Melt popsicles into your fruit salad?! 3 Fourth recipes with a patriotic pop

This isn’t your average fruit salad.

It’s the Fourth of July mascot: great big fireworks! This holiday is all about things that, ‘POP!’ These recipes check that box.

Recipes creator and our good friend Alex Daynes shared three recipes to make your patriotic spread ‘POP!’ It’s the perfect theme for a patriotic party. She shared her recipe for Melted Popsicle Fruit Salad, Patriotic Cake Batter Popcorn, and Soda Pop Slush.

Melted Popsicle Salad

A fruit salad is a fourth-of-July must. One secret ingredient makes this one taste extra summer-y: melted popsicles! Prepare your fruits in a bowl. Alex chose a variety of strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries.

For a festive flavor, melt red, white, and blue popsicles. Or, Alex recommends a lime-flavored popsicle, since it plays well with most fruit.

Drizzle the melted popsicle juice over your fruit salad.

PREP TIME: 10 minutes
TOTAL TIME: 10 minutes

INGREDIENTS

• 1 pint strawberries, sliced
• 1 pint blueberries
• 1 pint raspberries
• 1 pint blackberries
• 1-2 melted popsicle
• 1-2 fresh mint leaves

METHOD

1. Place popsicles in a bowl and allow them to melt.
2. Add the washed blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries to the bowl, along with the sliced strawberries
3. Mix together the berries with the melted popsicle juice until all the fruit is coated.
4. Sprinkle the fruit mixture with fresh mint if desired Enjoy cold on a hot summer day!

Find the full post on Alex’s website, here.

Patriotic Cake Batter Popcorn

Everyone loves popcorn, but this one has a patriotic flair. Make it extra festive with colorful M&M’s, sprinkles, food coloring, or chocolate chips.

PREP TIME: 5 minutes
COOK TIME: 5 minutes
TOTAL TIME: 5 minutes

INGREDIENTS

• 3/4 cup mushroom popcorn kernels
• 1 cup butter
• 1/2 cup treated Funfetti Cake Mix*
• 16 ounces mini marshmallows

METHOD

1. Using an Air-Popped Popcorn Popper: Air Pop works best for popping mushroom popcorn Our machine has a 1/4 cup measuring cup, so we pop three batches for one recipe.
2. Using a strainer or wire cookie rack, dump the popcorn over it to allow the unpopped kernels to fall through. Then, place the popcorn in a large bowl.
3. Melt the butter in a saucepan on medium-low heat. Add the marshmallows to the butter and stir until melted. Then, stir in the cake mix.
4. Pour marshmallow sauce over popped popcorn and mix until well coated. Enjoy!!

Find the full post on Alex’s website, here.

Soda Pop Slush

Alex’s soda pop slush will be a crowd favorite. Make it the night before, let it freeze, and serve it up with soda pop. Plus, it’s only six ingredients!

PREP TIME: 10 minutes
ADDITIONAL TIME: 12 hours
TOTAL TIME: 12 hours 10 minutes

INGREDIENTS

• 4 cups granulated sugar
• 6 cups water
• 2 cups strawberries
• 2 cups orange juice
• 4 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 large can pineapple juice
• 2-3 2 Liter Bottles Lemon Lime Soda

METHOD

1. In a medium saucepan, mix the sugar and water on the stovetop and bring to a boil. Once boiling and the sugar is dissolved, remove from heat and set aside.
2. Add the strawberries and orange juice to a high-powered blender. Blend on high for 1 minute.
3. Add the sugar water syrup, blended strawberries, lemon juice, and pineapple juice in a large bowl with a lid.
4. Place the lid on and freeze overnight for 12-24 hours.
5. To serve, scoop the slush out like ice cream into a cup, and pour about a cup of the lemon-lime soda over the top! Enjoy!

Find the post on Alex’s website, here.

Find more from Alex on Instagram, @thealexdaynes, or on her website, alexdaynes.com.