Healthy Recipes Healthy Holiday & Occasion Recipes 4th of July Recipes 35 Healthy Red, White and Blue Recipes By Alex Loh Alex Loh Alex Loh is EatingWell's associate food editor. As part of the food team, she creates healthy, delicious recipes for the EatingWell audience. Alex also writes informative food and cooking articles that range from how to store ground beef to the best picks from Trader Joe's. Alex conducts product and taste tests to find the best options, from salad spinners to salsas. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Updated on July 1, 2020 Trending Videos Close this video player Photo: Amy Traynor Celebrate the 4th of July with these red, white and blue recipes. The bright colors are achieved with seasonal ingredients like tomatoes, blueberries and watermelon to create fresh and delicious drinks, sides and desserts. Start your meal with our American Flag Caprese Salad with Blueberry-Balsamic Vinaigrette, wash it down with our Layered Strawberry-Lime Margaritas and finish with our Berry Tart with Lemon Cookie Crust. 01 of 35 American Flag Caprese Salad with Blueberry-Balsamic Vinaigrette View Recipe This caprese salad with a patriotic twist marries the flavors of cherry tomatoes and creamy fresh mozzarella with fruity blueberries. A sweet and tangy blueberry dressing served on the side helps pull it all together on the plate. Garnish with fresh basil leaves to round out the summery flavors. Source: EatingWell.com, June 2020 02 of 35 Layered Strawberry-Lime Margaritas View Recipe These simple, fruity frozen margaritas are as easy to make as they are delicious! Inspired by a mix of two summer classics: frozen margaritas and strawberry lemonade, these red, white and blue margaritas are the perfect laid-back sipper for the Fourth of July or anytime you want a colorful cocktail. This recipe serves 2 but is easily doubled to serve 4. Source: EatingWell.com, June 2020 03 of 35 No-Bake Berry Cheesecake Bars View Recipe As if no-bake weren't tempting enough, consider that the graham cracker crust for these berry cheesecake bars has pecans in it. Ooh la la! In the filling, nonfat Greek yogurt and reduced-fat cream cheese cut the calories and saturated fat. 04 of 35 Sheet-Pan American Flag Pancake View Recipe Get your Fourth of July off to the right start with this patriotic sheet-pan pancake! It's fun and easy to decorate with fresh summer fruit. Depending on the thickness of your batter, the fruit may slip under the surface while baking. Check it toward the end of the baking time and add more fruit to the top if needed. Source: EatingWell.com, June 2020 05 of 35 Star-Spangled Fruit Kebabs Cutting naturally red and white fruits into star shapes to pair on skewers with blueberries makes a fun, patriotic fruit dessert you can feel good about eating and serving to your kids. This red, white and blue fruit "salad" will be a hit at summer barbecues, especially for the Fourth of July. 06 of 35 Mojito Blueberry & Watermelon Salad View Recipe Inspired by the classic mojito cocktail, this festive and healthy fruit salad gets zing from rum, lime and mint. The optional piment d'Espelette--a sweet, spicy ground pepper from the Basque region of France--adds a hint of heat that's a nice contrast to the sweet fruit. Look for this spice at specialty stores, well-stocked markets or online. You could also swap in chile-lime seasoning blend (such as Tajín) for a similar subtle kick or omit the spice altogether. Feel free to skip the rum if you prefer an alcohol-free salad. With or without the rum, this salad has summertime backyard BBQ written all over it. Source: Eatingwell.com, August 2019 07 of 35 Cherry-Almond Farro Salad View Recipe Tossed with a minty vinaigrette, this healthy farro and cherry salad recipe can be served as a light lunch or as a side dish along with grilled chicken, duck or pork. Look for farro--a high-fiber whole grain that is an ancestor of modern wheat--with other whole grains in well-stocked supermarkets and natural-foods stores. 08 of 35 Red, White & Blue Corn Chip Bites Blue corn tortilla chips make this Mexican-style red-white-and-blue appetizer pretty, but any variety will work. Look for cotija cheese, a type of aged Mexican cheese, near other specialty cheeses or in Mexican grocery stores. You may also find it labeled "queso añejo" or "queso añejado." Finely crumbled Parmesan cheese can be used as a substitute. 09 of 35 No-Bake Berry Flag Cake View Recipe This American flag cake has a no-bake cheesecake base and is decorated with fresh berries for a patriotic treat that takes just 20 minutes to assemble. Make this easy dessert recipe for a Fourth of July party or any festive summer occasion. 10 of 35 Berry Bubbly Vodka Soda View Recipe This bright and bubbly sipper combines berries with vodka and seltzer to make a colorful 3-ingredient cocktail you can enjoy year-round, thanks to frozen berries. Amp up the flavor even more by using a flavored seltzer rather than plain! Source: EatingWell.com, June 2020 11 of 35 Red, White & Blue Potato Salad Dressed with a tangy lemon vinaigrette and fresh mint, this healthy red-white-and-blue potato salad makes the perfect potluck contribution. Make it the day before and stir in the peppers and herbs right before you serve it. 12 of 35 Mixed Berry Hand Pies View Recipe What better way to take advantage of summer's bounty of berries than to enclose a mixture of berries in flaky pastry and bake up these delicious turnovers--the perfect handheld dessert for picnics and backyard parties. A dusting of sugar on top of the hand pies creates a crispy crust and eliminates the need for frying. Source: EatingWell.com, May 2018 13 of 35 Mini Berry Cream Pies View Recipe Try this Mini Berry Cream Pies recipe the next time you want to whip up a quick healthy dessert. For this red-white-and-blue dessert, frozen mini phyllo cups work the best. Keep them nestled in their tray for easy transport to a picnic or potluck. 14 of 35 Cucumber, Tomato & Feta Salad View Recipe This healthy summer salad is bursting with Mediterranean flavors and takes just 10 minutes to prepare. Serve it alongside grilled chicken, pork or fish or as part of a vegetarian spread. If you can't find Campari tomatoes or Persian cucumbers, feel free to swap them for whatever variety looks the best at your farmers' market. 15 of 35 Berry Tart with Lemon Cookie Crust The classic, summery flavors of berries and lemon combine in this pretty tart. Source: Diabetic Living Magazine 16 of 35 Cauliflower-Potato Salad with Horseradish Dressing Yep, there's cauliflower in this potato salad. It cuts down on the carbs and calories, and is a perfect match for our tangy horseradish dressing. 17 of 35 Watermelon, Cucumber & Feta Salad View Recipe Here's a healthy salad recipe to make at the height of summer when watermelon and cucumbers are at their juiciest and most flavorful. Feta adds the perfect creamy, salty, tangy edge, and mint makes this salad taste even brighter. This is one easy side salad you'll want to serve at all your summer BBQs. 18 of 35 Cherry Cobbler on the Grill View Recipe If you want an easy cherry cobbler recipe that also keeps your kitchen cool, you're in luck! This simple cobbler is made with frozen pitted cherries--so there's no sitting in a stuffy kitchen pitting cherries--and it's baked in a cast-iron skillet right on your grill so you don't have to heat up your oven. Try making this summery dessert for your next camping cookout. The sweet smells of tangy cherry filling and a buttery oat topping will have everyone in the campground asking for a bite. 19 of 35 Vegan Watermelon Fruit Pizza View Recipe Wedges of juicy watermelon topped with nondairy coconut yogurt and berries make for a crisp and refreshing dessert. To feed a crowd, leave the wedges blank and let guests add their own toppings to the yogurt. 20 of 35 Sour Cherry Gin Fizz View Recipe We've added a little red, white and blue to the classic gin fizz to create a summer cocktail that's perfect for Fourth of July celebrations or any other summer party. Sour cherries contain anthocyanins, antioxidants shown to reduce muscle soreness after workouts, and melatonin, which can help you sleep better. If you can't find them fresh, use frozen. Skip jarred or canned cherries to avoid added sugar. Source: EatingWell Magazine, July/August 2019 21 of 35 No-Bake Mason Jar Strawberry Cheesecakes View Recipe These no-bake portable cheesecakes are rich and creamy and swirled with fresh strawberries and honey for sweetness--perfect for a picnic or a backyard barbecue! We've used some Greek yogurt to lighten up this healthy dessert. 22 of 35 Roasted Beet & Blueberry Salad View Recipe Chef Scott Graden of New Scenic Café outside Duluth, Minnesota, pickles beets to use in the winter, but in summer he cooks them up fresh in preparations like this blueberry salad. Source: EatingWell Magazine, June 2020 23 of 35 No-Bake Strawberry Dessert Lasagna Turn fresh strawberries and blueberries into a refreshing layered dessert with graham crackers and a sweetened ricotta filling. Fresh strawberries are lightly cooked for the "sauce," and a smattering of fresh blueberries finishes the dish. No blueberries? Substitute any fruit to change up your flavor options. 24 of 35 Strawberry & Blue Cheese Bruschetta In this healthy bruschetta recipe, the big, bold, salty, tangy flavor of blue cheese makes an unexpected but utterly delicious match with sweet juicy strawberries. This bruschetta recipe makes a quick, easy appetizer and is so pretty topped with chopped green chives. 25 of 35 Double Berry Pie Squares This Double Berry Pie Squares recipe is the perfect summer dessert. Loaded with strawberries and raspberries, this dessert fulfills a sweet craving and packs 4 grams of fiber into each pie square. Source: Diabetic Living Magazine 26 of 35 Berry Sangria In this red, white and blue sangria recipe, we've skipped the added sugar and used a slightly sparkling white wine, sweet dessert wine and tons of fresh fruit to create a delicious, yet healthy cocktail. Source: EatingWell Magazine, July/August 2014 27 of 35 Tomato Tart with Burrata View Recipe A touch of cornmeal adds texture and nutty flavor to buttery pastry dough in this tomato tart recipe. Source: EatingWell Magazine, July / August 2020 28 of 35 Cherry Cheesecake Cobbler Classic cherry cobbler is studded with a sweetened cream cheese swirl in this easy cherry dessert you can make any time of year. Source: EatingWell.com, March 2019 29 of 35 Watermelon-Blueberry Ice Pops These were a staff favorite during the development process. The whole blueberries in these pops have the look of watermelon seeds. 30 of 35 Baked Parmesan Tomatoes View Recipe A sprinkle of Parmesan and a drizzle of olive oil transform tomatoes into the perfect side dish. Or try sandwiching them between slices of your favorite whole-wheat country bread. 31 of 35 Farro Salad with Grilled Chicken View Recipe Enjoy the flavors of the season with this summer farro salad. This dish is also great with wheat or rye berries instead of farro: skip the toasting step and cook in a pot of simmering water until tender, about 50 minutes. If your celery doesn't have any leaves on it, substitute fresh parsley instead. Source: EatingWell Magazine, June 2020 32 of 35 Very Berry Fruit Salad This easy fruit salad recipe is a dazzler: a large bowl of colorful berries served with a cool lemon curd sauce. Use room-temperature fruit in this berry salad (or if you are taking the berries out of the refrigerator, set them in an oven that's recently been on to gently warm them). The flavor of warm or room-temperature berries is so much better, as if they're fresh-picked and still hold the warmth of the sun. 33 of 35 Whipped Berry Pudding This Finnish whipped berry pudding recipe has a unique, light and airy texture. Unlike American-style puddings made with milk, eggs and cornstarch, this is made with fruit juice, thickened with wheat farina and then lightened by beating air into it until the texture is reminiscent of marshmallow fluff. Traditionally made with lingonberry or cranberry juice, here fresh blueberries are cooked with water and the juice is strained to flavor the pudding. If you want to use bottled juice instead, skip Step 1 and use 3 to 3 1/2 cups of warm juice in Step 2. 34 of 35 Cherry, Wild Rice & Quinoa Salad View Recipe This whole-grain wild rice and quinoa salad recipe is perfect for toting to summer potlucks. It features sweet cherries, crunchy celery, nutty aged goat cheese and toasted pecans. If you can find red quinoa, it's particularly pretty. 35 of 35 EatingWell Flag Cake Though this stunning red, white and blue American flag cake screams "Fourth of July Cake," it's such a good dessert you'll want to make it for Memorial Day and other summer holidays too. We made this flag cake recipe healthy, with less saturated fat and calories than traditional versions, by replacing some butter in the yellow sheet cake with oil. Plus, for the cream cheese frosting, we replaced some of the cream cheese and butter with low-fat Greek yogurt. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit