Next Post
This post may contain affiliate links, please see our privacy policy for details.
Easy All-American 4th of July Party Menu
Sharing my ultimate 4th of July party menu—plus simple entertaining tips and tricks to make your summer gathering the best one yet! Below you’ll find a festive and effortless menu with cocktails (and mocktails!), fun appetizers, fresh summer salads, and my favorite go-to summer desserts. This menu is meant to be fun and easy—exactly what we’re all craving this time of year!
I’m so excited to be bringing you another entertaining post—this time with easy ideas and recipes for your 4th of July celebrations. Can you believe it’s just a week away?
Since the 4th is truly the summer holiday, I wanted to keep things super relaxed and festive. Instead of a sit-down dinner, I’ve created a menu filled with party-ready drinks, apps, summery salads, and sweet treats—everything that’s easy to prep and easy to enjoy. I had the best time putting this one together!
The Party – An All-American 4th of July
invites
I use Canva to create digital invites. It’s so easy and they have amazing templates, plus so many are free! You can access my template here and edit it for your party.
The party menu
drinks
Spicy Pickle Margarita (with or without alcohol) – sharing soon!
Frosted Watermelon Rosemary Frosé
Make the Drinks Ahead of Time
Both drinks can be prepped in advance to make your life easier. The margarita can be mixed up ahead and stored in the fridge—just pour over ice when you’re ready to serve. The Watermelon Frosé is also make-ahead friendly! Blend it up and stash it in the freezer. Just give it a quick spin in the blender before serving, then pour it pitcher-style for easy pouring.
Keep It Cool
It’s the 4th of July—it’s going to be hot (and hopefully sunny!). Be sure to set out coolers or big buckets filled with ice and stocked with drinks. Think sparkling waters, seltzers, beers—whatever you and your guests love.
Want to Make It Even Easier?
Skip the mixing and simply offer a variety of beers, red, white, and rosé wines, and a mix of fun seltzers. Or keep things chill and low-key by going with a big-batch summer sangria! There’s also this fun punch (try swapping the cider for watermelon or peach juice and the apple butter for peach jam—that sounds so good!).
appetizers/snacks
mini cheeseburger sliders (use warm trays or a hot plate to keep them warm)
Watermelon Stars with Strawberries and Feta
Mexican Street Corn Dip (serve with 2-3 bowls of tortilla chips arranged around the dip)
Marinated Cherry Tomatoes with Burrata (serve with crackers/crostini)
Charcuterie Board (use summer fruits/jams)
Tip: You can prep all of these yourself—or make it easy and assign each guest an appetizer to bring. If you are making everything, prepare as much as possible ahead of time so you’re not stuck in the kitchen during the party. That way your 4th of July can be stress-free and fun!
Add to the Menu: Ask guests to bring their favorite summer appetizer to help bulk up the menu. It’s always fun to try something new—and bonus, it gives you fresh recipe ideas!
dessert
Nonnie’s 6 Ingredient Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream Cake
Holiday Chex Mix (use red, white, and blue M&M’s)
assorted mini pies – from a local bakery
assorted cookies – from a local bakery
My Best Advice: Don’t feel like you need to make everything from scratch—pick up a few fun desserts from your local bakery or market. I grabbed mini pies and cookies from Round Swamp Farm in the Hamptons and they were a hit!
Add to the Menu: Stock a cooler (or your freezer) with frozen treats like ice cream bars, popsicles, and ice cream sandwiches. It’s festive, nostalgic, and so easy!
Another Fun Idea: Set up a DIY s’mores bar with graham crackers, marshmallows, classic Hershey’s chocolate, and a few fun toppings or spreads. It’s a very 4th of July moment!
Or: Bake a batch of this week’s Toasted Marshmallow K-Bars—they’re a cozy crowd-pleaser and super easy to prep ahead.
Party Favors
I picked up assorted jams and cookies for guests to take home. Keep the cookies fresh by placing each cookie in a cookie bag sealed with cute paper clips or ribbon.
Set the Table
pulled the pieces I used + additional pieces I love!
serving
What to Wear
Keep it casual and have fun. The 4th of July is not meant to be overdone! Some ideas for you below!
Photos by Kelsey Cherry
Lastly, if you’ve enjoy this Easy All American 4th of July Party Menu, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love hearing from you and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make any of these recipes, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
This post was originally published on June 26, 2025
Love love love this blog!! The whole theme idea is so inspiring. Really next level. Your work is amazing!
Thank you so much, Jeany! This really means so much to me:) Have a great Sunday!
Love the Patriotism! USA!
I hope you have a great 4th of July, Rachel!
Love this!! You make it look so easy. I have a Pinterest board dedicated to you alone. Thanks Tiegen for all your special unique ideas.
Hey Kim,
Happy Friday! Thank you so much for your kind message, I love to hear you enjoyed the post and ideas. Have the best weekend!
Love this Tieghan, plus you look so happy in all the photos! Hope you keep doing more posts like this!
Thanks so much, Christine:) This really means so much to me, I’m so glad you enjoyed this post! Happy summer weekend!
You say to put the popsicles and icecream sandwiches in a cooler, I have never done this, just curious how long will they stay frozen in a cooler?
Hey Kendall,
I would say it depends on the weather where you are and how hot it is, but they should be good for a few hours. I hope this helps!
I love love the striped top over the button down(assuming it is two pieces but maybe it is one shirt) can you link it? Im always looking for fun not boring tops for work! You look so tan and dewy, do you spray tan or is it just all the Miami sun?!
Hey Marsha,
Thanks so much!! Yes, you can find all of my outfits linked here:
https://www.shopltk.com/explore/halfbakedharvest
Please let me know if you have any other questions! Happy 4th of July!
I LOVE all the outfits! It’s hard to find clothing that I think looks chic and appropriate for my age, but not frumpy. I think we are similar in style and age, not sure how old you are, but I am turning 45 next month! These are all pieces I could wear to work and straight to dinner.
Hey Marcy,
Thanks a lot! So glad you are enjoying the outfits, thanks for taking the time to read today. Happy Summer!
I didn’t realize you had a place in Montauk!
Hi Liz,
I don’t, I wish:) It’s a friend’s place! Thanks for reading today!
Great ideas. Excited to make the pickle margaritas. The burger sliders are the only thing that look impractical. It’s going to be hard for guests to eat them on the skewers like that!
Thanks so much, Jamie!! I hope you love the pickle margaritas. Let me know how they turn out for you! Happy 4th!
I love this! Those cheeseburger kebabs are literally the cutest thing I’ve ever seen. I love the sailor sweater in the last few pictures, it’s super cute!☺️
Thank you so much, Valerienne:) I’m so glad you enjoyed this menu and post! Happy 4th!
T,
I love this blog post so much! Thank you for sharing the perfect menu for the 4th. I love seeing how you would create a full menu! Keep these posts coming. I am here for it!
Hey Abigail,
Love to hear this! Thanks so much for reading today and taking the time to comment:) Happy 4th!
great ideas and photos!
Thanks a bunch, Cindy! Hope you are having a wonderful week!
What a fun party idea. I love all the flowers! I really appreciate that these photos look untouched and are more casual and not like a professional photo shoot. I think a lot of people host outdoor parties for the 4th, at least my family does. So some tips on how to keep food cold/warm/away from bugs on the 4th would be appreciated too! Also foods that can pack up well that guests can bring!
Hi Kelsie,
Thanks for reading today. Glad you enjoyed the post and the photos. I appreciate you sharing your suggestions on things that would be helpful for the next time! Happy Summer!
I appreciate this post, I think I like it more than the one you did at the hotel! It looks like the photos were not done by a professional and you don’t have the makeup and hair done so it is so much more relatable for me at least! I like the casual vibes.
Hi Molly,
Thanks for reading today and sharing your feedback, glad you found the post today to be fun and helpful! Have a great weekend!
I love this post! Thank you so much for the fantastic ideas to celebrate the day!
Judy
Thanks so much, Judy! So glad you enjoyed the post! Happy Summer!
As a fellow Coloradan and spending the 4th in the mountains, this was just perfect! The Mexican street corn dip, burger skewers and fruit ideas are on the menu! Thank you for always creating wonderful receipes and ideas! Much appreciated!
Thanks so much, Allison!! Love to hear this! Have a great 4th of July!