Patriotic Sugar Cookies
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These patriotic sugar cookies start with a simple cookie mix and bake up soft and chewy with the prettiest red, white and blue swirled dough. An easy Fourth of July treat!
Festive Fourth of July Sugar Cookies
In the summer, I love a low-effort dessert that still feels fun, and these patriotic sugar cookies are exactly that. They start with a cookie mix, but the red, white and blue dough makes them look festive without a lot of extra work.
They can be made ahead, grabbed straight from the platter and served at July 4th parties, BBQs or pool days. Pair them with Fourth of July cheesecake cups and red white and blue chocolate bark for a colorful spread of holiday treats.
Ingredient Notes
Find the full recipe with printable directions below.
- Sugar cookie mix: I used Betty Crocker sugar cookie mix to keep these quick and simple. Any similar 17.5 ounce pouch should work.
- Butter: Use softened unsalted butter so the dough mixes together smoothly. If the butter is too cold, the dough will be harder to stir.
- Extracts: A little vanilla and almond extract give the cookies that classic bakery-style sugar cookie flavor. You can skip the almond extract if you prefer, but I love the extra flavor it adds.
- Food coloring: Gel food coloring will give you the boldest red and blue without making the dough too soft. Start with a little and add more until you like the color.
- Granulated sugar: Rolling the dough balls in sugar gives the cookies a sweet, sparkly finish and a little texture on the outside.
How to Make Patriotic Sugar Cookies
Start by mixing the cookie dough in a medium bowl until it comes together. The dough will be thick, so stir just until everything is combined.
Divide the dough into three portions. Leave one plain, then color one red and one blue for festive 4th of July patriotic colors. Add the food coloring gradually so you can control the shade.
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Scoop a small amount of each color and gently roll them together into one dough ball. Don’t overmix, or the colors will blend together instead of staying swirled.
Roll each dough ball in granulated sugar, then place them on the prepared baking sheet. Leave a little space between each one since they will spread as they bake.
Bake until the cookies are set, then let them cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before moving them to a wire rack. They’ll be soft at first, but they firm up as they cool.
Recipe Tips
- Don’t overbake. Pull the cookies from the oven when they look set but still soft. They will continue to firm up on the baking sheet as they cool, which keeps the centers soft and chewy.
- Don’t overmix the colors. Roll the three dough colors together just enough to create a swirl. If you work the dough too much, the colors will blend together instead of keeping that pretty tie-dye look.
- Chill if needed. If the dough feels too sticky or warm to roll, chill it for 10 to 15 minutes. You don’t need to chill it for long, just enough to make the dough easier to handle.
- Fix the shape after baking. For perfectly round cookies, place a large mason jar lid or round cookie cutter around each warm cookie and gently swirl it around the edges. This only takes a few seconds and makes the cookies look bakery-style.
- Keep them soft. Add a piece of soft sandwich bread to the storage container with the cookies. The cookies will pull moisture from the bread and stay soft and chewy longer.
Variations
- Change the colors. Red, white and blue are perfect for patriotic sugar cookies, but you can use this same idea with any colors you like. Try pastels for Easter, red and green for Christmas or team colors for game day.
- Sandwich two together. For a sugar cookie sandwich, add icing (I love the one from my sugar cookie bars) to the bottom of one cookie and add another on top.
Patriotic Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 17.5 ounce sugar cookie mix , I used Betty Crocker
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter , softened
- 1 egg
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- red food coloring
- blue food coloring
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
Instructions
- Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and pre-heat oven to 350°F.
- In a medium sized bowl combine sugar cookie mix, softened butter, egg, almond extract and vanilla extract. Use a wooden spoon to combine.
- Divide dough into 3 even portions and place in 3 seperate bowls (can leave one portion in the bowl you are already using).
- To one portion add red food dye and to another blue food dye. Leave the third portion undyed. Stir each bowl with the food color dough until desired color is reached.
- Working with one color at a time use a 1/2 Tablespoon to scoop one red, one white and one blue portion of dough. Gently roll together to create a tye dye effect.
- Add granulated sugar to a shallow dish and roll the dough ball into the sugar.
- Place on prepared baking sheets spacing about 2 inches apart as they will spread slightly. Bake at 350°F for 12 minutes.
- Cool on baking sheet for 3 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
These Patriotic Sugar Cookies turned out wonderfully! The recipe was easy to follow, and the cookies were soft, buttery, and delicious. The festive red, white, and blue decorations made them a big hit at our gathering. I’ll definitely be making these again for future celebrations!
So glad you loved these cookies! They are so festive in red white and blue colors!