Celebrating Independence Day doesn't mean you have to wreck your waistline! Indulge your sweet tooth with these light desserts.
37 Healthy Desserts for the 4th of July
Updated on May 03, 2024
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Patriotic Pops
Total Time
15 min
Servings
1 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
My kids love homemade ice pops, and I love knowing that the ones we make are good for them. We whip up a big batch with multiple flavors so they have many choices, but these patriotic red, white and blueberry ones are always a favorite! —Shannon Carino, Frisco, Texas
2/37
Apricots with Herbed Goat Cheese
Total Time
20 min
Servings
4 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
After ending up with bunches of apricots one summer, I created this quick and simple dish. My friends were blown away with its fresh taste and uniqueness. —Wendy Weidner, Ham Lake, Minnesota
3/37
Lemon-Apricot Fruit Pops
Total Time
15 min
Servings
6 pops
From the Recipe Creator:
With just 31 calories and less than 1 tsp. sugar per serving, these lemon ice pops are one light and refreshing summer dessert everyone can find room for! —Aysha Schurman, Ammon, Idaho. Looking for quick recipes? Check out our collection of easy 4th of July desserts.
4/37
Strawberry-Rosemary Yogurt Pops
Total Time
20 min
Servings
6 pops
From the Recipe Creator:
We planted strawberries a few years ago and these tangy-sweet frozen yogurt pops are my very favorite treats to make with them! The options are endless. Try using other yogurt flavors like lemon, raspberry or blueberry. —Carmell Childs, Orangeville, Utah
5/37
Mango Glace with Pineapple Pomegranate Salsa
Total Time
45 min
Servings
1 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
I'd like to say this dish was a brilliant idea that came from expert planning. But the truth is that between the quickly ripening fruit on my counter and the 100-degree heat, it pretty much invented itself! Very ripe fruit eliminates the need for added sugar. —Jodi Taffel, Altadena, California
6/37
Minted Fruit Salad
Total Time
20 min
Servings
6 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
Filled with the season’s best, freshest fruit, this salad shouts summer. The hint of mint adds a refreshing note to the colorful melon compote. —Edie DeSpain, Logan, Utah
7/37
Mixed Berry Sundaes for 2
Total Time
10 min
Servings
2 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
These delightful yogurt sundaes are an easy way to add fruit and calcium to your diet. Berries star in the dish, which I enjoy as a simple breakfast or healthy dessert for two. —Edie DeSpain, Logan, Utah
8/37
Strawberry-Citrus Freezer Pops
Total Time
20 min
Servings
10 pops
From the Recipe Creator:
I knew that clementines and strawberries would create a luscious combination in a fruit pop, and I have to say these are delicious! —Colleen Ludovice, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
9/37
Mango Rice Pudding
Total Time
55 min
Servings
4 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
Mangoes are my son's favorite fruit, so I was ecstatic to incorporate them into a healthy dessert. You can also use ripe bananas instead of mango, almond extract instead of vanilla or regular milk in place of soy. —Melissa McCabe, Victor, New York
10/37
Ginger-Glazed Grilled Honeydew
Total Time
25 min
Servings
6 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
If you've never grilled fruit like this before, you're in for a real treat! I love the idea of cooking everything from appetizers to desserts on the grill. This grilled honeydew recipe is sweet and really light. —Jacqui Correa, Landing, New Jersey
11/37
Frozen Watermelon Lemon Cream Tarts
Total Time
20 min
Servings
8 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
These fruit tarts are so refreshing on a hot summer day! They are extremely healthy and convenient, and just a few ingredients means they're easy to make, too. —Bethany DiCarlo, Harleysville, Pennsylvania
12/37
Frozen Berry & Yogurt Swirls
Total Time
15 min
Servings
10 pops
From the Recipe Creator:
I enjoy these frozen yogurt pops because they double as a healthy snack and a cool, creamy sweet treat. —Colleen Ludovice, Wauwatosa, Wisconsin
13/37
Fruit & Granola Crisp with Yogurt
Total Time
10 min
Servings
4 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
Here's an easy recipe you can feel good about. Blueberries and peaches are such a delightful flavor combination. —Sue Schmidtke, Oro Valley, Arizona
14/37
Honey Poppy Seed Fruit Salad
Total Time
10 min
Servings
8 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
This colorful fruit salad with poppy seed dressing pairs well with any morning entree and takes just 10 minutes to prepare. The subtle honey sauce in this salad steals the show. —Dorothy Dinnean, Harrison, Arkansas
15/37
Star-Spangled Parfaits
Total Time
15 min
Servings
4 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
The best time for this dessert is midsummer, when the blueberries are thick in our northern woods. Red raspberries can be added to the mixed berries, too, to brighten the patriotic colors. —Anne Theriault, Wellesley, Massachusetts
16/37
Honey-Melon Salad with Basil
Total Time
20 min
Servings
12 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
Put the taste of summer in your salad! Loaded with juicy cantaloupe and honeydew, and glazed with a sweet honey dressing, this dish will be gone in minutes. Watermelon is a tasty addition, too. —Khurshid Shaik, Omaha, Nebraska
17/37
Berry White Ice Pops
Total Time
10 min
Servings
10 pops
From the Recipe Creator:
Nothing says summer like an ice pop. Kids and adults alike love this fruit-filled version. —Sharon Guinta, Stamford, Connecticut
18/37
Slow-Cooker Baked Apples
Total Time
4 hours 25 min
Servings
6 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
Coming home to this irresistible dessert on a dreary day is just wonderful; it’s slow-cooker easy. — Evangeline Bradford, Erlanger, Kentucky
19/37
Frozen Pineapple-Kiwi Pops
Total Time
20 min
Servings
1 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
Kiwi, pineapple, sugar and water are all you need to make these easy, breezy freezer pops.—Colleen Ludovice, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
20/37
Chili-Lime Grilled Pineapple
Total Time
15 min
Servings
6 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
I love grilled pineapple. This recipe combines the fruit's natural sweetness with the tart and spicy flavors of lime and chili powder. It's great for dessert and even as a side dish with ham or pork chops. —Geraldine Saucier, Albuquerque, New Mexico
21/37
Frosty Watermelon Ice
Total Time
20 min
Servings
4 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
Here's a fun twist on watermelon. It's so refreshing on a summer day, and you don't have to worry about seeds while you're enjoying it. —Kaaren Jurack, Manassas, Virginia
22/37
Honey-Yogurt Berry Salad
Total Time
10 min
Servings
8 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
I wanted my family to eat more fruit but not more sugary ingredients. This berry salad lets you play with different low-fat yogurts and fruits. —Betsy King, Duluth, Minnesota
23/37
Chunky Banana Cream Freeze
Total Time
15 min
Servings
6 servings (3 cups)
From the Recipe Creator:
Everyone loves ice cream, but we all know it doesn't make a great after-school snack. Until this! With its sweet banana-almond flavor and chunky texture, this appealing banana peanut butter "ice cream" is a crowd-pleaser. People who ask me for the recipe can't believe how easy it is to make. —Kristen Bloom, Okinawa, Japan
24/37
Tangy Poppy Seed Fruit Salad
Total Time
20 min
Servings
10 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
For a fruit salad that’s delightful, we combine berries and citrus with a honey-lime dressing flecked with poppy seeds. —Carrie Howell, Lehi, Utah
25/37
Blackberry-Topped Sponge Cakes
Total Time
25 min
Servings
6 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
The recipe for my blackberry cakes is easy to play with. You can replace the sponge cake with angel food, pound cake or ladyfingers. And any fruit that has liquor with the same flavor can be used. —Karen Robinson, Woodbury, Connecticut
26/37
Sunrise Pops
Total Time
20 min
Servings
10 pops
From the Recipe Creator:
Bright, beautiful, cool, refreshing, sweet, delicious and wholesome—what's there not to like in these homemade pops?—Colleen Ludovice, Wauwatosa, Wisconsin
27/37
Fresh Fruit Bowl
Total Time
15 min
Servings
16 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
The glorious colors of the fruit make this a festive salad. Slightly sweet and chilled, it makes a nice accompaniment to a grilled entree. —Marlon Kirst, Troy, Michigan
28/37
Strawberry-Rhubarb Ice Pops
Total Time
25 min
Servings
8 pops
From the Recipe Creator:
These cool, creamy pops are a deliciously different way to use up the bounty from your rhubarb patch. —Donna Linihan, Moncton, New Brunswick
29/37
Layered Fresh Fruit Salad
Total Time
30 min
Servings
12 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
People always pass on compliments when I take this salad to covered-dish suppers. It's nice on a hot day, with a winter meal, or as a dessert! We live on a small farm where my garden gives me lots of possibilities for fresh food. —Page Alexander, Baldwin City, Kansas
30/37
Cantaloupe Ice Pops
Total Time
10 min
Servings
1 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
Your reminders to "eat your fruit" will finally stick once kids take a lick of these mmm-melony snacks. A perfect use for overripe cantaloupe, these pops make a light dessert or healthy between-meal refresher. —Susan Hein, Burlington, Wisconsin
31/37
Baked Banana Boats
Total Time
20 min
Servings
4 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
Kids can make their own baked banana boats with custom toppings. We use different berries and honey or peanut butter instead of chocolate chips. These baked bananas are also good topped with crushed graham crackers or granola—whatever your family likes. —Rebekah Viers, Taylors, South Carolina
32/37
Marinated Oranges
Total Time
15 min
Servings
4 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
This flavorful fruit was actually the topping in a cake recipe. But I didn't want all the calories or fat from the cake—and the oranges are a good dessert all by themselves! The dash of vanilla extract brings out the fruit's sweetness. —Carol Poindexter, Norridge, Illinois
33/37
Strawberry Banana Popsicles
Total Time
10 min
Servings
12 pops
From the Recipe Creator:
These four-ingredient freezer pops are a delicious way to use up a pint of fresh strawberries. You'll love the hint of tropical flavor, thanks to the coconut milk. —Taste Recipes Test Kitchen
34/37
Watermelon Mint Salad
Total Time
20 min
Servings
8 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
I invented this refreshing fruit salad one sultry afternoon while my friends were gathered around my pool. It was quick to prepare and disappeared from their plates even quicker. The kids loved it too! —Antoinette DuBeck, Huntingdon Valley, Pennsylvania
35/37
Raspberry-Banana Soft Serve
Total Time
10 min
Servings
2-1/2 cups
From the Recipe Creator:
When I make this ice cream, I mix and match bananas for their ripeness. Very ripe ones add more banana flavor. Less ripe ones have a fluffier texture. —Melissa Hansen, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
36/37
Cucumber Melon Salad
Total Time
15 min
Servings
2 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
This colorful salad is tangy and delicious. The unexpected combination is such a pleasant surprise. You can use whatever type of melon you have on hand. —Edie Farm, Farmington, New Mexico
37/37
Grilled Stone Fruits with Balsamic Syrup
Total Time
20 min
Servings
4 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
Get ready to experience another side of stone fruits. Hot off the rack, these grilled nectarines practically melt in your mouth. —Sonya Labbe, West Hollywood, California
