A collection of the best festive Fourth of July recipes to celebrate America’s Independence Day. Appetizers, desserts, and drinks ready for a summer party or BBQ!
What do you call this holiday? I tend to say “Fourth of July” simply because if I say “Independence Day” I immediately think of the movie and want to start quoting my favorite scene.
That reminds me that I should check to see if it’s on streaming…
I wanted to share some of my Independence Day (“I could’ve been at a BBQ!”) recipe favorites that I gravitate back to, year after year. There’s plenty of red, white, and blue – but there are also some regional traditional recipes and personal favorites that might not seem to fit the Fourth of July mold.
Table of contents
Savory Recipes
Easy “Connecticut Style” Lobster Rolls
There’s no mayo in these lobster rolls – just buttery lobster meat lightly tossed with lemon juice and served on a toasted bun. A New England staple!
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Zesty Shrimp Pasta Salad with an Italian Vinaigrette
A colorful, simple pasta salad with homemade Italian vinaigrette and shrimp that’s sure to be a hit at your next summer party!
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Creamy Shrimp Pasta Salad
This shrimp pasta salad is creamy and refreshing, with fresh dill and a zesty lemon dressing. The perfect chilled summer dish to bring to a BBQ or potluck!
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Copycat Ruby Tuesday Pasta Salad
My homemade, copycat version of Ruby Tuesday’s pasta salad – rotini pasta, diced ham, peas and green pepper make for the perfect side dish for a summer party! Don’t forget to bring a pitcher of raspberry rosé sangria and the ingredients for some grilled peaches, too.
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Pesto Pasta Salad
This vibrant pesto pasta salad is coated in a bright basil pesto and loaded with fresh vegetables and crumbled cheese!
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How to Grill Corn On the Cob from Center Cut Cook
Grilled corn is one of the best things about summer! This easy recipe will guide you through how to perfectly grill corn!
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Tin Foil Sausage and Veggies Dinner from Chelsea’s Messy Apron
This tasty and simple Tin Foil Sausage and Veggies Dinner combines smoked sausage, loads of veggies, and the BEST seasoning blend!
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Dill Potato Salad with Mustard Buttermilk Dressing from Bowl of Delicious
This easy make-ahead potato salad is packed with fresh dill, dijon and whole grain mustards, and coated in creamy buttermilk dressing!
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The Best Deviled Eggs Recipe
This deviled eggs recipe is quick and easy, with variations for different flavors and presentation – and has a bit of a kick! An appetizer that will disappear first at parties, this recipe is naturally gluten free, with paleo and Instant Pot options.
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Sweet Recipes
Small Batch Strawberry Shortcakes
Strawberry shortcakes can be made from scratch in 30 minutes! Sweet biscuits are layered with juicy strawberries and homemade whipped cream for a easy to make, classic summer dessert.
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Boozy Angel Food Cupcakes with Amaretto-Soaked Strawberries
Super fluffy angel food cupcakes topped with light and boozy vodka mascarpone whipped cream and amaretto-soaked strawberries!
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Star-Spangled Cookies from Sugar Spun Run
Festive red white and blue star-spangled cookies that are perfect as a memorial day or fourth of July patriotic celebration dessert.
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Fourth of July Cheesecake Cake by Itsy Bitsy Kitchen
This Fourth of July cheesecake cake is a festive summer dessert, and is easier to make than you’d think! It’s the perfect end to your July 4th BBQ!
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Deep Dish Apple Pie
This deep dish apple pie has a flaky golden pie crust that is filled with 2" of sweetly spiced, crisp apples and optional sliced almonds and golden raisins. Great for a crowd!
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Fresh Fruit Tart with Lemon Mascarpone Cream
This fresh fruit tart is bursting with vibrant, juicy berries, lemon mascarpone cream filling and a sweet buttery crust. A beautiful spring or summer dessert!
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Grilled Peaches with Cinnamon Mascarpone Whipped Cream and Honey
A sophisticated looking summer dessert that is easy, colorful and packed with flavor! Soft, juicy grilled peaches are complemented by cinnamon mascarpone whipped cream and drizzled with raw wildflower honey.
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Strawberry Rhubarb Bars “Rhubars”
These gorgeous three layer bars are a guaranteed crowd-pleaser! A lemon cream cheese base is topped with sweet strawberry and tart rhubarb, and it's all topped with fluffy whipped cream and fresh strawberry slices.Heavily adapted from Broma Bakery
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No-Bake Berry Trifle, Strawberry Blueberry Trifle from Natasha’s Kitchen
A no-bake blueberry trifle recipe that takes just 30 min! Patriotic cake with blueberries, strawberries, angel food cake and fluffy cream. Delicious!
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The Best Mascarpone Whipped Cream Frosting Recipe
This quick and easy stabilized mascarpone whipped cream recipe is my all-time favorite, and it can be ready in 15 minutes! It's light and airy – perfect for topping cupcakes, ice cream and pies, as a dessert dip for fruit, or to just eat by the spoonful. I've also included instructions to make chocolate whipped cream! If you're ever looking for a frosting to top a dessert – this is going to become your new go-to.
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Watermelon and Blackberry Mint Fruit Salad
A wonderfully refreshing summer fruit salad with only four ingredients: watermelon, blackberries, mint and cotija cheese!
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Red, White, and Blue 4th of July Ice Cream Floats from The Butter Half
Celebrate your freedom with these red, white and blue 4th of July ice cream floats. A festive and fun way to cool off after a berry long summer day.
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2-Ingredient Pineapple Popsicles
Any day can feel like a tropical vacation with these ridiculously easy, creamy, two-ingredient pineapple popsicles!
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Easy Baked Red Velvet Donuts with Cream Cheese Frosting
Fluffy red velvet donuts are made easy with boxed cake mix and topped with tangy cream cheese frosting. Top them with red, white and blue sprinkles for a 4th of July treat!
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Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
Rich in color and flavor, these moist red velvet cupcakes are topped with a slightly sweet, tangy cream cheese frosting that's perfect for any occasion (not just Valentine's Day)!
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Blueberry Oatmeal Bars
These blueberry oatmeal bars are just the right amount of sweet with their juicy blueberry filling, soft and buttery oatmeal crust, and golden crumb topping!
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Strawberry S’mores Icebox Cake
Easy to make no bake cake with three layers of whipped cream, marshmallows and Fluff, graham crackers, sweet strawberries, and rich chocolate ganache. Perfect to make ahead for a summer party – and you can even swap homemade whipped cream for Cool Whip to make it even quicker!
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Homemade Choco Tacos Recipe
Klondike may have discontinued the Choco Taco, but this post will teach you how to make Choco Tacos at home! Grab a waffle cone maker to make waffle cone taco shells, vanilla ice cream, chocolate fudge, chocolate and peanuts. This DIY copycat Choco Taco recipe will make you the most popular stationary ice cream truck in the neighborhood serving homemade Choco Tacos.
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Easy Chocolate Covered Strawberries
You don't need a special occasion to make these chocolate covered strawberries! While they make a wonderful Valentine's Day dessert, they're quick and easy enough to make whenever the craving strikes.
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Red Velvet Cake Mix Cookies (One Bowl, No Mixer!)
You can have red velvet cookies in 20 minutes with this easy recipe that only needs four ingredients and one bowl – no mixer or chilling required! We're using boxed cake mix for the easiest red velvet cookie recipe ever.
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Chocolate Whoopie Pies
My whoopie pies have a sweet marshmallow filling sandwiched between rich chocolate cake for a classic New England dessert – but without the shortening!
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Drink Recipes
Raspberry Rosé Sangria Recipe
A simple raspberry sangria recipe that's easy to whip up for a party and refreshing to sip on a hot summer day! I've also included instructions for making a raspberry simple syrup you can use to sweeten the sangria.
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Sparkling Red White and Blue Sangria from Gimme Some Oven
This Sparkling Red, White and Blue Sangria recipe is fun, delicious, easy to make, and guaranteed to be the hit of your patriotic party!
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How to Make Homemade Lemonade from The Stay At Home Chef
Learn how to make old fashioned, freshly squeezed homemade lemonade that’ll knock your socks off! It’s super easy. We even include instructions for sugar-free lemonade, honey-based lemonade, as well as how to easily make flavored lemonades all using the same recipe.
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Frozen Strawberry Margarita Recipe
This frozen strawberry margarita recipe is quick and easy to blend up at home! No added sugar or sweeteners – just strawberries, ice, tequila, orange liqueur and lime juice.
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Strawberry Basil Margarita
Sweet and savory join forces for your new favorite summer cocktail! Basil provides an unexpected and refreshing take to the standard strawberry margarita.
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Watermelon Agua Fresca
A refreshing drink that's easy to make and only needs three ingredients! The perfect drink for a hot summer day. Non-alcoholic, dairy free, gluten free, refined-sugar free, vegan.
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Kid-Friendly Patriotic Punch from Mom Endeavors
I’m so excited to share this super fun patriotic punch with you today– perfect for your backyard holiday barbecues or pool parties this summer!!As part of a campaign with Hershey, I was sent some Twizzlers candy to get creative with! As a kid, I remember how fun we thought it was to use Twizzlers Tw…
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Lava Flow Cocktail Recipe
This lava flow recipe without banana is a blended frozen cocktail with strawberry, coconut, and pineapple flavors that are sure to transport you right to a tropical island in the sun!
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Salty Dog Cocktail Recipe
The Salty Dog is a refreshing combination of grapefruit juice and gin with a salted rim. Perfect for summer, even if you can’t get at the beach!
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Patriotic Bomb Pop Cocktails from Freutcake
Popsicle Cocktails made with patriotic Bomb Pops are the easiest last minute cockail to serve for the 4th of July or Memorial Day!
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Kelsie | the itsy-bitsy kitchen
Awww thank you so much for including my cake in this round-up! Happy early Fourth!
Leslie Haasch
My pleasure – it looks fantastic!