All-American desserts to celebrate the red, white, and blue.
Happy 4th of July! No matter how you’re celebrating Independence Day, you’ll need some fantastic 4th of July dessert recipes to pair with those burgers and dogs. These patriotic dessert recipes are worth celebrating.
Happy 4th of July! No matter how you’re celebrating Independence Day, fantastic 4th of July dessert recipes are a must. No matter your baking experience, these All-American dessert recipes are worth celebrating.
From red, white, and blue mixed berry pound cake to fruit tarts to Mary Washington’s gingerbread, we’re sharing lots of 4th of July dessert recipes worth celebrating.
Patriotic 4th of July Desserts: Easy Recipes
Red, white, and blueberry pound cake, anyone? These 4th of July dessert recipes — some with historic and patriotic flair — are easy to make and perfect for beginner bakers.
Mixed Berry Pound Cake
A sweet, all-butter pound cake folded with tons of sweet, juicy raspberries and blueberries. This red, white, and blueberry pound cake looks and tastes spectacular.
Mary Washington’s Gingerbread Cake
Our first president, George Washington, may not have had the best relationship with his mother, but the woman sure could bake a cake. Her moist, generously-spiced gingerbread takes the cake for all-time great desserts — with patriotic flavor to match.
Cowboy Cookie Bars
Cowboy cookies became well known during the 2000 Bush-Gore election, when Laura Bush’s cowboy cookie recipe beat Tipper Gore’s gingersnaps. These buttery blondies are absolutely stuffed with all the goodness of the original cookie — think pecans, coconut flakes, chocolate chips — but taste fudgy (and frankly, better)..
Easy Peach Cobbler
A no-peel rustic peach cobbler with a simple drop biscuit crust is the best of summer, without any difficulty. I love this recipe, and you will, too
4th of July Dessert Recipes: Intermediate Level
To be clear: None of these recipes are particularly difficult. They just require a few more steps. But for those looking for a fun baking project — and a reason to seriously impress their 4th of July barbecue friends and family — these recipes take the cake.
All-American Apple Pie With Butter Crust
You know the expression “American as apple pie”? Fourth of July is the perfect reason to bake the most iconic American dessert out there. This apple pie has an all-butter crust and heaps of tart apples sweetened with brown sugar.
Sour Cream Coffee Crumb Cake
New Jersey crumb buns meet classic coffee cake in an all-American treat. Cake for breakfast is always a right decision on a celebration day, and this one pairs perfectly with your morning cup of joe.
Sweet Potato Morning Glory Muffins
Sweet potatoes are an indigenous American food, and Morning Glory muffins were first invented in California. This recipe combines both all-American aspects into one moist, flavorful muffin full of goodness like apple chunks, coconut, and nuts.
American Flag Fruit Tart
Nothing says “best 4th of July dessert ever” like an American flag-inspired red, white, and blue berry tart. With a crisp, buttery crust and silky vanilla custard base, this mixed berry dessert makes a show-stopping centerpiece dessert.
What 4th of July foods and recipes will you make this year? Share below! Here’s one to get you started.
4th of July Desserts: American Flag Berry Tart
Ingredients
For the Pastry Crust
- 1 recipe pâte sucrée (recipe follows in link, below)
For the Pastry Cream
- 2 cups whole milk
- ½ cup sugar
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 egg
- 2 egg yolks
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
To Finish
- 3 pints or so fresh berries such as blueberries and strawberries, rinsed and fully dried
- ½ cup apricot jam
Instructions
For the Pastry Crust
- Complete the pâte sucrée through baking and cooling.TIP: This will take a few hours total, though most of that is inactive chilling and baking time. This can be done up to 2 days in advance; store wrapped or in an airtight container.
For the Vanilla Pastry Cream
- Heat the milk with a couple tablespoons of sugar just until boiling. Remove from heat.
- While the milk is warming, in a heat-proof mixing bowl, whisk together the remaining sugar, egg, egg yolks, and cornstarch. Whisk until the mixture is very smooth and lightened in color, about 2 or 3 minutes.
- Whisking constantly, whisk about a quarter of the hot milk into the egg mixture.PRO TIP: This is called tempering. Tempering the eggs helps raise their temperature without cooking them, and helps emulsify them into the milk.
- Pour the milk-tempered egg mixture into the pot of the remaining milk. Whisk to combine. Return the pot to the heat and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly to prevent “scrambled eggs” on the sides and bottom, until the magic happens and the pastry cream thickens, about 2 minutes. Stir in the butter and vanilla and cook one minute more, stirring constantly. The pastry cream should make thick, lazy bubbles.
- Pour the thickened pastry cream into a clean, shallow bowl set over an ice bath. Stir gently until the pastry cream cools to warm room temperature and no more steam comes off the top.PRO TIP: setting the bowl on a bag of frozen vegetables works great as an easy ice bath alternative, and there’s no risk of water splashing in.
- Cover the pastry cream with plastic wrap set directly on the surface of the pastry cream. This prevents a skin from forming on top. Chill.
To Finish
- Transfer the tart shell onto a cardboard round or whatever serving dish you will be using. (Once it is filled with the pastry cream and fruit, the tart will be too heavy and delicate to move.)
- Pour the pastry cream into the tart shell, leaving a ¼” brim. (If you have any extra pastry cream, enjoy it as a parfait with some fresh berries.)
- Arrange a generous amount of fruit and berries in a layer over the pastry cream in your desired design.
- Heat ¼ cup apricot jam with 1 tablespoon or so of water over medium heat, whisking, until thin. Strain, if needed, through a sieve. Use a pastry brush to gently dab the entire fruit tart with a thin layer of apricot glaze. Chill until ready to serve.
Liza R. says
I want to make all of these!!!