Food & Cooking Recipes Dessert & Treats Recipes 29 Red, White, and Blue Desserts for a Patriotic Celebration Bursting with beautiful summer berries, any of these cakes, cookies, pies, and popsicles will make for a sweet ending at your next patriotic cookout. By Kelly Vaughan Kelly Vaughan Kelly is a former associate digital food editor for MarthaStewart.com. Editorial Guidelines Updated on March 8, 2021 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Every party needs a sweet ending, and these red, white, and, blue desserts are perfect for Memorial Day and Fourth of July festivities. While there's nothing more American than apple pie, we encourage you to lead with more color: Consider making our Fourth of July Summer Berry Pies, which fit the summer party menu much better (and put those flag shades on full display). Using a star-shaped mini cookie cutter will provide a peek of the juicy fruits inside, while giving a nod to Independence Day. Of course, pie isn't your only option. Looking to whip up a more inventive dessert that will impress at your barbecue? Try preparing a meringue in place of a traditional pastry and make a pavlova. Our flag-inspired berry cheesecake is another contender—but if you need something more refreshing on a hot spring or summer day, you can't beat our make-ahead Red, White, and Blueberry Pops or Firecracker Ice Pops. The easiest (at least in terms of serving), most crowd-pleasing option, however, is pictured here: Our Pull-Apart Vanilla-Wafer Cupcakes with Berries are festive, delicious, and make serving dessert a breeze. If the pomp of parades and picnics isn't enough, the variety of tarts, cookies, cupcakes, pies, and pops in our collection will give you a reason to celebrate this Memorial Day or Fourth of July. 33 Memorial Day Recipes for Your Holiday Cookout 01 of 29 Fireworks Cookies The patriotic icing on these buttery sugar cookies will garner oohs and ahhs from your entire family. View Recipe 02 of 29 Red, White, and Blue Berry Trifle Light up your cookout with this make-ahead showstopper! Raspberry-soaked ladyfingers, mascarpone whipped cream, and fresh blueberries form the red, white, and blue layers. View Recipe 03 of 29 Star Tart Aaron Dyer With the right arrangement of berries, a classic fruit tart becomes perfectly patriotic. All you need for the base is a simple crust and no-fuss pastry cream. View Recipe 04 of 29 Star-Spangled Ice Cream Sandwiches Kate Sears A delicious hybrid of three classic desserts—cake, ice cream, and ice-cream sandwiches—these patriotic treats will go fast. They're made with two layers of an easy sheet cake plus store-bought vanilla ice cream and raspberry sorbet. View Recipe 05 of 29 Wavy Flag Cake Aaron Dyer This striped wonder layers moist buttermilk cake with fresh strawberries and blueberries (amped up with their respective jams) and rich buttercream frosting. Crown it with our Fourth of July Flag Toppers, and it'll be as beautiful on the outside as it is on the inside. View Recipe 06 of 29 No-Cook Red, White, and Blue Cheesecake Andrew Purcell Make-ahead and oven-free? Sign us up! The buttery graham cracker crust with a heavenly cream cheese and Greek yogurt filling only need a night to firm up in the fridge. Scatter with lightly sugared berries before serving. View Recipe 07 of 29 Filled Fourth of July Strawberries Julia Gartland Here's a berry fun dessert that the whole family can help with! Your patriotic spirit will be as bright as these bite-sized beauties. View Recipe 08 of 29 Red, White, and Blueberry Pops You can't go wrong with popsicles at a cookout, especially if they're as festive as these strawberry-yogurt-blueberry hybrids. View Recipe 09 of 29 Fourth of July Summer Berry Pies Raymond Hom Pie makes every party better, and a Fourth of July barbecue is no exception. Make these individual star-and-stripe-studded beauties so your guests can each have their very own pie. View Recipe 10 of 29 Summer Shortcake Yunhee Kim Take shortcake to the next level with star cutouts, macerated berries, and vanilla whipped cream. It's the perfect Memorial Day dessert. View Recipe 11 of 29 Red, White, and Blue Parfaits Alternate red currant gelatin and creamy white panna cotta, then top with fresh blueberries for an elegant Independence Day dessert. View Recipe 12 of 29 Double-Crust Berry Free-Form Pie Randy Harris Twice the size of the average pie, this rustic dessert boasts sweet and tart berries, plus a buttery crust in every bite. View Recipe 13 of 29 Firecracker Ice Pops Strawberries, yogurt, and blueberries make simply dynamite popsicles that are equally popular with kids and adults. View Recipe 14 of 29 Fruited-Cheesecake Flag Make this berry-spangled cheesecake banner the night before the party, and it will cement your reputation as the ultimate Independence Day host. View Recipe 15 of 29 Coconut Cake with Berries and Cream Johnny Miller Our version of tres leches soaks coconut-studded cake in condensed milk, heavy cream, and coconut milk. Serve with whipped cream and mixed berries to get the red, white, and blue effect. View Recipe 16 of 29 Red, White, and Blue Stars Your guests will be thanking their lucky stars once they taste these buttery cookies that sandwich sweet-tart raspberry and blueberry jam. View Recipe 17 of 29 Flag Berry Tarts GENTL & HYERS Transform three crème fraîche tarts into a grand old flag by topping them with blueberries, red raspberries, and golden raspberries disguised under a snowy blanket of confectioners sugar. View Recipe 18 of 29 Pretzel Sparklers Put on a show with a display of these pretzels dipped in chocolate and red, white, and blue sprinkles. Sweet, salty, and festive! Get the Pretzel Sparklers Recipe 19 of 29 Mixed Berry Trifle Pastry cream, mixed berries, maple syrup-brushed brioche, and whipped cream team up for one decadent trifle. Be sure to show off the layers in a glass bowl. View Recipe 20 of 29 Macerated Berry Topping Marcus Nilsson Combine mixed berries and sugar to create a vibrant, juicy sauce that's perfect over ice cream. It also makes a great topping for pancakes if you're hosting a Fourth of July brunch. View Recipe 21 of 29 Cornmeal-Berry Sheet Cake Marcus Nilsson Want an easy, delicious way to feed a distanced-group? Cue the sheet cake! Cornmeal gives this one great texture, and a hefty dose of colorful summer berries makes it Fourth of July-appropriate. Serve with plenty of whipped cream. View Recipe 22 of 29 Berry "Pizza" There's no reason why your Independence Day barbecue can't coincide with pizza night. This healthy dessert tops crisp tortillas with creamy ricotta cheese, raspberry jam, and artfully arranged berries. View Recipe 23 of 29 Vanilla-Raspberry Sundaes Behold: functional spoons made out of cookies! They're an ingenious way to eat these creamy, fruity sundaes. Use store-bought vanilla ice cream and raspberry sorbet if you're pressed for time. View Recipe 24 of 29 Pavlova with Raspberry Curd and Berries Crisp on the outside and ethereally fluffy on the inside, this meringue-based dessert is a delectable way to end your Fourth of July meal. Serve with whipped cream, mixed berries, and a pool of homemade raspberry curd. View Recipe 25 of 29 Red, White, and Blueberry Cheesecake Tart The deliciousness is in the details of this cheesecake: almonds in the traditional graham-cracker crust, tangy sour cream swirled into the cream cheese filling, and a red plum compote and fresh blueberry topping. As an added bonus, this dessert can be made up to a day in advance. View Recipe 26 of 29 Red, White, and Blueberry Trifle Store-bought pound cake will be unrecognizable after you brush it with lemon syrup and layer it with whipped cream cheese and seasonal berries. View Recipe 27 of 29 Berries and Cream Tartlets Everyone will love these adorable individual fruit tarts for Memorial Day. Brush the fresh berries with warm apricot jam to give them that glossy, bakery-worthy look. View Recipe 28 of 29 Mixed Berry Salad with Mint Amp up seasonal berries with a touch of Grand Marnier and sugar, add fresh mint, and enjoy! View Recipe 29 of 29 Bourbon-and-Brown-Sugar Cake with Berries Kate Mathis Adults will love the smoky sweet flavor of bourbon in this cake (though the alcohol cooks off while cooking so it's totally kid-friendly). A scatter of fresh raspberries and blueberries are sweet way to show off your American pride. View Recipe Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit