Today I’ve got some easy, festive and fun July 4th appetizers for you! It’s all about the red, white and blue over here for the upcoming holiday. The kiddos love them some American flags. So I wanted to come up with some healthy, delicious red, white and blue foods to help us celebrate independence day. And we’re going with naturally colored festive foods. Meaning, no food coloring or artificial flavors here. (Just like my red, white and blue yogurt parfaits from last week.) And, let’s be honest, nothing that requires too much creativity. Not my strong suit. Nor do I have the patience or time for anything intricate. Nope, we’re just throwing together some cute, fun and tasty snacks at the last minute. So here are a few super easy July 4th appetizers that are great for kiddos and adults alike. (And some bonus ideas down below!)
Easy July 4th Appetizers and Snacks:
All of these little bites are perfect for pool parties, backyard BBQs and picnics all summer long, not just on the Fourth of July. Because who can resist some pretty hand-held food?! Oh and you may also want to check out my 4th of July fruit kabobs for another fun, festive appetizer that can totally be a fun dessert as well. Many of these here today can also work for breakfast. Especially the bagels and rice cakes. The fruit and cream cheese sandwiches are something I could happily snack on daily for breakfast or a snack. They are dainty, fruity and take just minutes to make up! And you can change them up a bit by switching out the fruits or using a fruit jam instead of fresh fruit. For instance, use strawberry jam in the sandwich and top with a blueberry. Or use blueberry or grape jam in the sandwich and top with strawberry slices or a raspberry. Endless combinations! The popcorn with dried blueberries and cranberries was probably my kids’ favorite. They both love my homemade popcorn, which is normally reserved for our very recent (and still very rare) family tradition of movie night. (They’re still really young, so that’s why it’s new.) So it was a surprise to make them this fun popcorn snack! It’s a great crunchy and chewy combo, with a little salty and a little sweet. All around delectable. And I love that it’s a whole grain treat! (No worries though if you want to use regular store-bought popcorn in the bag and just doctor it up. That’s fine too!) We were all fans of the fruit and cheese skewers. Little bites of handheld goodness.
Notes on making fruit skewers:
I sliced a very thin sliver off the bottom of the strawberries so the little boats would sit up straight. I halved the mozzarella balls so these would be more bite-size manageable. (This will depend on what kind/size you can find at your store.) I served ours with balsamic vinegar. I like mine dipped in it, though the kiddos like theirs plain. Serving extra fruit and mozzarella balls on the side is also a good way to encourage more snacking and browsing.
These fruit boats also pack well and work great to take to a picnic or friend’s house for a seemingly fancy but super duper easy appetizer. So there you have it, a few easy and fun ideas for your July 4th celebrations to make the holiday a little extra festive! Hope you have a safe and happy one! XO, Kathryn Crusts: You can also leave the crusts on if you prefer. My son tends to eat all the crusts from the sandwiches, which is great because I hate wasting food. However, you could also use the extras to make homemade breadcrumbs or croutons. Or toast up the crusts in a toaster oven or broil in the oven for crunchy sticks to spread with cream cheese or peanut butter or to dip into hummus or guacamole.
