This Berry Cheesecake Flag Dessert is a revamping of one of our favorite summer treats for Independence Day. Usually decked out with just strawberries, this version has blueberries representing the blue field and strawberries echoing the stripes of the American flag.

This American Flag Cake is perfect for any of the trio of patriotic holidays we Americans celebrate in the summer. Besides looking fun and festive, it’s incredibly tasty, too!

Berry Cheesecake Flag Dessert slice on a white square plate

Why You Must Make

  • The trio of a shortbread crust, creamy, light cheesecake-like filling, and beautiful, sweet berries is a trifecta of deliciousness.
  • It’s really quite easy to make!
  • Your friends and family will be impressed with this themed dessert.

I make an iteration of this dessert every summer. The family goes nuts for the filling of whipped cream, cream cheese, sugar, and a smidgen of lemon juice over a sweet shortbread crust. I pile on the berries and glaze them with red currant jelly. But this time, I was more precise when arranging the strawberries and blueberries until my 9 x 13 cake pan resembled an American flag. I’d done this before for our annual Fourth of July party and it was time for a reprisal!

Berry Cheesecake Flag Dessert in a pyrex dish topped with blueberry and strawberry stars and stripes

Recipe Tips:

  • This dessert can easily be made the day you plan to serve it if you start early in the day. The crust needs to be baked and cooled and it’s nice to chill it for a couple of hours so the filling has a chance to solidify a bit.
  • Choose the red and blue berries that look best in the market. The stripes can also be made with red raspberries.
  • PRO-Tip: Use cold butter to make the crust. The little bits of cold butter will produce steam as the crust cooks in the oven, creating teeny pockets that translate to a flaky crust.
  • Have your cream cheese at room temperature so it will easily blend into the filling.
  • PRO-Tip: Glaze the berries with red currant jelly for a nice finishing touch. You may use another red jelly (not jam or preserves as a clear jelly looks best) if you can’t find red currant.

Though this berry cheesecake flag dessert has a 2-hour chilling time, there’s nothing too complicated about the recipe. It can be easily whipped up in the morning and parked in the fridge while you prepare the rest of the meal,

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You’ll be a superstar if you show up to an Independence Day party or picnic with this sublime dessert that represents Old Glory and the good ol’ USA. Happy holidays, everyone!!!

Berry Cheesecake Flag Dessert - Shortbread crust covered with a light whipped cheesecake filling, then decked out like the American flag with luscious, ripe berries!

Berry Cheesecake Flag Dessert

Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Yield 24 servings

Glazed berries over a whipped cheesecake filling and buttery shortbread crust are arranged to resemble an American flag. Perfect patriotic dessert.

Ingredients

For crust:

  • 2 cups flour
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1 cup cold butter (2 sticks)

For filling:

  • 6 ounces cream cheese
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2-3 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice (juice of one lemon)
  • 2 cups heavy cream cream

For Topping:

  • 16 ounces fresh strawberries, sliced in half with stems removed
  • 4 ounces fresh blueberries
  • 2-3 tablespoons red currant jelly

Instructions

  1. To make the crust, mix the first three ingredients until crumbly like pie crust. Pat into a 9 x13 pan. Bake at 350º for 15-20 minutes until light brown.
  2. To make the filling, mix the cream cheese, sugar, and lemon juice. Fold in well-whipped cream. Spread evenly on cooled crust.
  3. Arrange blueberries in rows to form a rectangle field of blue over one corner of the filling as pictured. Then arrange strawberries in rows to represent the stripes of the flag. Melt jelly and gently brush over berries to glaze (allow the jelly to cool slightly after melting). Chill at least 2 hours before serving.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

24

Serving Size:

1 slice

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 257Total Fat: 18gSaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 51mgSodium: 90mgCarbohydrates: 23gFiber: 1gSugar: 14gProtein: 2g

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