4th of July Sugar Cookies

These thick and delicious 4th of July Sugar Cookies are easy to make, hold their shape and have plenty of room to frost! Use your favorite cookie cutters or a cup, mason jar or ramekin to cut them out in a pinch! Then top them with our royal icing recipe. The perfect sweet ending to your patriotic festivities.

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Adorable, festive 4th of July cookies are just what your holiday BBQ or pool party needs this year! These cookies are so fun to make, and everyone will think you bought them from a fancy bakery!

I’m sharing the best sugar cookie recipe and showing you how to decorate the cookies with royal icing for that professional look. Don’t worry, it’s not difficult to do and I can’t wait to share all of my tips – you will be decorating your cookies like a pro!

Why This Recipe Works

• We are starting with the best sugar cookie recipe. It’s a simple one that is perfect for decorating.
• The cookies are thick and perfect for decorating because they hold their shape and don’t spread while baking.
• Royal icing is so great for decorating. It’s a type of frosting that hardens when it dries, so you don’t have to worry about your beautiful cookies getting messed up when you transport them.
• Iced cookies can keep for up to one to two weeks!
• I’m sharing patriotic-themed cookies, but you can use this cookie and icing recipe to create any color theme you like! I’ve used it to make adorable Valentine’s Day cookies and Halloween cookies, too. Just switch up the colors and sprinkles to match any holiday or event theme.

If you are looking for a fun treat for the 4th of July, you should give these decorated cookies a try!

Sugar Cookie Ingredients

• All-purpose flour – Do not use a different type of flour
• Corn starch – This prevents the cookies from spreading when they bake so they are the right thickness for decorating.
• Salt
• Unsalted butter – Leave it out to soften at room temperature before making the cookies.
• Granulated sugar
• Large egg – I like to use a room temperature egg because it’s easier to mix into the dough when it’s not cold.
• Vanilla Extract
• Almond Extract – If you don’t like almond just add a little more vanilla extract to the recipe.

How to Make Them

Sift the flour, corn starch, and salt into a mixing bowl. Whisk to combine and then set the bowl aside.

In a separate bowl, beat the butter and sugar until creamy. Adjust the speed to low, and add the egg, vanilla, and almond extract and mix to combine.

Slowly add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture. Mix until the dough comes together and pulls away from the sides of the bowl.

Form the dough into a ball and then flatten into a disc. Wrap it with plastic wrap and refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes.

Once the dough is chilled, unwrap it and roll it out to a thickness of 1/4″ to 1/2″.

Use a cookie cutter to cut out the dough. Try to cut out as many as you can before rerolling the dough out to cut more. Place the cutouts on the prepared cookie sheets.

Bake the cookies 12 minutes at 375°F. Turn the tray halfway through the baking time so the cookies bake evenly.

Cool the cookies on the pan for a few minutes and then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.

How to Make Royal Icing

For decorating, make a batch of royal icing tinted with the colors you like. I used red, white, and blue for these 4th of July cookies. Here are the ingredients you need:

• Powdered sugar
• Meringue powder – This ingredient makes this recipe so easy. If you can’t find it, please be sure to read the Pro Tips section with alternatives.
• Room temperature water
• Gel food coloring – I like to use gel colors because they are a lot more vibrant.

Combine the powdered sugar and meringue powder in a large bowl. Using the whip attachment, whip them together while slowly adding the water.

Whip the mixture for seven to ten minutes or until it thickens it starts to hold small peaks. At this point, turn off the mixer and lift up the whisk. If the mixture drips off and melts back into the rest in the bowl within seconds, it’s ready.

If you want colored frosting, divide the icing into small bowls and tint each with one color. I used a bowl for red and blue and kept the third one plain white.

Most of my cookies have white backgrounds, so I start with that color first. Fill the piping bag with the icing and tie off the top of the bag with a rubber band.

Place a wet piece of paper towel in the bottom of a drinking glass. You can set the piping bag in there (tip-side-down) and the paper towel will keep the tip moist, making it easier to pipe.

Start by piping an edge around each cookie. Then you can pipe more icing into the center and use a toothpick to smooth it into an even layer.

If you are decorating with sprinkles, add them while the icing is still wet. If you are planning to decorate with other icing colors, allow the white background to harden before decorating.

Patriotic Sugar Cookies

I did a few different designs for my 4th of July sugar cookies. Feel free to create your own or use mine as a starting point.

• American Flag Cookies: You can pipe white icing and let it harden and then pipe red strips on part of the cookie leaving a space to add blue stars. Or, skip the white base and pipe the stars and stripes right onto the cookie.
• USA Cookies: Start with the white background and then pipe USA in one color or alternate blue and red. Add dots of frosting for decoration or use a toothpick to create small stars.
• Fireworks Cookies: For these, I started with the white background and then use red and blue icing to create fireworks. You can pipe and use a toothpick to create the exploding fireworks.
• Patriotic Sprinkles: Pick a color for the background and then add 4th of July sprinkles to decorate.

FAQ

Whether you make 4th of July sugar cookies or come up with a decoration theme to match your own event, I know you are going to love this recipe!

The red, white, and blue cookies are so delicious and look so amazing displayed on a platter. They’re almost too cute to eat!

More Desserts for 4th of July

• 4th of July Cupcakes are a great dessert for BBQs and pool parties! Each cupcake is a patriotic treat with red, white, and blue cake topped with frosting and sprinkles.
• July 4th Jello Dessert is a layered dessert made with jello, whipped cream, and fresh berries. It’s easy to make and a refreshing treat!
• Cool of with homemade Red, White, and Blue Ice Cream! This is an easy no-churn ice cream recipe that everyone will love!
• Want a bite-sized dessert? Make my Mini Patriotic Cheesecakes! They are cool and creamy bites that are great for a warm day.
• This patriotic 4th of July Cake has three layers in red, white and blue and is topped with homemade buttercream, sprinkles, and cherries.
• You can never have too many cookies! These 4th of July Cookies are super easy and oh so tasty. 

Did you try the recipe? Rate it, please!!!? Seriously though a five-star rating below will make my day! If you snap a photo, please be sure tag me on Instagram at @julieseatsandtreats or #julieseatsandtreats so I can see your yummy treat!!

Did you make this? If you snap a photo, please be sure tag me on Instagram at @julieseatsandtreats or #julieseatsandtreats so I can see your yummy treat!

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5 from 12 votes

4th of July Sugar Cookies

Thick sugar cookies that are perfect for decorating for the 4th of July!

Prep:10 minutes mins

Cook:12 minutes mins

Chilling Time:10 minutes mins

Total:32 minutes mins

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Ingredients

Sugar Cookies

• ▢ 2-1/2 c, All Purpose Flour
• ▢ ¼ c. Corn starch
• ▢ ¼ tsp Salt
• ▢ ¾ c. Butter Unsalted, room temperature
• ▢ ¾ c. Granulated Sugar
• ▢ 1 Large Egg room temperature
• ▢ 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
• ▢ ½ tsp Almond Extract

Royal Icing

• ▢ 4 c. powdered sugar
• ▢ 3 Tbsp Meringue powder
• ▢ 9-10 Tbsp water room temperature
• ▢ Gel Food Coloring optional

Instructions

Sugar Cookies

• Sift the flour, corn starch and salt into a medium sized mixing bowl.
• Run a whisk through it to mix well and set aside.
• With a stand mixer, In a large mixing bowl beat the butter and the sugar together, on medium speed, until creamy, about 5 minutes.
• Turn the mixer to low and add the egg while beating, then add the vanilla and almond extract.
• One cup at a time add the flour mixture until it is well incorporated. The sugar cookie dough will pull away from the mixing bowl at this point.
• Take the dough and form a ball, then flatten out into a disc. Wrap in plastic wrap and place into the refrigerator for a minimum of 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 375°F.
• Take the dough out of the refrigerator and turn out onto a lightly floured surface.
• Take a rolling pin and roll out to about ¼” – ½” thick.
• Using a 2-1/2” round cookie cutter, cut as many discs out of the dough as possible and place onto a baking sheet lined with a silicone mat (or parchment paper).
• Take the remaining dough and mold into a ball again and roll out again. Cut out more cookies until all the dough has been used.
• Place the baking sheet into the oven and cook for 12 minutes. Turn the tray around half way.
• Remove from the oven and allow to cool a little on the baking sheet before transporting to a wire rack.
• Once cooled completely decorate as desired.

Royal Icing

• Add the powdered sugar to a large mixing bowl attached to your stand mixer, as well as the meringue powder and stir a little to mix.
• Using your wire whip, turn on your stand mixer on a low speed and slowly add the water.  As the powder subsides you can turn up the speed to medium.
• Whip the mixture well for about 7-10 minutes, until you start to see tips forming. 
• Check the consistency of the icing.  If it falls off the wire whip and melts back into the bowl of icing within 5-10 seconds then it’s perfect.
• Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap until you are ready to use it.
• Take a piping bag and a number three tip and place into a tall glass, folding the edges over the outside of the glass.  This is the easiest way to fill up an icing bag with less mess.
• Use a rubber band to tie the top of the icing bag.  Place a piece of wet paper towel in the bottom of the glass, this will help the tip stay moist while you are working.
• If you are using other colors, pour a little of the remaining icing into a small bowl and mix in a little of the food color until you reach the desired color.
• If your cookies have a white background, which most of mine did (in the images), use the piping bag to pipe the icing around the outside edges, and then fill the middle.  Use a toothpick to spread the icing evenly. 
• Leave cookie to set while you move onto the next, or if you are using sprinkles on your cookies sprinkle them on at this point, while the icing is still wet.
• Use the colors you have mixed and a toothpick to create the designs on the cookies. If you are putting a design on the white background let the white set first before you start with your next color.

Tips

How to decorate: 

• American Flag Cookies: You can pipe white icing and let it harden and then pipe red strips on part of the cookie leaving a space to add blue stars. Or, skip the white base and pipe the stars and stripes right onto the cookie.
• USA Cookies: Start with the white background and then pipe USA in one color or alternate blue and red. Add dots of frosting for decoration or use a toothpick to create small stars.
• Fireworks Cookies: For these, I started with the white background and then use red and blue icing to create fireworks. You can pipe and use a toothpick to create the exploding fireworks.
• Patriotic Sprinkles: Pick a color for the background and then add 4th of July sprinkles to decorate.

Pro Tips

• Cookie Cutter Tip: If you don’t have a 2 1/2″ cookie cutter you can use a glass, mason jar, or ramekin that is approximately the same size to cut out your cookies.
• Baking Tip: Cookies baked on parchment paper will bake faster than ones on a silicone mat.
• Cookie Storage Tip: Once cooled, keep plain baked cookies in an airtight container until you are ready to decorate them. Decorated cookies will keep for one to two weeks at room temperature.
• Royal Icing Ingredient Tip: If you can’t find meringue powder, royal icing can be made using three egg whites and four cups of powdered sugar. Just keep in mind that icing will be made with raw egg whites, which can be a health concern for some.
• Icing Storage Tips: You can make the icing ahead of time and freeze it. Freeze it in a freezer bag and it will keep well for up to three weeks.

FAQ

How long does it take royal icing to harden?

It can take anywhere from a few hours to 24 hours. A lot of factors can impact the drying time like the humidity, the room temperature, how much water was used to make it. Cookies will harden faster in cooler, dryer climates and will take longer is there is more heat and humidity.

Why is my icing too thick/too thin?

If your icing is thick, you can thin it with a little more water. If it’s too thin just add a little more powdered sugar.

How long do sugar cookies decorated with royal icing keep?

Once the icing has hardened, store the cookies in an airtight container. They will keep well at room temperature for up to two weeks.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 378kcal (19%), Carbohydrates: 75g (25%), Protein: 2g (4%), Fat: 8g (12%), Saturated Fat: 5g (31%), Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 30mg (10%), Sodium: 108mg (5%), Potassium: 22mg (1%), Fiber: 1g (4%), Sugar: 61g (68%), Vitamin A: 260IU (5%), Calcium: 7mg (1%), Iron: 1mg (6%)

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We are not dietitians and recommend you seek a nutritionist for exact nutritional information. The information in the nutrition box is calculated through a program and there is room for error. If you need an accurate count, I recommend running the ingredients through your favorite nutrition calculator.