Easy Fourth of July Recipes

Find delicious, family-friendly, and easy Fourth of July recipes to share with the kids, including no-bake options, slow cooker mains, burgers, popsicles, fruit options, patriotic favorites, and more!

Whether for a potluck, neighborhood party, cookout, barbecue, or a dinner with your own family, these desserts and main dishes are so fun for the Fourth of July! I’m including my go-to summer desserts that work for this holiday (like my Rocket Pops!) so you have vetted options to choose from.

Know that each recipe is easy to execute, relies on accessible ingredients, can be made ahead of time, and is suitable for little kids…and adults!

(You may also like my favorite frozen dessert recipes, including my Strawberry Popsicles and Fruit Popsicles, as well as my super easy Strawberries and Cream.)

Easy Rocket Pops

You can make these with fresh or frozen fruit, and there are a few options for added flavors, too—which means they are super versatile and can work with any allergies or budgets.

Homemade Gummies

These homemade gummies are made with whole watermelon and blueberries, with a middle layer made from coconut milk. They may look hard to make, but they are actually really quite simple and are a fun dessert for the 4th of July. 

Graham Cracker Icebox Cake

All you need is graham crackers and pudding. You can choose ones that work for food allergies or your preferences, and you can even make the whole thing ahead of time—all without turning on the oven.

Fruit Sticks

You can do it with fruit the kids already love and with fruit they are learning to like. And you can make it for the kids or with the kids.

Easy Fruit Pizza

This recipe is easy to make and assemble, it’s versatile (you can use whichever fruit you have on hand and prefer), and it’s so delicious.

Fresh Watermelon Popsicles

These are fun enough to serve at a party or for a holiday and can be prepped in advance. We love them as a summer treat or an easy snack.

Fresh Strawberry Sheet Cake

This can be made ahead and hang out in the fridge, because it’s best served chilled. The ingredients are straightforward, there are fresh berries right in the batter, and the combination of the strawberry flavor with the strawberry cream cheese is just the most delicious.

No-Bake Cheesecake Cups

Make these fun and fast individual cheesecakes to share with friends for the Fourth!

Easy Pasta Salad

The beauty of this recipe is that you can swap ingredients and dressings in an out to make it your own. You can make the easy pasta salad recipe more or less complicated as you like. And it’s so easy to serve to the kids since they can see what’s in the mix and eat whichever parts they prefer.

Easy Zucchini Burgers

I’m always looking for ways to make veggies appealing and easy for kids to eat, and adding zucchini to burgers is a favorite. These burgers are super moist and delicious—trust me, I’m super picky about my burgers!

Salsa Chicken Tacos

The shredded chicken is so tender and easy for kids to gum or chew. And it’s flavorful enough without being overly spicy. (Plus, it’s delicious for adults, too!)

Cilantro Chicken

Use the slow cooker option to make shredded chicken for a crowd to pair with cilantro lime rice or to use in tacos. So good!

Best Tips for Success

• Follow basic food safety guidelines when serving food outside and keep food cold as needed.
• Avoid foods with mayo if they will be in the sun and not kept very cold.
• Rely on the grill for easy options including hot dogs (be sure to cut them into half-moon slices for toddlers to avoid the choking hazard), burgers, grilled vegetables, and grilled corn.
• Pick up premade classics at your favorite supermarket to keep things easier on you.

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