We’re living in chaotic times, but one thing you can always count on to bring Americans together is the 4th of July. This year, artists like Quavo and Lana Del Rey are heating up the holiday with their new “Tough” single and Lil Yachty continues to explore his sonic potential alongside James Blake on Bad Cameo. Music plays an instrumental role in soundtracking our memories, but it’s hard to enjoy without tasty food in your stomach. Luckily, America’s birthday is a holiday where people tend to bring out their best recipes, from BBQ to baking.

For anyone still scrambling to find a last-minute treat to bring to the cookout, we’ve got five awesome options that will keep you and your loved ones cool in the sweltering sun. Which of these easy desserts for the 4th of July will you be trying? Let us know in the comments!

Chocolate-Covered Frozen Bananas

The 4th of July is a day that promises good food, but not all of it is nutritious. There’s nothing wrong with indulging with your loved ones, but this recipe will allow you to get a serving of fruit while celebrating America’s birthday.

Ingredients:

• Bananas
• Lollipop sticks
• Red, white and blue candy melts
• Sprinkles or chopped nuts to decorate

Instructions:

1. Peel your bananas and cut them in half.
2. Stick a lollipop into the bottom of each one. 
3. Place on parchment paper in the freezer for about one hour until firm. 
4. Put your candy melts over heat until they become liquid.
5. Dip frozen bananas in chocolate, sprinkles, chopped nuts and other goodies to decorate.
6. Freeze again until ready to serve.

Strawberry Graham Cracker Bites

If you’re in charge of dessert for this year’s 4th of July function, but don’t want to serve up the stereotypical cupcakes or cookies, shake things up with these adorable strawberry graham cracker bites. The recipe makes 30, but can easily be adjusted to feed a crowd of any size.

Ingredients:

• 30 sliced fresh strawberries
• 1 container whipped cream
• 1 jar of Nutella (or chocolate-hazelnut spread of your choice)
• 30 fresh blueberries
• 1 package Teddy Grahams

Instructions:

1. Cut the bottom of your strawberries so they can stand upright on a plate.
2. Hollow out the tops of the strawberries.
3. Spoon whipped cream and Nutella into the now-empty tops.
4. Add one blueberry and a Teddy Graham to each strawberry.

American Flag Ice Cream Sandwiches

For those who fear the kitchen, but still want to make a cute contribution to 4th of July festivities, we have the American Flag Ice Cream Sandwiches. Even if they don’t look perfect, they’ll still taste sweet and bring a smile to your face.

Ingredients:

• 1 box of ice cream sandwiches
• Red, white and blue candy melts
• Sprinkles

Instructions:

1. Place colored candy over heat to melt.
2. Remove ice cream sandwiches from wrappers.
3. Drizzle sandwiches with red and white to resemble stripes on the American flag.
4. Spoon blue over the top left corner and top with small sprinkles to mimic stars.
5. Freeze until ready to serve.

Watermelon Granita

You’ll need a food processor on hand if you’re hoping to make some watermelon granita this long weekend. Be warned that if you do mix up a batch, all your guests will be begging you for more! Ingredients below will yield enough for two cups of the icy dessert, so adjust as necessary for a bigger event.

Ingredients:

• 4 cups seedless watermelon chunks
• ½ cup sugar
• Juice from a lemon

Instructions:

1. Mix all your ingredients in a food processor, pureeing until smooth.
2. Pour the mixture into a shallow, wide pan and freeze for an hour.
3. Remove from the freezer and rake the sheet with a fork then freeze for another hour.
4. Repeat step three.
5. On your third time raking, you can remove the watermelon granita and serve in cups.

Summer Berry Parfait

Perfect for a 4th of July breakfast or evening snack, you’ll love our summer berry parfait recipe. Substitute ingredients as you see fit, or try flavored yogurt for a fun twist.

Ingredients:

• ¾ cup sliced strawberries
• ¾ cup blueberries
• 1 container of vanilla yogurt
• 1 tbsp wheat germ
• ½ banana, sliced
• ⅓ cup granola

Instructions:

1. Layer ¼ cup strawberries, ¼ cup blueberries, ⅓ of your yogurt, a sprinkle of wheat germ, ⅓ of the banana and 2 tablespoons of granola in a large bowl.
2. Repeat, making more layers of delicious goodness on top until you run out of ingredients.