These 4th of July Sugar Cookies are the perfect dessert to add to your holiday celebrations! They are soft and chewy, frosted sugar cookies, complete with patriotic red, white, and blue sprinkles.
Fourth of July Cookies
Looking for an easy and delicious Fourth of July dessert to bring to your potluck or barbecue? These frosted sugar cookies are just the thing. This classic sugar cookie recipe is always a crowd-pleaser, from the soft & chewy cookie to the perfectly sweet frosting. Top them off with some festive sprinkles and you have an easy holiday dessert.
One thing to keep in mind when you’re making your cookies is that the dough has to chill overnight. So, it’s good to make these a day or two before your event. This is an easy and delicious frosted sugar cookie recipe that everyone will love!
Why We Love This Recipe
- Festive, fun holiday cookies
- Easy to make
- Fourth of July cookies recipe
- Perfect 4th of July Dessert
- Simple ingredients list with many pantry staples
- Perfect for a group gathering or party
- Homemade sugar cookie recipe
- Great for any occasion or holiday, just swap decoration
Ingredients/Shopping List
- Cake flour
- All-purpose flour
- Sugar
- Butter
- Eggs
- Shortening (butter flavored)
- Baking powder
- Cream of tartar
- Vanilla
- Powdered sugar
- Heavy cream
- Red, white, and blue sprinkles
SEE FULL PRINTABLE RECIPE CARD BELOW
How to Make Fourth of July Sugar Cookies
This recipe will come together easily. It’s broken down it two parts over two days. Mixing up the cookie dough is super quick, then leave it in the fridge overnight. The next day, you will roll the dough out and make the cookies!
Whisk together cake flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, and cream of tartar.
Beat together sugar, butter, and shortening. Add in vanilla extract and one egg. Mix until combined. Add egg white and continue mixing until combined.
Gradually add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix well.
Cover with plastic and place in the refrigerator overnight.
Roll cookie dough out to about ½ inch thickness on a flat surface.
Pro-tip: The baking instructions are dependent upon how thick your cookies are! I recommend rolling them to about a ½ inch thickness for the perfect bake! But if you like them a bit fluffier, you could go for a bit thicker.
Cut shapes and place on a cookie sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes.
Mix together butter and powdered sugar to make frosting.
Drizzle heavy cream into butter/sugar mixture.
Beat until fluffy.
Frost your cooled sugar cookies.
Top 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.
Variations / Options / Add-ins
- VANILLA: Use clear imitation vanilla for a whiter frosting. You can also substitute in shortening for a portion of the butter for a whiter frosting.
- FOOD COLORING: Use a bit of gel food coloring to make colored icing.
- SPRINKLES: I used blue nonpareils, red sanding sugar, and a red/white/blue/star sprinkle mix for my sprinkles, but you can use whichever kind of sprinkles you prefer! These could also be swapped out for rainbow sprinkles or any other color of sprinkles if you’re making these for a different occasion.
Frequently Asked Questions
Store unfrosted cookies in an airtight container for up to 5 days or freeze up to 3 months. If you have leftover frosting, it can be saved in the refrigerator for up to two weeks or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Store your decorated cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Absolutely! These frosted sugar cookies are delicious for any occasion. They are super easy to swap out and make for various occasions like birthdays, showers, or other holidays. You can switch up the frosting color along with the sprinkles and decorations!
More 4th of July Recipes
4th of July Red, White and Blue Jello Shots | Firecracker Cupcakes | Red White and Blue Poke Cake | Patriotic Chocolate Covered Strawberries | 4th of July Rice Krispie Treats | Patriotic Fruit Cones | 4th of July Fruit and Snack Tray | 4th of July Trifle
4th of July Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
Cookie Ingredients
- 2 cups cake flour
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup sugar
- ½ cup salted butter softened
- 1 whole egg
- 1 egg white
- ¼ cup butter flavored shortening softened
- 1½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp cream of tartar
- 3 tsp vanilla extract
Frosting Ingredients
- 1 cup salted butter softened
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tsp clear imitation vanilla (or vanilla extract)
- 4-5 tbsp heavy cream
- red, white and blue sprinkles (I 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 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 and gradually add dry ingredients to wet ingredients. Mix until no flour pockets remain. Cover the mixing bowl with saran wrap and place in the refrigerator overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees 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 10-12 minutes. You want the edges to be firm without turning brown. Let the cookies cool 2-3 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 desired spreadable consistency. Spread frosting onto cooled cookies and decorate with sprinkles.
Jenn’s Notes
- The baking instructions are dependent upon how thick your cookies are! I recommend rolling them to about a ½ inch thickness for the perfect bake! But if you like them a bit fluffier, you could go for a bit thicker.
- Add sprinkles right away as the frosting dries a bit on the surface after a few minutes and they won’t stick as well.
You mention almond extract in the directions, but not the ingredients. How much almond extract should I use?
Sorry that was a typo – no almond extract in this recipe!!