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Whether you’re hoping to serve something patriotic or a cold dessert, this round up has all the best 4th of July Desserts!

More Collections: 4th of July Recipes, 4th of July Side Dishes, 4th of July Drinks

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A collage of 4th of july desserts.

Our Favorite Fourth of July Desserts

There isn’t a more American dessert than a slice of classic Apple Pie Recipe with a scoop of Vanilla Ice Cream. With that said, there are so many other delicious desserts you can serve on the 4th of July to celebrate American Independence.

Enjoy the fireworks and fun with a little something sweet! Any of our 4th of July desserts are sure to hit the spot.

Why we love them:

  • Patriotic touch. The red, white, and blue theme of the desserts adds a festive and patriotic element to your Fourth of July celebration!
  • Seasonal produce. Many of the recipes feature fresh summer fruits, allowing people to enjoy the flavors of the summer season.
  • Crowd-pleasing. From classic apple pie to colorful Fruit Tarts, these July dessert recipes are sure to add to the joy of the celebration.
Slice of Patriotic Poke cake on a white plate.

Tips for Fourth of July Desserts

  • How much to make. Make enough for each guest to be able to have 1-2 servings of dessert. Also, plan to have at least 2 dessert choices for every 10 guests.
    • Once you start adding dessert choices you will only need to make sure there’s enough for people to have two dessert servings and not a piece of each dessert.
  • Keeping desserts cold when outside. Place desserts in a cooler with ice, or a block of dry ice until you’re ready to serve it.
    • Only bring out/serve what you will eat and keep the rest in a cooler until needed.
    • When placing the dessert out on a table, fill a tray/bowl with ice cubes and nestle the dessert right on top.
4th of July cookies stacked on a white plate.

Make it Festive

Though there is a list of patriotic-colored desserts, you can easily serve other desserts on or in a patriotic-themed dish to make them more festive.

  • Frosting. Food coloring can make frosting and other white-based desserts 4th of July themed.
  • Fruit. Red, white, and blue fruits provide the colors of American Independence. I often see fresh berries arranged in the shape of an American flag on top of cakes, pies, cheesecakes, or a simple Fruit Salad Recipe.
    • Red. strawberry, raspberry, red grapes, or cherries
    • White. white melon, golden honeydew, banana, sliced apple, sliced pear, or white peaches
    • Blue. Blueberries, blackberries, or dark purple grapes

Best 4th of July Desserts

Whether it’s a chilled dessert for a hot summer day or a classic American treat, there is a wide variety of options to suit different tastes and occasions.

5 from 32 votes

4th of July Poke Cake Recipe

Cool, light, and refreshing 4th of July Poke Cake is great for summer holidays! It's sure to be a tasty hit.
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4.99 from 179 votes

Dirt Cake Recipe

This deliciously addicting dirt cake recipe preps in minutes for a cool, creamy, family-favorite treat perfect for Oreo lovers!
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4.99 from 156 votes

Cream Puff Cake Recipe

Smooth + rich Cream Puff Cake is a take on the popular cream puff dessert. Drizzle it in chocolate for a perfect bite!
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5 from 97 votes

Strawberry Shortcake

Strawberry shortcake is one of the easiest desserts you'll ever make!! Just 4 ingredients and 20 minutes for a light summer dessert.
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5 from 22 votes

Fruit Pizza

Fruit pizza is an all-time favorite that starts with a sugar cookie crust and is completely customizable with your favorite fruit.
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5 from 19 votes

Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream

Fresh and creamy homemade vanilla ice cream is a simple four-ingredient dessert that is incredibly delicious!
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5 from 7 votes

Chocolate Lasagna

Chocolate lovers will swoon over the creamy and crunchy textures of this layered no bake chocolate lasagna. 
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5 from 247 votes

Oreo Ice Cream Cake Recipe

Oreo Ice Cream Cake makes for the perfect no-bake dessert during warm summer months. Best of all, it only takes 5 simple ingredients!
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4.99 from 90 votes

Banana Pudding Cake Recipe

With only 10 minutes of prep, banana pudding cake has all the flavors of banana cream pie, just in cake form. It’s sure to be a hit!
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4.94 from 74 votes

Triple Berry Pie

This easy-to-make fresh and fruity berry pie has a crumb topping for a delicious dessert that can be enjoyed all year round!
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Patriotic Desserts

Bring the stars and stripes or red, white, and blue flair with our favorite patriotic desserts! Make a patriotic Fruit Pizza with a sugar cookie crust or any of these tempting treats.

5 from 32 votes

4th of July Poke Cake Recipe

Cool, light, and refreshing 4th of July Poke Cake is great for summer holidays! It's sure to be a tasty hit.
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5 from 16 votes

Red White and Blue Cake

Make a spectacular red white and blue cake that's beautifully festive, delicious, and incredibly easy to put together!
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5 from 11 votes

American Flag Cake

Festive fruit-topped American Flag cake is a simple, light, and refreshing way to celebrate any patriotic holiday!
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5 from 16 votes

4th of July Rice Krispies Treats

Delicious, simple and quick 4th of July Rice Krispie Treats are always a hit, and are festive for any patriotic occasion.
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5 from 16 votes

4th of July Cookies

Chewy 4th of July cookies are studded with M&Ms to add a simple festive flair to your holiday celebrations!
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5 from 18 votes

Dessert Parfait Recipe

A Dessert Parfait is a creamy combination of a delicious fluffy pudding and fresh fruit. They are simply heavenly!
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5 from 11 votes

Dessert Kabobs Recipe

Dessert Kabobs are a simple and delicious way to serve several "mini" treats at once. They are perfect for parties, BBQs and every day!
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5 from 15 votes

Strawberry Shortcake Kabobs

Strawberry shortcake kabobs are a simple version of a classic. A cake mix and quick vanilla candy coating make this an extra easy treat!
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5 from 12 votes

Patriotic Trail Mix Recipe

Sweet and crunchy Patriotic Trail Mix is filled with candy coated cereal mixed with mini marshmallows, licorice and M&Ms.
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5 from 16 votes

Strawberry Icebox Cake Recipe

Strawberry Icebox Cake is simple, light, and full of fresh summer berries. It whips up in minutes and will disappear in seconds!
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5 from 12 votes

Angel Food Cupcake Recipe

Fluffy and light Angel food cupcakes are the tastiest dessert—especially with a pineapple flavored whipped topping.
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5 from 27 votes

Fruit Tart Recipe

This sweet, buttery Fruit Tart is perfect for spring and summer parties, holidays, or get-togethers. It's simple, yet beautiful!
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5 from 13 votes

Mini Fruit Tarts Recipe

Cute cream-filled Mini Fruit Tarts are a delicious and simple summer dessert! These mini treats are perfect for any get together.
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5 from 14 votes

Angel Food Cake Recipe

This tender, light as air angel food cake is a must-try! With the perfect amount of sweetness, it's perfect to enjoy all year long.
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4.96 from 122 votes

Strawberry Sheet Cake Recipe

Perfect for feeding a crowd, this Strawberry Sheet Cake made with fresh pureed strawberries is especially tasty!
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Easy 4th of July desserts

Tasty doesn’t mean difficult. We have a variety of easy dessert recipes that are simple and delicious!

4.99 from 972 votes

Easy Peach Cobbler

This easy peach cobbler recipe takes 5 minutes to prep and is buttery and delicious. It is our FAVORITE peach dessert!
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5 from 67 votes

Ice Cream Sandwich Cake Recipe

Oreo studded Ice Cream Sandwich Cake is cool, creamy, and refreshingly delicious. It is perfect for hot summer days!!
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slice of strawberry shortcake lasagna on white plate
5 from 11 votes

No Bake Strawberry Shortcake Recipe

NO-BAKE Strawberry Shortcake has layers of cream filled cookies, vanilla pudding, and strawberries. It's the perfect cool dessert!
4.98 from 494 votes

Peach Dump Cake Recipe

Three ingredient peach dump cake is quick, simple, and utterly tasty. It is warm, gooey, and perfectly peachy!!
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5 from 17 votes

Blueberry Dump Cake

3 ingredient blueberry dump cake has a buttery topping and a bright fruit filling. Just dump, bake, and serve with vanilla ice cream!
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4.94 from 81 votes

Nilla Wafer Banana Pudding

Layered Nilla Wafer banana pudding steals the show with its light banana flavor and contrasting creamy and crunchy textures!
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5 from 27 votes

Easy Tres Leches Cake

This easy tres leches cake uses a tasty shortcut (a cake mix!) to create one delicious, chilled dessert that feeds around 20 people!
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5 from 4 votes

Cherry Dump Cake Recipe

Studded with pops of fruit and crunchy walnuts, this cherry dump cake recipe is a perfect last-minute dessert!
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5 from 87 votes

Strawberry Shortcake Poke Cake Recipe

This Strawberry Shortcake Poke Cake is the perfect cool and refreshing dessert. Yellow cake with strawberry gelatin poked throughout, topped with a delicious whipped topping and fresh strawberries.
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4.86 from 14 votes

No-Bake Cheesecake Bars Recipe

No-Bake Cheesecake Bars are just the right amount of sweet, with a buttery graham cracker crust. Top them however you like—fruit, chocolate sauce, or caramel and sea salt!
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5 from 38 votes

Chocolate Sheet Cake

Our best-loved chocolate sheet cake topped with chocolate buttercream is simply delicious and feeds a crowd!
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5 from 15 votes

Frozen Strawberry Dessert Recipe

Frozen Strawberry Dessert is cool, creamy, and delicious. Topped with whipped cream and fresh strawberries, it's the perfect summery treat!
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5 from 37 votes

Dole Whip Recipe

Make Disney's Dole Whip recipe from home with only 3 ingredients! It's cool, creamy, and filled with refreshing pineapple flavor.
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5 from 11 votes

Blackberry Cobbler Recipe

Sugary crusted Blackberry Cobbler is sweet & irresistible, especially when served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Enjoy all year long!
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5 from 7 votes

Frozen Peanut Butter Pie Recipe

Frozen Peanut Butter Pie consists of a graham cracker pretzel crust, frozen peanut butter filling, and a chocolate, pretzel, peanut butter cup topping.
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5 from 17 votes

Butterfinger Pie

Indulge in this unbelievably delicious Butterfinger pie with an Oreo crust and homemade Butterfinger ice cream filling!
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5 from 28 votes

Lemon Icebox Pie

Deliciously creamy and tangy lemon icebox pie is a classic chilled Southern dessert that's perfect for summer!
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5 from 16 votes

Angel Food Ice Cream Cake Recipe

Angel Food Ice Cream Cake is creamy, light, & refreshing, made from layers of angel food cake and your favorite ice cream flavor. A scrumptious treat, chilled to frozen dessert perfection!
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4.98 from 46 votes

Chocolate Delight Recipe

Our chocolate delight recipe features a shortcut cookie crust, creamy pudding, and tangy cream cheese for a delightful layered favorite!
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5 from 3 votes

Oreo Pie Recipe

No-bake Oreo pie is a quick and easy dessert perfect for any time of the year. It comes together in 15 minutes!!
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5 from 68 votes

Strawberry Shortcake Trifle Recipe

Light and fresh Strawberry Shortcake Trifle takes minutes to assemble, which makes it great for entertaining!
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More Fourth of July Desserts

Whip up a layered jello Pretzel Salad or keep it simple with a banana split covered in Hot Fudge Sauce. We love sweets so much the list goes on!

4.34 from 3 votes

Root Beer Float Ice Cream Cake Recipe

Root Beer Float Ice Cream Cake is just like a cold and frosty mug of root beer and ice cream, only in cake form!!
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4.82 from 11 votes

Strawberry Pie Recipe

Strawberry Pie is the perfect springtime dessert! Fresh strawberries piled high, coated in strawberry jello, and placed in a buttery crust.
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4.99 from 81 votes

Apple Pie Recipe

With a flaky, buttery crust made from scratch, and a gooey, sweet filling, this BEST apple pie recipe will not disappoint!
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5 from 16 votes

Cherry Pie

Classic cherry pie is simple and elegant, but it tastes amazing. With fresh berries and a flaky crust, it's perfect for any occasion!
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4.97 from 161 votes

Lemon Lasagna Recipe

This luscious Lemon Lush consists of 4 tasty layers, including a Lemon Oreo crust, cream cheese layer, lemon pudding layer and topped with whipped cream! 
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5 from 16 votes

Blueberry Delight Recipe

This Blueberry delight recipe is a chilled layered dessert of shortbread, cream cheese, and sweet blueberry topping, all prepped in only 15 minutes!
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4.98 from 70 votes

Strawberry Shortcake Bars

Chilled strawberry shortcake bars are a light and easy twist on a classic dessert with simple steps and lots of fresh berry flavor.
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5 from 3 votes

Lemon Meringue Pie Recipe

Bright and citrusy lemon meringue pie is a classic! With a creamy custard and spongy meringue, it is also a family favorite.
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4.94 from 96 votes

Homemade Pineapple Upside Down Cake

Our homemade pineapple upside down cake is a family favorite with a secret ingredient that takes this classic to a whole new level!
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4.87 from 61 votes

Lemon Sheet Cake Recipe

Bright Lemon Sheet Cake with creamy lemon buttercream frosting is a sunny dessert perfect for feeding a crowd!
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4.98 from 47 votes

Cherry Bars

With a hint of almond, a heavenly glaze, and bursts of sweet cherries, these quick cherry bars are the sweetest way to treat a crowd!
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4.90 from 28 votes

Sugar Cookie Bars

Frosted sugar cookie bars are one of everyone's favorite cookies in bar form! They're ready in 30 minutes, and perfect for sharing.
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4.97 from 55 votes

Cheesecake Cupcakes

Bite-size cheesecake cupcakes are a simple 6-ingredient cheesecake treat. Top with cherry pie filling, or any other topping you like!
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5 from 6 votes

Blueberry Pie Recipe

Fresh homemade blueberry pie is sweet, tart, and bursting with juicy berries. It's a favorite summer treat!
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4.96 from 73 votes

Lemon Cake Mix Cookies

Melt-in-your-mouth lemon cake mix cookies are a simple cookie and summer favorite. With few ingredients, they mix up in minutes!
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5 from 52 votes

Key Lime Pie Bars

Key lime pie bars are a favorite dessert in a bar – a buttery graham cracker crust and a tart and creamy lime filling!!
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5 from 52 votes

Pineapple Upside Down Cupcakes Recipe

A fun twist on the classic cake recipe, these pineapple upside down cupcakes have the perfect hint of pineapple flavor!
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4.93 from 27 votes

Homemade Strawberry Cake

Homemade strawberry cake elevates a box cake mix with fresh berries and flavor all topped with a fresh strawberry buttercream!
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4.99 from 142 votes

Lemon Bar Recipe

These classic Lemon Bars are simple, delicious, and sweet, with just the right amount of tart! Add a bit of powdered sugar, and these easy lemon bars are irresistible!
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Super easy key lime cake is bursting with fresh lime flavor and topped with whipped cream. It's a delicious summer cake recipe, and if you love key lime pie - then definitely give this recipe a try. 
4.94 from 45 votes

Key Lime Cake Recipe

Easy Key Lime Cake is bursting with fresh lime flavor & topped with whipped cream. A yummy twist on a key lime pie!
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4.91 from 10 votes

Fresh Peach Cobbler

Vibrant fresh peach cobbler served with vanilla ice cream is one of our most popular treats. It's the perfect simple summertime dessert.
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5 from 9 votes

Orange Brownie Recipe

Soft orange brownies are bright and delicious. They are topped with a citrus glaze, for orange-flavored perfection
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4.92 from 23 votes

Peach Bars Recipe

Peach Crumb Bars are one of our favorite summer treats! They're made from a buttery crust layered with juicy peaches and a crumbly topping.
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4.92 from 49 votes

White Chocolate Lasagna Recipe

Layers of Golden Oreos, cream cheese, pudding, whipped cream and white chocolate curls make up this DELICIOUS White Chocolate Lasagna that is a hit at every function.
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5 from 12 votes

Angel Food Cupcake Recipe

Fluffy and light Angel food cupcakes are the tastiest dessert—especially with a pineapple flavored whipped topping.
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5 from 10 votes

Sheet Cake Bites Recipe

Sheet Cake Bites – delicious chocolate sheet cake topped with a yummy homemade chocolate walnut frosting – in bite sized form!
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A Festive Dessert!

Cool, light, and refreshing 4th of July Poke Cake is great for summer holidays! It’s simple, festive and delicious!

Because we love Jello Poke Cake so much, we knew we wanted to make a patriotic version for some of our favorite holidays.

Here is the recipe:

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70+ 4th of July Desserts

By: Lil’ Luna
Whether you're hoping to serve something patriotic or a cold dessert, this round up has all the best 4th of July Desserts!
Servings: 9
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 27 minutes
Chill: 3 hours 15 minutes
Total: 3 hours 57 minutes

Ingredients 

  • 1 box White Cake Mix, plus ingredients on the back of the box
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 (3-ounce) box Cherry Jell-O
  • 1 (3-ounce) box Berry Blue Jell-O
  • 2 cups boiling water
  • 2 cups water, cold
  • 1 tub cool whip, large

Instructions 

  • Prepare box cake mix batter as directed on box. Pour into greased 9-inch round pans. Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake 27-30 minutes, remove from oven and let cook for 15 minutes.
  • Using the end of a fork, poke cake every ½ inch, over both cake rounds.
  • Bring to boil 1 cup of water in small pot. Pour cherry Jell-o in water, stir until Jell-o is dissolved. Add 1 cup cold water, and mix well. Spoon liquid over cake
    Chill for 3-4 hours.
  • Repeat process with the berry blue Jell-O.
    Bring to boil 1 cup of water in small pot. Pour blue Jell-o in water, stir until Jell-o is dissolved. Add 1 cup cold water, and mix well. Spoon liquid over cake
    Chill for 3-4 hours.
  • Remove cakes from refrigerator. To get the cake out, turn pans over, then place on cake stand. Place blue layer down first, spread with whip cream, then place red cake on top, and top with cool whip. Chill until set.
    Optional- top with red and blue sprinkles.

Nutrition

Calories: 342kcal, Carbohydrates: 70g, Protein: 5g, Fat: 5g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Trans Fat: 0.2g, Cholesterol: 1mg, Sodium: 511mg, Potassium: 62mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 46g, Vitamin A: 19IU, Calcium: 148mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.


Delicious Desserts for the 4th!

We hope you’ll love this list of delicious desserts for the 4th of July as much as we do and they are sure to make your holiday get-together extra special!

More Collections: Spring Desserts, Summer Desserts, Dessert Bar Recipes

About Kristyn

Kristyn Merkley is a published cookbook author, wife, mom of six, and major food enthusiast! For the past 15 years, she has been sharing foolproof, family-friendly recipes—each one tested in her kitchen—that anyone can master. As a seasoned recipe creator, she loves making cooking simple, stress-free, and totally doable for everyone!

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2 Comments

  1. Beth says:

    Hi Kristyn!
    First of all, love all of your recipes!
    I was looking for some 4th of July dessert images to use for a fb post and came across one that appears to be an Angel food cake, sliced into 3 layers with whipped cream and berries. It lead me to this vault of glorious desserts, yet it isn’t on the list of 50+ desserts. Is it literally just your Angel food cake recipe listed, but prepared/decorated differently? Thanks in advance!

    1. Lil'Luna Team says:

      I think it may be! We have been updating a lot of our posts, so it could have been an old photo of the recipe and when we reshot the recipe, we updated it with new photos.