It is officially summer, and we just love summertime picnics and the 4th of July. Independence Day is just around the corner, so we thought we’d help you out with the desserts on your patriotic menu with a few red, white, and blue recipes that are sure to satisfy the sweet tooth and please a crowd. From easy, peasy poke cakes to healthy popsicles, we’ve got ideas to cover everything. Just take a look and head to the kitchen. Oh, and don’t forget to check out our new recipe sheets, perfect for organizing these recipes and more!
4th of July No Bake Cheesecake
Who doesn’t love cheesecake? It’s a favorite treat for a lot of people, and with things heating up around the 4th of July, we thought a no bake cheesecake should make an appearance on this list. It’s fun, festive, and delicious.
Ingredients:
- 5 cups of graham cracker crumbs
- 3 Tbsp of milk
- 16 oz. of cream cheese, softened
- ½ cup of powdered sugar
- 2 tsp of vanilla extract
- 8 oz. of whipped topping
- Funfetti sprinkles
Directions:
- Lightly spray an 8” round springform pan or pie pan with cooking spray.
- Place graham crackers in a food processor and process until fine. Add milk and process until it starts to come together. Scrape the cracker mixture into the prepared pan and pat onto the bottom.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine cream cheese and vanilla until smooth. Add sugar and mix well. Fold in the whipped topped with a spatula. Do not overmix.
- Spread the mixture over the crust and sprinkle with funfetti and swirl it into the cheesecake with a knife.
- Place the cheesecake in the fridge and let it set for at least 4 hours, but preferably overnight.
- Spread a thin layer of whipped topping over the cheesecake and sprinkle with funfetti. Pipe decorations around the edge of the cheesecake, then slice and serve.
Star-Spangled Red, White and Blue Slab Pie
Who doesn’t love pie for the holidays? Independence Day doesn’t have to be any different, especially with this no hassle, berry filled slab pie.
Ingredients:
- 3 crusts from 2 boxes of refrigerated Pillsbury Pie Crusts, softened per the directions on the box
- ¼ cup of sugar
- 2 packages (8 oz. each) of cream cheese, softened
- 2 containers (6 oz. each) of Yoplait original lemon burst yogurt
- Juice and grated peel of 1 lemon (3 Tbsp of juice and 1 tsp of peel)
- 6 cups of assorted berries (sliced strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries)
- 1 cup of strawberry glaze
Directions:
- Heat the oven to 450 Unroll two of the pie crusts from the box and stack lightly on a floured surface. Roll into a 17x12 inch rectangle. Fit the crusts into an ungreased 15x10x1 inch pan and press into the corners. Fold crust even with the edges of the pan. Prick the crusts several times with a fork.
- Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
- While crust is baking, remove another pie crust from the box and unroll onto a lightly floured surface. Cut stars using a 1-2-inch cookie cutter. Place one inch apart on a large ungreased cookie sheet. Brush with water and sprinkle with one tablespoon of sugar.
- Bake stars 5 to 7 minutes or until golden brown. Cool one minute on a cookie sheet and then move to a cooling rack to cool completely, about 15 minutes.
- In a medium bowl, beat remaining 3 tablespoons of sugar, cream cheese, yogurt, lemon juice, and lemon peel with an electric mixer on high speed until it is creamy and smooth. Spread evenly into the crust lined pan and refrigerate about 30 minutes or until chilled.
- In a large bowl, mix berries and glaze until well blended. Spoon berry mixture evenly onto cream cheese mixture. Place pie crust stars on top of the berries and serve.
Red White and Blueberry Popsicles
There’s nothing quite like berries and yogurt frozen into the perfect holiday treat. These popsicles aren’t just patriotic, they’re delicious too!
Ingredients:
- 1 heaping cup of raspberries
- 1 cup of blueberries
- 1 cup of vanilla flavored Greek yogurt
Directions:
- Using a small food process or blender, puree the raspberries until they are smooth then set aside. Do the same with the blueberries.
- Put the yogurt and each of the berry purees in small measuring cups with spouts. The goal is to thin them just a bit so they are pourable. Use water to do this. Keep the cups chilling in the refrigerator when you are not using them.
- To layer the popsicles, start by pouring a little of the blueberry in the bottom of each mold. Put the mold in the freezer and freeze until firm, about an hour.
- Layer a little bit of yogurt into each mold for the next stripe. Insert the popsicle sticks all the way into the frozen layer a little bit so they will stand straight. Put them back into the freezer until solid.
- Next comes the raspberry stripe, then yogurt, then raspberry, and so on until the molds are filled. Be sure to freeze each stripe until solid before adding the next.
- Once filled and completely solid, you can unmold your pops. Fill the sink full of hot water and immerse the mold just to the lip being careful not to let any water splash onto the top. Hold for a few seconds and try to pull the popsicles out. If they don’t easily slide out, immerse again for a few seconds. Keep the popsicles in the mold until you are ready to serve.
4th of July Jello Cups
Gelatin, cool whip, and berries are a classic summer treat. With berries in season, this red, white, and blue dessert will be even tastier than usual, and decorative for your holiday table!
Ingredients:
- Strawberry or cherry Jello
- Berry Blue Jello
- Water
- Cool whip
- Blueberries
- Strawberries, chopped
Directions:
Prepare the Jello according to the package instructions. Fill the cups halfway full with Jello. Add strawberries or blueberries to the Jello. Place them in the fridge to set. Top with whipped cream and fresh strawberries or blueberries.
Patriotic Poke Cake
Poke cake is perfect for any occasion and for the 4th of July it is an easy crowd pleaser. When it comes to red, white, and blue desserts, this one couldn’t be any easier or tastier.
Ingredients:
- 25 oz. package of white cake mix, prepared according to the package instructions
- 3 oz. package of strawberry gelatin
- 3 oz. package of berry blue gelatin
- 2 cups of boiling water, for gelatin
- 2 – 8 oz. packages of cream cheese
- ½ cup powdered sugar, divided
- 2 Tbsp of milk
- 8 oz. of whipped topping
- 1 quart of strawberries, chopped
- 2 cups of blueberries
Directions:
- Bake cake in a 13x9 pan according to the package instructions. Allow to cool.
- Using a fork, poke holes in the top of the cake.
- Mix together the blue and red gelatin each with one cup of boiling water until dissolved. Spoon each color over the cake making sure to pour over the holes. The best way is to make a row of blue, a row of red, and alternate so you get a good mix of blue and red in the cake. Spoon over each row 2-3 times for good coverage.
- Next, mix together the cream cheese and powdered sugar with 2 Tablespoons of milk. Mix in the whipped topping.
- Spread out cream cheese mixture over the cake.
- Top with rows of strawberries and blueberries for the 4th of July.
- Chill for 4 hours before serving.
Now that you’ve got a whole stack of red, white, and blue recipes that are perfect for the 4th of July, be sure to organize them in one of our recipe organizers, including our new recipe sheets!