Tastiest and Prettiest Gluten-Free 4th of July Recipes (2024)

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To celebrate summer and our independence stand on July 4th, 1776, we want the tastiest and prettiest gluten-free 4th of July recipes! And of course, some of those recipes will also bear the patriotic colors of red, white, and blue. I’ve updated this collection of recipes so that you have plenty of fantastic options!

The 4^th will soon be here in the U.S. And all of you readers in Canada are getting ready to celebrate your Canada Day. Clearly, we’re in the wonderful season of summer. The time of year when fun, food, fireflies (we actually call them lightning bugs), favorite swimming holes, and long sunny days all combine to make you feel like you’ve been given a fabulous gift.

While Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, 4th of July is probably my next favorite. Both are focused on the fun and meaningful combination of food, family, and friends—not necessarily in that order—without the pressure of non-stop events and gift giving like some holidays.

Instead of creating a new recipe or sharing a new recipe roundup, I’ve decided to update this gluten-free recipe roundup once again to give you the tastiest and prettiest 4th of July recipes for the holiday, or for summer in general!

4th of July Drinks

~ 5-Minute Watermelon Strawberry Slushie (sooo refreshing and full of health benefits!) (Note: I have linked to the archived article via the Wayback Machine as this site is no longer active)

~ Blueberry Banana Foamie(this is a light smoothie-style beverage—no heaviness after this one)

~Raspberry Banana Pineapple Coconut Smoothie(all kinds of goodness in one smoothie)

~Good Morning Sunshine! Smoothie(this combo is simple but delicious and definitely a nice way to wake up!)

~ Crab Claws (“high octane” co*cktails/punch—so named because it is the color of steamed crabs)

~ Frozen Watermelon Margaritas (I’ve never been a big fan of frozen margaritas until this recipe!)

~The Only Margarita You Will Ever Need (the secret ingredient in this recipe really surprised me!)

4th of July Starters/Sides

~ Creamy Cauliflower Salad (when you want potato salad but you don’t eat potatoes)

~ Cucumber Chickpea “Bruschetta” (these bites are loved by all—even by Mr. GFE who has always said that he hates chickpeas!)

~ Garden-Free Herbed Cucumber “Flower” Bites (cucumbers cut into flower shapes with yummy topping)

~ Guaco Tacos (such great finger food, but you can easily make a meal from these flavorful grain-free, vegan delights—bonus … now you know what to do with jicama!)

~ Easy Peasy Oven-Roasted Corn on the Cob

~ Mexican Street Corn Salad (move over corn on the cob! you get your corn fix and salad with this delicious recipe)

~Quinoa Fritters (if you love quinoa, these fritters might be your perfect side)

~ Zucchini Fritters (grain-free fritters that are so light and lovely that we never tire of them)

~ Pulled Chicken Salad with Lime Cilantro Dressing (the dressing makes this salad! if you love cilantro, you’ll want to top this salad with this 5-Minute Creamy Cilantro Lime Dressinginstead)

~ Fresh Zucchini Toss(yes, you can eat zucchini raw and it’s good—even great—after marinating for just a short time)

~ Seasonal Salads (delicious salad recipes for the Go Ahead Honey It’s Gluten Freeevent)

~ Candy Cane Beet, Strawberry, and Black Plum Salad with Ginger Lemon Honey Dressing (even salads can be some serious “eye candy,” as you can see!) Note: I have updated this link to the archived article via the Wayback Machine as unfortunately, this site is no longer active.

Don’t just indulge in amazing salads like these salads when eating out; make one at home for a festive and healthy 4^th!

And there’s always pasta salad, of course.

~Southwestern Pasta

~Pasta Potato Salad (the thought of the two together is intriguing, right?)

4th of July Main Dishes

Meaty Recipes

~ Gluten-Free Beer Can Chicken(there are several gluten-free beers that come in a can now, but my method is still an easy solution if you don’t have access to such brands)

~Barbecue Country-Style Ribs (Ribs say 4^th of July to many. Mr. GFE and Son vote for ribs ANY time! How about these slow cooker ribs? Bonus–they don’t add any heat to the kitchen!)

~ Oven-Baked Spare Ribs (perhaps if you’re in a cooler climate; probably not a good idea if you’re in an area affected by our current heat wave).

~ Slow-Cooked Pork Butt, Also Known as the World’s Easiest and Best Pulled Pork (Love pork, but think ribs are too messy? Try the recipe that my family and friends proclaim to be the best—even better than that served at award-winning local barbecue spots.)

~ Homemade Barbecue Sauce (this sauce would work well for all the pork recipes I’ve mentioned or for chicken; I do love barbecued chicken!)

Some Tasty Vegetarian/Vegan Options

~Faux Pulled Pork (I can personally vouch for this recipe. You would swear that you’re eating pulled pork. I’m not a vegetarian, but I loved that I could eat Johnna’s super tasty barbecue and not have that heavy “I want to go to sleep” feeling afterward.)

~ Blackened Black Bean Burgers(Son and I are nuts over these burgers. Seriously. I’d eat them over a regular burger any day.)

~ Sweet Potato Veggie Burgers(chock full of goodness with rave reviews!)

~ Vegetarian Black Bean Quinoa Burgers(black beans and quinoa both star in this veggie burger recipe!)

~Vegetarian Veggie Burgers That Are Made from Vegetables

4th of July Bread Options

~ Gluten-Free Hamburger and Hot Dog Rolls (if you’re making sandwiches of any kind or grilling hamburgers or hot dogs, you’ll find every recipe you need right here!)

~ Gluten-Free Biscuits and Rolls (sometimes just adding a roll or biscuit to your salad or main dish creates the perfect meal; shown is one of the recipes highlighted in this roundup)

4th of July Desserts

Oh, how we love our desserts, don’t we? Desserts are without a doubt the most abundant—and most popular—recipes on blogs. I think you’ll enjoy all of the following. But maybe not all at once, of course.

~ Patriotic Trifle (trifle always makes such an impressive dessert)

~ Red, White, and Blue Fruit Salad(simple and perfect for Independence Day)

~Red, White, and Blue Kabobs; (really fun–and easy—for kids to make!)

~ Red, White, and Blueberry Salad (fruit salads are so lovely during the summer and I love the creaminess factor with this one!)

~No-Bake Strawberry Ice Cream Cake (ice cream cake is the ideal cake for summer celebrations)

~ Star-Studded Blueberry Pie (this blueberry pie with a star-studded crust is the perfect tribute to the 4th)

~ Super Easy Orange Sherbet (so refreshing! not your ordinary orange sherbet … you must try it!)

~ Triple Berry Cobbler (a grain-free, nut-free delight)

~ Watermelon Sherbet (so very light and refreshing!)

~ Peach Sorbet (a cooler way to enjoy peaches)

~Crustless Peach Pie (no crust to make! you pour the batter over the sliced peaches to form both the top and bottom crust)

~ Peach Dessert Recipes (every possible way to enjoy peaches in dessert form!)

~ Peach Upside Down Cake (move over pineapple, peaches are the star in this upside down cake)

~ Raw, Vegan & Paleo Neapolitan Cake (the boring classic ice cream combo is reinvented and suddenly anything but boring)

~ Blueberry Ice Cream (What starts out blue, but ends up purple? There’s more frozen lusciousness with this one, so I don’t think anyone will mind that its hue is not blue and doesn’t fit the typical patriotic color scheme.)

~ Blueberry Honey Pie with Honey Whipped Cream (this no-bake pie is one of my most favorite gfe recipes)

~ Strawberry “Cheesecake” with Almond-Macadamia Crust. (Just look at this gluten-free, vegan “cheesecake”!)

~ Stunning Berry Tart with Vanilla Bean Custard(Oh my.)

~ Fresh Strawberry Coconut Custard Pie(as wonderful as it sounds)

~ Raw Berry Tart with a Coconut Pastry Cream Pastry(a work of art that I’d like to eat piece by piece)

~ Red, White, and Blue Berries and Cream (such a pretty presentation and you can’t beat the ingredients either)

~Real Food Strawberry Marshmallows (how pretty are these marshmallows? plus, check out the ingredients)

~Campfire Cones (definition: “ice cream cones packed full of s’mores goodness, wrapped in foil, and then cooked over the campfire or in the oven”)

~ Chocolate-Covered Strawberries (you won’t believe how very easy it is to make your own) (this site is no longer active so I’ve linked to the recipe via the Wayback Machine)

~Angel Food Cupcakes (individually sized angel food cakes!) (this site is no longer active so I’ve linked to the recipe on the Wayback Machine)

~Angel Food Cake (this cake knocks everyone’s socks off! even the gluten-full folks!)

~ Carrot Cake(the classic—worthy of all occasions!)

~ Dreamy Carrot Cake (soooo very dreamy!)

~ Flourless Chocolate Cake Made with a Secret Ingredient (this cake is delicious any time of year but I especially love it when it’s decked out for the 4th!)

~ Top 20 Red, White, and Blue Desserts

Thankfully, we will never run out of amazing gluten-free desserts. I think that’s worth celebrating all by itself. The challenge of gluten-free desserts is not that we don’t have enough choices; it’s choosing which dessert(s) to make!

Now, don’t you agree that I’ve shared the tastiest and prettiest gluten-free 4th of July recipes?

Happy Canada Day, Happy 4^th of July (or Independence Day, if you like), and Happy Summer to All!

p.s. If you’re eating at a group event for the holiday or any time soon, don’t forget to follow these rules to stay safe. As always, please remember that ANY gluten is too much gluten for someone who is eating gluten free for medical reasons; enjoy the tasty and good times with friends, but stay vigilant. If you should happen to accidentally ingest gluten, you may find this article HONOR Your Body: How to Recover from Being Glutened very helpful.

Originally published July 3, 2012, updated June 27, 2023.