It’s that time of year again–time to go red, white, and blue. But saluting our nation’s independence doesn’t have to mean diving head deep into a holiday feast loaded with artificial colors. With a little creativity you can enjoy Fourth of July recipes sans food dyes.

1. Patriotic Fruit Pizza

Image: Liz West

It’s a fruit pizza with ample Fourth of July bling. I love Fourth of July recipes that use fruit for color. Make a sweet pizza pie crust from scratch and then load it up with blueberries, strawberries, and bananas to symbolize our nation’s stars and stripes. While the recipe does call for quite a bit of butter, remember the pizza is meant to feed a crowd (35 servings).

Patriotic Fruit Pizza
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. cream of tartar
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
2 sticks organic butter
2 1/2 cups white sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 (8 ounce) packages organic cream cheese, softened
3 large organic bananas, sliced – or as needed
1 tbsp. lemon juice, or as needed
1 carton fresh strawberries, sliced
1 container fresh blueberries

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degree F. In a medium bowl, whisk flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt.

2. In a large mixing bowl, mash the butter and beat in 1 1/2 cups sugar, eggs, and 1 tsp. of vanilla extract.

3. Add in flour and make the mixture into a workable dough. Spread the dough out evenly on a 12 x 17 inch baking sheet.

4. Bake until lightly browned for 8-10 minutes. At the same time, combine the cream cheese with 1 cup sugar and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract.

5. Place sliced bananas in lemon juice to prevent browning.

6. Once the pizza crust has cooled, begin to decorate the pizza. Spread the cream cheese mixture evenly across the cookie layer. Place blueberries in a neatly lined square in the upper left corner of the crust. Arrange alternating stripes of white bananas and strawberry slices. Serve your masterpiece.

Recipe adapted from AllRecipes.

2. Festive Ice Cubes

Image: Liz West

This recipe isn’t nearly as complicated as the fruit pizza, but it’s still gorgeous.

Festive Ice Cubes
1 pint raspberries
1 pint blueberries
Ice cube trays

Method

1. Place 2 blueberries and 2 raspberries each slot in an ice cube tray and add in water. Freeze until solid.

Tips: For added flavor and color, consider filling the ice trays with fresh mint leaves. You can also add lemonade to make your ice cubes a Fourth of July sweet treat.

3. Fourth of July Potato Chips

Image: urbanfoodie33

Nature’s rainbow makes these homemade potato chips festive–think beets and purple potatoes. I confine my intake of potato chips to those I make on my own and this is an awesome Fourth of July recipe.

Fourth of July Potato Chips
Serves 6

1/2 pound baking potatoes, such as russet or Idaho
1/2 pound purple potatoes
1/2 pound beets, peeled, and greens removed
6 cups vegetable or canola oil
Kosher or sea salt

Method

1. Use a mandoline or a sharp knife to slice the potatoes and beets 1/8-inch thick. Fill a large bowl with cold water and soak the potatoes for 5 minutes.

2. Transfer the potatoes to large towel and dry them off thoroughly.

3. Fill a deep, heavy bottomed pot with 4 inches of oil and heat oil to 350 degrees F.

4. Work in batches and be sure not to overcrowd the pot. Fry the potatoes first and then the beets. Use a slotted spoon to remove rounds when they’re golden brown. Salt immediately. Place on another large towel to remove excess grease.

Recipe: Epicurous

4. Vegetarian BLTs with American Flag Bling

This Fourth of July recipe takes a different tact entirely. Instead of adding food dyes to your food, decorate them with American flag toothpicks. It celebrates July 4th without impacting the flavor of your food.

Vegetarian BLTs with American Flag Bling
Serves 4

1 package tempeh bacon, skillet fried
4 ripe avocados, pitted and peeled (1 1/2 pounds)
Focaccia
1 head Bibb lettuce, leaves separated
1/4 cup organic mayonnaise
2 fresh tomatoes, sliced

Method

1. Slice your focaccia into four even servings.

2. Slather focaccia with mayonnaise. Place 2-3 Bibb lettuce leaves on one side of each sandwich. Place a slice of tomato on the other side of the sandwich. Slice 1/2 of an avocado and add to the each sandwich. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

3. Add 2 slices of tempeh bacon to each sandwich. Close the sandwich and garnish with an American flag toothpick.

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Image: Rubbermaid

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