Independence Day is only a few weeks away, and I don’t know about y’all, but a relaxing 4th of July poolside barbecue sounds pretty good right about now. The food, the drinks (vodka-infused cherries, anyone?), the cheesy “God Bless the USA” playlists– I just love it all. Kyle and I don’t exactly have a pool, but we do have a cute little back patio, and it’s perfect for hosting 4th of July parties. We got Kyle a grill for his birthday last year, so burgers, hot dogs, and simple 4th of July snacks, like this patriotic fruit platter, are our foods of choice. I found the inspiration for this American flag fruit platter on Pinterest about ten years back, and I’ve made one pretty much every Memorial Day and Independence Day since.

Not only do a lot of guests appreciate a healthier alternative to pie (not knocking pie, by the way– these strawberry and blueberry mini pies are to die for), this patriotic fruit platter is fun, festive, and takes five minutes to throw together. You can also make pretty much any red, white, and blue substitutions you want. For example, you can sub out cherries for raspberries, blueberries for grapes, or yogurt-covered pretzels for cheese cubes. The combinations are endless. Just find a tray that’s big enough to serve 8-10 people (this exact tray is old from Better Homes and Gardens, but this galvanized serving tray is basically identical!) and some festive bowls for leftover fruit. Keep scrolling for a printable American flag platter recipe card, along with a handful more 4th of July snack ideas!

American Flag Snack Board

Ingredients

Here’s everything I used to create this 4th of July snack board–

• Galvanized tray– I love galvanized trays (they just remind me of summer), but pretty much any rectangular server will work just fine! 
• Star-shaped bowl– I found this blue ceramic bowl at the Target dollar section a long time ago, but you can find an affordable set on Wayfair here!
• 1 pound sweet red cherries– Is summer even summer without sweet red cherries? If you don’t have any on hand, raspberries, watermelon slices, and/or double strawberries are my personal favorite alternatives. 
• 2 pounds strawberries– I know this is controversial, but I prefer strawberries over watermelon in the summertime. They’re just so sweet and less messy to eat. If you don’t have any, raspberries, watermelon, or double cherries are great alternatives. Red grapes work really well, too!
• 12 ounces blueberries (appx 1 pint)– Blueberries have been my favorite summer berry ever since Kyle and I got engaged on Blueberry Island in Maine a few summers ago. Other easy-to-find blue snacks are blackberries and concord grapes. 
• 14 ounces yogurt-covered pretzels– Yogurt-covered pretzels are so darn good– and they’re pretty darn healthy compared to other sweets! Zachary’s are my personal favorites. If you’re not a fan, cheese cubes make great alternatives, too. You could also use yogurt-covered almonds or dried berries, but you’d need a lot of them to fill the entire tray. 

Just a note– depending on the size of your tray, you may need more or less red, white, and blue snacks. The tray I used is roughly 21″ by 12″.

Patriotic Fruit Platter Substitutions

If any of my favorite ingredients aren’t available or in season– or if you want your patriotic fruit platter to have a bit more protein, the sky’s the limit as far as substitution go. Here are some American flag snack tray substitution ideas to try–

Red snacks- Fortunately, if you’re unable to find strawberries or cherries, there are lots of other red snack options out there. Watermelon slices (which can be easily cut into stars with a cookie cutter!), raspberries, red apple slices, red grapes, dried cranberries, and pomegranate seeds are great fruity alternatives. If you’d like to add some earthier flavors into the mix, cherry tomatoes and red peppers are your best bets. Lastly, if you’d prefer to include some protein on your patriotic snack board, pepperoni, salami, and mini Babybel cheese wheels are great back-ups, too.

White snacks– Mild white cheeses like mozzarella and white cheddar cheese are perfect substitutes for yogurt-covered pretzels. I recommend cutting them into cubes (or buying pre-cubed cheese) or stars so that they’re easy to just grab and go. Other no-fuss white snack options are marshmallows, popcorn, and light-colored crackers.

Blue snacks– Contrary to the other two, there aren’t many healthy blue snacks other than blueberries. Blackberries, Concord grapes, and blue tortilla chips are probably your best options. Other alternatives (if you can find them!) are mulberries, elderberries, and fresh whole figs.

How to Make an American Flag Snack Tray

This American flag snack tray is the definition of no-fuss, especially compared to popular (and higher calorie) summer desserts like fruit pies and cobblers. 

To make your own, start by washing and drying all your fresh produce and cleaning your serving tray thoroughly with soap and water. If you’re worried about fruit juice potentially staining the tray, line it with parchment paper.

Next, place blueberries in a star-shaped bowl (like this one or this one) and position them in the top left corner of a rectangular serving tray. Then, arrange the sweet red cherries, strawberries, and yogurt-covered pretzels in 5 rows (3 red, 2 white) to resemble the stripes of the American flag.

Finally, serve along with with cocktail picks, toothpicks, or tongs so that guests can easily grab what they want and go. Remember to keep back stock readily available, too. You’ll be surprised how quickly this American flag snack tray disappears!

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American Flag Snack Tray

Yield: 1 tray

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 5 minutes

This patriotic fruit platter is a healthy, fuss-free alternative to cherry pie and blueberry cobbler on the 4th of July, Memorial Day, and Labor Day! Can't find fresh blueberries, strawberries, or cherries-- or prefer something with more protein? Personalize your American flag snack tray with cured meats, cheese, or any of your other favorite red, white, and blue snacks instead!

Print

Ingredients

• 12 ounces blueberries (appx 1 pint)
• 2 pounds strawberries
• 1 pound sweet red cherries
• 14 ounces yogurt-covered pretzels

Instructions

1. Wash and dry fresh produce and clean your serving tray thoroughly with soap and water. If you're worried about fruit juice potentially staining the tray, line it with parchment paper.
2. Place blueberries in a star-shaped container and position them in the top left corner of a rectangular serving tray. Then, arrange the sweet red cherries, strawberries, and yogurt-covered pretzels in 5 rows (3 red, 2 white) to resemble the stripes of the American flag.
3. Serve with cocktail picks, toothpicks, or tongs so that guests can easily grab what they want and go-- and enjoy!

Notes

Depending on the size of your tray, you may need more or less red, white, and blue snacks. The tray I used is roughly 21" by 12".

Substitutions

Red snacks- Fortunately, if you're unable to find strawberries or cherries, there are lots of other red snack options out there. Watermelon slices (which can be easily cut into stars with a cookie cutter!), raspberries, red apple slices, red grapes, dried cranberries, and pomegranate seeds are great fruity alternatives. If you'd like to add some earthier flavors into the mix, cherry tomatoes and red peppers are your best bets. Lastly, if you'd prefer to include some protein on your patriotic snack board, pepperoni, salami, and mini Babybel cheese wheels are great alternatives, too.

White snacks- Mild white cheeses like mozzarella and white cheddar cheese are perfect substitutes for yogurt-covered pretzels. I recommend cutting them into cubes (or buying pre-cubed cheese) or stars so that they're easy to just grab and go. Other no-fuss white snack options are marshmallows, popcorn, and light-colored crackers.

Blue snacks- Contrary to the other two, there aren't many healthy blue snacks other than blueberries. Blackberries, Concord grapes, and blue tortilla chips are probably your best options. Other alternatives (if you can find them!) are mulberries, elderberries, and fresh whole figs.

Nutrition Information

Yield 8Serving Size 1
Amount Per ServingCalories 291Total Fat 8gSaturated Fat 3gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 4gCholesterol 0mgSodium 244mgCarbohydrates 54gFiber 6gSugar 34gProtein 5g

Nutritional information isn't always accurate and can vary based on a number of factors, including but not limited to discrepancies among brands, precision of measurements, and freshness of ingredients.

I make this patriotic fruit platter year after year, and it’s always such a hit. It’s so gosh darn easy to make, too. If you made one at home, I’d love to know how it turned out! Was it the first thing to disappear at your 4th of July barbecue or Labor Day cookout? 

More 4th of July Snack Ideas

If you’re looking for more 4th of July appetizers and desserts, here are a few of my personal favorites (all of which my dogs can vouch for)– 

• Baked Ka-Bam Steak Kabobs– These are seriously the best-tasting beef kabobs I’ve ever had. They’re the perfect combination of spicy and tangy, and you don’t even need a grill to make them! Of course, they can be grilled, too, if that’s your preference. 
• Itty Bitty Mini Cheeseburgers– Think sliders, but smaller and more festive. I think I might like these pretty little cocktail picks more than the mini cheeseburgers themselves, though. They’re the cutest ever!
• Watermelon Fruit Salad– It’s amazing how a star-shaped cookie cutter can transform a fruit salad into something kids love! This super simple fruit salad is always a crowd favorite and can serve as a healthy dessert, too!
• Patriotic Mini Pies– These strawberries and blueberry pies are delicious, festive, and perfectly portioned! Plus, you can use the leftover homemade blueberry and strawberry pie filling as a compote over ice cream. Yum!

 
What are your plans for the 4th of this year? I feel like this is the first major holiday since life’s returned (somewhat) back to normal, so I hope everyone has a wonderful time celebrating with family and friends. Happy hosting, y’all!

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