4th of July Sugar Cookies

Name: 4th of July Sugar Cookies
Prep time: 55 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 1515 min
Ingredients: 2 cups cake flour; ½ cup all-purpose flour; 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder; ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar; 1 cup sugar; ½ cup salted butter (softened); ¼ cup butter flavored shortening (softened); 3 teaspoon vanilla extract; 1 whole egg (plus 1 egg white); 1 cup salted butter (softened); 4 cups powdered sugar; 1 teaspoon clear imitation vanilla (or vanilla extract); 4 to 5 tablespoons heavy cream; red white and blue sprinkles (we used blue nonpareils, red sanding sugar, and a red/white/blue/star sprinkle mix)

These soft 4th of July sugar cookies are topped with a classic creamy white icing and are perfect for a birthday celebration for America with lots of red, white and blue.

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Table of Contents

4TH OF JULY SUGAR COOKIES INGREDIENTS
HOW TO MAKE THIS 4TH OF JULY SUGAR COOKIE RECIPE
HOW TO SERVE
STORAGE
FAQ
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These festive 4th of July sugar cookies will bring all of the red, white and blue to your celebrations this year. A classic buttery cookie topped with sweet icing and decorated with colorful sprinkles will be guaranteed to stand out at your independence day party.

Sugar cookies are so easily customizable for any occasion. Change up the color of the icing and sprinkles, and you have cookies that are color-coordinated with your festivities. Try two more easy recipes with our swig sugar cookie and grandma’s Christmas sugar cookies, and change up the colors to suit your needs. You could also try our sugar cookie bars for another perfect dessert.

close up shot of 4th of July sugar cookies topped with frosting and sprinkles on a plate

MORE COOKIES RECIPES:
Peanut Butter Cookies | Twix Cookies

4TH OF JULY SUGAR COOKIES INGREDIENTS

4th of July sugar cookies raw ingredients that are labeled

You will need:

For the cookies

2 cups cake flour
½ cup all-purpose flour
1½ teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
1 cup sugar
½ cup salted butter, softened
¼ cup butter flavored shortening, softened
3 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 whole egg + 1 egg white

For the Icing

1 cup salted butter, softened
4 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon clear imitation vanilla (or vanilla extract)
4-5 tablespoons heavy cream
red white and blue sprinkles (we used blue nonpareils, red sanding sugar, and a red/white/blue or star shape sprinkle mix)

SUBSTITUTIONS AND ADDITIONS

Vanilla: Use clear imitation vanilla for a whiter frosting, as the regular vanilla extract will tint your frosting to an off-white.

Butter: You can also substitute shortening for a portion of the butter for a whiter frosting.

Icing: Use a bit of gel food coloring to make the icing color of your choice. Make blue cookies with red icing or red cookies with blue icing for even more fun for your fourth of July celebrations.

Cream of Tartar: You can use lemon juice to replace the cream of tartar. For best results, use an equal amount of lemon juice for the cream of tartar the recipe calls for.

STEP ONE: In a large bowl add the cake flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, and cream of tartar. Whisk together, then set the flour mixture aside.

STEP TWO: In a large mixing bowl, add the sugar, butter, and shortening. Use a hand mixer to beat together until light and fluffy. Add vanilla extract and the whole egg. Beat together until combined. Add the egg white and continue beating until well combined. Turn off the mixer and use a rubber spatula to scrape the sides of the bowl.

PRO TIP: Make sure your butter is softened, not melted, as melted butter will ruin your cookies.

STEP THREE: Turn the hand mixer on low and gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix until no flour pockets remain. Cover the mixing bowl with plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator overnight.

PRO TIP: Do not skip refrigerating the dough. It needs to chill and stiffen so that it can be rolled out properly.

STEP FOUR: Remove cookie dough from the refrigerator and, using a rolling pin, roll the dough out on a flat surface to about ½ inch thick. Cut out desired shapes with floured cookie cutters (dip your cookie cutter in flour before each cut). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Place 6 cookies on one baking sheet and 6 on another.

PRO TIP: Make sure your surface is well-floured so that your dough doesn’t stick.

STEP FIVE: In a preheated oven at 375°F, place one cookie sheet in the oven at a time and cook for 10 to 12 minutes. You want the edges to be firm without turning brown. Let the cookies cool for 2 to 3 minutes on the baking sheet and then transfer cookies to a wire rack. Place the other baking sheet in the oven and cook.

STEP SIX: In a medium bowl on medium speed, beat together 1 cup butter and 4 cups powdered sugar.

4th of July sugar cookies process shot of ingredients in a clear bowl

STEP SEVEN: With the beater turned on, drizzle the heavy cream into butter/sugar mixture, add the vanilla and beat until fluffy. Add more cream to thin out the frosting to a desired spreadable consistency.

STEP EIGHT: Spread the frosting onto the cooled cookies and decorate with sprinkles.

PRO TIP: Add sprinkles right away as the frosting dries a bit on the surface after a few minutes, and they won’t stick as well.

4th of July sugar cookies process shot of frosting being spread onto sugar cookie

HOW TO SERVE

Serve these patriotic star-spangled cookies at your 4th of July party. There are so many foods you can add to your festive day, including hamburgers, grilled chicken, grilled corn on the cob, macaroni salad and coleslaw.

Serve these soft sugar cookies with our iced tea, raspberry iced tea, sweet peach iced tea, or our southern strawberry sweet tea on the side.

STORAGE

ON THE COUNTER: Store the unfrosted cookies in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

IN THE FRIDGE: Store the frosting in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. Store the decorated 4th of July cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

IN THE FREEZER: Freeze unfrosted cookies for up to 3 months. Freeze frosting for up to 3 months.

close up shot of 4th of July sugar cookies topped with frosting and sprinkles stacked on top of each other

A celebration of America is not complete without some sweet treats for the perfect ending to the day. These easy 4th of July decorated sugar cookies fit the bill perfectly. A star cookie cutter and some fun colors will add to the charm of these patriotic cookies. The kids will have so much fun helping decorate with loads of sprinkles on top of these “fireworks cookies”.

FAQ

What is the best way to transport homemade sugar cookies so they stay looking nice?

Store and transport these chewy cookies in a single layer so that the icing and sprinkles don’t get flattened.

What are the best cookie cutters to use for sugar cookies?

Stainless steel cookie cutters work well for sugar cookies. Cover them in flour before using them so they don’t stick to the dough.

Does sugar cookie dough need to be chilled?

The sugar cookie dough does need to be chilled to ensure it is the right consistency to roll out and cut.

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4th of July Sugar Cookies

5 from 1 vote

These soft 4th of July sugar cookies are topped with a classic creamy white icing and are perfect for a birthday celebration for America with lots of red, white and blue.

Prep Time 55 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 1 day 1 hour 15 minutes

Servings cookies

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Ingredients

For the sugar cookies

2 cups cake flour
½ cup all-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
1 cup sugar
½ cup salted butter softened
¼ cup butter flavored shortening softened
3 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 whole egg plus 1 egg white

For the frosting

1 cup salted butter softened
4 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon clear imitation vanilla or vanilla extract
4 to 5 tablespoons heavy cream
red white and blue sprinkles we used blue nonpareils, red sanding sugar, and a red/white/blue/star sprinkle mix

Instructions

In a large mixing bowl add the cake flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, and cream of tartar. Whisk together, then set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, add the sugar, butter, and shortening. Use a hand mixer to beat together until light and fluffy. Add vanilla extract, and the whole egg. Beat together until combined. Add the egg white and continue beating until well combined. Turn off the mixer and use a rubber spatula to scrape the sides of the mixing bowl.
Turn the hand mixer on low and gradually add dry ingredients to wet ingredients. Mix until no flour pockets remain. Cover the mixing bowl with saran wrap and place it in the refrigerator overnight.
Preheat the oven to 375°F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
Remove cookie dough from the refrigerator and roll the dough out on a flat surface to about ½ inch thick. Cut out desired shapes with floured cookie cutters. Place 6 cookies on one baking sheet and 6 on another.
Place one cookie sheet in the oven at a time and cook for 10 to 12 minutes. You want the edges to be firm without turning brown. Let the cookies cool for 2 to 3 minutes on the baking sheet. Place the other baking sheet in the oven and cook.
In a medium mixing bowl, beat together 1 cup butter and 4 cups powdered sugar. With the beater turned on, drizzle heavy cream into butter/sugar mixture and beat until fluffy. Add more cream to thin out frosting to a desired spreadable consistency. Spread frosting onto cooled cookies and decorate with sprinkles.

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4th of July Sugar Cookies