With red, white, and blue, these American Flag Cookies are the perfect choice for your Memorial Day, Fourth of July, or Veterans Day Spread. Not only are they patriotic, but they’re also sweet, buttery, and super-fun to make.
Plus, they’re easy enough once you practice on a couple of cookies (although there is a bit of a learning curve).
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Indeed, you’ll want to make them for all the American patriotic holidays, but they’re so cute, fun, and impressive, you’ll want to make them anytime you’re feeling patriotic.
Are you looking for other patriotic treats? Look no further than our red, white, and blue Rice Krispies treats. Our easy lemon mousse and strawberry mousse are also great for summer celebrations.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe…
- They’re impressive! Seriously, they’re so polished and pretty, people will think you ordered them from a professional baker. When they find you made them yourself, you’ll be the talk of the celebration.
- It’s the beginning of a new obsession. If you’re new to royal icing, this is a great place to start. The difficulty is about a 4 out of 10. So there is a learning curve, but they’re still simple once you get the hang of it. Don’t worry if you don’t get them perfect the first time (we didn’t either).
- They’re perfect for making ahead of time. When royal icing dries, it’s nice and firm to the touch, and it’s stable in warm weather, unlike ice cream and many other cold treats. That means they’ll look good the whole BBQ.
- I don’t know what it is, but every time I decorate a batch of royal icing, I calm down, get out of my head, and focus on the task. It’s kind of relaxing in an odd way. What’s that about?!
- You can make them your own! Stay classic or go wild! How about tie-dye, stars, no stars, edible glitter stars, or other designs?
Ingredients
- Butter – unsalted.
- Flour
- Sugar
- Baking Powder
- Vanilla Extract
- Egg
- Salt
See the recipe card for quantities.
How to Make American Flag Cookies
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Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set them aside.
In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, salt, and baking powder. Set that aside too.
In a large bowl, use an electric mixer (or stand mixer) on medium speed to beat the butter and sugar for about 2 minutes, until it looks light and fluffy.
Add the egg and vanilla. Scrape down the sides of the bowl so everything gets mixed in well.
Add the flour mixture and mix on low until the dough starts to form. Then use a rubber spatula to gently fold and press the dough so all the flour is fully mixed in.
Divide the dough in half. Take one half and roll it out on parchment paper or a silicone mat until it’s about ¼ inch thick. Do the same with the second half.
Cover the dough sheets with plastic wrap and place them in the fridge for 2 hours to chill.
After chilling, use your American flag cookie cutter to cut out shapes. Place the cookies on your lined baking sheets, leaving about 1 inch of space between each one.
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until lightly browned around the edges.
Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then move them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Decorate the cooled cookies with royal icing and your favorite sprinkles.
For the flag cookies, we used red, white, and blue royal icing.
Allow the cookies to sit at room temperature for 2 hours to allow the icing to harden. Enjoy and have fun!
Top Tips
I have two tips for you that can make or crumble your cookies:
Chill your cookie dough for at least two hours. This prevents the dough from spreading too much when you bake the cookies. Skipping this step will cause your American flag cookies to lose their shape.
Also, allow your cookies to cool completely before decorating. If not, the icing will melt and not set correctly.
Equipment
It’s easier to make cookie dough with an electric mixer, such as our favorite handheld mixer by Hamilton Beach or this KitchenAid stand mixer.
We found American flag cookie cutters at a local hardware store, but you can also find some American flag cookie cutters here.
Or, for easier decoration, use this rectangle cookie cutter.
Storage
Here’s how to store your American flag cookies and keep them fresh:
Using parchment paper between layers, store leftover cookies in an airtight container. They will remain fresh for up to 7 days.
Freeze baked cookies in a single layer on a baking sheet. Then, transfer them to a freezer bag. Store them in this manner for up to two months. You can freeze decorated cookies if you have leftovers from a party. But I prefer to decorate after thawing.
You can also freeze the cookie dough or unbaked cookies. If freezing shaped cookies, first freeze them on a baking sheet, then transfer to a freezer bag. Bake from frozen. You may need to add an extra minute or two.
FAQ
Generally, no. Unless you find a store-bought dough specifically for cutout cookies, I wouldn’t. They tend to have too much too fat and spread too much to hold their shape.
Yes! Chilling the dough is an absolute must if you want your cookies to hold their shape.
We decorated the American flag cookies with red, white, and blue royal icing. But you can get fancy and add edible glitter or sugar pearls for the stars, or do a tie-dye design.
American Flag Cookie Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 Sugar Cookie Recipe
- Red Royal Icing
- White Royal Icing
- Blue Royal Icing
Instructions
- Follow the steps through number 7 on the sugar cookie recipe.
- After chilling, use the flag-shaped cookie cutter to cut out the cookies. Place them on your lined baking sheets, leaving about 1 inch of space between each one.
- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until lightly browned around the edges.
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then move them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Decorating
- Start by splitting the icing into three bowls. The white icing is in one bowl. In the second bowl, mix in the blue gel food coloring, and in the third bowl, mix in red gel food coloring.
- Spoon each of the icings into a piping bag with a small #2 decorating tip.
- In the top left corner, pipe a square of blue icing. Then fill it in and use a toothpick to spread the icing evenly. Let it sit for a minute before moving on.
- Starting just to the right of the blue square, begin piping alternating red and white horizontal stripes across the rest of the cookie.
- Continue the stripes all the way down, keeping them as even as possible. Use a toothpick to gently even out any rough edges.
- Let the cookies sit for 2 hours so the icing can dry and harden. Enjoy!
Notes
- Ensure your cookies are completely cooled before adding any frosting or icing.
- Cookies can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 5 days or frozen for up to 2 months.
- When you re-roll the dough, place it back in the fridge while the other cookies are baking. This will ensure they don’t spread too much.
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