36 Patriotic Desserts for Sweet Slice of Americana
They're perfect for a patriotic celebration.
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Besides being the best season for grilling, summer is also a great time to embrace your patriotic pride. After all, there are tons of all-American holidays, like Memorial Day, Flag Day, the 4th of July and Labor Day, that will get you excited to break out the stars and stripes. And while you can break out the patriotic clothing, a sweeter way to show off your American spirit is with a table full of summer's most festive red, white, and blue desserts!
One of the best ways to incorporate red, white, and blue into your dessert spread is by using lots of fresh berries: blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, cherries, and raspberries are all good contenders for a summer dessert. Here, you'll find tons of ways to use them! Try your hand at an all-American strawberry pie or whip up Ree Drummond's easy-peasy blackberry cobbler. There's also berry-packed cakes made from scratch, grab-and-go bars, and even frozen desserts to help everyone beat the summer heat at the BBQ.
Or, you can get creative with decorating by using red, white, and blue sprinkles and different frostings. Just take Ree's July 4th ice cream sandwiches for example: This simple dessert gets a patriotic makeover from colorful sprinkles. Her flag cake may just be the most festive dessert of all, though. The red velvet cake is topped with cream cheese frosting and lots of sprinkles that take the shape of stars and stripes. Just don’t be surprised if these treats shine brighter than the fireworks show!
Red, White, and Blue Trifle
This festive berry trifle is easy to assemble. Just grab a pound cake from your grocery store, whip together the fluffy whipped cream mixture, slice your berries, and get to layering. It's ready in 30 minutes.
Get the Red, White, and Blue Trifle recipe.
4th of July Pie
Not only do you get stars and stripes, but you get red and blue fillings, too. The stars top a blueberry filling and the stripes top a raspberry-plum filling. Want more white? Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream!
Get the 4th of July Pie recipe.
Red, White, and Blue Berry Dessert
Get a double dose of color in the stripes from both Jell-O and fresh berries. In between, you'll find slices of store-bought pound cake and sweetened cream cheese.
American Flag Cake
This grand ol' sheet cake looks impressive, but it's surprisingly easy. Just grab some parchment paper, a ruler, and pencil to create the perfect red and white stripes.
Get Ree's American Flag Cake recipe.
Berry Chantilly Cake
Skip Whole Foods and make a cake just like their bestseller all on your own! Fresh berries add a pop of color between the layers of fluffy cake and mascarpone filling.
Get the Berry Chantilly Cake recipe.
July 4th Ice Cream Sandwiches
Turn ice cream sandwiches into a festive treat by coating the simple sugar cookies with red, white, and blue sprinkles. Using store-bought vanilla ice cream makes it even easier.
Get Ree's July 4th Ice Cream Sandwiches recipe.
Strawberry Shortcakes
Skip the store-bought shortcakes and make these piled-high beauties. The buttery shortcakes are made like drop biscuits so they're super simple. Then, they get stacked with clouds of whipped cream and juicy strawberries.
Get the Strawberry Shortcakes recipe.
White Chocolate Croissant Bread Pudding
This over-the-top treat combines decadent white chocolate custard, red and blue berries, toasted almonds, and buttery croissants. You can also top it off with whipped cream for even more sweetness.
4th of July Cake
Desserts don't come any more patriotic than this American flag cake. It's topped with cream cheese icing and tons of fresh raspberries and blueberries. Plus, it feeds a big crowd—up to 36 people!
Get the 4th of July Cake recipe.
Red Velvet Sandwich Cookies
Red velvet is an all-American dessert, and the contrast between the bright red cake and white cream cheese filling makes it perfect for a patriotic celebration. Want blue? Just roll the sides in colorful sprinkles!
Get Ree's Red Velvet Sandwich Cookies recipe.
Strawberry Pavlova
Pile bright red berries on a fluffy white cloud of meringue for a stunning but surprisingly easy dessert. If you feel like you need a pop of blue, simply add blueberries to the mixture on top.
Get the Strawberry Pavlova recipe.
Jell-O Cake
Poke cakes are so easy to make and quintessentially American. When you make it with raspberry Jell-O and top with white chocolate whipped cream, it's a perfect combo of colors, too.
Get the Jell-O Cake recipe.
Red, White and Blue Strawberries
Red seasonal strawberries are great on their own. But you can add a dip of Americana and extra sweetness with white chocolate and blue candy coatings. Add sprinkles for good measure.
Blueberry Cheesecake
This cool and creamy dessert is studded with fresh blueberries for a burst of fruitiness in every bite. As if it could get any better, the cheesecake is topped with the most heavenly blueberry sauce just before it's served.
Get the Blueberry Cheesecake recipe.
Strawberry Delight
This potluck favorite is a playful twist on the red and white stripes. Under the layer of glossy red strawberry topping is a layer of sweetened cream cheese filling on top of a graham cracker crust.
Get the Strawberry Delight recipe.
Fruit Pizza
Grab a sweet slice of pizza! It has a sugar cookie crust and marshmallow frosting to start, then it's topped with fresh fruit to finish. You can stick with raspberries, strawberries, and blueberries to keep it on theme.
Get Ree's Fruit Pizza recipe.
Strawberry Icebox Cake
When it's too hot to turn on the oven, this strawberry icebox cake is there to save the day. This no-bake dessert is stacked with graham crackers, a fluffy cream cheese mixture, and fresh strawberries. It's the ultimate crowd pleaser.
Get the Strawberry Icebox Cake recipe.
Blueberry Upside-Down Cake
The summer stunner is perfectly patriotic! If you anticipate having leftovers, keep the whipped cream separate and just spoon a dollop over each slice.
Get Ree's Blueberry Upside-Down Cake recipe.
Double Cherry-Almond Slab Pie
Slab pies are a host's secret weapon, because they're so easy to slice and serve. Luscious almond paste and crunchy almonds are strewn throughout the cherry filling and then pieces of pie get drizzled with an almond-kissed glaze for the perfect finishing touch.
Get the Double Cherry-Almond Slab Pie recipe.
Strawberry and Cream Sheet Cake
If you love the idea of a sheet cake but don't want to get too literal with a flag cake, try this berry flavorful idea! It's got strawberries both in the batter and sprinkled on top.
Get Ree's Strawberry and Cream Sheet Cake recipe.
Grilled Corn and Avocado Salad
Cookout Sides Beyond Potato Salad and Coleslaw
Chipotle Black Bean Veggie Burgers
Blackberry Cheesecake Bars
