Last Updated May 21st, 2023 at 11:56 pm by Lisa
These M&M Sugar Cookies are decorated with red, white, and blue M&Ms, icing stripes, and star sprinkles. Great for beach days, picnics, summer parties, and the 4th of July.
Baked with a classic sugar cookie dough and an easy icing recipe. Get great baking tips for same-size m&m cookies, and how to freeze and reuse leftover icing. Bake a batch of July 4th cookies to celebrate America's birthday and sweet summertime...
How To Bake Fourth of July Patriotic Cookies
M&M cookie recipe
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated white sugar
- 1 cup butter softened
- 1 egg or Egg Beaters
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 tablespoons orange juice
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups red, white & blue m&m candies
icing recipe
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- ½ cup butter softened
- 3-4 tablespoons of milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- red white & blue sprinkles
Sugar Cookies
- Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.
- In a large mixer, cream butter and sugar. Add flour, egg, baking powder, orange juice, and vanilla.
- Beat at low speed, scraping the bowl down, and remix until well combined for 2 minutes. Mix in M&Ms using your hands or a spatula.
- Use a 1" ice cream scoop, and place 1” apart on parchment-lined cookie sheets.
- Bake 7-10 minutes at 400 until edges are just turning golden brown.
- Cool cookies before decorating with frosting on a cooling rack.
Icing Recipe
- In a mixer, using a wire beater/s combine powdered sugar, soft butter, milk, and vanilla.
- Beat on low speed until soft and fluffy for 1-2 minutes.
- Place in gallon zip-top bag, snip a tiny corner and drizzle on cookies to decorate in a zig-zag pattern and sprinkle with star sprinkles while the frosting is wet.
Variations and Swaps
- Use a cup of any red, white, and blue candies in these m&m sugar cookies.
- Bake these as chocolate chip cookies and just use the icing with colorful sprinkles on top.
- For a chewy cookie recipe treat, use a baking tray, and bake these into m&m cookie bars. Simply press the cookie dough into the pan, bake, and slice into bars. Drizzle with icing and sprinkles.
- You can use unsalted butter if that is all you have. The simple ratio is for every stick, half cup, or ¼ pound, use ¼ teaspoon salt.
About a week sealed well in a container.
Put them chilled in a sealed airtight container in the refrigerator.
The best way to keep cookies fresh is to bake them ahead and freeze them. When you are ready to eat them, pull them out defrost for a couple of hours, and decorate if desired.
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More July 4th Desserts
Serve an Ice Cream Cake frozen dessert this summer or for birthdays, pool parties, or July 4th. This recipe has an incredible red velvet Oreo cookie crust, layers of ice cream, pound cake, caramel, chocolate sauce, whip cream, and fun sprinkles.
Bake a Blueberry Pie right on your grill, just like an oven! Serve this grilled dessert all summer with ice cream at cookouts and July 4th.
Flag Pie (aka sheet pan or slab pie) is a patriotic dessert that serves 20 people as a July 4th dessert or for summer cookouts and picnics.
Fruit Popsicles made with coconut water, strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries are refreshing low-sugar treats for hot summer days.
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Patriotic July 4th Cookies
Ingredients
Sugar Cookies
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup butter softened
- 1 egg or EggBeaters
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 tablespoons orange juice
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- 1 ½ cups red white & blue M&Ms
Frosting & Decorations
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- ½ cup butter softened
- 3-4 tablespoons milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- red white & blue star sprinkles
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.
Sugar Cookie Dough
- In a large mixer, cream butter and sugar. Add flour, egg, baking powder, orange juice, and vanilla.
- Beat at low speed, scraping bowl down, and remix until well combined for 2 minutes. Mix in M&Ms using your hands or a spatula.
- Use a 1" ice cream scoop, and place 1” apart on parchment lined cookie sheets.
- Bake 7-10 minutes at 400 until edges are just turning golden brown.
- Cool cookies before decorating with frosting on a cooling rack.
Decorate Sugar Cookies
- In a mixer, using a wire beater/s combine powdered sugar, soft butter, milk, and vanilla. Beat on low speed until soft and fluffy 1-2 minutes.
- Place in gallon zip-top bag, snip a tiny corner and drizzle on cookies in a zig-zag pattern to decorate and sprinkle with star sprinkles while the frosting is wet.
- cookie scoop stand mixer dry ingredients parchment paper baking sheet batter airtight container
- icing4 cups powdered sugar½ cup butter softened 3-4 tablespoons of milk2 teaspoons vanillared white & blue sprinkles
Nice recipe
Thanks
I love red white and blue foods and these cookies are so cute. I'm a little late in celebrating because the kids have been at camp but plan to when they get home.
Aww, they will love them! My Mom always made cookies with M&Ms, good memories. Enjoy the recipe and happy summer Terri!
These cookies look so tasty. Just in time to celebrate Independence Day. It should be fun to make it with the kids.
Hope you had a great 4th Leo, and thank you for your comment!
What a nice post! This looks so good. I love holiday food. Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Those cookies are so cute and perfect for the 4th! I could also see easily changing the sprinkles and making these festive for any holiday! Saving for later for sure!
Ah, that is so true! with all the colored M&Ms and fun sprinkles in the world you can get so creative with this recipe!
The cookies look delicious. They are very festive for July 4th! I plan to try making them! My kids will love them!
Kids go crazy when you tuck those M&Ms in there...my Mom always made them that way growing up. Enjoy!
The 4th of July is always such a fun holiday for us and the kids. They would love to have these as a treat!
Isn't it fun? The food and fireworks are so all American... enjoy your family party Becca!
I could reach through the screen and eat any one of these they look delicious
Well they are goooood! That icing is just the best. Yum! Thank Valerie and Happy 4th!
These are so cute! I just love themed food. It is so much fun!
Thank you, I have a thing for themed food too, kinda my jam!
Those were cute cookies. It's perfect for thanksgiving. I gotta try this recipe for a simple treat.
OMG these look so delicious! I bet they are fun to make too! Can't wait for 4th of July!!!
I can't wait either, it's tommorrow! Happy July 4th Brittany....
Those cookies are ones right up my alley. They are so adorable and I bet they taste yummy. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for reading the post Serena! We all love a good cookie right? Happy 4th!
These were so cute and perfect for the big day. It's all in the details! Definitely using this recipe in the bake sale fundraiser this year. They will go fast!