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Celebrate the Holiday with this super quick & easy 4th of July Icebox Cake with whipped cream, graham crackers, and fresh fruit made to look like the American flag.
For more American flag inspired recipes try making Patriotic Pretzel Rods, Red White and Blue Strawberries, or this 4th of July Jello Cake.
4th of July Icebox Cake (American Flag Icebox Cake)
I’m squeezing in one last patriotic 4th of July recipe for you today! There is still time to make it too! With only a few minutes of prep time needed, few ingredients like fresh berries, Cool Whip, and graham crackers this icebox cake can be ready in no time.
This recipe uses red white and blue colors to resemble the American flag. Making it the perfect dessert to celebrate the Holiday with.
Creamy layers of whipped cream, fresh juicy berries, and graham crackers. The fridge time is the ‘secret’ to a really good icebox cake so make sure you make it ahead of time so it has time to chill in the fridge.
Ingredients Needed
- Cool Whip – A 16 ounce container is what the recipe calls for. You can also make your own whipped cream and use it in place of the 16 ounces of Cool Whip. Beat 3 cups heavy whipping cream + 1 cup powdered sugar in a mixing bowl until stiff peaks form.
- Graham Crackers – Three of the wrapped sleeves is what you will need to complete all the layers of the icebox cake.
- Fresh Sliced Strawberries – These will go inside the layers of the icebox cake as well as on top for the American flag decoration.
- Fresh Raspberries
- Fresh Blueberries – Some will go inside the layers and some on top to completely the American flag design.
How to Make 4th of July Icebox Cake (Step-by-Step Directions)
- Spread 1/3 of the Cool Whip into the bottom of a 9×13 pan.
- Sprinkle half of the sliced strawberries, half of the raspberries, and half of the blueberries over top the Cool Whip layer.
- Place an even layer of graham crackers on top the berries. Breaking and cutting the crackers as necessary to make the layer.
- Spread another 1/3 of the Cool Whip over the crackers.
- Sprinkle the remaining half of each of the berries (sliced strawberries, raspberries, blueberries).
- Top with another layer of graham crackers.
- The final layer is the last 1/3 of the Cool Whip.
- Cover the pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6-8 hours, or up to overnight is even better.
- When ready to serve – decorate the top. Put the blueberries in the left quarter of the cake, and then use the chopped strawberries to create the red and white lines with the Cool Whip layer.
Make It Ahead of Time?
You actually need to make it at least 6 hours ahead of time so the icebox cake has time to soften and set in the fridge before serving. I actually prefer making it the night before and letting it refrigerate until I need it the following day. My icebox cake is usually in the fridge closer to 12-18 hours before serving.
The fridge time allows the graham crackers to soften and for the fruit juices to soak into the whipped cream and create this magical light & fluffy texture flavored with the fruit juices.
Can I Use Other Fruits?
Because this icebox cake is for the July 4th Holiday we stuck with the usual red and blue fruits like strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries. However, if you are not making this for the Holiday or maybe you’re making it for an easy summertime dessert, then yes the fruits can substituted with what you want.
Instead of a flag pattern you can just put the fruit on top of the icebox cake in random places or make a fun pattern or a shape with them.
Can This Icebox Cake Be Made with Frozen Fruit?
It is best, and highly recommended, that you do not use frozen fruit. Whenever you thaw frozen fruit, it leaks off many of it’s juices, leaving you with a very mushy and discolored dessert. I highly recommend only using fresh fruit when making this icebox cake.
Can I Make Any Changes?
Yes! There are a few ways to switch up the flavor and texture of this icebox cake. These have all been tested so I know any of them will be great changes should you choose to do them.
- Cream Cheese : For a thicker, cheesecake-like tase and texture, use cream cheese in the whipped cream layer. Place a softened bar of cream cheese into a mixing bowl and beat on medium speed until it’s smooth and creamy. Fold in the whipped topping until combined thoroughly. Use this as your whipped cream layer instead of plain Cool Whip.
- Homemade Whipped Cream : For those that don’t like using Cool Whip you can make your own. In a mixing bowl, beat together 3 cups of heavy whipping cream + 1 cup powdered sugar until stiff peaks form. Start at low speed to avoid splashing and increase speed as needed. This takes about 5 minutes to fully whip it until stiff peaks form. Use this in place of the Cool Whip for the whipped cream layer.
- Pudding Whipped Cream : This makes for a slightly thicker layer of whipped cream. Whisk together a small box of instant pudding (vanilla, cheesecake, French vanilla, white chocolate) with 1 cup of half and half milk. Let it sit for 3-4 minutes for the pudding to thicken. Add the Cool Whip into the thickened pudding and mix until combined. Use this for the whipped cream layer in the icebox cake.
More No Bake Recipes For 4th of July
4th of July Icebox Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
Icebox Cake
- 16 oz Cool Whip
- 3 sleeves graham crackers
- 3 cups sliced strawberries
- 1 cup raspberries
- 1 cup blueberries
American Flag Decoration
- 1½ cups blueberries
- 1½ cups chopped strawberries
Instructions
- Prep : Rinse the fresh berries and pat them dry with paper towel. Slice the strawberries. * Do not prep the decoration fruit (for the top of the cake) until after the refrigeration time and right before serving.
- Spread 1/3 of the Cool Whip into the bottom of a 9×13 pan.
- Sprinkle 1½ cups of the sliced strawberries, ½ cup of the raspberries, and ½ cup of the blueberries over top the Cool Whip layer.
- Place a layer of graham crackers over top the berries, breaking apart some graham crackers as needed.
- Spread another 1/3 of the Cool Whip in an even layer over the crackers.
- Sprinkle the remaining 1½ cups sliced strawberries, ½ cup raspberries, and ½ cup blueberries over top.
- Top with another layer of graham crackers.
- Spread the remaining Cool Whip over top for the final layer.
- Cover the pan with plastic wrap or a lid and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, or overnight is even better.
- When ready to serve, put the blueberries onto the left quarter of the cake. Create stripes using the chopped strawberries and Cool Whip layer for the rest of the cake.
Notes
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- Cream Cheese : For a thicker, cheesecake-like taste and texture, use cream cheese in the whipped cream layer. Place a softened bar of cream cheese into a mixing bowl and beat on medium speed until it’s smooth and creamy. Fold in the whipped topping until combined thoroughly. Use this as your whipped cream layer instead of plain Cool Whip.
-
- Homemade Whipped Cream : For those that don’t like using Cool Whip you can make your own. In a mixing bowl, beat together 3 cups of heavy whipping cream + 1 cup powdered sugar until stiff peaks form. Start at low speed to avoid splashing and increase speed as needed. This takes about 5 minutes to fully whip it until stiff peaks form. Use this in place of the Cool Whip for the whipped cream layer.
-
- Pudding Whipped Cream : This makes for a slightly thicker layer of whipped cream. Whisk together a small box of instant pudding (vanilla, cheesecake, French vanilla, white chocolate) with 1 cup of half and half milk. Let it sit for 3-4 minutes for the pudding to thicken. Add the Cool Whip into the thickened pudding and mix until combined. Use this for the whipped cream layer in the icebox cake.
Nutrition
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