4th of July Dessert Recipes

Family favorite for 4th of July barbecues. The combination of fresh berries and creamy vanilla pudding mix makes for a wonderful refreshing dessert.

Blackberry pie recipe using ready-made pie crust and fresh blackberries.

These are wonderful, chewy 'brownies' except that they are made with oatmeal instead of chocolate. Add your favorites (nuts, chocolate chips, chocolate candies, toffee chips) and create a truly delicious snack.

These hand pies, also known as turnovers, look too perfect to be homemade. Any of your favorite pie fillings, both sweet and savory, will work. I hope you give this easy technique a try soon. Enjoy!

I live in Florida and have access to strawberries for a few months at a time. Many of my friends and neighbors can't wait until I start preparing this cake.

An easy, quick, and pretty dessert to make for family or guests. This makes a fitting patriotic dish for picnics.

This is a summertime tradition in my family, and we have NEVER tasted, (or even seen), a strawberry pie like it! You will LOVE this. 'The Old Boy' is my dad, but my mom remembers her grandmother making a pie like this when she was young.

Many people consider this type of strawberry ice cream recipe a 'hack' or a 'cheat' because we're skipping the more time-consuming and sometimes temperamental egg-custard step; but even if I didn't want to save time I'd still prefer this method. To be clear, I'm only speaking about this specific flavor of ice cream. For deep, dark chocolate, or butter pecan, I'll take the classic French-style every time. But, for sweet, juicy strawberries, I'm not a big fan of the egginess you get with the traditional method.

Acini di pepe is the Italian word for peppercorns. Any tiny round-shaped pasta works well in this chilled fruit salad. Great in the summer, but my family asks for it every holiday. Every time I bring this to a party I get requests for the recipe.

A frozen strawberry treat you can't put down, but is a little messy to make.

This is a refreshing, light dessert; a nice treat for St. Patrick's Day or any special occasion. My husband and son will eat a whole 9x13-inch dish in less than a week!

This free-form strawberry tart in a buttercrust pastry is thickly glazed and beautiful. You can use a tart pan, but going free-form is kind of fun. Be sure to use perfectly ripe, sweet strawberries.

Simple and wholesome popsicles. My mom used to help us make these when we were kids and I still enjoy them years later. Use honey as an alternate sweetener, and blend the fruit to be either chunky or smooth.

American-style ice cream uses no eggs, but this is the French style--with eggs! It's rich and creamy and, although traditionally served soft in cones, I prefer to freeze it firm then scoop it.

This salad is so easy to make and every time I take it to a potluck I get asked for the recipe!

I found this recipe in a newspaper clipping that my mother saved dated June 10, 1933. A light and fruity sherbet made with orange, lemon, and pineapple juices.

Serve with whipped cream on top.

The delicious combination of chocolate and cherry cheesecake swirled up into a brownie that your family and friends will love, and they can be made gluten-free to boot! Serve them warm or cold and store leftovers in the refrigerator.

YUMMY--uses fresh cherries!

This pie has a delicious twist. I no longer make regular strawberry pie because this one is so good.

Serve warm with whipped cream, whipped topping, or vanilla ice cream!

Reminds me of the first days of summer, picking strawberries with my mom, and getting ready for the 4th of July.

This is the best homemade vanilla ice cream I've ever had. The honey and brown sugar give it a rich, buttery taste that can't be beat.

A great party pie! Top with M&Ms®, sprinkles, toasted coconut, or chocolate shavings before serving.