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These 4th of July Cookies start with my perfect cookie dough base and get a little festive with the addition of red, white, and blue candy! These soft, chewy, bakery-style cookies are ready from start to finish in about 20 minutes – no softening the butter or chilling the dough! Just bake and devour!
Soft, thick cookies coming at ya that are perfect for the 4th of July!
Karly’s Notes:
It’s hard to believe that I’m already sharing a recipe for the 4th of July festivities, but here we are. Mid-summer. Already.
I know there is nothing more boring than listen to someone go on and on about how quickly time flies, but my word. The older I get… 😉
So let’s talk about cookies instead!
Like all good cookies (in my opinion), these are soft and thick. Nice, big, bakery-style cookies. You seriously can’t go wrong with these 4th of July cookies, with that buttery flavory and festive pops of red, white, and blue!
My kiddos call these fireworks cookies, which I think is a super cute name for them, but you can call them whatever you like.
More 4th of July Favorites:
Grilling out on the 4th? Try our smoked baby back ribs or grilled BBQ chicken with our cucumber salad recipe or this hashbrown casserole!
Our Star Spangled Brownies are perfect for the 4th! Orry these 4th of July Rice Krispies Treats or this gorgeous flag cake to serve alongside these cookies. What a fun dessert table you’ll have!
♥ What We Love About This Recipe:
This is a quick and easy homemade cookie recipe that doesn’t require a lot of prep work! No softening the butter or chilling the dough.
The red, white, and blue M&Ms are just about the easiest kind of decoration you can use to make a cookie look more festive.
These bake up thick and chewy, like a cookie from your favorite bakery.
These are versatile – use the dough for any holiday and just swap out the candies!
Ingredient Notes:
Dry Ingredients – This recipe starts with the usual cookie dough ingredients including brown sugar, white sugar, all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt!
Wet Ingredients – We use melted butter (no need to wait for it to soften!), a large egg, and lots of vanilla extract.
M&M Candies – For decorating! We’re going with an Independence Day theme which of course means red, white, and blue M&M candies. You can find them online or in stores around the holiday!
Other – Decorate these cookies however you like! You could also use sprinkles for a fun effect – I bet these would be amazing!
Step by Step Photos:
Add the melted butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar to a mixing bowl and stir well to combine. You can stir by hand or use a mixer.
Stir in the dry ingredients until the mixture has formed a soft dough and then stir in the m&m candies. We like to save a few candies to press on the top after baking too!
Use a large cookie scoop to scoop the dough out onto a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes exactly.
Be sure to let these cool for at least 5 minutes on the baking sheet before digging in. They’ll fall apart if you touch them any sooner than that.
My Favorite Cookie Scoop!
We use cookie scoops for everything from baking cookies to scooping meatballs to easily filling muffin tins.
Freezing & Storage Instructions:
These big cookies keep really well for around 5 days at room temperature in your cookie jar…if you don’t eat them all first. 😉
You could also store them in the refrigerator for up to a week or so.
And yes these cookies do freeze well too! Let them cool completely then place on a baking sheet in the freezer for about an hour. Once they’ve chilled for a bit transfer them to a freezer safe bag or container.
They’ll last for up to a few months in the freezer!
MORE HOMEMADE COOKIE RECIPES!
- Butter Cookies: Cut them into stars and decorate with red, white, and blue!
- Lemon Cookies: Sweet and tart!
- Chocolate Peanut Butter No Bake Cookies: Add some red, white, and blue sprinkles!
- White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies: Impossible to resist!
- Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies: Super soft and fluffy cookies.
- Air Fryer Cookie: This giant cookie for one is made in the air fryer!
4th of July Cookies
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- 1 2/3 cups flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup red, white, and blue m&m candies
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Add butter to a microwave dish and microwave in 20 second increments until butter is fully melted.
- Add the brown sugar and white sugar to a large mixing bowl with the melted butter and stir well to combine.
- Beat in the vanilla and egg until just combined.
- Pour in the flour, baking soda, and salt and mix until just combined.
- Stir in the candy, reserving a few to press onto the tops of the cookie dough, if desired.
- Use a large cookie scoop to scoop out 12 cookies and arrange them evenly on a large ungreased baking sheet.
- Bake for 10 minutes exactly. Cookies will still be slightly underdone when you remove them from the oven. Do not overbake.
- Let sit on baking sheet for 5 minutes before eating. Allow cookies to cool completely before storing in an air-tight container for up to 5 days.
Deanna Brennan says
These turned out absolutely perfect and totally delicious! Thanks for the recipe(s)! 🙂 Happy Independence Day!
Karly says
Thanks, Deanna! Hope you had a happy 4th as well!
Deb Cudak says
What a great cookie! My cookies came out soft and chewy . . . love them! Will be making again for the 4th 🙂