4th of July Snacks

Celebrate the Fourth of July by indulging in easy and refreshing snacks, including ice pops, summer parfaits and crispy kale chips.

Start Slideshow

1 of 14

Ice Cream Bonbon Pops

Go to Recipe

You will need a small, half-ounce ice cream scoop to make these pops, which were inspired by movie-theater snacks.

Peach-Maple Ice Cream

2 of 14

Raspberry, Lime and Toasted Coconut Pops

Go to Recipe

Using just a handful of ingredients, these pops are something I often crave as the weather warms up. When you shop for coconut milk, make sure to choose a brand that lists only coconut and water in its ingredients. There’s really no need for added preservatives, fillers and thickeners. The toasted coconut adds a lovely chew and looks pretty when sprinkled on the ends.

Coconut-Lime Ice Pops

3 of 14

Popped Amaranth Parfait

Go to Recipe

Popped amaranth is a great way to add crunch to yogurt with fresh berries.

Milk-Chocolate Cremoso with Espresso Parfait

4 of 14

Milk-Chocolate Cremoso with Espresso Parfait

Go to Recipe

Although Miamians are assumed to be too bathing-suit conscious to indulge in dessert, this decadent milk-chocolate cremoso (a silky pudding-like dish) drizzled with olive oil is one of chef Michael Schwartz's best-sellers. "Some people are like, 'Whoa...olive oil and chocolate?'" Schwartz says. "But the olive oil reinforces the richness of the cremoso. As if you need any more richness."

Dark-Chocolate Cremoso with Cornflakes and Fresh Fruit

5 of 14

Molded Mocha-Marsala Semifreddo

Go to Recipe

This creamy multilayered frozen dessert uses a simple zabaglione (known as sabayon in French) of whipped egg yolks, sugar and Marsala as its base. The addition of bittersweet chocolate and strong espresso to the sweet zabaglione brings the flavors of the semifreddo into perfect balance.

Brandy-Mascarpone Semifreddo

6 of 14

Tomato Salsa with Cucumber "Chips"

Go to Recipe

This healthy take on the traditional chips-and-salsa combo is nearly fat-free and super-refreshing. The antioxidant-rich salsa is delicious served right after it's made, but the flavors meld nicely after a day or two in the refrigerator.

Spicy Avocado-Cucumber Soup

7 of 14

Kale Chips with Almond Butter and Miso

Go to Recipe

"We have an entire garden bed dedicated to kale that we use for these chips," says Sera Pelle. She usually makes them in a dehydrator, but the oven method here works perfectly, too.

Duck with Miso-Almond Butter

8 of 14

Salt-and-Pepper Sandwich Cookies with Strawberry-Lemonade Jam

Go to Recipe

These sweet and savory cookies are terrific with their strawberry-jam filling and on their own. The recipe makes a little extra jam--it's also excellent on toast, muffins and angel food cake.

Pull-Apart Salt-and-Pepper Biscuits

9 of 14

Strawberries with Buttermilk Ice and Balsamic Vinegar

PHOTO © TINA RUPP

Go to Recipe

Pastry chef Deanie Fox makes this fluffy granita with buttermilk, which is low in fat, high in calcium and easy to digest. She spoons the creamy, tangy ice over lightly sweetened strawberries, a vitamin C-loaded fruit.

Strawberry-Almond Smoothie

10 of 14

Mango-Turmeric Lassi

Go to Recipe

Sweet aromatic mangoes, frozen banana and natural yogurt are beautiful on their own, but the addition of turmeric provides the perfect little boost of antioxidants and natural anti-inflammatory goodness.

Carrot-Mango Lassi

11 of 14

Espresso Jell-O

Go to Recipe

Lauren Chattman, whose six cookbooks include Icebox Pies, specializes in desserts that don't need baking. This jellied espresso, for instance, just requires brewing coffee and melting powdered gelatin in it. Served with whipped cream, it's possibly the most delicious macchiato you'll ever taste.

Mojito Jell-O Shots with White Rum and Fresh Mint

12 of 14

Pear-and-Fig Pie-in-a-Jar

Go to Recipe

Three Babes Bakeshop in San Francisco offers this fun, portable pie: They bake the pastry in a jar, then fill it with fig-and-pear syrup, mascarpone cream, fruit and toasted walnuts.

Pear-Cranberry Hand Pies

13 of 14

Chocolate Chip-Pretzel Bars

Go to Recipe

These bars were inspired by the candy and cookies you'd mail to a homesick kid at summer camp.

German Soft Pretzel Sticks

14 of 14

Milk-Chocolate Cremoso with Espresso Parfait

Go to Recipe

Easy Banana Ice Cream with Milk Chocolate Chunks

Replay gallery

Your Profile

4th of July Snacks

1 of 14

Ice Cream Bonbon Pops

1 of 14

2 of 14

Raspberry, Lime and Toasted Coconut Pops

2 of 14

3 of 14

Popped Amaranth Parfait

3 of 14

4 of 14

Milk-Chocolate Cremoso with Espresso Parfait

4 of 14

5 of 14

Molded Mocha-Marsala Semifreddo

5 of 14

6 of 14

Tomato Salsa with Cucumber "Chips"

6 of 14

7 of 14

Kale Chips with Almond Butter and Miso

7 of 14

8 of 14

Salt-and-Pepper Sandwich Cookies with Strawberry-Lemonade Jam

8 of 14

9 of 14

Strawberries with Buttermilk Ice and Balsamic Vinegar

9 of 14

10 of 14

Mango-Turmeric Lassi

10 of 14

11 of 14

Espresso Jell-O

11 of 14

12 of 14

Pear-and-Fig Pie-in-a-Jar

12 of 14

13 of 14

Chocolate Chip-Pretzel Bars

13 of 14

14 of 14

Milk-Chocolate Cremoso with Espresso Parfait

14 of 14

Share the Gallery

Up Next

Share the Gallery