Thanks to those who defend and protect our country, we have the freedoms we enjoy in our country. Celebrate the patriotic holidays with crunchy, festive 4th of July Cookies, sparkling with sugar and swirled with red, white, and blue.
Why you'll love this recipe
These patriotic cookies are made with a recipe using heat resistant ingredients. That makes them ideal for picnics and hot weather care packages.
The fireworks cookies are eye catching with their swirl of red, white and blue dough making them look like sparkling pinwheels! A crunchy, sweet addition to any celebration.
These sparkling sugar cookies would be a great addition to a 4th of July Care Package!
Instructions
This is an overview of the instructions. The full instructions are in the recipe card below.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together vegetable shortening and sugar. Add egg, milk, and vanilla and beat until combined.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients mixture to the shortening mixture to form the cookie dough.
- Divide the dough into three equal pieces. Leave one piece white. Color one piece red and the final piece blue. Roll the dough into 48 balls (about 2 teaspoons each).
- Make groups of 3 cookie dough balls with one of each color.
- Roll each dough ball group into a snake shape ( twisting slightly to swirl the colors).
- Coil each snake to form a cookie.
- Press the top of the cookie into a small bowl of clear white decorating sugar and press the edges into a combination of red and blue decorating sugar.
- Place onto a parchment lined cookie sheet about 2” apart. (The cookies spread only slightly.) Bake in a preheated oven at 375 degrees F for about 10-12 minutes, until the bottom edges begin to turn golden brown.
Storage
Store at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 10 days.
Tips
- The process is easy and forgiving. The desert safe cookie dough isn’t as pliable as sugar cookie dough that is made with butter and can have the tendency to crack a little as it’s manipulated.
- Just pinch and press it into shape. A few cracks just give the fireworks character and the decorating sugar covers up the rest!
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- Hot weather care package contents risk melting and spoiling. To minimize the risk, avoid sending chocolate and gummy candies and bake using heat resistant recipes with ingredients that are less likely to mold or go rancid.
More 4th of July desserts
For additional red, white, and blue cookies and bars, take a look at these travel worthy, delicious patriotic desserts .
Brownie Brittle recipe has all the flavor of a brownie in crisp, crunchy cookie wedges. Top the cookies with sprinkles in festive red, white, and blue for a great holiday treat.
Melted Ice Cream Cookies actually uses melted ice cream in the recipe! Enjoy your favorite ice cream flavors in tasty cookie form.
3-2-1 Red, White, and Blueberry Cake is the perfect microwave mug cake for patriotic holiday celebrations.
Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Bars are crunchy, oaty bars made with heat resistant ingredients and red, white and blue colored white chocolate chips.
A Spiral Sparkler or Flag Cookie are the most delicious patriotic cookie ever! Follow the simple directions to create cookie flags or sugar cookie spirals.
Surprise-Inside Brownies have a chocolatey crunch outside, a soft, fudge-like interior and a sandwich cookie with red, white, and blue filling is tucked inside!
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4th of July Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter flavor vegetable shortening Crisco
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- red and blue food coloring I used Americolor True Red and Sky Blue
- red, white, blue decorating sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375˚F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together vegetable shortening and sugar.
- Add egg, milk, and vanilla and beat until combined.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Gradually add the flour mixture to the shortening mixture to form the cookie dough.
- Divide the dough into three equal pieces. Leave one piece white. Color one piece red and the final piece blue.
- Roll the dough into 48 balls (about 2 teaspoons each).
- Make groups of 3 balls with one of each color.
- Roll each dough ball group into a snake shape ( twisting slightly to swirl the colors).
- Coil each snake to form a cookie.
- Press the top of the cookie into clear white decorating sugar and press the edges into a combination of red and blue decorating sugar.
- Place onto the prepared baking sheet about 2” apart. (The cookies spread only slightly.)
- Bake for about 12 minutes, until the bottom edges begin to turn golden brown.
- Cool for 5 minutes on the cookie sheet before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Store at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 10 days.
Notes
- Double wrap stacks of 2-4 cookies in plastic wrap, then place in an airtight container or zip lock bag.
Nutrition
First Published: June 26, 2016. Last Updated: June 15, 2022. Updated for additional information, improved photos, and better reader experience.
Carlee
Such fun cookies and I love the patriotic box. So cute!
Miz Helen
These are very special cookies! Your post is awesome and thanks so much for sharing it with us at Full Plate Thursday. Hope you are having a great day and come back to see us real soon!
Miz Helen
The Monday Box
Thank you, Miz Helen! I hope you are having a great week as well! 🙂
Lokness @ The Missing Lokness
These cookies are very cute, and the care boxe are so festive! Beautifully done! I'm sure the soldier will really enjoy the package. 🙂
The Monday Box
Thanks, Lokness! I have a lot of fun creating the military care packages. Most of the time, adopted soldiers don't communicate. I try to imagine that the soldiers having as much fun opening the boxes as I had packing them. 🙂
Reeni
Theses are so inventive and cute Wendy! I bet they'd be great for any holiday by switching up the colors. I know I always say this but whoever gets this package is so LUCKY! You always go above and beyond to make it extra special. That makes you special! 🙂
The Monday Box
Thanks, Reeni! Your idea is great! These would be fun to make for different holidays just switching up the colors! Thanks for your kind words about the military care packages. I don't think I am special, but I sure hope the soldier feels special when he opens his care package! 🙂
Ashley
My two little cousins are OBSESSED with colored duct tape ... I had no idea it even came in any other colors until they were showing me their collection! haha I only remember it in the standard "silver" color! These cookies are so festive and fun for the holiday! I love it!
The Monday Box
Thanks, Ashley! Years ago I bought a book that gave directions for creating objects using only duct tape, but I don't think duct tape came in fashion colors back then! The craft stores have whole sections devoted to it! 🙂
Monica
These cookies are so festive and perfect for July 4th and this holiday care package. I love seeing how you actually made it happen. I almost feel like I might be able to do it! Very nice job!
The Monday Box
Thanks, Monica! These were super easy. Not only could you do it, you would find a way to improve them. 🙂