When it’s time to celebrate America’s holidays—like the Fourth of July, Memorial Day, or Veterans Day—Patriotic Sugar Cookies are the perfect festive treat! These cookies are buttery, soft, and decked out in vibrant red, white, and blue colors, making them an eye-catching addition to your party spread. Whether you decorate them with royal icing, sprinkles, or swirls of colored frosting, they’re as fun to make as they are to eat. Plus, this is a great recipe to get the kids involved in decorating—messy hands and all!
Let’s roll out some dough and whip up these sweet, patriotic delights that everyone will love.
What You’ll Need
For the Sugar Cookies:
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract (optional)
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
For the Royal Icing:
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 2–3 tablespoons meringue powder
- 5–6 tablespoons water (adjust consistency as needed)
- Red and blue gel food coloring
For Decoration:
- Patriotic sprinkles (stars, stripes, and sparkles)
- Star-shaped cookie cutters (or any shapes you like)
- Piping bags and tips
Pro Tips
- Chill the Dough: After mixing, chill the dough for at least 1 hour before rolling it out. This makes it easier to handle and helps the cookies keep their shape.
- Don’t Overbake: Sugar cookies should be soft. Take them out of the oven when the edges are just barely golden for the perfect texture.
- Consistency is Key for Icing: Use a thicker icing for outlining and a thinner one for flooding the cookies. Test your icing consistency by running a spoon through it—flooding icing should smooth out in about 10 seconds.
- Use Gel Food Coloring: Gel colors are more vibrant and won’t alter the consistency of your royal icing like liquid food coloring can.
- Make It a Family Activity: Set up a decorating station with icing, sprinkles, and tools so everyone can get involved and have fun creating their own designs!
Tools You’ll Need
- Mixing bowls
- Electric mixer (hand or stand)
- Rolling pin
- Star-shaped and round cookie cutters
- Baking sheets
- Parchment paper
- Cooling racks
- Piping bags and tips
Substitutions and Variations
- No Almond Extract? Just use extra vanilla extract instead, or swap in lemon extract for a bright citrus twist.
- Buttercream Option: Don’t want to use royal icing? Decorate the cookies with a fluffy buttercream frosting instead!
- Colorful Dough: Mix gel food coloring into the cookie dough before baking to create vibrant red, white, and blue cookies even without icing.
- Gluten-Free Version: Use a 1:1 gluten-free flour substitute to make the cookies gluten-free.
- Shapes: Use any cookie cutter shapes you like—stars, hearts, or even flags!
Make-Ahead Tips
- Cookie Dough: Prepare the dough up to 3 days in advance and store it tightly wrapped in the refrigerator. You can also freeze it for up to 3 months.
- Decorated Cookies: Once decorated, store the cookies in an airtight container for up to 5 days. They can also be frozen for longer storage—just be careful with delicate icing details.
How to Make Patriotic Sugar Cookies
1. Cream the Butter and Sugar
In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar together with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 2–3 minutes. Add the egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract (if using), and mix until combined.
2. Add Dry Ingredients
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed until a dough forms.
3. Chill the Dough
Divide the dough in half, shape each half into a disc, and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
4. Roll and Cut the Cookies
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Roll out the chilled dough on a lightly floured surface to about ¼-inch thickness. Use star-shaped or patriotic-themed cookie cutters to cut out shapes, and transfer them to a parchment-lined baking sheet.
5. Bake the Cookies
Bake the cookies for 8–10 minutes, or until the edges are just slightly golden. Remove from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
6. Prepare the Royal Icing
In a mixing bowl, whisk together powdered sugar and meringue powder. Gradually add water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the desired consistency is reached. Divide the icing into separate bowls and color them red, white, and blue using gel food coloring.
7. Decorate the Cookies
Use piping bags to decorate the cookies with stripes, polka dots, stars, or any patriotic design you like. Add sprinkles while the icing is still wet for extra flair. Let the icing dry completely before serving or storing.
Leftovers and Storage
- Room Temperature: Store decorated cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
- Freezer: Freeze undecorated cookies or cookie dough for up to 3 months. Thaw and decorate when ready to serve.
Conclusion
Patriotic Sugar Cookies are the ultimate festive treat for your red, white, and blue celebrations. From their soft, buttery flavor to their stunning decorations, they’re guaranteed to impress guests of all ages. Plus, decorating these cookies is a fun activity for the whole family! I’d love to hear how your cookies turned out—did you go all out with stripes and stars or keep it simple? Share your photos and tips in the comments below. Happy baking, and happy celebrating!
