I love this easy July 4th dessert board, it’s perfect for kids and adults. It’s filled with a combination of red, white, and blue homemade and store-bought treats, and it takes only 10 minutes to put together.
Easy 4th of July Charcuterie Board (Dessert Version!)
BBQs are all about the food, but let’s be real, dessert is the best part. Dessert boards are a great way to offer a variety of treats, and they’re always so pretty. Kids and adults will love it!
Once you have all your ingredients together, you can throw this together in just 10 minutes. Plus you can make it easier by using a combination of homemade and store-bought treats. I am sticking with the Patriotic theme for this board, serving up a variety of cookies, fruits, and sweet & salty snacks.
Some homemade desserts can be prepped ahead of time and frozen, so you can pull them out the day of the party and you’re good to go. The red, white, and blue theme is perfect for Memorial Day or the 4th of July.
What You’ll Need
These are just a few of the delicious homemade and store-bought goodies that I love to include in a 4th of July charcuterie board. Feel free to change it up! I usually try to include 2-3 of each kind of dessert, whether it’s baked goods, candies, or fresh fruit. Scroll to the recipe card for a printable list with amounts and instructions.
Homemade Treats
- Patriotic Sugar Cookies – These freeze well! You can make them ahead of time.
- Chocolate covered Oreos – Make these ahead of time. They stay good for 7-10 days in an airtight container!
- Chocolate-covered strawberries – Make these on the same day for the best results.
- Cupcakes – Make them as minis for a bite-sized treat!
- Truffles – These freeze well! You can make them ahead of time and use patriotic-themed sprinkles.
- Chocolate covered pretzels – This is also a good one to purchase from the store to save time, but you can easily make these ahead of time too.
- Rice Krispie Treats – Dip them in chocolate and sprinkles for a festive treat.
Store-bought Ideas
Look for seasonal items in your color theme (like red, white, and blue). Check the bakery section and candy section, or see if the store has pop-up displays themed for the holiday. Things like Rice Krispies treats can be dipped in chocolate and sprinkled for a semi-homemade treat.
- Candies like M&Ms, Twizzlers, Red Starbursts, and Hot Tamales (you get the idea!)
- Chocolate-covered nuts or trail mix
- Rice Krispie Treats
- Mini Cupcakes or donuts
- Cookies (Loft House-style cookies are always a hit!)
- Seasonal fruit
How to Assemble a 4th of July Dessert Board
- Start with the largest item: Do you have an anchor for your board or a centerpiece? For me, it’s the patriotic cookies. You can either place them randomly or in the center and build around them.
- Add in small bowls: It’s easier to build around them once you have them placed. Stick to 2-3 small bowls that can be refilled. These can be used for dips, candies, or fruit. Cookie cutters are also a way to add shape and dimension to the board, and these can be filled with smaller candies.
- Layer in the larger items: Try and keep these pieces towards the edges so they’re easier to grab. I like to take one item and break it up into two different placements on the board.
- Fill in the gaps: This is where I like to save some smaller items like candy and small cookies to layer into the gaps.
Tips for Transporting a Dessert Charcuterie Board
If you are bringing this with you to a party, you have a couple of options.
- Assemble at home: Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and foil to hold everything together. This might not work if you have frosted treats. You can always add them when you arrive.
- Assemble when you get there: You can prepare everything at home to bring you with and build it when you arrive. After all, it just takes a few minutes to put together. Fill the small bowls at home, and wrap them with plastic wrap. Bring everything else in bags or Tupperware that you can set aside when you arrive.
More Patriotic Desserts You’ll Love
Print
4th of July Dessert Board
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 8-10 servings
- Category: Dessert
- Method: No-Bake
- Cuisine: American
Description
Quick and easy July 4th dessert board is perfect for kids and adults. It’s filled with a both homemade and store brought treats.
Ingredients
- 2–3 varieties of candy (such as M&Ms)
- 2–3 varieties of baked treats (cupcakes, cookies, Rice Krispie Treats).
- 2–3 varieties of fresh fruit
Instructions
- Choose a board of any shape or size.
- Start with a large centerpieces or focus items, then add a couple of small bowls and place them on your board, fill with candy and fruit.
- Add largest items first and assemble them around the outside. Arrange them in away so you don’t have the same color or textures sitting next to one another.
- Fill the holes using any leftover candy and chocolate.
