This easy Independence Day dessert is the kind of low-effort, high-reward recipe that feels made for a busy holiday weekend. Using a solid frozen block of fruit punch concentrate gives it a bright red color and sweet-tart flavor that fits right in with a patriotic summer spread, and when it bakes together with just a few pantry staples, it turns into a bubbly cobbler-style dessert that tastes like you spent a lot more time on it than you actually did.
Serve this warm with big scoops of vanilla ice cream or whipped topping, and if you want to lean into the red-white-and-blue theme, add a handful of fresh blueberries on top right before serving. It also pairs nicely with grilled burgers, barbecue chicken, or hot dogs, making it an easy finish for a backyard cookout.
5-Ingredient Oven Baked Independence Day Dessert
Servings: 8
Ingredients
1 (12-ounce) solid frozen fruit punch concentrate, unthawed
1 box white cake mix (about 15.25 ounces)
1 cup lemon-lime soda
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 cup fresh blueberries
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and lightly grease a 9x13-inch oven-safe glass baking dish if needed.
2. Place the solid unthawed block of frozen fruit punch concentrate in the center of the baking dish, then scatter the blueberries around it.
3. Sprinkle the dry white cake mix evenly over the fruit punch concentrate and blueberries, covering the surface as much as possible.
4. Drizzle the lemon-lime soda evenly over the cake mix, then pour the melted butter across the top as evenly as you can. Do not stir.
5. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, or until the top is golden in places and the fruit punch mixture is bubbling up around the edges.
6. Let the dessert rest for 10 to 15 minutes before serving so the filling can settle slightly.
Variations & Tips
Add a patriotic topping: For a more festive Fourth of July look, scatter extra fresh blueberries over the warm dessert and add whipped cream or vanilla ice cream right before serving. The red filling, white topping, and blue berries make it look especially fun on a holiday table.
Try a different soda: If you do not have lemon-lime soda, ginger ale or a lemon sparkling water with a little sweetness can work well too. The soda helps moisten the cake mix and gives the topping a lighter texture.
Make it ahead: I like to measure everything out before guests arrive so I can assemble it in just a few minutes after dinner. Since it is best served warm, you can bake it shortly before serving and let it rest while everyone finishes the main meal.
Watch the topping: Dump cakes and cobbler-style desserts can brown unevenly, so that slightly rustic look is completely normal. If you notice a few dry patches of cake mix before baking, drizzle a tiny bit more melted butter over those spots for more even coverage.