Independence Day
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Serve up a slice of true Americana.
The Fourth of July is the perfect occasion to indulge in sweet treats that are as festive as they are delicious. With these make-ahead Fourth of July desserts, you can prepare everything in advance and enjoy the holiday with your family and friends and zero last-minute stress. Wouldn’t it be so nice to watch fireworks with everyone instead of icing a cake last minute? Well, when you whip up one of these tasty desserts ahead of time, you can do exactly that.
Think vibrant red, white, and blue trifles layered with fresh berries and creamy whipped topping that can be stored in your fridge, classic flag-themed sheet cakes that you can make an entire day in advance, or firecracker cupcakes that will keep on your countertop until the real fireworks start. Serve up a platter of sugar cookies, perfectly decorated with colorful swirls and star sprinkles, or cool everyone off with patriotic popsicles made from fresh fruit. These make-ahead desserts are designed to be prepared in advance, so you can focus on enjoying the festivities instead of worrying about what’s going on in the kitchen. When you’re ready for dessert, it’s ready for you! These sweet and festive desserts are destined to make your Fourth of July gathering unforgettable.
1Fourth of July Sugar Cookies
How fun do these Fourth of July sugar cookies from DIY Candy look? Festive red, white, and blue dough combines to give each cookie a unique swirled look. You can even make these cute cookies a couple of days ahead of the holiday as long as you store them in an airtight container until it’s time to party.
2Red, White, & Blue Cheesecake Bars
Topped with a dollop of whipped cream and a handful of star-spangled sprinkles, these red, white, and blue cheesecake bars from Inside Bru Crew Life are simply fabulous for the Fourth of July. They have an Oreo cookie crust and a cream cheese batter that’s tinted with food coloring to create the patriotic swirl. The dessert has to chill for four to six hours before serving, so it’s a no-brainer for making ahead of time.
3Buttermilk Pie
If you’ve never enjoyed a slice of buttermilk pie on a hot summer night, you’re missing out. From Simply Recipes, this buttermilk pie is topped with a gorgeous array of fresh summer berries in shades to match all of your Fourth of July decor.
4Firecracker Popsicles
There’s really nothing like a popsicle in the heat of the summer, and these firecracker popsicles from Brown Eyed Baker are a festive choice for celebrating Independence Day. The three layers are made from blueberry puree, vanilla yogurt, and strawberry puree, so they’re as yummy as they are pretty and festive.
5Red, White, & Blue Chocolate Covered Strawberries
As far as make-ahead Fourth of July desserts go, it doesn’t get much sweeter than these red, white, and blue chocolate covered strawberries from Princess Pinky Girl. Dipped in white chocolate and then rolled in patriotic sprinkles, these are just perfect for making ahead of any gathering or even just to enjoy at home on the holiday.
6American Flag Pie
When it’s the Fourth of July, but you want to serve something that will add a bit of pizazz to your dessert table, this American flag pie from I Am A Food Blog is where it’s at. There are step-by-step instructions for how to create this beautiful flag motif. Since you need the pie to cool completely in order to set up before serving, this is a great one to make early in the morning ahead of an evening event.
7Fourth Of July Sweet Charcuterie Board
How fun is this Fourth of July sweet charcuterie board from Fresh Family meals? An array of decorated cookies, snack mix in patriotic hues, an assortment of candies, strawberries, and blueberries is just such a cute and festive dessert idea.
8Firecracker Cupcakes
I need more cupcakes like these in my life. From Inside Bru Crew Life, these firecracker cupcakes are vanilla flavored with vanilla frosting, so the taste is light and simple, but they look spectacular. A red licorice “firecracker” tops off the swirled red, white, and blue cupcake topped with sprinkle-covered frosting.
9Red, White, & Blue Candy Bark
Not only can you make this beautiful red, white, and blue candy bark from DIY Candy well in advance of any Fourth of July gathering, but you can easily package it up to travel with to different events or give it as a hostess gift. It’s a sweet, crowd-pleasing, kid-friendly, and super festive dessert to celebrate the holiday.
10Red, White, & Blue Poke Cake
Boxed cake mix combines with red and blue Jell-O mix to make the festive look of this red, white, and blue poke cake from Princess Pinky Girl. Topped with white icing and a smattering of holiday-specific sprinkles, this make-ahead Fourth of July dessert is sure to please everyone.
11Flag Cake
The centerpiece of you Fourth of July dessert table? It’s this flag cake from Well Plated. You can make the sheet cake up to a day in advance, cover with cling wrap, and then ice it and add the fruit closer to time to serve so the juicy strawberries don’t bleed red into the white icing.
12Red, White, & Blue Layered Jell-O
Not only is this red, white, and blue layered Jell-O from Brown Eyed Baker a tasty treat that’s on-theme, it’s also super retro and giving major summer vibes. Can’t you just see your kids digging into a platter of this while fireworks pop in the background? Just make sure you hide it in the fridge until it’s time for them to dig in.
13Lemon Cream Berry Pie
A summery and refreshing dessert with a red, white, and blue twist, this lemon cream berry pie from Inside Bru Crew Life is a fantastic to make ahead for the Fourth of July. It’s stored in the fridge, so you can make it a day in advance absolutely no problem at all.
14Cherry Cream Cheese Pie
From DIY Candy, this cherry cream cheese pie is a twist on a traditional favorite summertime dessert. The cutout pie crust stars on top put this Fourth of July pie over-the-top.
15Fourth Of July Cake In A Jar
Alternating layers of red and blue sponge cake with ribbons of white icing in between make this Fourth of July cake in a jar from Princess Pinky Girl a festive choice for the holiday. Make them ahead of time, keep them in the fridge, and then just pop open the jars and add sprinkles when you’re ready to serve them.
16Firecracker Cake
It’s hard to go wrong with a simple vanilla bundt cake when you want to please a crowd. With this firecracker cake from Brown Eyed Baker you get a moist and flavorful cake bursting with red, white, and blue appeal, and perfect for July Fourth.
Whether you’re hosting a backyard barbecue or joining friends and neighbors for a big bash, these make-ahead Fourth of July desserts are sure to add a burst of patriotic flair to your star-spangled celebration.