Admit it: We’re all sick of the sheet cake decorated with strawberries and blueberries to look like the American flag. Impress your barbecue guests with these red, white and/or blue desserts that will satisfy any patriotic sweet tooth.
1. There’s nothing more American than pie – unless you put that pie in a Mason jar. Use pre-made crust to quickly assemble these individual Blueberry Pies in Jars and screw on the lids for easy transport.
2. A few drops of red food coloring turns these plain muffins into decadent Red Velvet Cream Cheese Muffins. Bonus: You probably have most of these ingredients already in your kitchen.
3. Turn those red velvet muffins into cake and fold it up into a frosting-smothered Red Velvet Roll. Swap those candy cane crumbles for blue sprinkles and no one will know you transformed Christmas into Independence Day.
4. Accommodate a vegan guest – or avoid turning on the oven – with this no-churn, berry-packed Vegan Blueberry Ice Cream made with coconut cream.
5. We love crisps; they’re the ultimate lazy baker’s dessert. In this Peach and Raspberry Crisp, golden peaches and rosy raspberries create a vibrant red hue tucked beneath a buttery crust.
– Pie jar and ice cream photos by Carmen Troesser, all others by Amrita Rawat
This article appears in Readers’ Choice 2015.