When it comes to July 4th dessert recipes, the sheer number of options to choose from for your family gathering or picnic are truly overwhelming. Joining a potluck Fourth of July party? You might worry about bringing the 10th flag cake, the 3rd all-American apple pie, or one of a thousand batches of chocolate chip cookies (ok, there are never too many of those!). You want something original!

So it's time to get a little creative and come up with something that you haven't seen 101 times before, right?

The July 4th dessert recipes here are sweet, simple, and best of all, rather unique. The chances of somebody making the same are pretty low! And the chances of everybody oohing and aahing and asking for the recipe? Well, those are pretty high.

You'll also find tons more 4th of July dessert recipes at 4th of July Party Recipes and Ideas Central. Including some wonderful recipes for traditional (and not so traditional) American Flag Cake!

The next in our July 4th dessert recipes is a rhubarb-berry pie. Rhubarb is sometimes overlooked for desserts, but it's perfect for the Fourth... it's tangy, it's fresh, and it's got that lovely patriotic red coloring!

Serve this one with a side of fresh blueberries (or blueberry ice cream!) to complete the red, white, and blue theme. With it's star-themed top crust, this one will definitely be the "star" of your Fourth of July desserts table!

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Ingredients:
2 - 9" round pie crusts
1 tsp. fresh orange zest
4 c. rhubarb, diced bite size
3 C. fresh strawberries or raspberries
1 1/2 C. sugar
6 tbsp. quick tapioca
1 tbsp. whole milk

Instructions: 1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and place one of the two crusts in your pie tin.

2. In a separate bowl, using a spoon, gently toss together the rhubarb, berries, zest, sugar and tapioca. Pour into bottom crust.

3. Place the second crust on a floured surface and, using a star-shaped cookie cutter (you can use all one size or a variety of star sizes), cut out enough star shapes to make a top crust.

4. Decoratively arrange your cut-out stars into a top crust, covering most of the top of the pie but leaving a bit of space for air to escape. When putting one pastry star on top of another, tap them lightly so they'll adhere together.

5. Brush the top with the milk, and if you wish sprinkle a little more sugar on it so when the crust is done, it will shine like sparklers.

6. Bake in a pre-heated 400-degree oven for 10 minutes, and then turn down the heat to 350 for another 30 to 35 minutes.

An Easier Alternative: If you're not fond of two-crust pies, use only the bottom crust and make a brown-sugar crumble topping instead. There's a recipe for an utterly fabulous a crumble topping in the last July 4th dessert recipe on this page.

One piece of advice when planning a 4th of July dessert menu? Try to find at least one dessert option that's not overly sweet. People often overlook the sweet-n-savory concept like the one here.

This dish is so simple and tasty, but it's a different kind of dessert that can help round out all the other dishes at your party. This is one of those great July 4th dessert recipes for adults who are watching what they eat, or who like to try experiment with new flavors. The flavors in this one are surprising and complex!

These strawberries are wonderful plain, but they're also great served with:

• Sweetened (or unsweetened) Sour Cream or Creme Fraiche
• Strawberry Shortcake
• White Chocolate Ice Cream, Mousse, or Panna Cotta
• Coconut Ice Cream
• Cheesecake
• Ginger or Carrot Cake

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Ingredients:
1 lb. fresh ripe strawberries, sliced in half
2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1/4 C. sugar
freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions: 1. Mix the strawberries, vinegar and sugar together.

2. Cover and leave in the refrigerator for two hours.

3. Stir them one more time before serving with a fresh sprinkle of pepper on top.

More Savory-Sweet Fruit Options: Having a Fourth of July BBQ? Make your dessert on the grill! Grill up sliced fresh pineapple and halved fresh peaches til tender. Then drizzle them in the balsamic sauce instead. Or, add some pomegranate juice with sugar to the balsamic to give it another layer of flavor. This July 4th dessert recipe is a fun dish in any of its variations!

As far as July 4th dessert recipes go, fruit crumbles are very forgiving. You can change out spices and fruits pretty readily and still have a winning dessert at the end of the day. So don't be afraid to tinker with this a bit... after all, what better day to celebrate your culinary independence?

This crumble topping is also wonderful as a topping for pies.

This July 4th dessert recipe serves about 8, and is wonderful warm or cold, with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream.

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Ingredients:
1 C. blackberries
1 C. raspberries
1 C. fresh blueberries
1 C. pitted sweet cherries
4 tbsp. sugar

Crumble:
2 C. sifted flour
2 C. oats
1/4 C. finely minced walnuts or almonds
1-1/2 C. brown sugar, packed
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 C. butter, cold and chopped

Instructions: 1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Get out two mixing bowls. In one, toss together your berries, cherries and sugar. Let sit until ready to use.

3. In the other bowl, work with your dry ingredients. Cut in the butter (you want a crumbly texture) until well combined. A pastry cutter works well for this, but you can also use a fork.

4. Using a 9x13 baking dish, take 1/2 of the crumble and press it into the pan (greased).

5. Pour the fruit mixture on top and even it out.

6. Finish with another layer of the crumble over top of the fruit. Bake in a 350 degree preheated oven for about 40 minutes (it will be bubbly). Let cool to warm before serving.