This Fourth of July stay cool for the summer these with these fun desserts!
You can purchase your favorite cookie brand or bake your own (you can remake the cookie dough and freeze extra), and serve with different flavor ice creams and coatings.
There are many cookie options to choose from these days! So why not serve a selection of cookies such as chocolate chip cookie dough, sugar, peanut butter, white chocolate macadamia nut cookies, oatmeal raisin cookies, or double chocolate chip.
You could even add or replace the cookies with waffles; yum! Next up, serve the cookies with different ice cream flavors that pair with the cookies you serve. Some ice cream staples would be vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, or rocky road.
Coat your cookies with mini chocolate chips, rainbow or chocolate sprinkles, crushed nuts, minced fruit like berries, banana, and raspberries, your favorite crushed candy bars.
Serve different flavors of jello, or add it to your favorite summer cake recipe! This is such a simple dessert that can stand on its own or serve as a complementary element to another dessert.
Go ahead, go berry crazy! I love a good fruit salad, and after washing and slicing all the fruit, sometimes I will add freshly squeezed lemon and oranges and stir. You could even sprinkle a little brown sugar in and let it sit for about an hour or two if you’d like. The only topping you’ll want for this dessert is whip cream.
Cupcakes are a great party dessert! You could offer different icing options and have guests ice their own cupcakes or serve up cups with lemon-lime or orange lemon icing.
Ok, so now that we have some solid dessert options perfect for summer, let’s think about what beverages to serve your guests.
There are many ways to stay hydrated at a gathering, and serving up options aside from the standard juices, and fountains sodas is key. I like to create a little “bar” area for guests to concoct their preferred drink.
Offering flat or sparkling water, freshly brewed ice tea, or lemonade allows some room for creativity. With those four main nonalcoholic drinks options (you can add others as well!), serve alongside a large plate of sliced fruits such as oranges, limes, lemon, ginger, cucumber, blood oranges, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, mint, or basil.
If you happen to have a few glass bottles or mason jars, you can offer sweetness like orange-sweetened simple syrup, honey, or even maple syrup to help add a little sweetness to the drinks. The best part about allowing your guests to serve themselves is making it as sweet or not a lovely as they’d like.
Whichever mocktail they decide to create will serve as a wonderful conversation starter too! And, one of these options is bound to certainly inspire the youth of the party to stay hydrated in the summer sun!
You could even serve some smoothies, sweet fruity drinks (loaded with hidden vegetables!). #MomConfession: Sometimes, when my kids aren’t in the veggie-eating mood, I will offer a smoothie packed with spinach and kale buries under the sweet flavors of banana and maple syrup.
However you choose to celebrate your holiday weekend with your family, I hope it’s a healthy and happy one! Share with me on social what your favorite foods are to enjoy during the July 4th weekend!
Stay crafty,
Jaime
