Happy (almost) Fourth of July! Here are just a few of the reader favorite healthy recipes for the Fourth of July, encompassing everything from breakfast to dessert!
Chocolate Mousse Cheesecake Bars
Chocolate Chip Marshmallow Cookies
Sweet Potato Burgers – From Kathy Patalsky
Fruit Pizza, With A Sugar Cookie Crust
Where will you be for Fourth of July?
Or, for non-US readers: When is your country’s independence day?
Katie @ Peace Love & Oats says
Ahhh I wish I could eat those lemon squares! Stupid soy intolerance… haha
Chocolate-Covered Katie says
I’ve been working on a soy-free version for you!
So far, I think vanilla or plain yogurt will work if you just add a little extra cornstarch or arrowroot. (I used Wholesoy, but I’ll try SoDelicious coconut yogurt next time.)
Don’t add too much cornstarch/arrowroot, though, or it’ll be pasty.
Katie @ Peace Love & Oats says
oh bless you! Haha I LOVE lemon squares and haven’t had one in ages! I can’t wait to see what you come up with!
Ashley @ My Food 'N' Fitness Diaries says
my husband and i will just be at home since my in-laws are in town. i’m sure we will barbecue and do something fun!
Janae @ Bring-Joy says
Swimming, lots of swimming. Family, food, & hopefully a few games of croquet.
(those faux hostess cupcakes look fantastic.)
Happy 4th, Katie!
Emily M. says
katie, have you ever thought of writing a cookbook? you have SO MANY amazing ideas and recipes that i feel like it would be a bestseller!
Honeybird says
Hey Emily,
She’s already on to that! Read a few posts back 😉
Emily M. says
AH ok yay! im so glad!
Claire @ Live and Love to Eat says
Lemon squares are next on my list to try – your recipes are always a hit!
PK says
Australia doesn’t have an Independence day – we still officially belong to England/the UK, just like Canada. We have an Australia Day (just like Canada Day) on January 26 (around midsummer for us), when my state (Western Australia) has a massive fireworks (which are illegal for us to actually buy, so this is the only chance we get all year, pretty much) display in our state capital, Perth for everyone to attend (called Skyworks). It’s really cool 🙂 Other states also have various celebrations on Australia Day, but the biggest thing is having a barbecue (outside grilling), getting together with mates (friends and family), having a beer (or one’s favourite drink, not necessarily alcoholic) and having a great time – all quintessentially Australian things 🙂
Love your blog, and can’t wait to see the new cookbook 😉 Love that many of your recipes are gluten free as well as vegan 😀
Dee says
Happy 4th of July, Katie! I wish I could be there to see the spectacular fireworks you have this time of year. And dont get me started on the food, blueberries and strawberries never looked so darn tempting!!!
We have our Independence Day on August 15th here in India, but it is a somber holiday and we really dont “celebrate” in the true sense of the word. For me, it’s just another reason to eat the chocolate I was going to eat anyway 😉
Ida says
Love all of your cookie dough and blondie stuff, they would still make me hungry even if they were in every single post!
Norway has a constitutional day rather than an independence day, which we celebrate on the 17th May with children’s parades all over the country (a huge one in the capital Oslo) where we sing Norwegian traditional songs and the school bands play. The lucky people who own national costumes of course wear those, and we eat tons of ice cream and hot dogs (or the veg(etari)an equivalent). It is quite possibly my favourite day of the entire year, and I know quite a few people travel from neighbouring countries to watch the festivites 🙂
Have a great 4th July!
Mackenzie says
‘Up’ here in Canada, our independance day was on sunday, july 1st. But I don’t think we go as a lot as americans do!!!!
Annie @ Naturally Sweet Recipes says
Yum! Those lemon squares look particularly tempting! Hope you have a great 4th!
Kelly says
Such a great round-up, everything looks amazing and so festive! 🙂
Kat says
I will be working. No party and no Fireworks for me. And I don’t get time and a half either.
Erica { EricaDHouse.com } says
Stuffed Breakfast Cupcakes are definitely on the list now!
Shannon French says
I’ll be cramming for an organic chemistry exam! I have to say, one thing I enjoyed about the lack of classes (short and sweet while it lasted) was having tons of free time in the day to make whatever cck recipe sounded appealing that day. We became pretty good friends for the past month, even though being friends with a recipe may not be a thing normal people do..
Alex @ Brain, Body, Because says
I vote for the lemon squares! They were DELICIOUS 🙂
felicia says
off topic but did you mention the vitamix winner yet? 🙂
Anna @ The Guiltless Life says
I’ve still been meaning to make those healthy lemon squares of yours for ages!
Up here in Canada it’s Canada Day which is July 1st – also my birthday. So I just celebrated twice! I’m actually from the Cayman Islands, where Constitution Day is the first Monday in July, so that was yesterday. True story: I was born on Monday, July 1st in Cayman, which was Constitution Day that year. So I was born on Constitution Day AND Canada Day – I swear, I was destined to live in both Cayman and Canada!
It's Carmen says
I want a lemon square, please! Or maybe I’ll just have to make them myself! 😀
Sue @ Sue In Training says
Here in Germany, we don’t have an Independece Day. Instead we celebrate the reunion of East and West Germany on October 3rd. It’s a rather low-key day, though, not a big party.
Anyway, happy 4th of July to you!
Moni Meals says
Man, I’ll take one of each please!! 🙂 Katie have a great Fourth of July!
Cilla says
25th June !! We do not call it literally Independence Day, but it has the same meaning..
And the question is: “In which country do I live?” 🙂
(the winner gets a prize 🙂
Sabrina says
Croatia!!
Sabrina says
or Slovenia
Cilla says
very good! Slovenia in my case 🙂 Are you from here somewhere? 🙂
Sabrina says
I’m from Toronto, Canada!!
Sabrina says
what’s my prize 😛
Cilla says
wow, very good knowledge of countries then (or google`s ? 🙂
ok, I`ll send you a whole package Katie`s chocolate-chips cookies! good? or maybe I`will just give it to you when you come to visit our small cute country! 🙂 (i have to make some commercial 🙂
Jennifer says
I am in the UK at the moment–and totally wishing that I could have some chocolate chip cookie dough dip!!!! In fact, that might be the only reason for me to count down the days until I go home. Is that pathetic?
Natalie says
Can’t you make some in the UK??
Jennifer says
If I had a kitchen, I would! I am staying in the basement of a theological house in Oxford. I beg the kitchen staff for a tea cup in the morning. It is all properly medieval for a medievalist like myself 🙂
Lisa @ The Raw Serenity says
Happy 4th of July.
Australia doesn’t celebrate this but we have an Australia Day which is on January 26.
The must have Australian authentic cake/treat for the day is a Lamington. It is amazing, not sure if you guys make it over in the US?
BBQ’s are on at every beach and a whole lot of booze is consumed unfortunately.
xx
Kristina says
Hi Katie! I am a Peace Corps volunteer serving in Ecuador, who’s Independence day is August 10th (fun fact- you can actually get fined in Ecuador for not hanging the national flag at your house on Independence Day!). Anyways, I first want to thank you for all the great ideas for tomorrow. Culture sharing is a huge part of the Peace Corps goal, so I look forward to making some treats to take to work tomorrow. Second, I want to thank you dearly for your existence (shout out to your ‘rents!) and hard work you put into your blog. I get mad cravings down here a LOT, mainly because every meal I must graciously accept consists primarily of a pile of white rice and plantain. Needless to say, I turn to you and your delicious healthy desserts daily and I love reading your blog! You are a gem. Keep up the good work, you move mountains, girl.
Chocolate-Covered Katie says
Thank you! But also, thank you for YOUR hard work and incredible generosity in doing what you do. People like you give me faith in humanity.
Jill says
No one ever gets tired of chocolate cookie dough dip!
Debbie says
My birthday is the 4th of July. I never get to have a party because everyone is either out of town or at family picnics. I will probably go out to lunch with my family and try to find a county without a fireworks ban to watch the fireworks.
Jess says
We had our Canada Day just this past weekend (1 July). We do not celebrate our independence since we are part of Great Britain; we celebrate the day our country came to exist!
I spent it at my camp (cottage) on Manitoulin Island with family! We had a bunch of our neighbors over to celebrate with food, drinks, lots of Canada-fashion, prizes, and close to 1 hour of fireworks!
Happy Independence Day to you, Katie! Enjoy the festivities!!!
Kathryn says
Oh dear, Canada is most certainly not “part of Great Britain” nor do we “belong to the UK” – looks like some folks need a little edumacatin’. We are part of the Commonwealth, as former British colonies, with our own parliamentary democracy. The Queen is a figurehead with has no actual power. Just wanted to clarify in case some folks get the wrong idea. 🙂
Happy July 4th or whatever you celebrate.
Kate @eatrecyclerepeat says
I’m an American living in Japan, and I actually forgot this morning that it was the Fourth of July. Anywhere outside of the States, it just has no context or meaning. Idk if I’ll even eat anything red, white or blue! I was planning on a green smoothie….
Japan has tons of holidays though, including Prefectural Day, Respect for the Aged Day, the Emperor’s Birthday, Girls Day, Children’s Day, lots of holidays having to do with the seasons…and then the giant Golden Week celebration of multiple holidays in April/May. I think that one is Greenery Day, Constitution Day, Children’s Day, and Showa Day.
Katie H. says
Yum! Thanks for the great collection!
Lexi @ You, Me, & A World to See says
Lemon squares??! ooh I don’t even remember seeing those before 🙂
Kathleen @ KatsHealthCorner says
You’re recipes are the BEST, Katie! Thank you for all of the time and effort you put into each and every one of them. THANK YOU, KATIE!!!! <3 <3 <3
Albizia says
Happy 4th of July!
I’m spending the whole day in the lab. The same would apply to my country’s independence day which is on the 22nd of September if it weren’t the autumnal equinox day which is a national holiday in Japan 🙂 But this year it’s also Saturday so…
Moe Purple says
I want to try those lemon squares SO BAD! But my family and friends wont let me make them anything with tofu in it!:<
Natalie says
I’m so gutted that I won’t be in America for 4th July. I normally make it over twice a month but just didn’t work out this month 🙁 being British we don’t have an independence day seeing as people tend to be celebrating independence from us (sorry for the past guy :s) I suppose we take any excuse to party as it is!!
Really need to get round to making those lemon squares…
Jennifer @ Peanut Butter and Peppers says
Everything looks so wonderful!! Happy 4th of July!
The Blissful Baker says
These all look so great! Now…the difficult decision of what to make for our July 4th celebration today!
Check out my latest recipe @ bakingblissful.blogspot.com
Missy says
ZOMG! I want them ALL! I have a gluten/soy/rice/dairy/nut intolerance so a lot of these, I can actually make (or sub something subtle) but I have no ingredients and I am SO LAZY today! Haha, I am just going to go lay in my neighbors pool and hope they want to make me something 🙂
anne@lovemintchocolatechip says
i made your single lady banana bread this morning!!!! it was so yummy 🙂 i did not have a mini loaf pan so i just doubled the batch. i also added some oats and chia seeds for more texture and instead of apple sauce used greek yougurt. it is a great recipe and i can not wait to share it with others 🙂
Steph says
They look great! I’m loving your website. I make your 5 minute chocolate bars for everyone, all the time!
As for independence day, we don’t have that here in the Netherlands. Instead we celebrate on Queen’s Day, which is our Queen’s birthday. It used to change dates as our Queen changed, but our current Queen decided to leave it on her mother’s birthday, April 30. With our current Queen being born on January 31, she thought that wouldn’t make such a nice party time given the cold weather. We celebrate with a country-wide flea market, parties, festivals, etc on the streets.
Also being a Canadian, I noticed from misconceptions above- as of 1867 Canada became a Dominion in the British Empire (later the Commonwealth), however we still maintain the British Queen and her representatives in Canada as our Head of State (as does Australia). Therefore, we are not ‘part of’ Great Britain but do share a special link as we have a shared Head of State. This is different than many other Commonwealth countries who do not have the Queen as their Head.
Lauren @ Oatmeal after Spinning says
Oh man, where to even start? Everything looks delicious. I made some cookie dough dip for dessert tonight!
Lindke says
In the past two days I have made:
Lightened Up Corn Casserole
Crazy-Good Ranch Dressing
Chocolate Cake [with a crazy ingredient]
Single Lady Cupcakes
“Banana Split” Chocolate Butter
It’s been fun. 😀 I made the whole family (including my dad who DETESTS health food) try the chocolate cake. Everybody loved it! The only thing that didn’t turn out was the “Banana Split” Chocolate Butter. I think I just might not be a bananas and peanut butter and chocolate person. 😛
Thanks again for the super fun recipes.
Chocolate-Covered Katie says
Aw thank you for trying so many! The best part of blogging is when someone actually makes one of the recipes I’ve posted!
Alexandra says
Hey Katie, ever look into this site?
http://www.30bananasaday.com
It has some really good vegan info, and talks about how we should really eat…
Becky says
I’m going to make the 4th of July “Chocolate Covered Katie Day” and make one of these suggestions for each meal.
Kat says
Oh I might make some of these for Canada Day!
Cassie Tran says
Yummy, everything looks wonderful! The buffalo chickpea chili, brownie batter dip, fruit pizza, sweet potato brownies, apple pie, and sweet potato burgers are definitely on my bucket list! Have an INCREDIBLE Fourth of July celebration!
Katherine says
So many great options! I’m eyeing those sweet potato brownies.
Alma Ruelas says
In México is September 16th, NOT may 5th! :). That apple pie looks awesome, by the way!!
Nina says
Happy Fourth of July to you.