Holiday weekends are always a flurry of activity. There’s traveling, packing, planning, and of course, cooking. If you’re having a Fourth of July cookout, you probably know what’s on your menu at this point. But just in case you’re still throwing one together (or somehow forgot to plan a dessert), these last-minute sweet treats are a great addition to your festivities.
These recipes are easy, quick, and don’t involve much cleanup. Some are pretty simple on their own and even faster with clever shortcuts. A fruity summer cobbler can be made in no time with store-bought biscuits. Prepare your own syrup for snow cones, or use your favorite premade! You can whip up the cutest little star-spangled cookies, thanks to a couple sheets of puff pastry. So if you’re in need of a last-minute dessert, give one of these a try and you’re sure to be the star of your Fourth of July party!
Snow Cones
What could be better on a sweltering Fourth of July weekend than an icy snow cone? They’re a great way to cool off, and all you need are some flavorful syrups and plenty of ice. Feel free to use your favorite store-bought syrups, but we’ve also got three delicious and perfectly summery recipes below. These are technically adult snow cones, but they can easily be made kid-friendly by swapping the alcohol for additional juice or fruit purée.
Get the recipe for Raspberry-Vodka Snow Cone Cocktail.
Get the recipe for Blueberry-Bourbon Snow Cone Cocktail.
Get the recipe for Mango-Tequila Snow Cone Cocktail.
Blueberry Spoonbread
This old-fashioned spoon cake is a great last-minute dessert because it’s quick to whip up and it’s served warm, so you don’t even have to wait for it to completely cool. Plus, you don’t even need a mixer to make it. Just whisk all the ingredients together, top with your macerated berries, and bake! This cake is best served warm in a bowl, and a scoop of vanilla ice cream really makes it something extra special. While we love this recipe with fresh blueberries, you can really use any berry you like.
Get the recipe for Blueberry Spoonbread.
Puff Pastry Star Cookies
These little star cookies are probably the easiest thing you can make for your Fourth of July festivities! All you need is some puff pastry, jam, and star cookie cutters. They’re a little bit like Linzer Cookies, if you’re familiar with those cutout cookies that are popular around the holidays. Using puff pastry means you don’t have to make a dough, and it also guarantees clean up is a cinch! These bake for just 10 minutes, so you don’t have to wait long before they’re ready to serve.
Get the recipe for Puff Pastry Star Cookies.
Campfire-Grilled Pineapple Upside Down Cake
If you can believe it, this cake is only five ingredients. It’s a fun campfire twist on a classic summer recipe, and it’s easy to make right on your grill too. So if you’re planning to fire up the grill this weekend, give this recipe a try. It starts with a store-bought pound cake. All the toppings are assembled and the cake is wrapped in foil. It only needs to cook for 15 to 20 minutes, just until everything is warm and the brown sugar topping is nice and bubbly. It’s a fun experiment to try at your Fourth of July cookout!
Get the recipe for Campfire-Grilled Pineapple Upside Down Cake.
Blackberry Cobbler
You can’t go wrong with an easy cobbler made with ripe and juicy summer berries or fruit. This recipe uses blackberries, but you can use your favorite berry, peaches, or whatever you happen to have at home already. If you pick up some store-bought biscuits, you can make this dessert even easier and faster. So if you’re busy on Saturday and realize you don’t have a dessert, but you have berries and biscuits in the fridge, you can have this delicious cobbler ready in no time.
Get the recipe for Blackberry Cobbler.
