Play with your food: 4th of July recipes

Ameri-size your patriotic fun with these nifty treats that kids and adults will love making—and eating. Very little prep time is involved. (Hooray for more time outside!). From sweet-and-savory appetizers to keep-your-cool smoothies to downright-dazzling desserts, you'll be ready to set the scene for fireworks and flip-flops with these fun 4th of July recipes on the table.

Stars & Sweets Shortcakes

The traditional flag cake gets an update with this arrangement of individual shortcakes with a variety of summery toppings.

Download the Stars and Sweets Shortcakes recipe

Eagle Cheese Bites

These little cheese bites are easy to assemble, so invite the kids to help create some patriotic goodies that will get as many “oohs and ahs” as your fireworks display.

Download the Eagle Cheese Bites recipe

Firecracker Smoothies

Cool, easy and fun. Just like the 4th of July.

Download the Firecracker Smoothies recipe

Fruit & Feta Sparklers

Watermelon, blueberries, feta, lime and chili powder come together in an explosion of sweet, salty, spicy and tart.

Download the Fruit and Feta Sparklers recipe

Super Star Ice-Cream Sandwiches

Celebrate our nation’s love of cookies and ice cream with these treats for kids of all sizes.

Download the Super Star Ice-Cream Sandwiches recipe

Hungry for more? Check out all our recipes

Jennifer Fuijta cooks and overeats in Kansas City, where she’s a writer for Hallmark. Her husband and teenage sons say she’s nice except when she is in the kitchen, where she’s a total bossypants.