Beautiful celebrations deserve a beautiful cookie. Our 4th of July cookies delivers on looks and taste with red, white, and blue taking center stage.
Soft, rich buttermilk and vanilla cookies are coated in either chocolate ganache or white glaze and decorated with beautiful Red white and blue sprinkles for the perfect holiday touch.
It is the perfect recipe for a 4th of July dessert, be sure to bookmark it for later.
Jump to:
Why You Will Love This Recipe
Perfect for entertaining. The thematic sprinkles make these patriotic cookies the perfect party treat. And they are easy to customize! A festive 4th of July treat that looks great on your dessert table. These are also great for any patriotic holiday such as Flag day or Memorial day.
Unique, yet simple. Both the shape and the addition of buttermilk make this easy treat unlike anything else your guests have seen. The good news is that this is a very easy cookie recipe.
Delicious. What could be better than a donut-shaped cookie covered in chocolate ganache? These chewy cookies are the perfect treat for your 4th of July celebration.
Ingredients for 4th of July Cookies
Unsalted Butter. Because of the buttermilk you do not need extra salt in this dough. If you only have salted butter, reduce the salt in the recipe.
Sugar.
Brown Sugar.
Eggs. I always use large eggs for my recipes.
Buttermilk. This sets our cookies apart and makes them taste like nothing you are used to. It gives the cookies a slight tanginess, and acts as a form of leaving that keeps the cookies soft and tender. It also helps prevent rapid browning.
Vanilla.
Flour. I use all purpose flour
Baking Soda.
Salt.
Chocolate Ganache Ingredients
Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips. You can use other types of chocolate chips as well.
Heavy Whipping Cream. If you cannot find heavy whipping cream, heavy cream will work. They are slightly different in fat content.
White Glaze Ingredients for 4th of July Cookies
Confectioners Sugar. Powdered sugar or icing sugar.
Whole Milk. 2% will also work.
Vanilla. Since this will not be cooked, a little vanilla goes a long way.
For Decoration
Festive Sprinkles. Red, White and Blue Sprinkles make these patriotic cookies pop.
How to Make 4th of July Cookies
Step-By-Step Instructions
Step 1. Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Prep the cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Mix the cookie dough. Add the butter and both sugars into a large bowl and cream these together using an electric mixer. Then, add in the egg, buttermilk, and vanilla. Continue to mix until the ingredients are smooth.
Step 2. Combine the dry ingredients. Add ½ of the dry ingredients to the mixing bowl.
Mix well. Add the remaining dry ingredients to the mixing bowl and mix on low speed. The dough will be stickier than normal cookie dough. Cover the 4th of July Cookies Dough with plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
Step 3. Prep a small ice cream scoop, small round cookie cutter, and your hands with non-stick baking spray. Using the ice cream scoop make 2 scoops for each cookie.
Roll 2 scoops together to form 1 cookie ball. Use your hands to flatten the cookie dough balls into a flat cookie or use a rolling pin.
Step 4. Make a hole in the center of each cookie by using a small round cookie cutter.
Would you like to save this?
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later! Plus, I'll send you more inspiring ideas I think you'll love!
Step 5. Bake at 375 degrees in a preheated oven for 8-10 minutes. Allow the baked cookies to cool on the cookie sheet for about 2 minutes. Carefully move the 4th of July cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
Step 6. Transfer the remaining 4th of July cookie dough back to the refrigerator until you are ready to bake it. Finish with chocolate or white glaze (directions below).
Full recipe in recipe card.
Chocolate Ganache Directions
Pour the cup of heavy whipping cream in a small pot. Simmer until hot. Put the semi chocolate chips into a bowl. Pour the hot heavy cream over the chocolate chips. Whip until the chocolate chips have melted. Blend the two ingredients together.
Dip each cookie into the bowl of ganache covering one side of each of the 4th of July cookies. Sprinkle the red, white, and blue sprinkles on each cookie while it is still wet.
White Glaze Directions
Add the confectioners sugar, milk, and vanilla in a mixing bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat until smooth. Dip the cookies into the glaze. Cover one side of the cookie with the glaze. Sprinkle the red, white, and blue sprinkles on top of the glazed cookie.
Set aside until ready to serve. Makes around 3 dozen cookies.
Timesaving Tips for Best Results
Do not over bake the cookies. It is always bet to pull the cookies based on time and not on whether or not they look done. This is why it's important to preheat your oven! Cookies will finish baking and set after they are removed from the oven.
Be careful not to scorch the heavy whipping cream. Stir it until it simmers. It should not boil.
Store in an airtight container.
This recipe makes quite a few cookies. I like to save half of the dough in the freezer and use it for another time.
Substitutions and Variations
These Independence day Red White and Blue cookies can be for any holiday -just change up the sprinkle colors.
An easy way to change this up is to add food coloring to the white glaze.
Use a different type of chocolate. Milk or Dark Chocolate Chips will work. Any kind of candy melts will also work for your Fourth of July Cookies.
Recipe FAQs
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. I recommend placing wax paper or parchment paper between the layers so that they don't stick together,
Yes, these were just a fun take we did. You can make them in circles, stars or any other shape using a cookie cutter.
More 4th of July Red White and Blue Desserts
- 4th of July Poke Cake
- 4th of July Strawberries
- July 4th Dessert Pretzels
- Patriotic Desserts for the 4th of July
📖 Recipe
4th of July Cookies
Equipment
- Large Bowl
- Hand mixer or stand mixer
- Cookie sheet
Ingredients
Cookie Ingredients:
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 ½ cups buttermilk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 5 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
Chocolate Ganache Ingredients:
- ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
White Glaze Ingredients:
- 1 cup confectioners sugar
- 1 ½ Tablespoon whole milk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- Sprinkles red/white & blue
Instructions
- Cookies:
- Using an electric mixer and a mixing bowl add the butter and both sugars into the bowl.
- Cream these together for about 1 minute.
- Add in the egg, buttermilk, and vanilla.
- Continue to mix until the ingredients are smooth.
- Combine the dry ingredients.
- Add ½ of the dry ingredients to the mixing bowl.
- Mix well.
- Add the remaining dry ingredients to the mixing bowl.
- (Dough will be stickier than normal cookie dough.)
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap.
- Place the bowl in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
- Prep the cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- Prep a small ice cream scoop, small round cookie cutter, and your hands with non-stick baking spray.
- Using the ice cream scoop make 2 scoops for each cookie.
- Roll 2 scoops together to form 1 cookie ball.
- Use your hands to flatten the cookie ball into a flat cookie.
- Make a hole in the center of each cookie by using a small round cookie cutter.
- Bake at 375 degrees for 9-10 minutes.
- Allow the baked cookies to cool on the cookie sheet for about 2 minutes.
- Carefully move the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Frost with either the Chocolate or White icing and decorate with patriotic sprinkles.
- Transfer the remaining cookie dough back to the refrigerator.
Chocolate Ganache Directions:
- Pour the cup of heavy whipping cream in a small pot.
- Simmer until hot.
- Put the semi chocolate chips into a bowl.
- Pour the hot heavy cream over the chocolate chips.
- Whip until the chocolate chips have melted.
- Blend the two ingredients together.
- Dip each cookie into the bowl of ganache covering 1 side of the cookie.
- Sprinkle the red, white, and blue sprinkles on each cookie.
White Glaze Directions:
- Add the confectioners sugar, milk, and vanilla in a mixing bowl.
- Using an electric mixer, beat until smooth.
- Dip the cookies into the glaze.
- Cover one side of the cookie with the glaze.
- Sprinkle the red, white, and blue sprinkles on top of the frosted cookie.
- Set aside until ready to serve.
Notes
Nutrition
If you are not yet subscribing to my CELEBRATE THE SEASON newsletter, you can subscribe here. I share easy recipes for the season that the entire family is sure to love and also a few things that I don’t share here. I will email you only once a week as I know how valuable your time is and respect that tremendously!
Mary John
These 4th of July cookies are the perfect patriotic treat with their red, white, and blue sprinkles! They are definitely my way of celebrating a festive and delicious Independence Day!