4th of July Cookies

Bake these easy 4th of July cookies and serve a red, white, and blue feast for friends and family! My ultimate chocolate chip cookie recipe gets a patriotic upgrade for Independence Day, and I know that you'll love it.

Jump to:

• 🌟 Why this is the best 4th of July Cookies recipe
• 📝  Ingredient notes
• 👩‍🍳 How to make this recipe
• 🍫 Flavor Variations & Substitutions
• 🎓 Expert tips to make Red White Blue Cookies
• 🥣 Equipment notes
• ❓Recipe FAQs
• 🇺🇸 More 4th of July Recipes
• 4th of July Cookies

🌟 Why this is the best 4th of July Cookies recipe

1. So simple: You don't need to worry about complicated techniques, ingredients, or kitchen equipment. This is SUCH an easy patriotic cookie recipe.
2. So fast: The cookie dough comes together super quickly, and then it just needs a short rest in the fridge before you can bake and enjoy!
3. So tasty: Just because they're themed doesn't mean I compromise on taste! My 4th of July chocolate chip cookies are as delicious as they are colorful. And you'll never find cake mix here at Spatula Desserts; everything is from scratch.
4. So soft, yet crunchy: The cookies themselves are my classic soft and chewy cookie, but then you get gooey chocolate and the crunch of the M&Ms. It's a dream combo!
5. So patriotic: I certainly know how to bake to a theme. Red, white, blue cookies will go down a storm at your 4th July party. Founding Fathers approved!

📝  Ingredient notes

1. Unsalted butter: The butter needs to be at room temperature in this easy cookie recipe for 4th of July. I always use unsalted butter in baking to control both the quality and quantity of salt. You can even make your own butter!
2. Brown sugar: Using a mixture of white and brown sugar helps contribute to a soft bake and adds a hint of caramel flavor from the molasses content.
3. Granulated sugar: Sugar is essential for getting that perfect cookie texture, as well as sweetening them, of course!
4. Egg: Eggs play so many important roles in baking fresh cookies. Make sure they're at room temperature, and find out more about what eggs do in baking here.
5. All-purpose flour: All purpose flour (which is also known as plain flour or AP flour) is an excellent medium-strength flour for baking cookies and other baked goods like cupcakes. I always keep it in my pantry!
6. Salt: Salt is a flavor enhancer, so whilst you might find it strange to find salt in a cookie recipe, trust me, it works! It also helps to balance the sweetness in cookie recipes.
7. Baking soda: Baking soda is a chemical leavening agent that helps your 4th of July cookies to become deliciously soft and fluffy. Don't have any? Find a baking soda substitute.
8. White Chocolate Chips: Buy high-quality white chocolate chips with at least 28% cocoa butter content for the best taste. Read what is white chocolate to learn more about why.
9. M&M red and blue candies: In addition to white chocolate, these are M&M cookies to give us those patriotic red, white, and blue American flag colors.

🛒 You’ll find detailed measurements for all ingredients in the printable version of the Recipe Card at the bottom of this post

👩‍🍳 How to make this recipe

1. Step-by-step process of making Patriotic Cookies

1. Whip the room-temperature butter with both types of sugar for a few minutes using an electric hand mixer until pale and creamy.
2. Slowly add the egg, just until combined, and do not overmix.
3. Mix the dry ingredients together. Sift the flour, salt, and baking soda together in a large mixing bowl.
4. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients with a rubber spatula just until combined, and do not overmix.
5. Finally, fold in the white chocolate chips and M&M candies, and make sure to reserve some left to press onto the cookie dough before baking.
6. Line two baking pans with parchment paper or a non-stick liner.
7. Divide the dough into 10 equal size balls (you could use a cookie scoop and digital scale) and place them onto the parchment papers leaving enough space between them to spread as they bake.
8. Cover and chill cookie dough in the fridge for an hour. This is an important step, don't skip it!
9. Preheat oven to 175 degrees Celsius / 347 degrees Fahrenheit (no fan).
10. Press some more M&M and white chocolate chips into the surface of the cookie dough balls to really pack out the flavor, crunch, and 4th of July colors.
11. Bake 4th of July cookies for 15 minutes, and then whilst they are still hot, use a large-diameter cookie cutter to gently circle around the cookies to make them perfectly round.
12. Let the cookies rest for a few minutes, then carefully remove them from the parchment and let them cool completely on a wire cooling rack. The cookies will further set as they cool.
13. Store your Independence Day cookies at room temperature in an airtight container for 2-3 days.

💡 Top Tip: Do not soften the surface of the cookie dough balls. In fact, try to keep it as rough as possible for a nice, crackly surface.

🍫 Flavor Variations & Substitutions

If you need to change a recipe to suit a dietary restriction or preference, it's important to make the right substitution. Check out my baking substitution guides to make the best choice for you. For example, I have an egg substitution guide and butter substitutes that you can reference.

These fourth of July cookies will make the perfect addition to your party celebrations. And there are so many ways to enjoy them! Turn them into ice cream sandwiches or add a decadent cream cheese frosting - you could even use food coloring to turn it red, white, and blue!

Stir some chopped nuts into the dough, or add some sprinkles as well to make 4th July fireworks cookies. You could make some other cookies and brownies for the spread, too!

🎓 Expert tips to make Red White Blue Cookies

1. Weigh all of your ingredients with a digital scale to ensure accuracy. Baking perfectly patriotic 4th of July cookies is all about precision!
2. Make sure both your butter and eggs are at room temperature before you begin. But the butter needs to be soft, not melted.
3. After creaming the butter and sugar together, switch to using a rubber spatula to avoid overmixing.
4. Respect the chilling time in the red, white, and blue M&M cookie recipe, do not skip it, or the cookies might end up very flat. Learn how to save them in this article about flat cookies.
5. Always preheat the oven and check it is the right temperature before baking. If the oven is too cool or too hot, it will affect the outcome of your cookies.
6. For perfect round cookies, find a large cookie cutter or any round object slightly larger than the size of your cookies. Take the cookies out of the oven and whilst they are still warm, place the cookie cutter over each cookie and make circular movements around them to encourage your cookies to set in a perfectly round shape.
7. Try not to overbake your cookies if you prefer them fudgy and gooey. Here's how to soften hard cookies if you've overdone them.

🥣 Equipment notes

I always use a digital scale to weigh every ingredient and ensure precision. Measuring by volume (for example, the cup system) is not accurate enough for baking, and to achieve perfect baked goods every time, you need consistency and accuracy.

Combine cookie ingredients using the correct method and use the right tools for the job! You will need a rubber spatula and an electric hand mixer for this easy

All ovens can vary, so check the temperature with a digital oven thermometer and avoid making mistakes!

Allow your summer cookies to cool on a cooling rack so that the bottom of the cookies doesn't continue to cook on the baking tray and air can circulate around them.

❓Recipe FAQs

🇺🇸 More 4th of July Recipes