Fourth of July Blueberry Dessert
Fourth of July Blueberry Dessert is a light, airy, fruity, EASY dish that is sure to please your 4th of July crowd. Buttery graham cracker crust, a layer of sweet banana, canned blueberry pie-filling, finished off with a sweet whipped topping.
Originally, this recipe was “The Banana Blueberry Dessert” passed down from my Nanny, to my mom. Now it is known among my family as simply “The Blueberry Dessert”, and it is still a favorite at our summer family gatherings. It’s made in a 9×13 pan, so it’s simple to make, and perfect to dish-up for a crowd. It also contains the necessary red, white, and blue colors for a 4th of July dish, so I hope your friends and family lick the pan clean!
What is the Fourth of July Blueberry Dessert?
This is a layered, pan dessert. The base is a homemade graham cracker crust that is sweet and buttery. The next layer is a layer of bananas. This gives it an extra creamy texture and sweetness. Third is a can of pre-made blueberry pie filling. The final layer is a whipped, cream cheese topping that I honestly could finish eating before it even makes it to the top of the dessert!
Substitution ideas
Substitutions for this recipe are endless, really. You could substitute the graham cracker crust for another cookie that would pair well with fruit such as vanilla wafers, Biscoff cookies, or lemon cookies. You could substitute the blueberry pie filling with cherry, strawberry, or raspberry canned pie fillings. Lastly, if you didn’t have cream cheese on hand for the topping, you could definitely just do plain whipped cream with sugar.
All that to say, I usually stick with the motto, if it’s not broke, don’t fix it. So I’ll be sharing my mom’s original recipe. Let me know in the comments if you make substitutions and how they turn out for you!
Fourth of July Blueberry Dessert: Let’s get to it!
Preheat the oven to 375°. Put the graham crackers in a gallon-sized Ziploc bag. Using a *rolling pin, roll the crackers until they are fine crumbs. Pour crumbs into a medium-sized bowl. Add the melted butter and 3 tbsp of sugar. Stir until combined.
Pour graham cracker crust mixture into a 9×13 pan. Bake for 9-11 minutes, until the edges are slightly browned. Cool for at least 30 minutes.
While the crust cools, in a stand mixer whip the **softened cream cheese with 1/3 cup of sugar on medium speed until smooth (about 1 minute). Reduce the speed to low, and pour in the cold heavy whipping cream. Increase the speed to medium-high and whip until spreadable (or until soft peaks form, about 3 minutes).
Once the crust is cooled, place the sliced bananas in an even layer on top of the crust.
Pour the blueberry pie filling over the bananas, using a spatula to spread it evenly.
Spread the whipped topping on top of the blueberry pie filling gently. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before eating.
DIG IN!
Fourth of July Blueberry Dessert
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
- 1 stick butter, melted
- 3 tbsp sugar
- 2-3 bananas, sliced
- 1 can blueberry pie filling
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 pint heavy whipping cream
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°. Put the graham crackers in a gallon-sized Ziploc bag. Using a *rolling pin, roll the crackers until they are fine crumbs. Pour crumbs into a medium-sized bowl. Add the melted butter and 3 tbsp of sugar. Stir until combined.
- Pour graham cracker crust mixture into a 9×13 pan. Bake for 9-11 minutes, until the edges are slightly browned. Cool for at least 30 minutes.
- While the crust cools, in a stand mixer whip the **softened cream cheese with 1/3 cup of sugar on medium speed until smooth (about 1 minute). Reduce the speed to low, and pour in the cold whipping cream. Increase the speed to medium-high and whip until spreadable (or until soft peaks form, about 3 minutes).
- Once the crust is cooled, place the sliced bananas in an even layer on top of the crust.
- Pour the blueberry pie filling over the bananas, using a spatula to spread it evenly.
- Spread the whipped topping on top of the blueberry pie filling gently. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before eating.
- Store in a covered container for up to 3 days.