holland.

Easy Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta

Cara Cormack

Heat rich cream with sugar and vanilla for this decadent base for mixed berries.

Blue Corn, Cherry, and Chocolate Chip Cookies

Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Lydia Pursell

Incorporate red, white, and blue into crowd-pleasing chocolate chip cookies, using the essential all-purpose flour, nutty and hearty blue corn flour, and sweet and tart cherries.

Lemon-Olive Oil Semifreddo with Blueberry Compote

Photo by Antonis Achilleos / Prop Styling by Christina Daley / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall

Make an impressive dessert from pastry icon Claudia Fleming in advance to serve a tart, sweet semifreddo with rich lemon cream and a bright blueberry compote.

Cherry-Lime Ice Pops

Greg Dupree / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Thom Driver

Use tart cherry juice, lime juice, and simple syrup instead of Kool-Aid for an updated version of thrills, the frozen, no-frills treats that gained popularity in Savannah, Georgia, in the 1970s.

Blueberry Pomegranate Colada Agua Fresca

Matt Taylor-Gross / Food Styling by Lucy Simon

Serve tart pomegranate with sweet fresh blueberries in a fizzy, fluffy drinkable format.

Hibiscus Snow Cones

Photo by Jessica Pettway / Food Styling by Micah Morton / Prop Styling by Paola Andrea

Serve snow cones at home with a sweet, tangy syrup made with dried hibiscus blossoms, whipped cream, and crushed pink peppercorns. You’ll need a home ice-shaving machine.