If you’re hosting a July 4th party, you already have a lot on your list to plan and do. Let me help you with one of those hostess tasks by showing you how to set up an adorable ice cream bar! This is such an easy 4th of July dessert – especially when you’re feeding a crowd.
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4th of July ice cream is best served as a DIY buffet with lots of red, white, and blue topping choices. It’s an easy, kid-friendly dessert option. Because, who doesn’t love to customize and get exactly what THEY want – especially when it comes to ice cream sundaes!?
The hardest part about an ice cream bar is keeping it from melting. Everything else is easy-peasy. And you can prep almost everything ahead of time so all you have to do is display and enjoy!
In this post, I’ll share with you how I set up this simple 4th of July ice cream display, and give you links to find the same or similar items so you can recreate the look in your own backyard and end your Independence Day meal with a bang!
In this post, I’ll share with you how I set up this simple 4th of July ice cream display, and give you links to find the same or similar items so you can recreate the look in your own backyard and end your Independence Day meal with a bang!
This post is all about setting up an easy 4th of July dessert.
Red White and Blue Toppings
Let’s be real. The best part of ice cream is picking your toppings. Am I right!?
Toppings for this ice cream sundae bar include lots and lots of kid friendly red, white, and blue! Sprinkles, cherries, M&Ms, strawberry syrup, Twizzlers, and strawberries.
Can’t find these exact items? No worries. You can be creative and pick any candy that fits the July 4th patriotic palette!
Make it easy for guests of all ages to help themselves by having the toppings easy to reach and serve. In this case, I set up the dessert bar on an outdoor coffee table with bamboo spoons to scoop.
Serveware
Serveware was kept simple and neutral so the patriotic color scheme can shine. I also wanted to make it easy for kids to help themselves without using anything too precious or expensive. We’re all about fun here – no tears.
Candy was served in classic white ramekins. Sidebar: I love these things. We use them all of the time for snacks, fruit, and desserts.
Strawberries were placed one of my favorite items from Crate & Barrel – an adorable porcelain berry colander. If you don’t have this in your serveware collection, I highly recommend picking one up. Here is a similar option from Amazon too. Not only are they darling on a table, they also make your refrigerator look extra cute and put together when used to store your berries!
Waffle cones are displayed on a small glass cake stand. Adding height to any buffet improves the overall visual affect.
To round out the display, tiny American flag picks were placed in a copper shot glass (similar) and bamboo spoons in a mason jar add height to the display. And all of the toppings were placed on a white tray, which has a lacquered finish. Very important to clean up the inevitable sticky messes!
Lastly, should someone want their ice cream sans cone, adorable old fashioned glass ice cream sundae dishes were place at the end of the table.
Ice Cream
Keeping the ice cream cold was a big challenge. I ended up filling a gold metal bowl with ice, and then scooping the ice cream into a glass bowl, which was placed on the ice. It wasn’t a perfect solution but it did ok.
Aesthetic wise, I was pretty happy with the finished look. The metallic bowl added warmth and glow to the sundae bar. And placing the ice cream in little round scoops in the glass bowl I think was a fun way of presenting the dessert, rather than keeping it in the original cardboard packaging.
My recommendation for you is to bring out the ice cream last to give it the best chance of not melting before served. No ice cream soup on our watch!
Easy 4th of July Dessert Linens
Last year, I stumbled upon this plaid table runner at Home Goods. It was love at first sight. I also bought the coordinating napkins. It’s hard to find a good plaid, you know? While I could not track down this exact item, Amazon has a similar option by DII – a brand I own a lot of and recommend.
But instead of being matchy-matchy for this 4th of July ice cream bar, I opted to pull another favorite – star napkins (also from DII). Can we take a moment to appreciate how darling these are!?
Now, off camera, I had paper napkins too. WAY more kid friendly, at least in our house. But for the adults who may partake of the dessert, these modernist patriotic cloth napkins are just the thing.
Decor
Add pops of patriotic decor to your ice cream bar to make it sparkle. In this case, I draped a wood star banner (similar) and placed a white tea light lantern on the table. I wanted the table decor to be subtle because there is already a lot going on with the linens and candy. Hence, the neutral palette.
In the background, I hung a red, white, and blue pendant banner (similar). While I love bunting and always will, I think this is a cute alternative.
Last but not least, on a side table was placed a copper-finished mule pitcher (similar) filled with American flags, which filled a space and added a bit of drama.
Use whatever 4th of July decorations you have on hand to enhance your ice cream bar. It doesn’t have to be these exact items to achieve a festive overall look. Just keep a balance of form and function, and you should be good to go!
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Thanks for stopping by today. I am so glad you did and hope you enjoyed this easy 4th of July dessert. My hope is that it provided you with the information you were looking for and inspiration to create an extra sweet moment in your Independence Day celebrations.
Please leave a comment and let me know what your favorite red, white, and blue ice cream bar toppings are.
Thanks again, and please come back soon!
Cheers!
updated June 5, 2022