Happy 4th of July! No matter how you’re celebrating Independence Day, you’ll need some fantastic 4th of July desserts recipes to pair with those burgers and dogs. These all-American, patriotic dessert recipes are worth celebrating this Independence Day.
All About These 4th of July Desserts
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.
Jump To:
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. Let’s get patriotic with food.
You’ll also like: 18 Winning Election Day Recipes
Patriotic 4th of July Desserts: Cakes, Muffins, Puddings + Cookies
Red, white, and blueberry pound cake, anyone? Martha Washington’s gingerbread? These 4th of July dessert recipes — some with historic and patriotic flair — are easy to make and perfect for bakers of all levels.
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.
Jersey Sour Cream Crumb Cake
The ultimate breakfast cake. Enjoy this tender sour cream crumb cake heaped with sugary cinnamon streusel, straight from the New Jersey diner.
Red, White + Blue Mixed Berry Pound Cake
The only thing better than homemade, all-butter pound cake is one heaped with fresh berries for a fabulous red, white + blueberry dessert. Get the recipe.
Old-Fashioned Peanut Butter Cookies
A big batch of soft, all-American classic peanut butter cookies. Nothing fancy, just really good.
Gooey Cowboy Cookie Bars
Inspired by Laura Bush’s winning cowboy cookie recipe, this recipe for fudgy cowboy blondies with nuts, chips, and coconut takes the cake.
Martha Washington Gingerbread Cake
A historic American gingerbread layer cake recipe, updated by a pro pastry chef. A moist holiday dessert, fragrant with spices and zest.
Southern Banana Pudding Recipe (With Meringue)
This Southern banana pudding is an old-fashioned, from-scratch dessert made with creamy vanilla custard, fresh banana slices, and a fluffy meringue topping. The perfect Southern dessert. Adapted from Maya Angelou.
Best 4th of July Desserts: Pies, Cobblers, and Tarts
Nothing says classic, all-American desserts like a classic pie, summer cobbler, or patriotic tart. These desserts will be the star of any 4th of July cookout.
Southern Peach Cobbler
Peach cobbler is the perfect summer dessert: rustic, simple, and full of sweet peaches kissed lightly with cinnamon and sugar. Get the recipe.
American Flag Berry Fruit Tart
Independence Day desserts just don’t get prettier — or more delicious — than this American flag-inspired berry tart. Elegant and celebratory, all rolled into one.
Easy Blueberry Cobbler With Biscuit Topping
Juicy, cinnamon-kissed blueberries topped with a tender biscuit crust. Summer dessert perfection!
Apple Crisp With Oat Topping
An essential, easy apple crisp recipe with oatmeal topping, baked with brown sugar to fall dessert perfection. Think pie, but easier.
Homemade Caramel Apple Pie
A perfect, all-American apple pie. Cinnamon sweet, stuffed with crisp and tart apples, wrapped in an all-butter pie crust. Get the recipe.
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
- 1/2 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
- 1/2 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.
Nutrition
Disclaimer: Nutrition information is provided for courtesy purposes only, and is an estimate not verified by medical or nutrition experts. Read the full nutrition disclaimer.
18